Which branch of the armed service??

Which branch of the armed service??
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All Forums >> Radios, Batteries, Clubhouse and more >> Off Topic Forum - Planes/Helis >> Which branch of the armed service??

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Which branch of the armed service?? - 6/10/2008 5:50:00 AM

WMB

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Hi all, I'll try to make this short. I have a 17 year old son, one more year of high school left. He has one ambition, playing video games, NOTHING else matters, maybe girls?? GPA ~ 1.4. Flunked accounting this year. Next year when/if he graduates, he has two choices. Military or getting dropped of at the Rescue Mission for the hard knocks school.

We have talked to the Navy recruiters. I passed the first test ok. He is taking a placement test of somesort tomorrow and the physical test Friday.

We have an appt to meet with the Army National Reserve Wednesday night.

Marines would probably mean a tour in Iraq/Afghanastan.

Army, Air Force, Coast Guard ??

Breif summary, Smart- they all are. Very gifted athletically, lettered three years in track. Plays HS football, intramural B-Ball. Works hard in practice, not motivated to work further than that. Does bare minimum in most school classes. Does not turn in many assignments. Tests out OK.

Good kid, no motivation. Thinks the world, especially parents, owes him everything. I know things could be much worse.

Hard to see all the potential go down the drain due to laziness.

Anywho, for those in the service or retired from. I would like to know a lot more from first hand experience. Parents and siblings of military personel are encouraged to chime in as well.

Thanks in advance and I'll keep you updated, MikeB

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RE: Which branch of the armed service?? - 6/10/2008 12:44:41 PM

TJR1

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I served 9 years in the Air Force until being medically seperated. I'm definitely biased toward the AF. The quality of living in the AF is probably the best of all the services and is probably the more technically oriented of them all. Obviously the Marines and the Army are the more physically oriented due to the nature of their missions. Navy could be a choice, but for me the idea of being aboard ship for months at a time just didn't "float my boat". From the description you gave of your son, I'm thinking that the Army or Marines might be the best fit for him. Basic training will be very physical and the Drill Sargeants will provide plenty of motivation. The only question is, "How does he deal with authority?". If he's confrontational in the face of authority, he may not last. From what I've seen of the younger (current) generation, they all need to do a tour in the service, if anything else for the maturity and pride in oneself that it imparts. Most, if not all of the men in my Dad's family served with pride in one branch of the service or another, with myself and then my younger brother being the first to serve in the Air Force. I've seen the military turned troubled teens into outstanding citizens. I hope some of this information is helpful.

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RE: Which branch of the armed service?? - 6/10/2008 12:57:02 PM

DavidAgar

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I did the same thing. My last years of High School were all about the girls and no books. I graduated High School with 2 choices. Enlist or be drafted. I enlisted in the Air Force and became a fire fighter, which has been a career that I am still in some 35 years later. Understand that joining a certain branch of the military is not a gaurentee that he will not be put in harms way. I am a veteran of the Viet Nam conflict and went into the Air Force with the mind set that I would not end up going to Viet Nam, just did not work out that way. As I look back, I did what I thought was right, however it changed my life in so many ways, some positive and some negative. Have your son think long and hard about what he is doing now and how the decisions that he makes now will effect his future. Good Luck, Dave

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RE: Which branch of the armed service?? - 6/10/2008 3:21:49 PM

BarracudaHockey

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I was in a similar situation. I joined the Navy, though I grew up in a Navy town, and I wanted to fly F-14's after seeing Top Gun.

In 12 years I never set foot on a comissioned vessel, though I never flew F-14's either

I did however find out that I could succeed in school, I graduated first or second in my class in everything from then on including a 3.97 GPA in 2 years of post navy college. I did end up flying however as an inflight tech on the P-3 Orion (how I never ended up on a ship!)

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RE: Which branch of the armed service?? - 6/10/2008 3:32:05 PM

Rafael23cc

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9 years in the Army. 4 Active Duty and 5 Reserve. Deployed to Bosnia in 1999, and to Iraq in 2003.

On this day and age, no part of the Armed Forces is excempt for deploying somewhere. The Armed Forces are being streched thin and it shows on the fact that National Guard Units are being called up to serve full term (12+ months) missions with their Active Duty counterparts.

I agree with the previous statement of having plenty of motivation for your son in the Marines or the Army. From the statement of the GPA, I would assume that the AriForce might not be such a great choice. Navy could be a choice but I'm not that familiar with that branch.

Rafael

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RE: Which branch of the armed service?? - 6/11/2008 12:20:18 AM

khodges

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quote:

ORIGINAL: WMB

Good kid, no motivation. Thinks the world............. owes him everything.
Hard to see all the potential go down the drain due to laziness.

Sounds like he needs a date with a Marine DI .

I was USAF for 8 years as a Flight Nurse.(service in Panama and Desert Storm). Today, as said above, there is no guarantee that he won't have to serve in a combat area regardless of what branch, but I wouldn't recommend the military to anyone unless you're willing to take whatever comes along, and the possibility of seeing combat is part and parcel what the military is all about. Maybe that's what your son needs to make him appreciate what he has.

It would be great if his grades were higher, it would open more doors toward a place in the military other than "basic grunt", and even the footsoldier today has to be better educated to deal with the technology in use on the battlefield. Used to be just show them how to use a rifle and which way to point it (overly simplistic, but you see the point).

I have to say, I was much like your son at that age, and I feel that boot camp would have been the best thing for me, maybe would have given me some direction. I didn't join until I was 32, the max age at the time, and I already had a skill that was in demand and a degree that gave me some "maneuvering room" to get where I wanted to be.

I'm a proponent of mandatory military service for every physically able male at completion of high school, and after a two-year stint, higher education is subsidized by the govt. as part of the deal.

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RE: Which branch of the armed service?? - 6/11/2008 3:37:31 PM

TruBlu02

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I'm active duty Air Force right now stationed at Little Rock AFB, AR. I am a C-130 Jet propulsion Craftsmen. I have been in for 8 years this September and it really was the best option for me. I had no direction when I hit my senior year of High school. I was a good student but only cause I didnt want to get yelled at by my parents. About halfway through my senior year I got accepted into a great college but I had absolutely no motivation to contiue my edcation at that point so I ended up joining the Air Force instead. Now it is no secret that Air Force basic training is not as physically demanding as the other branches but for me it was more of a mental challenge. The Air Force gave me direction and a purpose. For me I finally found somewhere that I fit in and a job I was good at! Turns out now I went back to college and the air Force has paid my way through the school I originally applied for!

Regardless of where your son ends up, the military will give him some motivation and purpose. There are plenty of great jobs in all branches of service and they will quickly teach your son that the world owes him nothing and he will have to work for a living. There has been alot of good advice here so hopefully you can help your son make something of himself. Good luck!!!

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RE: Which branch of the armed service?? - 6/14/2008 12:12:36 AM

WMB

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Thanks for the replies all. He signed up for the Navy under the delayed entry/enlistment program. He will get trained as a hospital corpsman. That takes a burden off me. He was pretty excited when he got home.
thanks again, MikeB

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RE: Which branch of the armed service?? - 6/14/2008 4:01:03 AM

khodges

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quote:

ORIGINAL: WMB

Thanks for the replies all. He signed up for the Navy under the delayed entry/enlistment program. He will get trained as a hospital corpsman. That takes a burden off me. He was pretty excited when he got home.
thanks again, MikeB

That is Awesome. Navy Corpsmen are the best Medics in the military, and it will open a lot of doors in the civilian healthcare sector later on. He has a lot of options as corpsman, he ought to look at independent duty. Other side of the coin is, the Marines' medics are Navy Corpsmen, he could wind up in Force Recon. I worked with a nurse who had been a Recon medic, one of the best nurses I ever saw.

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RE: Which branch of the armed service?? - 6/16/2008 5:01:32 AM

skyraider71

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All I cared about in high school was skateboarding and chasing skirts.
I sighned up for the Navy to get the hell away from home. I became
a Radioman (communications specialist). I did two deployments during
Desert Shield/Storm. I wouldn't trade my Navy experience for anything!
Sea duty is not that bad, and you get some cool port visits. My advise to
your son? Buy a good camera, and learn how to use it. He will see things
he won't forget!

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RE: Which branch of the armed service?? - 6/16/2008 12:37:45 PM

TJR1

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quote:

ORIGINAL: WMB

Thanks for the replies all. He signed up for the Navy under the delayed entry/enlistment program.

That's great. That's how I joined the Air Force. I signed up as a Junior in High School and was guarenteed a job as a Strategic Aircraft Maintenance Specialist. I went to Basic Training three weeks to the day after graduation. It turned out I ended up working on B-52's in Minot, ND

. But it all turned out good. After three and a half years, I got into the B-2 Stealth Bomber program

.

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RE: Which branch of the armed service?? - 6/16/2008 2:54:13 PM

TimC

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"Thanks for the replies all. He signed up for the Navy under the delayed entry/enlistment program. He will get trained as a hospital corpsman. That takes a burden off me. He was pretty excited when he got home.
thanks again, MikeB"

Mike, as khodges has said, there is a chance that he will be sent to a Marine rifle company. This is not only in harms way, when the shooting starts, the corpsmen have to go into the worst of it to tend the wounded. I have a special place in my heart for Navy Corpsmen. One took care of me in the worst of times.

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Post #: 12

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