Should I join the Navy?

[slo-rst-laser]

Navy has a waiting list right now they have to many people signing up. My buddy with a nasty sti signed up in the middle of the summer and isnt leaving till May. I was going to sign up for the Air Force but I figured college is in my area. No one can tell you what to do, its all your choice, yes military does have its benefits compared to college. Just make sure they dont bs you around only join if they give you the job you want.

 

[brownfinger]

This thread is turning into garbage.

There are too many "I knew a guy" responses and few are paying attention to my "I have" responses.

I served my country, I'm out now... but not by choice, I am fighting to get myself back in.

Just because peoples' beliefs, opinions, and experiences disagree with yours doesn't make them garbage

The OP made it clear WHY he was considering joining. I made it clear that I didn't have any 1st-hand experience just to be completely honest. No one I have referred to is someone I just "knew". I'm speaking about people with whom I am close. The friend who I met 4 years ago is the exception. Mostly these are people who I have known for 10 or more years. I am from a small town and I still live there. These are intimate friends, the kind whos' life-stories you have no choice but to keep-up with. They are people with whom the fabric of my life and theirs' are interwoven.

I'm happy for you that your military experience turned-out to be a positive part of your life. I know far too many people who had the opposite experience.

I'm also sorry if me and the people who say things similar to what I am saying offend you. Bear in mind that you, and most of the posters who agree with you, refer to certain religious beliefs which certain others may find border-line offensive. I'm not complaining to the moderators for one reason: Religious referrences have been restrained to a non-denominational "God", with no mention of "Jesus", Christ", or "The Lord". I can very much appreciate that, and thank-you.

All I'm asking is that you respect the rights of others to disagree with you with-out resorting to trash-talk ("garbage").

Thank-you for serving, and good-luck getting back in. We all owe a debt to you and people like you. It just so happens that more people have responded in the negative, than in the positive. I do find it interesting that their hasn't been one single response from someone who has actually been in the Navy. My grandfather was in the Navy in WWII, mom's side.

 

[phunny]

Just because peoples' beliefs, opinions, and experiences disagree with yours doesn't make them garbage

The OP made it clear WHY he was considering joining. I made it clear that I didn't have any 1st-hand experience just to be completely honest. No one I have referred to is someone I just "knew". I'm speaking about people with whom I am close. The friend who I met 4 years ago is the exception. Mostly these are people who I have known for 10 or more years. I am from a small town and I still live there. These are intimate friends, the kind whos' life-stories you have no choice but to keep-up with. They are people with whom the fabric of my life and theirs' are interwoven.

I'm happy for you that your military experience turned-out to be a positive part of your life. I know far too many people who had the opposite experience.

I'm also sorry if me and the people who say things similar to what I am saying offend you. Bear in mind that you, and most of the posters who agree with you, refer to certain religious beliefs which certain others may find border-line offensive. I'm not complaining to the moderators for one reason: Religious referrences have been restrained to a non-denominational "God", with no mention of "Jesus", Christ", or "The Lord". I can very much appreciate that, and thank-you.

All I'm asking is that you respect the rights of others to disagree with you with-out resorting to trash-talk ("garbage").

Thank-you for serving, and good-luck getting back in. We all owe a debt to you and people like you. It just so happens that more people have responded in the negative, than in the positive. I do find it interesting that their hasn't been one single response from someone who has actually been in the Navy. My grandfather was in the Navy in WWII, mom's side.

I think what he's saying is that no matter how much you think you know someone, you really don't know them. That's why 2 friends can be friends since they were born, yet they couldn't work together. You really don't know how people's work ethic is. The military doesn't ruin people. You can quit the military just like any other job. It my take 3 or 4 months but it's no hard.

"Don't hate the job, hate the man"

 

[brownfinger]

I think what he's saying is that no matter how much you think you know someone, you really don't know them. That's why 2 friends can be friends since they were born, yet they couldn't work together. You really don't know how people's work ethic is. The military doesn't ruin people. You can quit the military just like any other job. It my take 3 or 4 months but it's no hard.

"Don't hate the job, hate the man"

I'm not suprised you are the first member to respond, phunny. I am happily suprised to see that you're being cool about it.

No hard feelings.

I guess when you're being shot-at, you don't know anybody untill it happens. We're all here 'cause we love DSMs. That's what brings us together. That's all we're here to talk about. I respect your convictions. Just remember that this forum is about our cars. Our differerences should bring us together, not divide us... USA,right?

 

[Calan]

In my experience, military service tends to bring out what people are really like inside, rather than "turn them into something" or "ruin their lives". I found that the loud, "look at me", highschool football captain types usually weren't as bad-ass as they liked to think, and the quiet types seemed to have an inner strength that they didn't know existed until it was go time.

I served 4 years in the US Army in the early 80's. I started basic training with 63 people in my platoon...32 made it through all 8 weeks and graduated; 31 either recycled back through to try again, or were sent back to wherever they came from cause they just "didn't have what it takes". Over the next 4 years, I saw people become complete losers, and I saw people excel in life in ways that they didn't know they were capable of. I watched a guy across the hall from me (an E5) sell his last piece of furniture for drugs while his 3-yr old son was there...and a few weeks later a guy that was his roommate just a few months earlier saved a civilian's life in a restaurant with the first aid he learned in our weekly training.

At this point in my life and after the 4 years I went through, you couldn't pay me enough to do it again (and I'm now too old anyway). But you couldn't pay me enough to not have done it either. I owe just about everything I have and the person I've become to the basic skills I learned in the military, and more importantly... to what I learned about myself.

Personally, I think every male should go in for at least a year or two, if for nothing else... just to grow up a little bit, discover some humility, and to find out for themselves what they are truly made of.

Just my .02 of course.

 

[PIMking]

I personally believe that we should make all able body men at the age of 18 take two years of thier lives and do a 2 year national guard type of service.

this does a couple of things.

1. makes you understand wheat people had to do for you to have the rights that you have now.
2. feel a sense of pride for defending such a great country
3. learn a skill for free.

alot of countries do it.

anywho if you love your country and feel like you can make it better by joining the navy then by all means go for it.

If you dont love your country then GTFO

 

[4g64fiero]

Being in the military I tell you that is an extremely dumb idea.

Nothing personal. I dont expect anyone not in the military to understand. When you force people into the military you destroy the work ethic in the military. Not to mention, we dont need that many people to begin with.

 

[laserspeeddemon]

In my experience, military service tends to bring out what people are really like inside, rather than "turn them into something" or "ruin their lives". I found that the loud, "look at me", highschool football captain types usually weren't as bad-ass as they liked to think, and the quiet types seemed to have an inner strength that they didn't know existed until it was go time.

This is exactly what I was trying to say. It magnifies who you truly are, not who you portray to be. If anything it breaks down that self-projection.

I'm sorry if you find this offensive, but if your friend's ex-wife was a slut, she was a slut before her husband joined the military.

If you sit around and smoke pot all the time now, the military didn't make you pothead. You were going to do it anyway, you just didn't do it WHILE you were in, because you were going to get caught. And now you have no forced accountability

If you body is broken, then you hid certain conditions from the MEPS physicians. This is mostly why people come out the military broken. They hide their medical conditions that would otherwise disqualify them, especially for Airborne positions.

 

[phunny]

I hear what you're saying Fiero. You can tell the guys that are court ordered there. They are sacks of crap for the most part. It's better to have good guys.

And like stated above, it brings out the true you, it does not create you. And you really get to see the real people when something bad happens, they normally freeze up and/or run.

 

[gofer]

this thread is a month old but all ive read are "this guy i knew" or opinions about the military so i thought id throw in my .02 cents since im active duty navy...
lots of good opinions above but also lots of misinformation. ive done 6 years active duty in the navy aviation community, five of which have been out of san diego. for three of those years i called an aircraft carrier home and im not talking like i went to work there in the a.m. and left, im talking HOME. i ate, worked, showered, shit and slept on an aircraft carrier for three years even while it was tied to the san diego pier and not just out at sea. my rack was so small i couldn't roll over and i had about 6" of wiggle room for my head or else you'd be bounching it off the ceiling in the rack. it was exactly long enough for me, 72" (6ft) so if your taller than that your screwed because they don't make them any longer. i deployed twice but on a ship even if your not "deploying" your still going out at sea for weeks at a time, you just come back for a few days so you can do it again... haha.
along with the bad comes the good though... ive visited 7 different countries and experienced things my 55yr old parents never have and probably never will. i have life long friends that i can trust with my life with and they live all over the country. im still active duty, just stationed on shore now, and im allowed to go to college during the work week for FREE. ive got experience only the navy could have gotten me and overall it has made me a STRONGER person mentally. im not broke, im actually the exact opposite since im in the best physical condition in my life and the paychecks not so bad either... lets just say i live pretty comfortably for a 24yr old in socal.
when it comes down to it nobody can tell you whether or not to enlist, thats your decision. ive had an AWESOME career so far in the navy and i just reenlisted in july because im having too much fun to get out now. the best advice i can give to someone thats going to join is this... don't be the jackass that just collects the paycheck. once you get out of training find the guy that busts their ass day in day out, because they know what they're doing and if they take you under their wing and teach you then you'll get promoted faster and know your job.
if your serious about this go talk to a navy recruiter and see what jobs they offer, shoot me a PM with the info and ill de-BS what the recruiter tells you and give it to you straight.
take care and happy holidays.

 

[Usn_shaft]

I don't mean to thread jack but phunny, what company do you work for? What do the do? And are they hiring? Lol that sounds like a pretty sweet gig. I'm a navy veteran and although I have a decent job I wouldn't mind moving to PA for a better job plus college.

Op: I did a little over 5 years in the navy and I had the time of my life, some days I absolutley hated it, some days I loved it, just like any other job. But overall it was one of the best things I ever did. I joined at 17 becuase I graduated HS at 16. The o ly reason I got out was becuase I was going through a divorce and fghting for custody of my kids, and. Reenlisting would have made it harder to get custody of my kids had I deployed. So I decided to get out.

 

[s2000b4idie]

jus be very cautious what career field you go into.

 

[907dsm]

being on a boat with a bunch of dudes... come on that says it all.

 

[Batman™]

I am 2A051P Electronic Warfare in the Air Force. I've been in 6 years now, and am a Staff Sergeant. I'm working on my upgrade to 7-skill level right now. This is without a doubt the best thing I could've possibly done with me life.

I joined after I figured out that college wasn't right for me. I weighed my options and decided that I didn't want to move back in with my mom (my dad wouldn't let me live with him if I wasn't in college) and I also didn't want to work a dead-end job living paycheck to paycheck to try to afford a run-down apartment.

After talking with my cousin who was in, I went to the Air Force Recruiter and haven't looked back since. After basic and tech school, I spent 3 years in South Carolina, then a year in Korea, and now I've been back in SC for a little over a year. I'm gearing up for my first deployment to Iraq right now.

I knew the risks when I signed up during a war, but it was/is the best option for me. In 6 years I've paid down a lot of my debts, bought a house, have pretty much anything I want when I want it, and have a good job that I get a sense of satisfaction out of. I've moved from the "worker" role up to the "supervisory" level, and get new challenges to overcome daily.

I've gotten a lot of schooling and even a degree from the Air Force, not to mention 100% tuition assistance AND the Montgomery GI Bill.

I just re-enlisted for another 5 years, and can't wait! I'll be half way to retirement after that.

All that being said, the military is what you make of it. What some of these other guys have said is spot on. People are what they are without the military. If you're an adulterer, it's not the military's fault. If you're a drug addict, it's not the military's fault. It might amplify these traits from time to time by putting you in situations (a year remote tour without family) that you wouldn't normally be in, but ultimately you're responsible for your actions, not Uncle Sam.

 

[joe sobo]

95% of all people that join are just trying to run from problems. what they fail to realize is that those same problem will exist for them when they come back home. it does not work. my brother is a perfect example. he tried to get away from his problems of drinking. and a year into his tour, he became a even worse drunk overseas, in iraq. now he is home, and turning into one of those bums you see in the cities, looking for handouts, just to buy more booze.
i also believe that if you cannot find it in yourself with out other peoples advise, this may not be for you. the military can either make or break you, as i have seen it happen to a bunch of people. especially the ones that come back home and think everthing is owed to them, or they are just so full of themselves'

 

[tonyseagle]

I read this thread and I dont believe I've seen anybody who has recently enlisted give their opinion. Here goes.

My first day in the Air Force was April 1st (April fools day...fun). The reason I joined?....wasnt doin so hot in college...and I realized I didnt "really" feel I was cut out to be a doctor anyways (It was a child-hood dream my parents hammered into my head as a child).

Military life has its ups and downs. Personally, I believe people should join at age 21...not 18...mainly because its easier to adapt to the lifestyle if you've already passed the idiot stage of your life. I realize there are still 21 year old idiots...but that number is vastly smaller than that of the 18 year old idiot population.

It seems no matter how many briefs....how many emails...etc, somebody always...ALWAYS seems to find themselves doing exactly what they were told NOT to do. Underaged drinking....DUI...Speeding...Sexual assault...etc.

Generally speaking, if everybody were to abide by, live by, and fully understand the values of both the Enlisted Force structure and the UCMJ, the military would be the best way to live. This is not the case...and it natually cant be because of human nature.

I'm an Air Traffic Controller. I just got my 5 level rating (basically a certification saying I can direct traffic without a trainer watching me) and I am very happy with my job. Nowhere else could I have got the diverse training that I have received here...nowhere. I'm merely following in my father's footsteps ( he was also airforce and is still an Air Traffic Controller). My family is proud of me, but more importantly, I'm proud of myself...because I know when I get out...I'll have a career waiting for me...not a job.

With all that being said...there is the bad. If you're not in the best of shape...you better recondition yourself. Start eating right...and look forward to waking up early in the morning (this is true for both basic and tech school). They are supposed to be implementing a new PT system next year where the evaluators are Civilian...so people can no longer "cheat." It's obvious who those people are...and it pisses me off that people get away with it.

The amount of double standard in the Air Force is appauling as well. I've seen Ssgt's and above offer married A1C teenagers drinks and then turn around and accept an award for NCO of the year. I've seen somebody make Airmen of the Year and get beaten by some "hot" chick for BTZ (below the zone: a program that step-promotes A1C's to SrA 6 months quicker). Clearly if you are the best airman for that year....you should be the best on base.

If you are a strong person...can handle your business...and are "ok" with being apart from your family...the military will be a good place for you. Although I have not been deployed, the people who have at my work have told me it really changes your prospective on the Air Force. I sorta recharges their batteries and turns them into "lifers."

Me, I came in with a plan. Get my training as an Air Traffic Controller...do my 6 years...get out....work for my Dad. I'm stubborn by necessity, and I have no reason to stay. Join up for a career.

-SE

 

[Batman™]

Tony, I'm guessing you're what, an A1C? Where are you stationed at?

 

[UnsafeAtAnySpd]

I've been in the Air Force for 2.5 years now (did AFROTC in college). As already mentioned, there are some definite pros and cons. Having a secure job (at the beginning of last year, my mom had to take a 12% paycut while I was getting a 3.5% raise ) that most people respect clearly fits in the former category. Also, TA pays for the majority of the Master's I'm working on which helps too. At the same time though, there's no guarentee as to what job you will get (I ended up with the AFSC I wanted least out of all possible, but there is a lot of truth to 'it's all what you make of it...') or where you will get stationed.

 

[s2000b4idie]

im a 2A551 (heavy aircraft crew chief) stationed in grand forks ,nd currently deployed I agree that its 100% the people you work with and what you make it.
i have had a blast the last three years. not sure if ill re-up though time to move on i think

 

[tonyseagle]

Tony, I'm guessing you're what, an A1C? Where are you stationed at?

Yes sir, A1C stationed at Moody Air Force Base. Are you also ATC? If so, do you know A1C Day?

 

[Batman™]

Yes sir, A1C stationed at Moody Air Force Base. Are you also ATC? If so, do you know A1C Day?

No, Electronic Warfare. I like to get my hands dirty for a living. I don't know that kid.

 

[pj91gsx]

i wouldnt join the navy. im afraid of drowning. reminds me of the time that my brother closed the top of the jacuzzi on my head, I couldnt get out, and somehow, me and twin both forced the top off of us. With the power of god we survived. I was like 7. If i were to want to serve the country it would be army. Im not invisible, but i do believe i am blessed, for how many times ive lost traction and done stupid driving stuff, my cars should be destroyed. Lucky i know joesobo, to show me more dangerous driving methods that i would like to learn on a skidpad someday.

 

[brownfinger]

Well, now I just want to know what the kid (the OP) did!

 

[NiKKUH_BOViCE]

being 17 on my senior year of high schoo. i got many options. and i would never join the military. mostly because I am not willing to dedicate myself to anything other than me.

 

[tonyseagle]

being 17 on my senior year of high schoo. i got many options. and i would never join the military. mostly because I am not willing to dedicate myself to anything other than me.

With a thought process like that one...I would have never guess you were 17. Life will never be just about you. What about family? Friends? Pets? Certainly you care about somebody....or something.

I'm sure you meant about your future and hopefully not about being a self-centered kid who thinks the world revolves around them.

What career field have you considered going into? When I was in high school, I had 4.0 gpa...32 on my ACT...All State Percussionist...the works. I thought I had a lot of options too. However, you really dont have as many as you think. Are you basing what college you go to off of education? Friends? Local area? Out of state?

Your perspective on how the world works will be drastically enhanced once you experience it. Both myself and all my friends were all clouded by what we believed to be a simple transition from high school to college...we were all wrong.

Basically what im getting at is...life throws you curve balls...you have to know how to adapt. In my case...it was to join the Military. Wasn't as a last ditch effort...It was a wise decision.