Army Reserves

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UpGrD

Golden Member
Oct 9, 1999
1,412
0
0
Talk to a recruiter, take the test, see what options you have. Don't sign anything and you wont be obligated to anything. Cant hurt to check it out.
I was in the Army (5yrs). One of the best decisions I have ever made. Did it suck at times, yes... Was it great at times ,absolutly.... In the end it changed my life for the better.
Really made me who I am today. If I was in in your life situation I wound absolutely consider the military. A great way to check it out is to just visit a local Armory (just walk in), they will probably even let drill with them while you decide your path.
 

PJABBER

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2001
4,822
0
0
Scholzpdx, based on your initial posts I would say it is a good option for you to explore in detail.

Your best bet is to go to talk to both regular recruiters and to someone who is a ROTC recruiter at a local college - they can lay out your options, incentives and obligations.

The majority of people who join up look back on the experience as something that molded them and made them what they are in both good and, much more rarely, bad ways.

If you were in the Reserves or National Guard, Army or Marines, right now, you might be likely to get deployed overseas every other year with the current operational tempo, but who knows what will happen in terms of the U.S. staying engaged in current or future hot spots. Navy and Air Force have different issues. If I were going to take the step of enlisting I would take every option to train up to the possibility of active deployment, even if you never actually do get deployed.

As you are a college student you might consider officer training options as well. The pay is much better and it is a different kind of challenge as you are going to be required to apply leadership and management skills right up front.

I spent a number of years in the US Army Reserve as an airborne infantry officer.

I got into it because I was running out of money for school, did not have a job between my sophomore and junior years in college and wanted to do something more with myself than the typical academics and boring summer jobs. Sound familiar?

I actually first checked out the Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class because they offered a Naval Aviator flight training option. Wound up not going there cause my eyes did not meet spec during the flight physical.

USMC Platoon Leaders Class

They offered me the Infantry (Ground) option instead, but I figured that if I were going to deploy I wanted to go with more firepower backing me up and the Army had a great alternative program available.

At the time I was checking things out, the Army offered a no-obligation plan - first go through an officer candidate Basic training for 9 weeks at Fort Knox and then decide if you want to sign a long term contract for 2 years of ROTC and then service as an officer (I seem to remember a 3 years active duty and then four in the Reserves contract after graduation was standard. I put in a total of 12 years before moving on to other things, wish I had stayed in for 20 now to get some retirement benefits.)

There is no equivalent right now that I could find in a fast search, but I did find the U.S. Army Leader's Training Course -

U.S. Army Leader's Training Course

It looks like a month (too short!) to give you some kind of Basic training and then you go for two years of ROTC before commissioning. You may be branch selected for any number of occupations depending on what your skills and major are and the needs of the Army. (I wanted Intel but got Infantry because my leadership scores were off the chart!)

Like I said, I initially went through a 9 week Basic Training course at Ft. Knox that was roughly 6-7 weeks in a field training environment and I loved it, though I wasn't particularly good at it at the time. I was in shape but no jock, should have been running three miles a day and weight lifting before going in, etc. I hated the two years of ROTC drilling while at the same time excelling at all of the field/tactics training they could throw my way.

I subsequently got much, much better and pretty much went the whole way in taking everything the Army offered in the way of combat arms training and assignments - mech infantry, airborne, Ranger, etc. As a Reserve officer with lots of active duty assignments I wanted to do something completely different than the business management I did as a civilian.

The military in any of the services is not for everyone. I don't think you can necessarily tell if it will be a fit for you until you experience it. Army Reserve and National Guard drills can be boring, but if it is a fit you will take advantage of the training and experiences that are available in abundance and likely get a whole lot out of it, IMHO.
 

chusteczka

Diamond Member
Apr 12, 2006
3,400
1
71
Ask yourself how important college is for you. If you are focused on classes and doing well, then stay in school. If you are not focused on classes and are without a direction in life (this is not a bad thing), then the military may be a good experience for you. Be prepared to leave school behind (for now). Time in the military can provide direction, skill training, or motivation to achieve a college education.

I currently hold an engineering degree in computer science but I probably would not have achieved this if not for the motivation I gained for an education while serving as a submarine mechanic while in the navy during the first gulf war. My education was paid for between the GI Bill and Illinois state veteran's benefits that provided 120 free credit hours of education.

Before you sign any paperwork, ensure your state provides veteran's benefits for a free education. If your state does not, then move to a state that does and enlist in that state. You will then have to return to that state to receive the benefits after your discharge.
 

Boo Boo

Golden Member
Aug 2, 2005
1,514
0
0
you'll stand out first to get shot. you get to shoot people for fun. and you get 3 hots and a cot. drink your weight in water within a week. going to beat it till it falls off
 

Sea Moose

Diamond Member
May 12, 2009
6,936
7
76
Originally posted by: Boo Boo
you'll stand out first to get shot. you get to shoot people for fun. and you get 3 hots and a cot. drink your weight in water within a week. going to beat it till it falls off

go away, come back when you have either a funny joke or something useful
 

keird

Diamond Member
Jan 18, 2002
3,714
9
81
Also, look for an Airborne option when you sign. This course is very difficult to get after you've already gotten to a non airborne unit. Get it when you're young, fast and motivated.
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
it works out well for some people. I wonder if it's even possible to have an objective poll on whether people were glad to have joined or not. I always had, and still have, the impression that for most people the military is not a first-choice but something they do because they feel they're limited in options. Certainly these days going off to war and leaving your family at home to be paid chump change and get shot at sounds to me like a pretty fvcking awful endeavor. I consider myself very lucky never to have done it. I cannot imagine how awful it must be to have, say, a three month old baby and then get shipped out and you're gone for a year, missing so much of their life. It's not really surprising the military have high rates of problems, including infidelity in marriages.
 

akubi

Diamond Member
Apr 19, 2005
4,392
1
0
those who can, do
those who can't, teach
those who can't teach, join the army

in all seriousness, joining the army for the money is the dumbest thing you can do.
you'll just get people around you hurt and killed.

 

compman25

Diamond Member
Jan 12, 2006
3,767
2
81
Originally posted by: Scholzpdx
Originally posted by: IAteYourMother
Originally posted by: Scholzpdx
Being deployed is kind of nerve racking to think about. I'm not a very combative person. I could do it, but honestly I'd be hesitant with my every move.

then why would you join the army

Career and personal advancement, additional funds, belonging to something bigger than yourself.

I'm sure I'm not alone.

So you don't want to fight yet you want the taxpayers to support your education?
 
Apr 20, 2008
10,162
984
126
Originally posted by: compman25
Originally posted by: Scholzpdx
Originally posted by: IAteYourMother
Originally posted by: Scholzpdx
Being deployed is kind of nerve racking to think about. I'm not a very combative person. I could do it, but honestly I'd be hesitant with my every move.

then why would you join the army

Career and personal advancement, additional funds, belonging to something bigger than yourself.

I'm sure I'm not alone.

So you don't want to fight yet you want the taxpayers to support your education?

Did you not read what's in bold? It wouldn't be completely about money. Overcoming the fear of combat that I have would be nice, as well as supporting my country.

I guess that is also frowned upon. Sorry.
 

Baked

Lifer
Dec 28, 2004
36,152
17
81
100% you will be sent to Afghan to fight Taliban and 99% you will get kidnapped and decapitated.
 

Beanie46

Senior member
Feb 16, 2009
527
0
0
Howdy. I'm Deb's husband and she asked me to simply let you know what it's like from someone who's been there......U.S. Army, '72-'79.

If I were to do it all over again, Air Force would be the first choice, Coast Guard and/or Navy second, Army/Marines dead last.

Why?
First, remember, as mentioned previously, you WILL be deployed no matter what branch you enter. We are at war on two fronts so it will happen without a doubt. Now that that is out of the way, onward.....

Start with the ground pounders....Marines and Army. Both are the hand-to-hand, door-to-door fighters. You live in the dirt. You eat the dirt. Going into the field means just that, sleeping in tents (and it ain't camping!), playing with guns, and people all around you have guns, too, and want to shoot you. Hot, dirty, but necessary as no war was won with the Navy or Air Force. Ground has to be taken and that means troops on the ground....Army and Marines. Hardest life of all the services and the most dangerous, pure and simple.


Next "easiest" is the water borne services. You like swimming? How long can you tread water? Because while it doesn't happen too often these days, boats sink, you drown or swim/float/raft and hope like hell someone sees you before you dehydrate and die. Six months on the water, from what I've heard, is almost as bad as the field is for the Army, but people aren't shooting bullets at your head all the time and you aren't eating dirt. Much safer, much nicer way to serve, but there's better......

And that's the Air Force. Consider, the AF has planes. Planes need runways but they don't need to be "at the front," so to speak. So even in combat areas, AF installations are much improved over anything the Army can and does deliver, just the nature of it. The AF isn't mobile and doesn't have to be; the Army absolutely needs to be mobile and the combat lifestyle reflects that. The downside? Every other service chides the AF as looking like they're dressed like bus drivers, esp. in their "dress" uniforms. But it's just jealousy. In combat, the further removed from the front lines you are the better the chance of survival, and the AF is about as far removed from the front as a service can be.

Just a word to the wise. AF if you have to go in. If you don't, don't. Get your education. Stick it out. I know it sucks to be broke going to school, underpaid, underappreciated, but in the end, it'll be well worth the short term pain.
 
Feb 24, 2001
14,550
4
81
Originally posted by: chusteczka
Ask yourself how important college is for you. If you are focused on classes and doing well, then stay in school. If you are not focused on classes and are without a direction in life (this is not a bad thing), then the military may be a good experience for you. Be prepared to leave school behind (for now). Time in the military can provide direction, skill training, or motivation to achieve a college education.

I currently hold an engineering degree in computer science but I probably would not have achieved this if not for the motivation I gained for an education while serving as a submarine mechanic while in the navy during the first gulf war. My education was paid for between the GI Bill and Illinois state veteran's benefits that provided 120 free credit hours of education.

Before you sign any paperwork, ensure your state provides veteran's benefits for a free education. If your state does not, then move to a state that does and enlist in that state. You will then have to return to that state to receive the benefits after your discharge.

He's askin' about Army Reserve; federal only.

He could do Army NG and look at the state benefits though.
 

chusteczka

Diamond Member
Apr 12, 2006
3,400
1
71
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
Originally posted by: chusteczka
Ask yourself how important college is for you. If you are focused on classes and doing well, then stay in school. If you are not focused on classes and are without a direction in life (this is not a bad thing), then the military may be a good experience for you. Be prepared to leave school behind (for now). Time in the military can provide direction, skill training, or motivation to achieve a college education.

I currently hold an engineering degree in computer science but I probably would not have achieved this if not for the motivation I gained for an education while serving as a submarine mechanic while in the navy during the first gulf war. My education was paid for between the GI Bill and Illinois state veteran's benefits that provided 120 free credit hours of education.

Before you sign any paperwork, ensure your state provides veteran's benefits for a free education. If your state does not, then move to a state that does and enlist in that state. You will then have to return to that state to receive the benefits after your discharge.

He's askin' about Army Reserve; federal only.

He could do Army NG and look at the state benefits though.

I have assumed that anyone joining the reserves will be deployed, thereby being pulled from school, placed on active duty, and shipped overseas. I further assume that a deployed reservist is placed on active duty while deployed. A deployed reservist placed on active duty for the term of the deployment would meet the requirements for the Illinois Veteran's Grant.


Illinois Veterans Grant
http://www.veterans.illinois.gov/benefits/education.htm

The Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program pays tuition and certain fees at all Illinois state-supported colleges, universities and community colleges for Illinois residents. An individual must:
  • be an honorably discharged veteran; and
  • reside in Illinois six months before entering the service; and
  • have at least one full year of active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces which includes veterans who were assigned to active duty in a foreign country in a time of hostilities in that country, regardless of length of service; and
  • return to Illinois within six months of discharge from the service.
 
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