Join the Army?

I was thinking about joining the army, any advice?

Don't

If you really want to then fine...

I'm not dying for no reason...

I wouldn't know about how to join...

Joining the army is a honorable, very useful career. They will assist you in education, retirement, and besides that, give you focus, training, self respect, and courage. You will be more fit, and have more pride in yourself and country.

However, some people cannot deal with the training and some cannot deal with the decisions and actions they may have to perform. This includes shooting a human, if your put in that situation. However, thats just infantrymen. You can do loads of noncombat stuff if you so desire.

start working out as if your life depended on it... ! thast the best advice i can give you.

Get a fitness test booklet off them, and start trying to do it in the times stated.

Also start studying for the mental tests aswell.

And most imprtanly, think long and hard about weather you realy want to do this. Ask yourself 'Can i realy take orders, and being shouted at?' also 'If the time comes, could i realy kill someone?' and the worst one that must be asked 'Could i cope with killing someone i wasn't ment to?'. It sounds horrable but it is reality, sorry. It is also important that you answer these question honestly, as kidding yourself doesn't work.

If you answer yes, give yourself a month or two to realy get used to the idea then go and sighn up. You realy shouldn't rush into it, it could be the biggist desision of your life.

Go to College and join ROTC. Best of both worlds.

Here's some more advice; don't post 1 liners. The big dogs deduct points from your total and who knows you might want one of them fancy avytars.

My advice would be don't, unless you're really so desperate for money you're willingly prepared to legally give up years of your life and your current personality to get a half decent paycheck.


At the very least, don't make up your mind by listening to driveby 'patriots'.


They'll bang the drum till kingdom come..

i'd say join either the navy or air force instead. no offense to the grunts here, but navy and air force have much better career fields that you can use when you get out. of course, there's also the added bonus of your not as likely to get shot at in either of those branches.

however, if your heart is set on the army for whatever reason remember one thing: the recruiters lie. dont believe a word they say. the army has been investigated for their recruiting tactics more times than carter has liver pills. make sure your contract is signed by at least a major. and understand that in the army, just as in the marine corps, everyone is a grunt first and foremost.

hope that helps.

i am a air force brat, father was an air force captain, and i my self joind in 2004 but washed out of basic for med reasons. looking back on i wish i had taken action to overturn their decision to discharge me. im not trrough yet, im going to try and get a comission through AFROTC.

im not going to reccomend a branch cause in biased towards the air force. it boils down to what you your self want to do. i have the highest respect to all of our marines, airmen, soldiers, and sailors. you also have my deepest respect for wanting to join in a world full of turmoil.

now here comes the advice

Boot Camp:
-Do what your told!!! if sarge says "jump!" you say "yes sir" and start jumping as high as you can! your life will be so much easier if you just shut up and do it. it worked for me!!! trust me.
-Help your flight/squad/platoon mates out. if they have problem help them out weather its with folding clothes or anything. remember if one person gets it wrong, everyone suffers.
-Work together!!! even if your going to cheat, cheat as a team. working as a team is the only way to get everyone through! my recruiter told us that one!
-DO NOT sleep when you are on guard duty! i know its hard. its only one hour and itll go by fast. when you get used to it, plus you dont have to do it every night.
-DO NOT sit down on guard duty cause youll break the previous rule. its harder to fall asleep on your feet when your checking things out.
-There will be a person that will constantly screw it up for everyone. every flight/platoon/squad has them no matter the branch, but luckly the sarge will single him out after a while and make him suffer by himself.
-DO NOT gawk at the female recruits! though you wont have to worry about that if you join the army or the corps, but the air force though, boy howdy they had some cuties.



Active Duty:
-Follow all LAWFUL ORDERS to the letter. If you are in the # and are told to mow down a group of civilians, question that order!! You have to right to not follow unlawful orders. Though if the civilians pick up weapons and start shooting youd better make up your mind quick! anyone one who picks up a gun and shoots at you is not a civilain anymore.
-Always salute officers weather you like them or not. you are saluting the rank, not the man.
-If in the field, utilize your down time to catch up on things, weather its ammo, supplies, using the can, or sleep.
-Ware you K-Pot properly
-Wash your hand after using the latrien. The Soviets learnd this the hard way in afghanistan.
-Refuse the anthrax shot.(though find out if you can refuse it first)
-Get an MOS/AFSC that youll enjoy


well thats all for now. just keep the questions comming if you have em.

and remember, there is a difference between not carring for the government and carring about one's country.

[edit on 1-27-2006 by KrazyIvan]

I hate the government because I care for this country!

They've pretty much run it into the ground

Thanks everyone. The thing is I'm not sure what branch I want to join, I know I want to join the millitary.

KrazyIvan, Thanks for the detailed post
I am female so I would'nt be gawking at em

How hard is boot camp to get through?

I can talk to a friend who know and tell you but from what he said earlier its expected but it sux

i'm leaving for basic and AIT this summer and I want ot hear the funniest bootcamp story out there.


any takers?