Son joining the Army!

[AustinTXCat]

Yeah my recruiter flat out lied to me. My brother had just died at 14 yrs old so I asked to be stationed at ft Knox to be near my mom. He said absolutely if I became a tanker. I did and was stationed in California, South Korea and Texas!! About as far from Knox you could get. I was an angry soldier for a few months!!

Again, it's all in the contract and ASVAB test scores.

My original enlistment contract included guaranteed duty station choice from 4 (Fort Campbell, Fort Carson, Germany, Berlin Brigade). I also qualified for and received an enlistment bonus. Of course, I chose Ft. Campbell since I wanted to be closer to SE KY and took an unpopular MOS (11B) to get the bonus. Re-enlisted out of that MOS 4 years later.

My advice is definitely voice your concerns to the recruiter. They must meet quotas for bodies, but counselors at MEPS ultimately assist applicants in choosing MOS and duty station.

Bottom line: Good jobs or enlistment bonuses require good test scores.

 

[catrecruit]

Thanks for protecting the rest of us schmucks!

I wonder how a mandatory enlistment of 2 years would go over here like they do in Israel..? Even the girls have to serve.

 

[warrior-cat]

Again, it's all in the contract and ASVAB test scores.

My original enlistment contract included guaranteed duty station choice from 4 (Fort Campbell, Fort Carson, Germany, Berlin Brigade). I also qualified for and received an enlistment bonus. Of course, I chose Ft. Campbell since I wanted to be closer to SE KY and took an unpopular MOS (11B) to get the bonus. Re-enlisted out of that MOS 4 years later.

My advice is definitely voice your concerns to the recruiter. They must meet quotas for bodies, but counselors at MEPS ultimately assist applicants in choosing MOS and duty station.

Bottom line: Good jobs or enlistment bonuses require good test scores.

Yep, wanted MP got Cannon Cocker. But, that was back in August 76.

 

[H. Lecter]

Again, it's all in the contract and ASVAB test scores.

My original enlistment contract included guaranteed duty station choice from 4 (Fort Campbell, Fort Carson, Germany, Berlin Brigade). I also qualified for and received an enlistment bonus. Of course, I chose Ft. Campbell since I wanted to be closer to SE KY and took an unpopular MOS (11B) to get the bonus. Re-enlisted out of that MOS 4 years later.

My advice is definitely voice your concerns to the recruiter. They must meet quotas for bodies, but counselors at MEPS ultimately assist applicants in choosing MOS and duty station.

Bottom line: Good jobs or enlistment bonuses require good test scores.

I agree it’s in the contract and I should have paid more attention. However, at 18 I was naive, recruiter flat out lied to me. No matter what you say he lied. I’m fine now as the Army was the best decision I could have made at the time.

 

[AustinTXCat]

I agree it’s in the contract and I should have paid more attention. However, at 18 I was naive, recruiter flat out lied to me. No matter what you say he lied. I’m fine now as the Army was the best decision I could have made at the time.

As a former recruiter, I can't say he lied; however, I'll state he was not completely truthful.

Edit: My nephew joined the Army in 2012 and shipped in January, 2013. He shipped as a cook. Stationed at Fort Riley, KS. He deployed twice, once to Djibouti. He loved it after basic and AIT. Even though I'd already married and divorced his aunt, I still had to assist him with later decisions regarding re-enlistment. No problem.

You find, regardless of the MOS, it's normally still a good decision.

 

[*CatinIL*]

my son is 19 and told us that he’s not going to continue college for the time being and is joining the Army. I’m an Army veteran myself and am very proud of his decision. I told him I will go with him to talk to recruiter so they don’t screw him around like they did me. I had no one to help me along the way. Any advice for him or me? Do recruiters still lie? What’s the best MOS that translates to the real world?

I salute both of you!

I wasn't in the military...but have him look into the Intel side. He can land a position at an Intel Agency and when he decides to leave/retire from the military he can probably jump over to a civilian job at one of the Intel Agencies.

 

[BleedinBlue85]

my son is 19 and told us that he’s not going to continue college for the time being and is joining the Army. I’m an Army veteran myself and am very proud of his decision. I told him I will go with him to talk to recruiter so they don’t screw him around like they did me. I had no one to help me along the way. Any advice for him or me? Do recruiters still lie? What’s the best MOS that translates to the real world?

It's a great move. I had a chance to go and didn't. Been regretting every day since

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

Congrats.

 

[H. Lecter]

It’s official. He leaves February 26 for Ft Jackson SC. ASVAB scores allowed him to choose any job he wanted. Ultimately chose 42A which is human resource specialist. Tried to get him to do intelligence analyst or a few IT MOS’ but it was his decision and I couldn’t be prouder!

 

[ZenCatFan73]

Congrats @H. Lecter. Thank you to you both.

 

[kywildcatsfannumber1]

Good chance he'll be stationed at Fort Knox some time in his career. That is the home of the Human Resources Command. I grew up in Elizabethtown and loved it. I did the equivalent AFSC (Personnel) 3S0X1 for the Air Force.

 

[oldsports_]

Again, it's all in the contract and ASVAB test scores.

My original enlistment contract included guaranteed duty station choice from 4 (Fort Campbell, Fort Carson, Germany, Berlin Brigade). I also qualified for and received an enlistment bonus. Of course, I chose Ft. Campbell since I wanted to be closer to SE KY and took an unpopular MOS (11B) to get the bonus. Re-enlisted out of that MOS 4 years later.

My advice is definitely voice your concerns to the recruiter. They must meet quotas for bodies, but counselors at MEPS ultimately assist applicants in choosing MOS and duty station.

Bottom line: Good jobs or enlistment bonuses require good test scores.

My son, 17 at the time was talking to a recruiter without our knowledge. He took the ASVAB without our knowledge and scored very high. He ultimately decided to join the Ky National Guard, and we had to go sign papers since his age was still a minor. His recruiter was straightforward with him, and us, and SHE still is one of his biggest supporters.
He chose 68W, which made Mom happy, currently employed by local EMS, also in college hoping to be a RN. What he has accomplished in 2 1/2 years is remarkable. If not for his recruiter, being one of his biggest supporters, he may have not reached his potential. I think, as many said on here, recruiters have a stigma that follows them as a whole throughout the years. Maybe timing has a lot to do with it, as in 2015, Obama had a strangle hold on military spending, and they selected the best of the best at that time.

 

[Chuckinden]

Good luck to your son. I'm sure it will mature him in many ways. I have always believed every kid should have to serve in some capacity.

 

[jcrow10]

A - ain't
R - ready
(for the)
M - Marines
Y - yet







In all honesty, it helped me get out of Eastern Kentucky.

 

[BlueRaider22]

As a former recruiter, I can't say he lied; however, I'll state he was not completely truthful.

Edit: My nephew joined the Army in 2012 and shipped in January, 2013. He shipped as a cook. Stationed at Fort Riley, KS. He deployed twice, once to Djibouti. He loved it after basic and AIT. Even though I'd already married and divorced his aunt, I still had to assist him with later decisions regarding re-enlistment. No problem.

You find, regardless of the MOS, it's normally still a good decision.

As a former recruiter, does having very a specialization automatically lock you in to an MOS?

For a hypothetical scenario. When I was a Physical Therapy student, I did a medical rotation at an Air Force hospital. I used to work out with my clinical instructor and her group. I thought really hard about enlisting but ultimately chose not to. They said that I’d go through basic, followed by OCS, then start PT work as a Major. The benefits of an officer pay, housing expense, retirement, etc, sounded great. I wish I could go back and enlist. Id almost be retired right now.

A few questions:
1. Is as easy as they made it sound?
2. Is there a chance that with my PT Masters degree that they’d ship me off to some kitchen in Guam?
3. What are the benefit differences amongst the branches?

Just curious....as I’m far too old to enlist now.

 

[BlueRaider22]

A - ain't
R - ready
(for the)
M - Marines
Y - yet
.

Marines stands for......”ummmm, I not smart’nough to join another branch....”




Lol, jk, big time respect for anyone that has or will serve in any branch.

 

[HymanKaplan]

USAF

20833C - Czech/Slovak cryptologic linguist

Lackland - Basic

Presidio of Monterey - Defense Language Institute (all of 1985)

Goodfellow AFB - crypto/intelligence school (first half of 1986)

Deployed to FSA (Augsburg Germany), Gablingen Kaserne, although we had to spend 6 months OJT/testing before we could actually do the job we signed up for.

11/84 - left for Basic training

01/87 - finally could do the job I signed up for.

 

[AustinTXCat]

As a former recruiter, does having very a specialization automatically lock you in to an MOS?

For a hypothetical scenario. When I was a Physical Therapy student, I did a medical rotation at an Air Force hospital. I used to work out with my clinical instructor and her group. I thought really hard about enlisting but ultimately chose not to. They said that I’d go through basic, followed by OCS, then start PT work as a Major. The benefits of an officer pay, housing expense, retirement, etc, sounded great. I wish I could go back and enlist. Id almost be retired right now.

A few questions:
1. Is as easy as they made it sound?
2. Is there a chance that with my PT Masters degree that they’d ship me off to some kitchen in Guam?
3. What are the benefit differences amongst the branches?

Just curious....as I’m far too old to enlist now.

No, not locked-in by previous civilian occupation unless it's a shortage skill.

1. Easy depends on the individual. When I was 27 years old, I owned the world. These days, climbing 6 flights of stairs approaches beyond annoyance levels.

2. Highly doubtful, but I've been out of that realm for years, so I can't say for sure.

3. Army has more duty stations in Europe. USAF generally offers better facilities across all the branches, but slower promotions for officers and enlisted. Can't really discuss the rest.

 

[BlueRaider22]

No, not locked-in by previous civilian occupation unless it's a shortage skill.

1. Easy depends on the individual. When I was 27 years old, I owned the world. These days, climbing 6 flights of stairs approaches beyond annoyance levels.

2. Highly doubtful, but I've been out of that realm for years, so I can't say for sure.

3. Army has more duty stations in Europe. USAF generally offers better facilities across all the branches, but slower promotions for officers and enlisted. Can't really discuss the rest.

Thanks. I’ll definitely mention it to my kids. Really isn’t a bad way to go.

The Air Force personnel mentioned about promotions to me. Said that once you pass OCS and enter in as a Major that you’ll pretty much stay there for the duration. Even the head of the department was a Major. He even had deployment experience. They basically turned him into a surgical technician in Iraq. He assisted surgeries and closed them up. Very interesting.

 

[AustinTXCat]

Thanks. I’ll definitely mention it to my kids. Really isn’t a bad way to go.

The Air Force personnel mentioned about promotions to me. Said that once you pass OCS and enter in as a Major that you’ll pretty much stay there for the duration. Even the head of the department was a Major. He even had deployment experience. They basically turned him into a surgical technician in Iraq. He assisted surgeries and closed them up. Very interesting.

I'm unsure about 0-4 MAJ for a PT masters degree, providing all other requirements are met. Nurses, active and reserve, can usually enter at 0-3 CPT. Entry requirements were very lax for reserve nurses.

 

[BlueRaider22]

I'm unsure about 0-4 MAJ for a PT masters degree, providing all other requirements are met. Nurses, active and reserve, can usually enter at 0-3 CPT. Entry requirements were very lax for reserve nurses.

You'd know more than I would. I do know that every PT (there were 4 of them....well, 6 actually) were all Majors. The youngest of which was 26 yrs old.....so, he couldn't have been in the AF long at all. So, maybe he was a Captain for a couple yrs then quickly promoted?

(The other 2 PT's were civilians.....interestingly enough, I thought about going that route as well. They talked about how they signed a new contract every 1-3 yrs......and pretty much wrote in whatever salary they thought was fair. They were making crazy salaries, but obviously ran the risk of having their contracts dumped)