Your Armed Service Recruiter It's a poll!!!

[thebeachbumm33]

I totally appreciate I can ask this question thanks to the men and women of our Armed Services. My wife's sister, a young lady whom we've practically raised since she was 10 due to issues I'm not going to get into now has told me she is seeing a recruiter for the Army National Gaurd and has taken several test thus far with a final physical which she'll easily pass this Thursday.

[C-Dawg]

The one thing that wasn't as I expected was school. I expected....school....where if you show up, put in the effort and can do the work you pass and graduate. What I got was an overcrowded school, with twice as many students as job slots, and instructors that liked picking off students as a sport.
Of course, that was 1984....but be forewarned, it may still be that way.

[Elrod]

Everything I was told.

[Joetown Parrothead]

My Recruiter was awesome, I was lucky enough to serve with him 5 years after I joined up.

US ARMY 78-85

[nutmeg]

My brother got nothing he was told. Be careful....they don't seem to be required to keep any of their promises.

My girlfriend's son also was misled about what sort of "job" he was going to be doing and was put into something that totally didn't translate to "real life" after he got out.

However neither of them were in the national guard....so I don't know about that. However, I do know that those in our local national guard have been to Iraq three times. One was a mother with twin 8 month old daughters.
Beware if they told here all she needs to do is go so many weekends and gets free schooling.

[Wino you know]

I don't understand the answers, but not only did I get everything I was promised by the Navy recruiter, there is no way the 18-year old geek that I was at the time could've ever imagined the next decade would've been the mega-adventure it was.

It seems like another lifetime ago, but the memories and stories will take me well into my next life.

Lloyd Dugger, wherever you are, God bless you.

[MammaBear]

I answered for the hubby "I wasn't lied to and got everything I was told".....

The Navy provided him an education in electronics which has been his career since he got out .... let's not forget...the VA mortgage! No way we could have gotten this house without it.....

[SchoolGirlHeart]

The key is to GET IT IN WRITING. If it's not in writing in the enlistment contract, it doesn't exist.

I would also strongly suggest that your sister-in-law explore enlisting in the active duty military; sometimes the training opportunities are better.

The Navy has been very, very good to me. I got back as much as I put in, and then some.

[Wino you know]

The Navy has been very, very good to me. I got back as much as I put in, and then some.

Same here.
With the exception of my family, the Navy was by far and away the best thing to ever happen to me.

[thebeachbumm33]

Beware if they told here all she needs to do is go so many weekends and gets free schooling.

This is exactly what she is being told, 9-11weeks (uncertain) of bootcamp, then 1 weekend a month, and 2 weeks each summer afterwards for 4 years...

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Beware if they told here all she needs to do is go so many weekends and gets free schooling.

This is exactly what she is being told, 9-11weeks (uncertain) of bootcamp, then 1 weekend a month, and 2 weeks each summer afterwards for 4 years...

They seem to be leaving out the part about "Deploy to Afghanistan (or Iraq)".....

Because be sure that she is absolutely likely to deploy. In the reserves the saying is, "It's not IF you will deploy, but WHEN"....

If the recruiter is downplaying deployment he/she is not being forthright....

[nutmeg]

Beware if they told here all she needs to do is go so many weekends and gets free schooling.

This is exactly what she is being told, 9-11weeks (uncertain) of bootcamp, then 1 weekend a month, and 2 weeks each summer afterwards for 4 years...

Make sure she understands that she could be deployed to a foreign war zone and is OK with that....and doesn't have responsibilities here that she doesn't want to leave (and won't have for the next 4 years). The deployments for our group were not short term like you would expect for duty at national disaster/hurricane or whatever. Once you join you don't have to ability to pick and choose what you want to be involved in. It is a commitment....and if it is one she will gladly make (and with her eyes open) bless her.

If her recruiter is trivializing that commitment and telling her she will only need to attend summers and a few weekends, shame on him/her However, all of their advertisements I hear do just that.

[thebeachbumm33]

Beware if they told here all she needs to do is go so many weekends and gets free schooling.

This is exactly what she is being told, 9-11weeks (uncertain) of bootcamp, then 1 weekend a month, and 2 weeks each summer afterwards for 4 years...

They seem to be leaving out the part about "Deploy to Afghanistan (or Iraq)".....

Because be sure that she is absolutely likely to deploy. In the reserves the saying is, "It's not IF you will deploy, but WHEN"....

If the recruiter is downplaying deployment he/she is not being forthright....

This was my concern, I didn't think the government gives you a free education etc... to run around the pine barrens of NJ taking water samples to see if it's consumable(job she's being promised).

[thebeachbumm33]

To be fair, it's possible she left deployment out as not to worry us. I'll be discussing this with her tonight during the EAGLES game and I do appreciate your comments.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Make sure she understands that she could be deployed to a foreign war zone and is OK with that....and doesn't have responsibilities here that she doesn't want to leave (and won't have for the next 4 years).

Except it's not 4 years. It's 8 years. Another little item that's often glossed over. When you enter the military, it's for 8 years. The first 4 may be active but your commitment is for 4 active (drilling, for reserves and National Guard) and 4 inactive. The inactive used to be a mere formality; you were almost never called out of the inactive Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). But the Army is stretched thin and is now routinely pulling people from the IRR for deployment. So you could serve your 4 years, be discharged, and 3 years later the military can recall you to active duty and deploy you. Everyone who signs up needs to understand they're on the hook for a total of eight years.

[nutmeg]

I kinda knew there was an extra length of commitment because my friend's son found out the hard way that he wasn't done when he had expected to be. But I had no idea it was an extra 4 years

So if the young lady has kids any time in the next 8 years she is looking at the possibility of finding long term child care. One of the folks at our cabin had a daughter who took in their neighbor's kids when their mom was deployed.
The previously mentioned mother of twins missed them learning to walk/talk. Thank heavens they had a dad and grand parents to look after them.

[big john]

Boot camp was alot more demanding than I thought it would be and the food sucked.
Afterwards it was a breeze and the chow was awesome. Always proud of my Coast Guard
years. As for women in the military, if you plan on having kids your are nuts to sign up.
Lots of long seperations and eventual divorces in the services.

[pojo]

The answers confused me...

When I went in to the recruiter I wanted something to do with weather... I got aircraft cargo transport because that is where he was short.... the only good thing about that gig was the tech school was short (6weeks) compared to the year for weather. I signed for 6 reserve & 2 IRR... however, the IRR was overlooked because I re-upped in the middle of this year.

I cross-trained in 2006/2007 and I stayed in contact with our training office because that was the only way my flight training would have lined up.... otherwise would have sat forever.

Originally my medical paperwork said I was DQ'd from military service because of a reaction I have to a medication... That was 7 years ago.

Boot Camp was at the time painful, but today I look back and it was a breeze as long as I did what I was told. The food ok, but they nickel & dimed the hell out of everyone.

My main problem now-a-days is the fact that it takes on average 4-6 weeks to be paid for orders less than 30days. It is hard to live when I can't budget because pay is irregular. That's what I get flying with the Hurricane Hunters though.

I'm about to go through AF Officer Training School & pilot training... yes, boot camp again.

The because advice I give to people in or going is is take every day with a grain of salt...

[SchoolGirlHeart]

As for women in the military, if you plan on having kids your are nuts to sign up.
Lots of long seperations and eventual divorces in the services.

I take exception to this comment... You have to go into it with your eyes open, and with realistic expectations, but you are not nuts to sign up if you plan on having kids. Yes, there are separations. Yes, the divorce rate is high (but not all that much worse than the general population). It's not easy; you need a support system and you have to realize there will be separations from your children. As difficult as separation from my boys has been, they're more independent for it. I know some families where Mom stayed in the military and Dad stays home with the kids. In my case, Mr. SGH is a civilian, so we didn't have to face the possibility of both parents deploying at the same time. It's not easy on the parents (Mom OR Dad) or the kids in a military family...

[The Lost Manatee]

Yes, I was lied to my USMC recruiter, however in hindsight it really didn't matter. The guy promised me the moon, the sun and the stars and I didn't get those nor did I get the flight school that I was "guaranteed" but I did get stationed overseas, I did get the educational benefits and I got to grow up.