Will I do it?

[Soulrev]

I'm going to the recruiting office tomorrow.. We'll see what happens.

I understand full well what I would be getting myself into but these days I don't have anything else to live for... And it's something I've always wanted to do anyways.. Now that I'm free from a relationship and my parents have put me on the street I don't give a damn anymore.

[Nienna]

Think hard... long and hard. I have a rather negative opinion of the armed forces these days. I know some must serve, and I respect thouse who do... but make sure it's for the right reasons. *hug*

[Scary Guy]

Fuck being cannon fodder for a corrupt and dishonist government. Maybe I would have done so in past wars but not now.

[paradox]

it's something I've always wanted to do anyways..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

this may be a good reason.

Now that I'm free from a relationship and my parents have put me on the street I don't give a damn anymore.

but this is not. :(

you should still give a damn about yourself.

[Homicidalheathen]

I respect warriors when they are fighting for a just cause. I like driving my car too but....

Anyway. I am all for following your dream. This doesn't sound like your dream just no other options.

My man got his college paid for this way but he was stationed way out in the middle of no place fixing planes. He was 18 and had no other options...

It sucked but he did his time. Because of that we live a nice life now. There was no other way to pay for his college.

My god son just got a medical discharge but only after disappearing for a few days after going AWOL. What ever you do don't do that, it messes up your future big time. Be sure your going to stick with it once you join.

Good luck.

[Guest Game of Chance]

Only you know yourself. Think it through...like you haven't already. But good luck with whatever you decide.

[Troy Spiral (13)]

I've thought about it several times when i felt really sort of down and my life felt sort of "structureless" and pack my life with some sort of activity. Just try to make sure you give it some long, LONG consideration.

[torn asunder]

three words - don't do it... :erm

[Fierce Critter]

Now that I'm free from a relationship and my parents have put me on the street I don't give a damn anymore.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you are typing this from a computer in anyplace other than a library, you are NOT homeless.

You've been spewing in other threads how much $$ you've been spending on costumes on eBay, uber-expensive computer equipment & musical gadgets.

Sell some of that shit off and put a down payment on an apartment. Find your inner strengths and go feed them. Go to church if that eases your mind and pray. Talk to a priest/reverend/rabbi/whatever you believe in.

If after all that you still think you don't have a life - by all means, go learn how to shoot a gun and take out your frustrations on people in other countries, and maybe get in the way of a bullet so you can die for SOMEONE ELSE'S ideology before you even know what your OWN is.

[Scary Guy]

FC that reminds me of a nice quote

"No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other bastard die for his country."

[Soulrev]

If you are typing this from a computer in anyplace other than a library, you are NOT homeless.

You've been spewing in other threads how much $$ you've been spending on costumes on eBay, uber-expensive computer equipment & musical gadgets.

Sell some of that shit off and put a down payment on an apartment. Find your inner strengths and go feed them. Go to church if that eases your mind and pray. Talk to a priest/reverend/rabbi/whatever you believe in.

If after all that you still think you don't have a life - by all means, go learn how to shoot a gun and take out your frustrations on people in other countries, and maybe get in the way of a bullet so you can die for SOMEONE ELSE'S ideology before you even know what your OWN is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, no it wasn't meant to be that they literally "put me on the streets" it was more of an anology to my current situation. I do have a place to live and haven't had any problems with money or that kind of thing. Except the fact that I do owe a lot in student loans, but who doesn't?

I just don't have parents anymore, that's all..

I'm going to die sometime.. Whether it's for/from someone else's ideology, someone else's hand, nature, it will happen, and I'm not afraid. I welcome a release from this damn place. Pretty much always have.

I'm not joining unless they're going to give me what I want. I want to be either an MP or mechanic as my career and if I don't see a boot camp I like (Relaxin' Ft. Jackson would be nice) I'm not signing shit.. My friend Rob was in the army, my friend Dave is in Kuwait under the Reserves right now, my father was in the army, my uncle was in the army, my friend Paul was a Marine, my friend Nick was a Marine, I've talked to all of them and gotten the low down on everything to do with the military.

My heart tells me I should do it, my brain tells me I should do it.. I'm going to the office today to talk to them about it and see what we're looking at for a future in the military. I'm not going to get myself into anything I don't want to do.

I do appreciate the concern from everyone, though.

The reason I want MP is because law enforcement has always been another one of my "ideal jobs" in my huge list of ideal jobs.. Mechanic, well, I already went to school for it, some military experience in the field would look great on job resumes..

I still have a lot of decisions to make on my life but for the next few years I think I'm going to decide on this.

[Soulrev]

Also not to mention the perks, (note I said perks, they're not reasons) for joining the military

-Student loans - paid

-I like to travel, maybe I'll request station in Germany (or Russia if possible)

These are the two most appealing perks to the deal.

[wheresmypiggy]

I come from a military family.

I am all for what the military stands for.

I hate what the government has done to the military.

If you want to join wait until Bush is out of office, its like a paintball war with real bullets. No one cares who wins or loses.

If you want school paid for, I'll help you with student loans, you want to travel, work for a travel agency.

Best part is being a travel agent your schedule will work well around schooling.

[Fierce Critter]

ROFLMAO

Dude, if you think the army is going to let YOU dictate WHAT you do and WHAT "cushy" boot camp you get to go to - you are SOOOOOOOOOOO in for a VERY VERY rude awakening.

Ask anyone HONEST who's in or has been in the military.

ROFLMAO

[Black Sunday9]

If you believe in the Iraq war or the mission in Afghanistan then maybe you should consider it.

but also consider you are likely to go to one of those places where you will encounter violence unlike anything you can imagine and your life might be in jeapordy if you are sent to Mosul or Najaf or cities like that. When you come home you will have nightmares and you may never experience a regular life ever again.

Or you might come back a better and stronger person.

It's quite a risk you'd be taking. Most new recruits are deployed to one of those 2 countries though from what I saw on the news.

[Jarodaka]

Dude, if you think the army is going to let YOU dictate WHAT you do and WHAT "cushy" boot camp you get to go to - you are SOOOOOOOOOOO in for a VERY VERY rude awakening.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Listen to the FC. The military owns your life.

[Head Wreck]

when you sign on that line it isnt for an all expenses paid holliday, sure, ferw friends who joined the british army have spent time all around the world,

army isnt for me i decided (after i was going to join)

if you dont like orders,

dont like brown trousers moments

dont like the prosdpect of seeing friends stepping on a landmine

dont sign

[Guest Game of Chance]

lol....wtf...you guys act like Brian can't think on his own...you all should really think about letting the guy make his own choices. And deal with/enjoy the consequences of those choices. I'm sure we're not the only ones he's talked to about this.

Again, whatever you decide dude, good luck.

[Soulrev]

Well I went to the recruiting office today and spoke with the recruiter for the army. Got some of the info I needed, and I'm going back tomorrow with more questions. I brought up the issue with my parents tonight and they support me in my decision. They don't want to see me get killed but other than that they support it. My dad and I had a long talk about what to expect, what they're going to give me and what they're not going to give me, and I've been given the same low-down by everyone I know who's in the military. He's going with me tomorrow after he gets off work to talk to the recruiter again, and we're going to talk to the Air Force guy as well.

FC, you're right I could get fucked over but I'm prepared to accept that.. I know you just want to make sure I know what I'm getting myself into, and I appreciate the concern, but at this point I don't think there's anything anyone can say or do to stop me from doing this, except myself. I understand people have issues with the military and the government and how trustworthy they are, and while I agree to disagree with some views, I understand and accept them from your own points of view.

This is something I want to do, call me a fool if you will, but I've been thinking about the military since I was like, 12 or somewhere around that age. I've been researching and collecting information over the years from people I know who have been in the military.. They're going to own my soul.. I'm ready to accept that.

And like I said I really do appreciate the concern from everyone here, but please just support me in doing something that will better my life, mentally, physically, and spiritually. Even if you don't agree it's the best way to go about it, just be happy that I'm finally getting off my ass and doing SOMETHING with my life that will get me somewhere.. Even if somewhere is dead in a field in Iraq (which I'm not signing up for any infantry or recon BS anyways), it's better than sitting at home living paycheck to paycheck wondering what my life *could have been*.. I'm ready to do this and it's going to be the biggest, most significant thing I've ever done in my life.. I'm ready..

[Homicidalheathen]

Good luck and keep us updated on your travels.

[Fierce Critter]

It only seems to me, from observation of your posts over time here, that you're constantly looking at outside sources to define & mold you.

Be it the church (your early pro-bible anti-gay spewings), your girlfriend (with her I'm everything, without her I'm nothing), your parents (they don't get me, I've put up a wall), and now - the army.

I can't help feeling that, for you, it's just an easy way of letting yet another outside entity determine who/what you're going to be. And the most CONTROLLING source of that determination yet in your life.

Still, I don't know you personally, just from what I've read from you here. So if that's what floats your boat, good luck to you.

[Goth Brooks]

Just an FYI: If you want an easy military life, join the Coast Guard (hopefully no coasties jump me). They ARE military, and receive the same pay as any other service.

If your ASVAB allows you to choose MP, you will be going to Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri for 18(?) weeks of non-stop training.. no boot, but boot+AIT put together.

MPs will most likely see action in Iraq or Afghanistan right off.

If you are depressed in even the most minute way, you will have a hell of a time getting through training. Motivation is key, and if you go there with alot of shit on your mind, it will only hold you back.

[Soulrev]

I went to talk more with the recruiter yesterday with my dad.. He asked him some more questions that I didn't know or think to ask about.

I'm still interested in MP. Just to let you guys know, MP is one of the most dangerous jobs you can have in the Army right now.. All those checkpoints and shit you heard about getting blown up in Iraq are all run by MPs. My recruiter said most of the time when a soldier is killed in Iraq, it was an MP. I've accepted that, I know full well that signing up with the Army could very well get me killed in the end.

No job in the army is safe from deployment, either.. Even the Army Band is over there.

My friend Aaron (who some of you have already met) is interested in joining with me. He said he wanted to join a year ago and let his parents talk him out of it.

The cool part about that is they have a buddy-system thing. If Aaron decides he does want to be an MP like me, we'd go through Basic, AIT, everything, together.. We'd work together after training, etc. etc. Or if he didn't want to be an MP he could be something else and we'd go through basic together, go our seperate ways for AIT, and then we'd be put on the same base together after training. Not working with eachother but at least on the same base.

The only thing that usually causes a problem with doing the same jobs is one or the other's ASVAB score.. The person with the higher grade is held back by the person with the lower grade. So if I score high enough for an MP and Aaron doesn't, we're not gunna be working together unless I wanted to cut my job down a few notches and do something else.

Hopefully we both score high enough for MP.

I gotta go in a few, the recruiter is taking us out for lunch today to further discuss Aaron joining with me.

[Soulrev]

The only thing I've been thinking about lately is this.. I've never been good at commiting myself to something.. I start things and I don't finish them. I mean I really don't think I'd hate the military but I need to make sure that I'm ready to commit to this.

MP is a 5 year enlistment. No less. That means I'll be 25, almost 26 before I can decide to leave or stay for more. That's a big decision to make. Not many other people have to make 1 decision that's going to effect them for the next 5 years. It's not that I'm having doubts, it's just, a huge damn decision. And I'll be gone from the rest of the world for 18 weeks. No personal belongings, no computer, no phone, nothing but what the Army gives me for 18 weeks. After that, it's cake.. But still. That's what has been on my mind lately. It's not "Oh man am I going to die if I do this?" because I'm prepared for that. Been prepared for death for a long time, it's not something I fear.

One thing is for sure, you guys know I'm a Christian and there is 1 thing I absolutely have to do before I join.. I have to get baptized.. Never have been, and I don't believe I will see the Kingdom if I don't do it. I've been praying a lot and asking God to show me the way to go in this decision. I've decided I really want to be an MP, and if my ASVAB score won't let me be an MP, I'll take that as a sign, and won't join.

You guys are good.. No, great, friends. I know you don't want to see me get killed, just like my parents, and I respect that, I appreciate that greatly. I just want you to know that, and know that while it may suck because, well I'll be gone.. But just understand that it's not necessarily a bad thing. Just be happy for me whatever I choose to do, respect me because I have the guts to stand for my country, whether I agree with what my country is doing or not, I am still willing to stand for our freedom.

[wheresmypiggy]

Go Coast Guard