[the other one]

Military Forum Frequently Asked Questions

That's right, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) thread for the military subforum.

I ask all of you who know stuff to help out. I'll try to edit this as necessary to include your contributions. This is a living document, and probably won't be finished anytime soon.

*quick note*
If you try to post stuff from infowars.com or similar websites, please don't be offended when we hate you.


So here we go.....


You might still be in high school, or college, or somewhere in life that has led you to wonder what the military may have to offer you. Well, here's an attempt to lead you in the right direction.


There's four major military services in the Department of Defense: the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. In addition to these, the Department of Homeland Security has the Coast Guard. Oh, and the National Guard and stuff. Each has their own website, which can answer many of your initial questions.

Links to each:
Oh look! Google!
www.goarmy.com
www.navy.com
www.airforce.com
www.marines.com
www.gocoastguard.com
www.nationalguard.com

Now, there's a few options you have in joining the military. Enlisted, Officer, Active, and Reserve.


Enlisted
If you're coming out of highschool, this is probably what you'll do. Enlisting into the military is the most common avenue of entrance into the armed services.

What do I need to do to enlist?
Talk to your local recruiter! To find a recruiter near you, use these links: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and National Guard.

What will basic training be like?
Well, for each service there's a form of basic training. Here's some links for you: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard.






Officer
To become an Officer, a 4-year college degree is needed. They get paid more, and are in charge of ****.... and they usually are not the trigger-pullers. They do lots of meetings and paperwork.

How do I become an Officer?
The first thing is to get a degree. All branches can help you pay for college en route to become an officer. A few choices you have are the service academies, military academies, and ROTC.

Service Academies: West Point (Army), Navy/Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

A few Military Academies: Virginia Military Institute, Norwich, The Citadel. There's more out there. Google it.

ROTC Information: Army, Navy and Marines, Air Force.

You may notice that the Navy and Marine Corps are listed together. This is because the Marine Corps is in the Department of the Navy. In order to be a Marine officer through the Naval Academy, you make the decision after the first few years to become a Marine. Until that point, it's all Navy. In NROTC, you must choose the "Marine Option". This is done prior to joining NROTC, and the Marine Corps handles it's own scholarships through the NROTC program.

Can I transfer from my college into a military academy?
Yes, but it won't mean anything. Each are 4-year programs. It wouldn't matter if you already had a degree... you'd still have to attend for four years.

I'm already in college, can I start ROTC?
Yes. Find out if you have a ROTC program at your school, or if you've got a "satellite" program at a nearby school (this is common). If your school does not have any of these things... well.... then I guess you're out of luck. If your school has the program you want, then go to their office building, and inquire.






Active Duty
Active duty is the every day living, broski. Most of the time, it's a Monday-Friday work week.


Reserves
One weekend a month, and two weeks sometime during the year (often during the summer). The National Guard and Air National Guard do this type of stuff.

[the other one]

Jobs/MOS's/OCC Fields


What can I do in the military?
Just about anything. There's really something for everyone, from the bullet-shooters to newscasters.


What job is right for me?
Well, that depends on you, doesn't it? An easy way to decide is to think of what job you would like to do in the civilian world, then see if there's a military equivalent.

I want to be Special Forces, and shoot Bin Laden!
Good for you. Go buy a copy of the book "Get Selected", and read it. Also, watch "Two weeks in hell" on YouTube. Want to do something else high speed? Watch "Surviving the Cut" on YouTube or Netflix.

There's special jobs in each branch.
The Army has Special Forces, Rangers, and a smattering of groups all the way up to SOFD-D (delta force). The Army runs all of SOCOM, by the way, and SOCOM is often considered a branch unto itself.
The Navy has SEALs, who are very popular in recent news. SEAL team 6 guys shot Bin Laden. Hooray.
The Marine Corps has MARSOC. Recon is not under the SOCOM umbrella. Only MARSOC.
The Air Force has some cool jobs like PJ's. I don't know much about them.


People often ask "who's better?". The answer doesn't matter. Any of them can kill you.

For any of them, if you want to prepare... join your school's cross country team. If you join the Navy/Marine Corps, then add the swim team as well.

Bottom line: Search Google. Ask a recruiter. Then ask us.



My recruiter says my job isn't available... What now?
Wait for it to get open, or pick something else. If you truly want it, then you'll wait for it.

[the other one]

*Not Finished*
If you guys see errors, let me know and I'll fix it. I don't know jack about the other branches, so I bet I messed something up.


Common Questions & Answers


Who should I talk to about most of this stuff?
Your local recruiter (every service has 'em) will be able to answer almost all of your questions. It's his job to do that. Most of your questions should go through them first.

How much will I get paid?
While you won't be swimming in cash, you will have a steady paycheck every two weeks. If you're smart and make a financial plan, your money will go far. Check out the 2011 PAY CHART for an exact number on what your base pay will be. To get a realistic idea of how much will actually go into your pocket, then subtract about $250 from the number shown (this is a very rough approximation). This will account for taxes and other stuff. That's your monthly take-home pay. Divide that number in half, and that's what each paycheck will be.
When deployed (like to Iraq or Afghanistan), your pay will be tax free, and you will also have things like "Hazardous Duty Pay", "Combat Pay", "Jump Pay" (when applicable), and so your paychecks will get quite a bit larger. Not quite double, but a good deal more. Plus, you won't be spending as much money while deployed, so most guys get back home with a nice chunk of change. Then they blow it all on a ****ty car.

Where will I live? What will it be like?
If you're single, you'll most likely live in the barracks (this is after your basic training and other schools). Think of it as a dormitory, except with that special military flair. Barracks differ greatly depending on branch, base, and unit. I've lived in several, ranging from a condemned building where we couldn't drink the water, to where I live now... nicer than most college dorms. A unit's barracks will be on base, near where the work areas are. You'll be required to keep these rooms clean, and yes, unit commanders can go into your room at any given time without your consent (to inspect it and such). Most of the time, you will have a room mate. Most of the time, you will be able to contact a local internet/cable company, and have service in your room. And yes, most guys buy large TV's with Xbox/PS3's, so they can play their precious call of duty or WoW video games.
If you're married (or once you reach a high enough rank), you'll be allowed to live elsewhere (and yes, you get additional pay to do so). Most all bases offer military housing (on base), but allow you to live off base wherever you like. Many of my higher-ranking friends live in a large house, and each get their own room. They pool their money together to pay the overall rent of the house each month, which ends up saving them money (which they are allowed to keep). This basically turns into a frat house, with parties every weekend. Very nice.

What will my average day be like?
It depends on your branch, job, and unit... and if you're conducting some type of training.
Most of the time, for many jobs, a standard workday is Monday - Friday, 0730 - 1630 (7:30AM to 4:30PM), with about an hour or so for lunch in the middle. Of course, there is so much variation that it's impossible to tell you exact times. Many units do group PT (Physical Training) at 0530 or 0600 on certain days. Some work night shifts (like airplane guys, or military police).
Just know that the norm is to work Monday through Friday, and be done with work around 5PM... just like a normal job.

Will I deploy? When? How Often? To Where?
If you're planning to join the military, then plan to get deployed. You might never deploy, or you might do it three times in your first four years... it really depends on your branch of service, your job within that service, your unit, and luck.
Each service deploys in different ways... The Navy sails around the oceans for several months, instead of being in the sands of the desert. The Air Force has 6-month deployments; the Marines have 7-month deployments, and the Army has 12-month deployments. Of course, I'm speaking in generalizations and "normal" deployments here... it'd take forever to explain the frequency or length of each job in each service. Heck, even the same job in the same service may deploy differently, based on the unit.

What is life like when you deploy?
It really depends on your job, and the mission you're doing. Many support personnel (Intelligence, Supply, Admin, etc) spend their entire deployments on very large bases, and it's not that different than what they do in the States. However, some don't. Some go to smaller places with the Infantry, and get shot at like everyone else. A rule of thumb: The smaller your base is, the more likely you are to see combat.

What is combat like?
There's usually an adrenaline rush, some confusion, and then it's over. Every person is different, and every person reacts a bit differently. You'll just have to go and find out for yourself how you'll do.

[the other one]

Other ****.


Why are you guys so mean?
Because we're all *******s. No, seriously. The military has made us that way. We get kids in here that say "I want to be a delta/ranger/seal/recon/sf guy!", and we tell them that they'll probably not make it. We will discourage you from doing a lot of things, because they either suck, or because they're very hard things to do. Trust us. If we tell you that you won't make it, it's an informal litmus test. If some stranger on the internet can discourage you from doing something with a few sentences, then you obviously are weak and ill-suited for a hard life in the military.


Who are you guys?
We, the PBNation military forum regulars, are a varied group.
We have among us: Rangers, SF, Snipers, Grunts, Submariners, Officers, Enlisted, dudes that do the same **** as the NSA and CIA, Interrogators, MARSOC, Guys that have worked with tier 1 guys, guys that do nuclear ****, airplane ****, machine gun ****, and a bunch of other ****. We (collectively) have contacts across the military, and we can find out almost anything about anything. We also are not politically correct, we're the gayest homophobes ever, we're racist (against everybody, including our own races), and we swear a lot. If you can't handle that, then **** you.


So now what do I do?
Use google. Talk to a recruiter. Ask questions in here.
If your recruiter is telling you something, understand that they're just salesmen for the military. Yes, they lie and hide the truth and make things sound cooler/better. If you talk to one and want to ask us ****, then go for it. We have no reason to lie to you, and will not bull**** you. Just don't act like you know everything already. And use google for easy ****. But ask, and someone will answer.

If you want to ask a question to us
Say "I read the FAQ, and it didn't answer my question." in your post. If you don't say that, we'll call you a moron, and be very mean. If you type that, then we'll actually answer your questions.

[VauxHawg]

Military Education

Military education can be broken down into two very basic groupings: stuff you need and stuff you don't, the devil is in the details.

The usual flow path for the creation of military education is as follows; fleet expresses the need for X, it gets reviewed by a hand full of different levels up to the head of education, the head of education agrees and says "design a course" to one of the satellite commands OR a contracted entity. The group designing the course constructs a flow path with milestones (eg - objective XYZ will be completed by date/month/year) for approval. Once approved, prereqs are determined and the skills sets to be developed are outlined. General material needs of the course is defined at this time, eg - a lab, computers, fire suppression system, firing range, etc etc. The course is now outlined, testing is defined (on what critical topics, when, metering), and submitted for what is called a piloting. Piloting is when you "test out" the course. The course supervisors ensure all tech. docs are up to date and relevant to the topics at hand, everything flows, testing works, technical knowledge of instructors is where it needs to be, and topics are timed to get a clue as to how long the course will actually take to teach. Once completed, a summary letter gets drafted and sent off. Once approval is given, the course can be taught at specific places (each place has to meet material requirements).

Back to need, I said there was stuff you need and stuff you didn't. Need has many levels.

You NEED to pass this course in order to join the specific branch you are trying to get into: an example is your "boot camp". This is supposed to be a "do not pass go" school. You can't progress any further until you complete this first step AND DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES INTERPRET THIS AS ANYTHING OTHER THAN A SCHOOL. Yes, it is one everyone gets. It has a very large and important purpose: to indoctrinate you into the military environment/life and teach you how to do the most basic job of your branch.

You NEED to pass this course in order to do the job you signed up for: this is your basic technical school which gives you a designation. There are varying levels, but this is the bottom rung. If you signed up to be a radio guy, this school teaches you (or should teach you) all about electrical theory, basic algebra, electrical components, and the basics of radios. You can fail out of this type of course and stay in the military... it just won't be fun for you... at all.

You NEED to pass this course in order to specialize in the job you signed up for: this is your advanced technical school. This gives you a further designation, or classification. For example your first technical school was mechanic, your advanced school is diesel motors. You can fail out of this school and retain your main designation, usually. Commands usually have a quota of certain specializations they need on their roster.

There are also schools that do not give you specialized designations that are still required for your command to have a specific number of graduates. You don't have to pass these, but there will be hell to pay when you go back to your command if you didn't.

Education you DON'T need encompasses everything that isn't needed for you to be whatever your specialization is.
This would also cover collateral duties that require a education code, or schools you don't need and your command doesn't require.

I hope that was everything... I think we have another instructor or 2 running around the forum that could back me up.

[berserker19]

I was asked some questions about being a sniper in the army so I figured it wouldn't hurt to use this thread.

"i have couple questions about joining the army? first off was there alot of slots to becoming a sniper? when you deployed was it only for missions or you were shipped and then sent to missions? what kind of bases/forts are available to PCS to? how long does it take from basic to be done and graduating sniper school?"

Well you can be sniper qualified and be in any infantry or special operations unit, either as an 11 or 18 series MOS. I was in a regular infantry battalion and we had a sniper platoon within our company that was 3 teams with about 4-5 guys including one qualified sniper. We were tasked out directly by the company CO for missions within our AO. When we deployed to Iraq (12 months with the whole brigade) we would move into an area (usually an abandoned building or the roof of a police/army station) and overwatch an area for a few days. If we got lucky we would see insurgent activity and either engage or call in a backup force.
This is a real "sniper mission" - you basically sit around for days in the hot sun, smoke cigarettes and eat MREs. If our position was coming up cold we might make a movement during the night to find a better spot. This was pretty sketchy though since if you get found out the militias could get guys out faster than we could. Movement could be pretty tough since we had to carry some pretty big rucks. At a minimum we would need a radio, lots of batteries, day and night optics, and enough food for the whole op. The biggest packing concern was water, since in the summer there you would need a LOT for 4 days out. We also brought a lot of ammo. Generally we would have a sniper with a long gun and pistol, the radio guy with a M4/M203 or an M14, and an extra guy with a M249 for security. The third man is key for being able to get a proper amount of sleep and still have 2 guys up on the gun at night. I also liked to bring claymores and set them by the entrance to the buildings we used as added security.
Believe it or not, the biggest threat to security on a sniper OP in iraq is dogs... if one stray dog finds you, the rest will show up and it will be barking city all night. Sure you can shoot them... but a pile of dead dogs is a pretty good giveaway.
Another type of mission would be an overwatch for a raid. There would be compounds or areas of a city that would be a suspected hideout for a militia or insurgent leader, and we would infiltrate the area a few hours early and overwatch to see what was going on and then provide cover for the assaulting infantry platoons who might come in by bradley or air assault onto the objective. It was not especially glamorous work, we spent a lot of time in the field and got really dirty, and don't get to call home much, eat hot chow or go to the gym. So looking at like 4-7 day stretches in the field with 2 days back at a time maybe. This was Iraq though, I am sure that the type of missions guys are doing in different units or in afghanistan could be of a completely different nature.
As for sniper selection in the army there isn't a clear path... you can go to the school from any infantry unit at any post, light or mechanized. I think even scouts are going now. Basically you will have to spend a bit of time in your unit, at least be a E4 before most would even consider sending you and obviously be a good shot. The unit may get a certain number of soldiers it can send to the course at benning, so they will pick the guys who are best qualified. Generally expert rifle quals, high PT scores, good NCOERs, not being a douchebag are prereqs for getting a slot at the school. The course itself is not that hard, just need to listen and not be stupid.
If you graduate and get back to your unit, they may use you as a sniper or they might not. It is really up to the individual units how they will organize/employ their sniper quald soldiers. Generally though most units now have special equipment on the organization equipment lists so they will have M24s/raptors/rangefinders/MRTs,LRTS/ maybe M82s and other **** like that to play with. We got a **** ton of crap given to us right before our big deployment and just had 3 guys come back from school, which prompted our CO to organize an autonomous sniper cell within the unit.

let me know if any of this doesn't make sense.

[barrel roll]

The CMC and the CNO both answer directly to the SECNAV, if you want to get technical.

Those nice diagrams about rank don't show the "special" possition based ranks for the officers. Maybe we need a little "Know your CoC" blerb too?

[CptObvious]

Interested in joining the air force? Wanna be hands on with a jet? How about the future? Yep, I'm talking stealth. B2s, F22s, and soon the F35. (Perhaps even super secret squirrel stuff too, like the RQ-179). Here is some info on my job- Low Observables.

Evaluates, installs, removes and repairs low observable coatings. Designs, repairs, modifies and fabricates aircraft, metal, plastic, composite, advanced composite, LO, and bonded structural parts and components. Applies preservative treatments to aircraft, aerospace ground equipment (AGE), and support equipment (SE).

They included some of the sheet metal description in this, which is what LO split off from. You will do (very) little to no sheet metal work on this jet. Save for stuck fasteners, the occasional crew chief **** up, or even the refueling boom op **** up.


Applies low observable materials and coatings to aircraft. Repairs low observable and metallic structural parts and components to meet requirements for preserving structural integrity. Assesses damage impacts to aircraft signatures. Advises on structural and low observable repair, modification, and corrosion protection treatment with respect to original strength, weight, and contour to maintain structural and low observable integrity. Assembles and repairs using special fasteners and adhesives. Checks repairs for serviceability according to specifications and technical publications. Manufactures layouts, jigs, fixtures, forms, and molds.

This aircraft doesn't corrode. Well, some little bits here and there do, but it's rare. It is made of graphite composite and titanium, with some aluminum mixed in for good measure. Again, it's rare to see corrosion.


Removes Radar Absorbent Material (RAM) by sanding, scraping or pulling using manual and powered methods. Fabricates repair parts from RAM, using standard and peculiar cutting tools and adheres them to aircraft surfaces and fasteners using vacuum bags, fixtures, and other pressure inducing processes. Applies scrim material to RAM and aircraft surfaces in preparation for RAM cover strip installation. Installs RAM cover strips to panel and skin gaps. Applies RAM pastes to aircraft surface gaps, voids, and gouges. Sands and skives RAM and RAM pastes to required contours. Repairs low observable treatments on polycarbonate transparencies using edge sealing compounds, adhesives, primers, and conductive films. Performs repair actions to ceramic RAM coatings associated with engine hot areas and adjacent fairings using grit blasters and approved high temperature curing equipment. Identifies, removes, and treats corrosion using mechanical and chemical procedures. Applies aircraft paint schemes and markings.

Removes low observable finishes and treatments by sanding, scraping, cutting, gouging, and pulling, using manual and powered methods. Sands surface finishes to specified depths and widths to prepare them for proper reapplication of finishes using manual and powered methods. Determines extent of damage and/or scope of task and performs finish and treatment removal tasks accordingly. Removes panel, door, and skin fasteners to gain access to aircraft interior and replaces fasteners following maintenance. Cleans aircraft interior and exterior surfaces and gaps to prepare them for filler treatments, fairing materials, and other follow-on maintenance. Mixes multi-part adhesives, sealants, fillers, fairing materials, and organic topcoats. Applies, sands, and skives fillers and fairing materials to Technical Order Data (TOD) specifications for waviness, step condition, and aerodynamic smoothness. Applies organic low observable topcoats and rain erosion materials using spray equipment, brushes and rollers. Uses ambient and accelerated cure processes to cure adhesives, sealants, fillers, fairing materials, and organic topcoats. Uses planform alignment procedures to determine proper repair angles and dimensions for low observable finishes and treatments. Uses metalworking equipment and tools to form, cut, bend, and fasten replacement or repair parts to damaged structures and components. Fabricates, repairs, and assembles tubing and cable assemblies for aerospace weapon systems and AGE/SE. Maintains and inspects tools and equipment. Performs operator maintenance and service inspections on shop equipment and tools. Ensures lockout and tagout procedures are accomplished prior to performing shop equipment maintenance. Stores, handles, and disposes of hazardous waste and materials according to environmental standards and classifications.

Inspects coatings, structures, and components to determine operational status. Interprets inspection findings, and determines corrective actions. Posts entries and maintains maintenance and inspection records. Recommends methods to improve equipment performance and maintenance procedures. Uses automated maintenance systems. Inputs, validates, and analyzes data processed to automated systems. Clears and closes out completed maintenance discrepancies in automated maintenance systems. Evaluates structural damage to aircraft structures or items and applies appropriate repair procedures to include application of adhesive films, prepregs, foam, and tape; and scarfing, layup, vacuum bagging, and accelerated curing techniques. Performs inspection and repair procedures for graphite Bismaleimide resin (BMI), graphite epoxy woven fabric, and uni-directional assemblies to include use of adhesive film, foam, tape, scarfing, lay-up and bagging techniques associated with hot bonders. Selects core materials to complete repairs, makes templates to use as patterns, and assures proper ply orientation and de-bulking. Selects bond form and prepares tools; lays-up; mixes and applies two part adhesives and sealants; installs temperature monitoring devices; cures adhesives; and otherwise completes repairs. Specifies curing process/specification to autoclave/curing oven operator for the part to be cured. Removes completed items from bond forms after the cure cycle. Inspects final assembly for visual damage or flaws.

As you can see, you do a lot of ****ing removing. Work loads in an operational squadron are high. Any time a crew chief has to remove a part, they need us to remove the coatings, and then reapply once the panel is removed and replaced after the part is installed. Our job is a big chunk of the maintenance on this jet. But at the same time, it's very monotonous. Your job will consist of watching paint dry- literally. Prepared to get bored.


Specialty Qualifications:
Knowledge. The following knowledge is mandatory: low observable aircraft construction features; identification and characteristics of materials; repair of coatings, low observable materials, metal tubing, cable, plastic, fiberglass, bonded honeycomb, and advanced composite structural components; shop drawing and layout techniques; shop mathematics; corrosion identification, removal, repair, and prevention; cleaning of coatings, low observable materials and metals; application of protective coatings, low observable materials, and markings; proper use, mixing, and storage of acids, solvents, alcohol, caustics, primers, and paints; and proper handling and disposal of hazardous waste and materials.

Education. For entry into this specialty, completion of high school with courses in mathematics, algebra, chemistry, physics, mechanical drawing, and metal working is desirable.

Training. Completion of a basic low observable aircraft structural maintenance course is mandatory for award of AFSC 2A735.

Experience. The following experience is mandatory for award of the AFSC indicated:

2A755. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 2A735. Also, experience in functions such as fabricating, repairing, assembling, or installing aircraft low observable materials, metals, plastics, fiberglass, advanced composites, or honeycomb parts; or corrosion identification, removal, and applying coatings and markings.

2A775. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 2A755. Also, experience supervising functions dealing with corrosion identification, prevention, and repair; applying protective coatings and markings; or fabricating, assembling, and repairing aircraft low observable materials, metal, fiberglass, advanced composites, honeycomb, and plastics.

Other. The following are mandatory for entry into this specialty: For award and retention of AFSC 2A7X5, completed and current National Agency Check, Local Agency Checks and Credit (NACLC) according to AFI 31-501, Personnel Security Program Management. NOTE: Award of the 3-skill level without a completed NACLC is authorized provided an interim NACLC has been granted according to AFI 31-501.

AFSC = Air Force Specialty Code. It's our job...like the MOS is for the Army.

2A735 = Low Observable Maintenance Apprentice
2A755 = "" "" "" Journeyman
2A775 = "" "" "" Master

Overall, the job is easy. It's the people who make it hard. Feel free to ask me questions, regarding Maintenance. I've worked on F16s, F15s & F15Es, HH60s, A10s and F22s. If you have a question about a different MX career (crew chief, weapons, avionics, AGE, NDI), I can get answers for ya.

[CptObvious]

Daily Life-

Single Airmen coming out of Tech school will live in the Dorms. Generally you have your own room. A lot of bases are having new "Quad" Dorms built, where there are 4 rooms linked with a common area (Kitcken and table). Older dorms are single rooms, the size varies from base to base, building to building. My first base I was in the Cop dorms and had a nice huge room to myself, sharing a bathroom with one other. Newer dorms generally have tiny *** rooms, so don't bring a bunch of ****. Like other branches, you can get hooked up with internet and cable. You won't have a choice, it'll be what company is contracted to the base. In order to move out of the dorms as a single Airman, you'll have to meet the base criteria. At my first base, all I had to do was complete my CDCs (Career Development Courses). At my second base, I had to reach my 3yr mark before being allowed off base.

If you are married, or get married, you can live off base or in base housing. You will get an allowance, just like the other bases, if you decide to live off base. You will not get BAH if you choose to live in base housing.

Work depends on your job. If you're a desk jockey, generally you'll work from 7-4. Aircraft Maintenance is 24/7/365. There are round the clock shifts at most bases. They can go from normal 8hr shifts all the way up to 14/16hrs. Depends on the flying schedule and if **** is breaking. (If you get stuck on F22s, prepare to work like a mad man). Cops work mad hours as well. I won't go into detail since I do not know much about that career.

[the other one]

Bumping this so it gets noticed by people. It'd be nice if new people asked questions in this thread instead of making new ones or whatever.

[SniperForce-Duffek]

Should just get it stickied.

[afoers]

i second the sticky

[AABanned]

I'm interested in becoming a Navy or Air Force pilot. Must I enlist before I'm able to apply to get into a flight academy?

[solrflare]

No.

[the other one]

Are you guys concerned about the new bill that let's you kill Americans in their homes?

Well, no. You know why? Because we get lied to every day. Ours is the only job where you're told you'll end the day in an hour, only to be still waiting three hours later. It happens all the time. We've become cynical, and honestly, I just don't believe anything anymore, and this is one of those things. If it becomes true, well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, just like everybody else. Until then, worrying about stuff like that will do nothing for you. Worrying about it is the worst thing you could possibly do at this point, so we simply won't care.

[CptObvious]

Bringing this to the attention of people who need to ask questions...

[P8NTBALLER92595]

A little advice from my experience in the army. No one cares how many pushups and situps you can do as long as you can max them on the pt test, but everyone is interested in how fast you can run two miles. Your PT score will determine how "high speed" you are and if you are eligible for the cool schools. My advice to people enlisting in the army get airborne school in your contract (if you want to go) theirs always slots open no matter what your MOS is unless your like a satellite repair guy. I trusted my recruiter and was only able to go after getting lucky. Which brings me to my second suggestion which is if you want something in the military go for it. I missed out on alot of oppourtunites becuase I let my chain of command decide my future which is one of my biggest regrets. My last suggestion is no matter how bad it hurts get it documented Im working with alot of pains and such that i didnt document on my medical records cause I didnt want to hinder the mission and now im regretting it. One last thing is Ive worked with people across the military from all branches and no one is above another. Every job is important special ops guys couldnt do the things they do without some random *** guy turning a wrench making something work so even if you do something special you better realize you didnt do it alone.

[Trendy]

I am thinking about joining the Marines, how close is it to Generation Kill?