Is the peace corps the army or a seperate volunteer organization?

Question

I was thinking about the peace corps and talked to a friend about it. She said the peace corps is the army.Is she right,because I don't want to join any type of armed forces,and can you join for 3 months instead of a year.

Thanks ,

Jenna

Answer 1

They could not be more different.

- The Peace Corps is a special branch of the U.S. government that does not fall under any other agency, but directly under the president.

- Peace Corps training is usually 3 months in the foreign country where you are assigned and involves the local language and customs. This is followed by a 21 month assignment for a total of 2 years.

- Peace Corps volunteers get a small stipend to cover their living expenses and no salary.

- Volunteers usually live in villages and work with the locals on health, education, or agricultural issues.

- If you can't hack it, you can drop out.

- The army is part of the Department of Defense, and usually involves a 4 year or 6 year initial commitment.

- Training is 6 weeks at book camp followed by training in your career specialty and assignment to a military base.

- You receive a salary plus housing, food, and medical benefits or money to cover housing and food.

-  There is no getting out of the military, unless you get pregnant or discharged for medical reasons.

Answer 2

Separate, they usually require a college degree to join so I hope you have one. When you join its usually for several years and they send you to a location of your choice. You might be able to volunteer for recruiting or some kind of work in the states for a short period of time.

Answer 3

No, Peace Corps IS government, but it's not the army. I don't know where your friend got her information but she's wrong. You should take some time to read their website because there's a lot of good info there. For example, you need to have some sort of post-secondary education.

No, you can't go for just three months. It's a 2-year placement. If you want to go for just 3 months, it's probably a better idea to find another type of volunteer experience where you choose where you go and pay a small amount to work overseas. You won't find anyone who will pay for you to go overseas for such a short amount of time. Check out Global Volunteer Network. They're based in NZ but if you speak English you can apply. They easily have the cheapest rates out there and some really cool placements. (I've done loads of research.)

Also, the first poster is wrong in saying the PC place you somewhere of your choosing. You have no choice where they place you. You either say yes and go to that location, or you say no and turn it down.

Answer 4

Theresa, above me, nailed it. They are the opposite of each other. She and I differ on the exact length of service, though. Most Peace Corps assignments are for two years after your training, though, for a total of 27 months.

Some assignments are a bit shorter due to school years. I, for instance, trained for three months, then worked January - November for one year, took the 6-week break, worked January - November the second year and came home. Our school year started in January right after European New Year and stopped in the middle of November. After my second school year I went home, six weeks shy of doing a full two years.

Soldiers carry guns as a part of their job. Peace Corps Volunteers don't. Soldiers work for an American - their officers or sergeants. Peace Corps Volunteers get paid by the US Government but their boss is almost always a host country national. In my case, it was my headmaster; I was a teacher. Peace Corps Volunteers are ALWAYS in a country because that country has asked for them. Malaysia, for instance, asked for 30 English Teachers. I was one of them.

Soldiers are in a country because the President of the USA has told them to go there and, if someone objects, (like the Iraqi Army) to make the objectors surrender or die.

92% of all PCV's have a college degree. Most army officers do too, but most enlisted men do not.