Thinking about joining the army.?

Question

hey i'm 16 and thinking about joining the army when i graduate from high-school. i would either enlist for 11b infantry or 19k m1 armor.

i would like to join because noone else in my family tree has any military history and i would like to be the first,.i also enjoy traveling to new places if im lucky enough to be stationed at a base. i understand about the war going on,but hopefully by the time i enlist it would die down.

i just have a few questions:i hear about this gi bill,so how do i apply for it?should i join the army,for some reason im the only one in my family right now thats has an obsession with guns,combat,traveling,pressure,seeing new things.so i figure joining the military is the best things that fills that resume.

also is it really as dangerous as movies,media,people claim it to be?

im hoping to talk to a recruiter when they come to my school,but for right now il leave it to you guys. Also if you have any military exp yourself that would be better to get insight from an actaul soldier.thanks

Answer 1

During a war of course its dangerous...you can be killed or hurt badly. People are dying all the time in this war we are involved in. I wouldn't make any choices until you are VERY close or even  past your 18th birthday. The money available for education is a helpful thing and many people join the army and get great careers through it. Just don't sign anything! Until you are 18 and you have all the information you need and still want to do it.

Answer 2

You can join as soon as you are 17 but since you are under 18, you'll need your parents' permission to do so. It's really a great experience if you are ready for all the physical part and discipline. It really helps you on your college and career path. But honestly, the job you would like to enlist for would be really dangerous if they send you to war zone. Other job would be able to stay in safe zone but not yours. It really depends on where they send you for your active duty.

Answer 3

Rent stop Loss!

Answer 4

Visit your local recruitment office with your parents and have the recruiters show you their personal scrapbooks showing their past experiences.

You'll find answers to your GI bill questions via link in the right column of the Navy blog below.

If you are looking for family members that served in the military the dads-war website listed below has a wealth of helpful information!

Answer 5

well i thought about the army

dad said, son you're f***ing high

and i thought, yeah there's a first for everything

so i took my old man's advice

~Ben Folds

Answer 6

alright i'm a 21 bravo, combat engineer first of all forget about the movies a little is true but very little, yes it's dangerous i got back from afghanistan in june of 08', if u can remember that was the month when they said it was gettin dangerous, i cleared routes there in mine protected vehicles, 11b you will prolly be rollin in humvees if u go to afghanistan and that ain't fun to ride in, especially since there are ied's on the routes, the war prolly won't die down and you will be deployed but i could be wrong and just remember recruiters don't always tell the truth, remember that!! but overall it's fun and it can be bad. the g.i bill yes but you have the option to decline it but i don't see why u would but ask your recruiter he would know more or some1 else on yahoo answers will later

Answer 7

You pay for the GI Bill out of your pay at $100 a month for the first year.  You just have to fill-out some paperwork.  You won't even notice it.

If you're going to be an 11B, that seems pretty dangerous to me.  I was Administration, so worked in an office.  Granted, sometimes that office was a tent, so not always safe, but an 11B is what we call a "ground pounder".

My favorite part of the Army was the grenades.  :-D  So if you want to play with weapons and explosives, the Army is probably the best service for you...unless you want to join the Marines.

Good luck and have a great experience!!! :-D

EDIT:  Oh, and there's always something going on, some sort of conflict that you can be sent to, but the general public isn't aware of all that for some reason.  This war that we've created increases the odds that you will be sent somewhere, but being an 11B, there's a good chance of that anyway.

Answer 8

I think you should go for it, but make sure you really want to join

but good luck anyway even if you decide not to.

Answer 9

The army is a good life style dont mind people who say its the worst job round cause its not its a lifestyle and people on about how many dead and injured , tell them to look at the news and see all the people dead and injured outside on the road , cant live life in fear you only live once

Answer 10

hey man im 16 also and also wanna join the army, part of why im doing it is cause my family members who did serve, were in the army, a few in the navy also, but yea im really into it too, im thinking of doing rotc though in college because it can help pay for your college and stuff and also you get to work with guns and everything as one of your classes, you also will be put in as an officer wit higher pay

Answer 11

My sister is in the national guard and joined the day she turned 18. She is doing very well. she went to boot camp right after, which you will have to as well. she met many new people and had to work hard. she has traveled all across the country but not the world yet(she could have though). I think the danger part depends on what you are. my sis is like some thing called "military intelligence" something like that. she is in doors and is not out there. but that probably isnt for you since you love guns and all that. the way you sound, i think this is a great idea for you. they pay for your college and many many many more things. My sis never went to college and is make 30 thousand a year almost 40. she is already a e5. sorry if i wasnt much help but i think this would be a good idea for you. good luck!

Answer 12

It is not as crazy as it is in the media. The jobs you picked are good but you have to make sure you looked through all of them carefully. Remeber, you are putting yourself in a lot of risk by going infantry. It's great being the first in the family to join to army but consider their thoughts on it.  Training for the infantry is intense, especially, if you plan to go airborne. It's easy to get the GI bill. Just tell them that you plan to go to college

Answer 13

First, learn to use spell check. It will make life easier on yourself.

Second, Read the links I've posted.

Third, The GI bill is for veterans.

Forth, I'm a disabled Vietnam Vet. so I think I fit into one of your categories. There's are so many more jobs in the military besides Infantry and Armour. There's Aviation, Engineers, Finance, Medical, Intelligence, etc. I'm not trying to p**s on your parade but the world has enough Rambo's. Learn something that will be useful AFTER  the military.

One other thing you might what to do is go to your nearest VA hospital, sign up to be a volunteer. Talk to the Vets, learn from them all you can. If everyone who is thinking about join the military would do this one simply thing, there would so much more of an understanding of the military. Recruiters have to put a lot of spit and polish on what they do. Vets, on the other hand, will give you an insight that is straight and true.

Answer 14

The guys on the ground are great at what they do. But you'll eventually come to the realization, maybe during a 20-mile ruck in the heat, that it would be pretty cool to fly those helicopters buzzing overhead. ;)

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

FLY ARMY!

Answer 15

don't talk to a recruiter until your at least 17&1/2y.o.  the 16 year old post pubescent you is not going to be the 18y.o. adult you, and your question about is it really as bad as it is in the movies is the dumbest question I've seen all day, words pictures and movies cant describe the horror and feelings that come from war, its hard for a 16 y.o. suburban kid to understand but until you see women and children mangled shreded and torn apart then you cant understand, do yourself a favor and sleep on it for the next 2 or 3 years until your mature enough to understand the consept and realities of war, its only going to get worse kid.