My dad is pushing me to join theArmy or Air Force. But I don't want to...?

Question

My dad has been really pushing me hard to join either the airforce or army. But I don't want to. After having a huge fight I calm down and think to myself, why I am so strongly against joining either of them.

My dad says that both of them have excellent benefits, they help you buy a house and that you can retire early. He says that after working for so many years ( not in the army or airforce), that he has lots of experience, has seen lots of different jobs and the stress associated with them and is telling us out of experience that its an excellent opportunity. He is 57 years old and says that he would have joined happily if he was eligible to join.

I say, that I would never want to be in a contract with the army or airforce, that its not worth it, especially with the wars going on. My dad says that there is no reason to think that I might be directly involved in a war, and that there would never be a situation where I could be injured or hurt.

Should I agree with my dad and join. By the way I just graduated with a Masters in Computer Science and am a girl.

Oh, and the most important reason why he says I should join is because they pay off student loans.

I'm wondering if I'm making it look a lot worser than it really is. If I do join the airforce, is there a chance that I could be involved directly in the war?

Thank everybody. I thought all your opinions were wonderful.

Answer 1

With respect to your father, you should do what you believe is right for you.
Your father should respect your decision

Answer 2

If I had just graduated with a degree (a masters!) in computer science, I would do my best to find a position in my chosen field. I've just seperated from the service, and am starting college. I'm very happy to be civilian again. There's quite a bit of freedom in that.
Once you get rolling in your career, you'll find it easier than you think to pay off student loans. Many others have done it, and you can too. The same goes for buying a house. The VA loan is a great benefit, but if you already qualify for a home loan (and my guess is that you soon will), why go through the service if that's not what's in your heart?
I don't mean to disrespect your dad or his experiences, but the military has an incredible amount of stress associated with it. You must give up many things that you may take for granted. One is the freedom to choose where to live. It seems small, but it can have a large impact on your mindset. Another is the freedom of speech. The military is a bad place to be independent or particularly strong-willed. You will likely have to take part in, or support positions that you disagree with. Tough luck.
I want to close by saying that I'm not anti-military. But you should be informed when you make your decision. Try to talk to anyone you know with prior service. They'll be happy to share their perspective. There are many sacrifices, but it's truly an experience like none other. I've met some of the greatest people in the service. It's funny too, 'cause when everything sucks, somehow people shine the most.
If you decide to join, make sure that you do it because YOU want to. After all, YOU are the one who will make the sacrifices, and reap the rewards.

Something else to consider - Your degree won't expire will it? and the military should still be here a year from now. You should consider at least making a run as a civilian if you're apprehensive.

P.S.-GO AIR FORCE!!!!!!!! trust me! - oh, but there is always a risk, however small, of direct involvement in any branch. It's hard to avoid if you should find yourself in a war-zone.

Answer 3

I'm an Army Veteran. There is much to say for both branches, with a Master's Degree you should be able to get a commission and be an officer. That gives you certain advantages in the military-better pay being one. It also gives greater responsibility.

Rather than the Army or Air Force, look into the Coast Guard. It isn't part of the Department of Defense, but of the Department of Homeland Security. It carries the same benefits of being in the Department of Defense as far as benefits and other considerations, but is strictly a defensive or law enforcement branch. They are the ones that conduct small boat training, drug interdiction, ship inspections and so forth. You are also not likely to leave the territory of the United States and go into a combat zone. It can happen and has in the past, but the numbers involved were small and didn't represent a significant part of that branch of service. Although as a general rule of thumb, none of the branches of military will pay off a student loan-they do provide the means to pay off up to a 1/3 of the loan via education benefits, but you would have had to be taking the classes while on active duty. Enlistment will cancel up to 1/2 of a Perkins type of Student Loan, so if you have a Perkins, then this is one way to resolve this loan. As a Perkins has a higher interest rate than a Stafford type this is a good thing. Whatever your decision, I wish you the best of luck in your future.

Answer 4

I think that if you join the Army or Air Force with a Masters in Computer Science, chances are that you won't be at the battlefront, and you'll have better chances of surviving all of the battles you participate in (otherwise, joining any military force sounds like a suicide mission). You could always ask them if you have any questions regarding your involvement in the war if you did join.

If the wars are to continue for a long time, you might be away from home so much that it doesn't matter if you buy a house or not. Personally, I wouldn't join the military, especially since there are so many available jobs in computer science. Just look at how the Google stocks are increasing in value every day!

Answer 5

Being AF, I would choose AF over the other services.. Well I did anyway. I've been in 13 years, traveled the world over, met very interesting people, seen things that many only get to see in text books or the History Channel or the news.

Know why you are joining. I joined to see the World. I've been there and done that, some I did twice or six times. I didn't join to please anyone, I did it for me. If you can't say you are doing it for you, it will be a prison for you. Same as if you were forced into any other job that you did to please someone else. The difference is, at McD's, you can just not show up and go about your life. Here it's a crime, and they will come get you!

As far as the War part of the job... More people die each day in America on the streets, in the cities, of the states, just living their daily lives driving to and from work, school or the mall than Military members die in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Think it out, and make a decision that is right for you.

Bottom Line: If you go in, You have to serve, not your Father. Make sure its what you want.

Answer 6

There is always a chance you can deploy to a comabt zone when you join the military, but in the Air Force, the chances of you deploying is drastically reduced. Even if you do deploy, you might be doing your job in the middle of a guarded air base. Insurgents want to hit places with little or no defenses like a police recruiting station or a checkpoint not an airbase. If you don't want to join, that's your right. You are an adult with a masters degree; your father needs to respect your decisions.

However your father is right about the benefits. The VA (Veteran's Affair) department offers home loans, and there are educational benefits.

If you do join, I strongly recommend that you become an officer rather than joining as an enlisted person. You have a Bachelor's Degree and that's required to become a comissioned officer. Officers are paid more than enlisted and have more responsibilities.

Answer 7

Read up on statistics of the air force registering volunteers, their actual % of stisfaction of their decision and expectations. Also I do not believe that anyone should make a career move as important and life governed as this would be based on the purpose of pleasing a parent.(especially when they tend to try and live vicariously through their children) Today, I would almost be sure that anyone in sellective service will be directly involved with the war at sometime during their tour of duty. you could research facts to answer that. Everyone that I know that is enlisted in every different service has been involved directly with the war: people I know are in air force(married with no children who had been enlisted at lest year before 9-11 soon spent over a year in combat where he confesses to witnessing deaths both ofhis own hands and that he was trying to defend., national gaurd(18 years old just sent to front lines over there/also an employee of mine also spent a year in iraq and has experienced combat along with witnessing deaths close hand.)
As far as comparing reasons such as pay and benefits...Life long postal workers have great benefits and good pay. So does government jobs..GREAT RETIREMENT, well above average pay and benefits, and most jobs locally yet still within governtment titles don't require degrees, just experience and will provide most training. I would not join a sellective service unless is was a passion from my own heart and something that I 150% beleived in the total purpose of that service and all it stood for.
Just to have as an extra pro or con fact, you should research the statistics on the sucess, satisfaction, and positive or negative results for those people who commit to a career based on reasons other than their own needs and desires. Whether or not they fulfilled their needs and still maintained their happiness with self respect at the end of their comittment.Also, the struggles they may have had during the time spent with their un-desired yet chosen career, & effects it all had upon the rest of their life.

Answer 8

In your career field, the odds of you being involved directly in the war are pretty small...but of course anything is possible. You'd be an officer which has HUGE advantages. All the benefits your Dad mentioned are certainly true. There is also travel opportunities and working with very leading edge technologies.

I was in the AF for 23 years as an officer and loved every minute of it. Believe me the retirement benefits for a lieutenant colonel are very nice and I was still young enough when I retired to pursue all sorts of other options on the outside. Plus my military experience made me highly marketable over my peers.

All that being said, if YOU don't want to join and have some sort of attitude about the military, then don't. It's a volunteer force with very high-caliber dedicated people. They don't need someone that is coming in with a chip on their shoulder.

Answer 9

Im 26 and am probably going in the airforce really soon. Your dad is right it is a great opportunity andyou shouldnt pass it up. Also, your dad should consider how you feel, it ultimately be your decision in the end if you want to join or not. If you join the airforce, chances of you going to fight on the front lines probably will not happen. If you want to fight, join the marines or the army..

Answer 10

First of all I will say that joining any branch of military is a decision you should make because you want to. Secondly, if you are worried about being in directly involved in a war, then by all means don't join.

I have served my country for 20 years and I do it because I want to ensure my children can make their own choices. If one of my kids wants to join ( I have one already in the Navy Reserves) then I will support them in that choice. If they do not then I will support that as well.

The military is not for everyone and it is not a cake walk. Service requires commitments and sacrifices just like any other career or profession. You should know these and accept them.

After saying all of that, I have been very fortunate in my career, I have not been in direct combat, although the possibility has always been there, others sign up and are in combat almost immediately.

Ask yourself this question: Who am I, what do I believe, and where can I make a difference.

Serving in the military is not about you, it is about others. Sure I get benefits, but it is the satisfaction I get from helping others that rewards me the most.

My advice: definetely do not join just because your dad wants you to, join if you want to.....

This is just one soldier's opinion.... and choice.

Answer 11

I was in the Army NG for 10 years. I have nothing bad to say about it , just an observation. 1. I was both enlisted and then an officer: believe me, being an officer is much better. With your college degree, (if you join) consider nothing less then OCS and starting out as a 2LT. 2. Consider the National Guard. One weekend a month, two weeks in the summer. Your dad would be happy and you would have time to consider other venues. 3. Don't sign anything until they garantee you the MOS you want.