Enlisted or officer?

Question

I only want to join the military for a short time (a. for the experience and b. to pay for college). I'm on an ROTC scholarship right now, but can opt out of it. I'm learning Arabic right now, and I want to do military intelligence. My main concern is that as an officer I'll just be sitting behind or desk or making strategies as opposed to actually being in the field, gathering the information and interacting with the people we're supposed to be helping. Thus, I am unsure about whether I should continue with ROTC and do my required 4 years right after college as an officer, or opt out, finish school, then spend a few years settling down or whatever I care to do (probably the peace corps) and then enlist for 3 years (so they pay $65,000 of my college loans). Either way I won't be strapped with a huge debt from college. Basically, it comes down to whether I'll get more out of being an officer or an enlisted man. I was hoping someone who has been there done that could help me.

Answer 1

Well your in ROTC right now so your already on the path to becoming an officer... I'll tell you right now that life as an enlisted soldier can be rough... If i was to do it all over again I would have become an officer. Regardless of your MOS, being in charge has huge benefits... I mean comeon who wants to be given orders all the time.
It sounds like you want to be out in the field, having some fun in the grit and grime... Well first off all officers are in the dirt just as much as us enlisted are... (they just get coffee whenever they want and aren't sitting in a foxhole for 8 hrs at at time haha)
However, If you have never been out in the field (and I mean out in the field for weeks at a time without showers, good food, and a good bed) I would suggest doing it sometime... it isn't all that glamerous and is generally a bore.
Graduating college is always a good thing and if your in don't quit.. my suggestion is to stay with ROTC and if at the end of your 4th year you decide you only want to be in a short time be an officer in the National guard or Reserves.
(oh yeah the peace corps?.... contrary to popular belief it is accually rather difficult to get into the peace corps..college degree a must as well as other things)
Lastly if you can speak Arabic and your an officer your career path is going to be Wide open to you... speaking that language will make you highly recruited after the military service by organizations such as (CIA, FBI, Oversees companys)

Answer 2

Im not going to tell you which one you should pick one way or another but I will fill you in on this....

Younger troops will listen more to an NCO then an officer. The enlisted are the backbones to any branch....I had to option of going to Officer Training School but turned it down after putting more thought into it. Yeah I would get paid more but to me money isnt everything I figured I would happier career working my way through the enlisted ranks rather then sit back and deal with all the political stuff the officers have to go through...

FYI: The AF is hurting for Airborne Linguist. It may be something to want to look into and the training is so long you practically graduate the course with a degree.

Answer 3

I've done both... started as a USMC Recon Sniper and now am a reserve officer becuase of the schooling, experience and Tuition assistance that it offered. If the reason you are joining than you should not be. The college loan payment option is good and all but, if you are not in it to serve my country such as most have (I know that there is an exception, but it is not acceptable in a time where your heart needs to be in it). So, look at yourself and figure out if you want to be a grub for money and college funding or fight for your country and still get assistance with your needs.

Answer 4

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Having worked 30 years with the US military and assuming you are in the US, I would say finish school and become an officer. Officer benefits are better, the pay is better, and you can do 4 years standing on your head. After you have done your service and if you get out you will have been able to save more and will have better contacts. Your resume will be better.

Enlisted more often get the shaft, are treated less nicely, have fewer benefits, etc.
...

Answer 5

confident they could. Any enlist can marry yet another enlisted, and any officer can marry yet another officer. The problematic area is officers and enlisted marrying. they're aloud to, in spite of the undeniable fact that it is prohibited as much as now. So in the event that they do it they could desire to cover their courting until as quickly as they're married. as quickly as they're married the officer can initiate finding for yet another activity, he/she isn't promoted back and could be compelled out because of the fact of it.

Answer 6

If as you say, your main goal is a college education, then you need to talk to a recruiter now. There are some programs that will pay for your college up front and then allow you to complete your service obligation after graduation. These programs also pay you active duty pay while you are in college. Good luck.

Answer 7

Do you want to be the man in charge? Go officer
Do you want to be the one who follows and does the job? Go Enlisted

Do you want to make a career out of the military? Go Officer
Do want to get paid more? Go Officer
Do you want to just get a college degree and get? Go Enlisted

Either way the big importance is if you want to make a career out of it, or just stay for a short time.. Or if you wanna be the man in charge or the man who follows..

Answer 8

You want to join as an officer...which means...get a degree first. Officers come in the airforce and are techniqely higher rank than the enlisted. My husband is enlisted...and now wishes he would have had a degree first before he enlisted.

Answer 9

say hey, you are making a lot of assumption. first, you haave not been in the military. you do not know if you will be tied to a desk or not. one thing to keep in mind...whatever your job is, sitting behind a desk or out in the field, you are serving YOUR COUNTRY. think, how many military served in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Iraw. Did they aask: I will join the military if you give me the choice of my job. GROW UP. I retired from the military and did not care which job i was given, because of my country. served 35 years from enlisted to a high officer rank. otherwise, get out of ROTC, because, if i was still in and you were under my supervision, I WOULD CHANNEL YOU OUT SO FAST BECAUSE OF BEING A CRY BABY. THNK, IF YOU HAVE MILITARY UNDER YOU AND YOU ARE CRYING, WHAT ABOUT YOUR SUBORDINATES. GET LOST WILL YA AND LEAVE THE MILITARY TO THOSE AMERICANS WHO ARE DEDICATED. IF YOU WILL GIVE ME YOUR ADDRESS, I WILL PAY YOUR TUITION, YOU CRY BABY - WAH, WAH, WAH

Answer 10

If you hate to take responsibilities for your actions, go for enlisted. If you enjoy taking charge and not afraid of responsibilities, go for officer!