Should you just join and not ask the military to honor their promises?

Question

they offered a higher rank and bonus, i would have joined anyway but they offered so i took it but then they didn't honor it. i didn't know i could refuse even at meps. lots of others got the same treatment but i asked on here and of course got harassed by a few morons who probably can't even tie their shoes. i am more angry that the army lied than anything else and i think they should not only honor their promises (its says so right in the soldiers creed) but also treat their service men and women right. my biggest mistake was trusting them and not knowing all the army protocols. although there is no way i could. i'm not just some go to jail or army recruit, i didn't have to join, i wanted to serve my country but some think i shouldn't expect what was promised. i scored a 91 on asvab had 35 college credits and signed up for 3 yrs in a priority mos with the intentions of re-enlisting but am having doubts now.

JUST MAKE SURE ANY OF YOU WHO ARE PLANNING ON JOINING TO MAKE SURE YOU GET EVERYTHING BEFORE SIGNING AND THAT MEANS EVEN AT MEPS YOU CAN WALK AWAY.

JEROFIUNG - i agree, honesty and integrity is what the army preaches...they should require it from their recruiters too.

TUMBLEWEED - my line scores were all above 130 and i more than qualified for my mos...which is airborne

FOZZIE BEAR - you're right. i still love the army but disagree with their tactics. i still think they could get just as many to join if they were honest and fair and morale would be better too.

HIGHBEAM - you don't sign a contract at the recruiters the actual contract isn't signed until you're at meps which of course they don't tell you. what was given to me by the recruiter is still negotiable at meps...they don't tell you that either. being young and not knowing is not an excuse for them to take advantge and no one joining the military should have to get it in writing when the motto of all branches usually includes the words : honesty and integrity.

Micheal K - you were with the Marines and i am now finding out would have been a much better branch for me. i choose the army because i wanted a specific mos. i am finding out too that the marines are held to a higher standard by their co's than other branches so they are more honest and open. i made the mistake of being young and ignorant of army protocols and practices like any seasoned vet and being intimidated by the sargents and that at meps so i have to live with it for 3 yrs. but i won't give up on the military altogether..

Answer 1

of course you should expect them to honor their promises just like they expect you to honor yours. i've heard lots of stories just like yours and am not surprised at all. i also have several friends in the military two in the army and one is a recruiter and he says the same thing. i sent your posts to him and he laughed and said he wasn't surprised either...at a $1,000 a pop for each person the recruiter enlists and finishing ait it can be pretty lucrative which makes the chances of getting a lying recruiter pretty good. its a shame that your lack of knowledge and the fact you're young was used to intimidate you but try not to dwell on that, the whole world seems to be into it. i know a lot of recruiters are like this because even the army put a stop to recruiting and 're-evaluated' its recruiting tactics as a result of so many complaints. don't let these jerks who call you names and accuse you of being a coward get to you either, they either aren't real soldiers or just trying to raze you. either way screw 'em as they say they are not worth your time and you're right to expect to be treated right and not lied to especially by those who are your superiors. hang in there and remember there are ******* like the recruiters who lied to you everywhere and in the civilian world too...just take a look at some of the responses to your question for proof. i'm proud of you, you're not only a soldier but one who has morals...hooah, baby...hooah !

Answer 2

Please don't forget that you are not the only service man and women that is serving the United States Right now, and there are a lot of empty promises out there. There is, but it goes the same way with ANY job you go to. Like if you become an engineer, they promise you high pay and raises, andall that bullshit, its the same way in the military. You have to work hard for what you want, you can't just get it.

Secondly, its true that they can offer you a higher rank, if you took JROTC in highschool at least three years or took ROTC in college. They can guarentee you a E-2 in the army? (E3 in the navy) serving your country is all that really matters, yes some people go in for the perks, who doesn't? But in the end you're serving your nation. So High rank and a bonus really means ****. I mean you're probably making at LEAST an e3 pay grade right now, how many people do you know at your age, can make that much money, not have to worry about housing insurance and all that? Get free into amusment parks, get free / discounted everything wherever you go?

Answer 3

If you pick to become a member of, do not cross as enlisted. That way you have to whole your measure - that is institution, now not prime university - so that you've got a confirmed monitor list. You'll be elegible for an officer's fee. There are many roles inside the Armed Forces that do not contain fight - for each and every soldier honestly within the discipline wearing a weapon, there are seven helping him/her. Those variety from commissary officials to scientific officials to upkeep and fix, scientific documents, economic documents - the record is lengthy and ambitious. Yes, in just about all instances, you'll be required to familiarize with a weapon - there are not any ironclad promises you'll by no means be referred to as upon to honestly use the object - however even now, with the nation at warfare, 1000's serve with out ever seeing fight or going anyplace close the exact fight zones. Ya recognise, there are numerous honorable approaches to serve with out coming into the Armed Forces. Your regional volunteer hearth division demands support. Your regional seek and rescue squads want support. All civic businesses are completely happy certainly to recruit new volunteers. Even your regional SPCA demands volunteers - a person demands to stroll the ones puppies ready to be followed. Is there a nursing dwelling regional that might use any one to support out a pair hours every week? How approximately a regional Veteran's dwelling? Hon, should you rather wish to do some thing significant and useful, I'm obviously definite you'll be able to discover some way. Hey, you might not be equipped to quit the retail leadership task - all of us want an sales - however you ain't at the task 12/7. And even a pair evenings every week spent volunteering will earn you a situation among the saints.

Answer 4

I'm sorry man I find this very hard to believe. For one if they told you that you were going to recieve a bonus and never got it something had to happen for you not to recieve it. Such as not qualifi\ying for you job in AIT (did you fail something)? As far as promotion, If you had your official transcript when you swore in you would have been promoted if not you could have returned to MEPS on ship day with them and still got promoted. If you never had your transcripts then you got assed out. Another weird thing is that you say your MOS is Airborne, there is no job in the Army that is just Airborne so either you're not telling the whole story or you're just lieing, which is it?

Another issue you bring up is that the USMC is held to higher standard in recruiting, you are completly out of your mind!! I am an Army recruiter now and I would gladly let you talk to the 60 or so people that I have helped enlist, they can tell you how exactly crooked Army Recruiters are.

Before you start spitting out general assumptions look in the mirror and see who is exactly telling the truth because its obvious that you have left some key details out!!!

Have a good day!

Answer 5

The military should be up front and honest and those in the military who are not under the pretense of gaining a recruiting quota should be held accountable. This kind of recruitment comes down to being "Shanghai'd". It should and is against the military creed and the law as well.

Answer 6

Maybe you should read your contract. If it is stated in there then you will get your rank. Did you get any NJP's or Page 11's because if you did then according to your contract your rank will not go up as fast. There is something that you are not letting us know. I know for a fact from experience, that they uphold their end of the bargain. I was a Marine that had enlistment bonuses and higher rank. Are you even out of training yet? None of this that was promised to you happens until you are done with training

Answer 7

Any time you enter a contract, you should get promises in writing.

Since I don't know the details of who told you what, I can't really offer any advice, but have you complained up the proper chain of command?

Hopefully things will work out in the end. It's not right, but consider it a lesson learned, and don't let it make you bitter. Do what you can to make your peace, and let it go.

Answer 8

Maybe you didn't score high enough for your chosen field? They owe you an answer. Tell the recruiter to find out. If you still are interested he should be willing to help.

Answer 9

It sounds like you missed the part where the recruiter told you what you had to do in order to qualify for the extra rank.

Answer 10

First, Did you get in writing? If you did, You need to locate your recruiter. If you can't talk to your CO. If he don't laugh at you he might help you.

Afterthought: I was in the USMC and was never offered a bonus. But if they offered you a bonus, You should have at least got that in writing.