My 17 year old son wants to go into the army. What should I do?

Question

He wants to join the army to be a "MP". I really feel that is a good choice, but he is a little upset @ me right now because I will not let him sigh papers right now. His B-day is not until Sept. and They are feeding him a bunch of lines (just to get their commision). Another thing is he and his father do not get a long and his dad said you will never make it...which makes him want to do it even more. What (as a mother) should I do? I am scared to death for him. Once you sign you are theirs.

Answer 1

Just a warning libs are gonna say your a terrible mother and etc. Personally if thats what he wants to do then I'd let him. Theres nothing wrong with wanting to serve your country.

Answer 2

"the army basic training is more lenient"
"sign him up for airborne, because its alot better there"

What a crock of sh*t

Now is the only time that trainings been stepped up alittle, with more focus on battlefield skills. Granted its not eh army of a few years ago where you could truly discipline a strong willed soldier, but its much more strenous now, then before.

As far as airborne soldiers being treated better then everyone else.
You ask any soldier at Fort bragg at what type of B.S. they have to deal with, and you compare that with a leg unit (non airborne), and youll see that airborne soldiers deal with much more b.s. than is necessary. this coming from an 11B airborne infantryman.

As far as letting him go or not -- and when -- let him go now when he wants to knowing that youll suport his decision, and that youll be proud of the honorable choice hes making.

Of all the things he could be doing, be in selling drugs, be it partying, be it getting girls pregnant, giving your life to his country and EARNING all the benefits he will have is only a very respectful and prideful pursuit.

Keep in mind, anyone can get harmed driving down the street, or walking to a walmart parking lot. If youre going to die some day, then best is to have your life stand for something.

As long as he doesnt have a family, wife and kids, all the B.S. will be tolerable.

Make no mistake about it, recruiters will paint a picture for you of all the opportunities available to you, some you will be able to take advantage of and some you wont.
But what can a recruiter really promise you?

Everyone knows it will be a test mentally and physically.
A recruiter could only lie about being able to go to school when you probably wont be able to.
probably trick you into a specific job, or duty station, but that wont be finalized until he signs the papers at the meps office.

So, think about this, and I know its hard as a mother.
But wouldnt it be a good thing, if he joined the army as an MP, and after that either committe himself as a soldier or came out and became a police officer?

the long hours, the unorganzation of the army, and the idiots you sometimes have to work with, dont compare to the lifelong friends you make, ad the life long pride you will have till the day you die.

Let him do what his heart tells him -- cause he's probably going to do it without you when he gets his chance.
Knowing youre proud of him and support him will help him endure through it all.

Every man should serve his community or his country once in their life. Let him do his duty!
and let GOD take care of the rest

Answer 3

I have the answer for you.

Take him down to the local VFW or American Legion.

Ask one of the members there to come with you when you go see the recruiters. This way you will not get all of the spin that they so love to tell the younger folks. Also it will answer alot of questions that your son and you may have about military service.

As for fathers. My father is a great man and i love him dearly. But when i said i wanted to join the army he asked me if i wanted to die. I didn't but he had a point. The military is dangerous. But it is a diffrent army than the one he got drafted into. Since then we have gotten along much better than we ever have.

As far as not making it. I was also told that i would not make it. I served 4 years in uniform and since then i have spent the past 6 as a civilian working for the Army. I love the army. It is not what i thought it would be when i joined, but it is a family.

I understand where you are coming from. I would suggest that your son finish high school. Then come back and talk to the rrecruiter. If you live by a military installation ask for a tour. If you know anyone in the Army have them talk to your son.

I work with the MPs alot and many of them love their jobs. But it is very demanding. It means alot of nights and weekends spend at work, dealing with some ugly cases. But it also means working with some of the best people that i have meet in the military.

If your son wants to join up. I say great. If you have questions and are worried I say he is a lucky kid. Please stop by your local VFW or American Legion. Get some of the facts from someone who doesn't make any sort of money off of your son enlisting. Get some idea of what the Army is.

If in the end he still wants to join then we will welcome him to the Army family. If not, well that will always be his.

So if there is anything that can be done to give you a better feeling for what might happen feel free to send me an e-mail and i can help or i can get someone in touch with you in your local area who can.

My only bit of advice about signing up is to get Airborne in your contract. It is something that most people never get to do and soldiers who are Airborne get treated better. If he is lucky enough to go to an Airborne unit then he can see how the Army is supposed to work.

Well good luck and God Speed.

Answer 4

I am in the military and my husband is also. He is an MP. He loves his job. I have been in for 3 years and I love the Army. My Hubby has been in 6 years and he loves his job. He was a mechanic before he became an MP. The recruiter can tell you or him everything he wants to hear. But it a good opportunity. I am working towards getting my degree. As soon as he arrives at his first duty station he should seek guidance from the Education center and enroll in college. There are so many options! Good luck.

Answer 5

Respect and support your son. You should be very proud to have raised such a patriot. However, ensure you educate him on the options. Has he considered going to school and becoming an officer? MPs need officer leadership. This is very feasible. If his grades are not so hot, there are schools with ROTC programs that he can likely get into (meaning if he's bright enough to enlist, he's bright enough to get into the school). As for his father, ignore him. As you help your son educate himself on the options, he may learn to ignore him too. If you are interested in learning more about schools and ROTC and becoming an officer, email me at [e-mail]. I'll be more than happy to provide you with a little bit more detail.

If the school option is out of the question for whatever reason, don't fret. Even if you approve of his decision at 17. He can't go active duty until he's 18. Sure, he can go ahead and go to basic training, but his service will be inactive reserve until his birthday. A lot of recruits do this between their junior and senior year in high school, return to get the diploma and ship off for more training after graduation. Also, until he goes to basic training, those contracts aren't worth the paper they are written on. I'll did my paperwork with the Navy at age 17 and changed my mind before I graduated high school. I ended up getting an ROTC scholarship and became an Army officer after getting a decent education.

Answer 6

Let him join. He's trying to do something positive with this life, why would you want to hinder that?

Although, I'd recommend you take him to see the Air Force recruiter. The AF has a big need for MPs right now, and I think the lifestyle is much better than the Army.

Answer 7

You should follow your conscience as to what to do. If you feel he should wait until September then do so. My mom did they same to me when I wanted to join the Marines at 17. As it would happen I eventually joined the U.S. Army.
Serving in the armed forces for a young man is not a bad option. It has it benefits not limited to educational. If your son is not going to college and does not have any decent job opportunities then I say go. It did wonders for me.
Of course we are at war and despite being an MP the army is still a war fighting institution and with that go the risks. But realistically the odds are in his favor of not being injured in Iraq (assuming he is sent there after basic training and AIT.)

Answer 8

A very similar situation happen to a close friend of mine, except the kids mom wouldn't sign the papers and his father told him that it was OK. In the end his mom made him wait and by the time he turned 18 he no longer wanted to go...
It is not a bad thing that he wants to join the army, it is actually a very honorable thing. As his mother you should just support him in his final decision.

Answer 9

When he turns 18, it is his decision. Until then, it is yours. I think you are making a wise choice. As the parent of an under-18 teen, they should be dealing with you, not him. Any contract he enters into without your approval is invalid.

Leah made a good point about having him talk to people actually serving or who have served other than the recruiters. Many will paint a different picture than the glossy glamor shot the recruiters are showing him.

Joining the military is a noble choice, but it is one he should make only when he is legally able to do so on his own.

Answer 10

The army would be a good way for him to get college money. If he goes in as an MP, more than likely he will go to iraq. Basic training has gotten really leniant. My husband is an Army Drill Sergant. He could make a good career out of the Army should he stay in. The pay is excellent.

Answer 11

I signed to go in to the Marines 10 months before I left for boot camp.My parents asked me if I was sure.I said yes.I was 17 and was two months into senior year.I'm glad I did it.I say sign it.It will teach him that when he says he's going to commit to something,that's what he has to do.Whether his plans change or not.

And from personal experience listening to people's stories,if people tell you you won't make it,it makes you strive that much harder.

He's getting to an age where he is going to be making alot of decisions that will make you scared.However this is a good decision.All mothers are scared for their children when they go into the military.That's normal.You are no different than my mom,or anyone else's mom here.You have to let him grow up sometime.