Thinking about joining the air force, or the army. Need help?

Question

I would really like to serve my country, but at the same time i don't want to slow down my goals in life. I plan on joining the resserves in ether the AF or the Army, and want to go to college while i serve. I'm not sceard of deployment, but would like to wait untill i'm out of college. My recuter says that he can make that happen with the are SMP program, but it seems to good to be true. I don't know which branch is better for me. Also does anyone know the wash out rate for the Army Rangers

Answer 1

A) The SMP program is the Simultaneous Membership Program. That means you are part of both the ROTC AND the local Army Reserve or National Guard Unit. When I was in the SMP back in the 80s I was carried on the Guard Roster as an E-7 though I wore Cadet Rank and was treated as a cadet at drill. It seems to me that being SMP would make you MORE likely to get deployed, as if your unit went you would go too. Your recruter may be lying to you, or he may know something that I don't.

My advice would be to call an ROTC unit in a different state. They would know the rules and the law about the SMP program, and would not have anything to gain by lying to you. (Your recruter may get some sort of a bounus for getting you into SMP.) Then again, it could be that there is a clause in the program that keeps cadets from deploying, and I don' t know about it. I'd call the ROTC unit to be sure.

B) As I recall the wash out rate in Ranger School was fairly low. The problem is GETTING INTO Ranger School in the first place. It costs money to put you through Ranger School, and the Army doesn't want to waste money on people who might wash out. The way they do it is making Ranger School hard to get into. Just becuase you want to go doesn't mean you get to go. They have X number of slots, and 2, 3, or 4x number of applicants. You don't get orders for Ranger School unless there is evidence to show that you probably won't wash out.

Good luck!

Answer 2

First, ALL MILITARY RECRUITERS THAT WEAR A UNIFORM ARE SALARIED! Believe that, I recruited for six years.

There are no bonuses for recruiters based on how successful they are.

Secondly, what you want to do depends on what your goals are. If you want to finish college before deploying, it is highly unlikely that you can go all the way through without missing a semester or even a full year if you are in the reserves of any branch. Not all deployments are to Iraq or Afghanistan. Some reservists must "back-fill" the jobs that are normally done by active duty members that have deployed.

If you qualify for the ROTC of any branch, and you want to become an officer, that is the best way to go other than one of the military academies. While in the regular ROTC, you are just in school---if you are a reservist that is also in ROTC deployment is possible, if unlikely.

If ROTC or an academy is not an option based on your qualifications, you will want to check out all services. Each service has a different way of life; each job type in each service has a different way of life as well. Please ignore the ignorant that throw insults at any service; their inflamatory opinions are not those of intelligent adults that have actually served. I have never heard a member of a sister service put down any other with insults.

Ask questions, write down the answers. Ask the question a different way a week later. Get the facts for yourself. I would also recommend asking local veterans what service they would choose if they did it over; then ask them for their second choice. Those opinions should matter more than that of a recruiter you just met. Good Luck!

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Answer 3

It depends on what you want to do. Personally, I joined because I liked the excitement of action and the opportunity for leadership.

The SMP program works. I did that when I commissioned in 1988.

I joined the National Guard first as a Cavalry Scout and then went into ROTC. The money is good for college, too. Depending on what state National Guard you join there is the Tuition Assistance program where the National Guard will pay for the tuition of any State sponsored college in that state. Plus, you get drill pay as an E-5, you get paid to contract as a MS-3, and you get the Montgomery GI Bill. You will make more money for one weekend and attending class than most of your friends will working part time jobs at McDonalds or whatever.

It's a good deal and I highly recommend Army.

Answer 4

Are you looking for college money? Did you do well in school?Do you have your high school diploma? If you have good scores,and grades, all service branches have scholarships You go to the simultaneous membership program as a Jr in college. or maybe in the early commissioning program you would be in there as a freshman.
What I can't tell is ,do you want to enlist? or do you want to go to college full time and let them pay for it? I belive that most rotc programs make you a non deployable asset. However you can choose to deploy if there is an emergency .
the second is easier, you will get though faster and you will be an officer, but you need good grades. My husband had a full ride to Villanova for navy ROTC and my son is on full scholarship at Georgia military college.that is a great program but you need to be a Georgia resident.
wash out rate for rangers? don't know but before you see ranger school you have to pass a lot of hurtles.

Answer 5

Well I was a recruiter for the Marine Corps for 3 years. It's obvious from the previous answers, that they never served in the military. A recruiter will tell you what you ask. If you ask the hard questions, you will get the answers you want. The best advise is to shop around. I have been in the Marine Corps for 20 years and I have never been in combat. So the individual who said the order doesn't know what he is talking about. It has to do with your job. Obviously if you are in the infantry, you will see combat. Have the recruiter show you in writing what he is talking about and have someone witness what is being said. Good luck.

Answer 6

Rat is totally correct. If you want cushy cushy. Join the AF. If you want to challenge yourself, go for the Army Rangers. You'll need to be 11B infantry and then shoot for a Ranger tab. I think the dropout rate is not that bad, but it is challenging. Don't expect any favors from the recruiter though, if your unit is called to duty, you go, college or no college.

Answer 7

I would call it a no brainer! How many Air Force personel have died in Iraq?

Pecking order of military deployment-
First, Navy and their Jets and Guns/missles.

Then Marines off ships to invade.

Then Army to Overun.

Eventually, the Air Force arrives when the Golf Course in in and the Bowling Alleys constructed!

US Airforce-Cheeleaders of the Military-Go Team!

Answer 8

A recruiter can guarantee NOTHING. His job is to get you to sign on. Army Rangers is very difficult. I would say less than 5% actually make a Ranger.

Please remember, if it sounds too good to be true, than it is not.

Best of luck to you.

Answer 9

Air Force.