Is joining the army worth it?

Question

I plan on joining the army doing basic and ait and than going to korea. My recruiter told me they dont deploy out of korea is this true?

Answer 1

Son, as a 20 year Army Vet. I'll tell you they can deploy you out of a bathroom on the Moon if they want to. I'll also tell you that the Army is a great and not so great organization, ups and downs, goods and bads. I made it a career and I get my check once a month, right on time and after doing 20 years of it, civilian life is a total cluster F**K that God Himself would be hard pressed to straighten out. I've been out 7 years and i still don't know who's in charge out here. If it weren't for the fact I already retired and I'm too old, I'd still be in. Good luck and God bless you! I envy the hell out of you.

Answer 2

The Army is like anything else in life. For the greatest part, you are going to get out of it what you put into it. If you join for the wrong reasons, i.e. to see the world, have fun playing G.I. Joe, and pay for college, then you are in for a long ride and probably won't last. The camaraderie will be like nothing you have felt before. You will learn to trust people with your life and know that you hold theirs in your own hands. You can, and probably will, make friends for life. This is not to say that there will not be times you will question your decision, the decisions of your commanders, or those of the people placed in charge of you. One thing for certain is that you will never be the same.

As for the recruiter, find yourself two or three different vets and try to find some contacts of people who are in. You can also do some research on the internet and check out Amazon for some books about life in the military, Basic, and AIT. Try to steer away from anything to political. You want facts, not opinions. Remember, the recruiter only keeps his job if he can get enough people to join.

And finally, yes, soldiers are being deployed directly from Korea to the Middle East. It use to be that you were required to do one year in Korea per contract and then you returned to CONUS (Continental United States), but due to the large number of deployments to the Middle East, this policy has changed.

If you do decide to enlist, good luck, keep your head down, and for goodness sakes, pick an MOS that has some relevance on the civilian market.

Answer 3

"My recruiter told me..."

That's the first part where you're going wrong. :) I know several ex-recruiters, and while they're great NCO's and I absolutely love my NCO channel, Do. Not. Trust. Your. Recruiter.

Anything they say to you, make sure you have it in writing. Also, you are guaranteed your MOS, but make sure you graduate your AIT otherwise they'll reclass you into another MOS, which will be based on "Needs of the Army."

Well, you may go to Korea, but eventually you'll PCS somewhere else. They aren't going to let you hide in Korea for the duration of the war, and even then, they have deployed out of Korea. Let me ask you another question, that you might want to think about:

Have you been watching the news, in respect to North Korea? I'd say you should push for Germany. We already kicked their ***es hardcore.

All that said, There's not a day that I don't thank God I joined the Army. I'm 21 and my first vehicle was one that I bought and pay for with my own money. I'm making money rather than incurring student loan debt, and I'm /still/ taking courses online and through the Army correspondence courses, learning while I work. I've been to some amazing places that most people in your home town won't ever get to go (Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, A-Stan, Turkey...). Personally, I loved Iraq. No real rules, no garrison BS, lots of great food at Camp Victory, pretty good pay... The only downside was getting shot at and mortared, but I'll take that trade-off.

The friends I've made in the Army are ones that I know will be life-long, hardcore good friends. I gained a sister and two brothers at my last unit. We're family, man, and we watch out for eachother. Is it worth it? To me, hell yes. It's worth every minute of menial labor and BS busywork jobs for the time I spend with my enlisted family.

Answer 4

That all depends on your MOS. You are part of the military, so if they need your skills anywhere in the world, you can go. However, you are just starting out, so it will most likely not be you. Also, Korea is a 1 year tour, unless you sign up to stay there for an additional amount of time. So after your first year, you can count on possibly going elsewhere to a unit that is deployable. Good Luck, Have Fun, and Enjoy the Army.

Answer 5

You may want to get another recruiter.

For the last time...listen close kid.

Once you join the military, they can do anything with your *** that they want to do. If they need extra troops they will deploy them wherever the hell they feel like it...what are going to do? Tell them my recruiter said you can't do that???

Suppose you go to AIT to be a cook, there's nothing saying that they might decide they are short on infantrymen that day and send you on a patrol in Iraq. You are a GI...Government Issue, you are literally property of the government. The military is dangerous work, if your heart's in it join, if not, go to trade school or something. There ain't no gaurantees in the military.

Answer 6

"Sgt. D" hit it square on the nose!

And, my son is now serving with the 101st Airborne Division. He has done one tour in "the sand box" and is gearing up for another go. Yes, Virginia, they do deploy from Korea...this according to my son AND his recruiter. You've got to remember to listen VERY carefully to what the recruiters tell you, and keep on asking questions until you are satisfied that you know the score. Don't sign ANYTHING until you are sure you know exactly what you are signing.

Best of luck, whatever you decide to do.

Answer 7

They must deploy from Korea. In 2004, the news said they sent 3600 soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
The Army deploys from all over & no one is guaranteed where they will serve. You serve at their will.

Answer 8

If you join the army, plan on serving your tour in Iraq. Dont' believe what the recruiter says. Once you sign up, you go where the gov't tells you.

Answer 9

You can be deployed from anywhere. There are even S. Korean Troops in Iraq. If you enlist, you enlist to serve our country wherever you are. Want benefits? You have to earn them. Some do skate and never see combat, and some get killed. That's the risk you take by enlisting. No guarantees when it come to war, if the need you.

Answer 10

The military can be one of the best experiences of your life . It can open you to a myriad of things . new friends , college tuition , VA benefits and a career if that's what you choose to do . But don,t believe your recruiter , you can be called up stationed anywhere . Your best bet is work within the system , get yourself rated for a job that's not going to get you to the front . There's plenty of them .