Thinking of joining the military... Branch? Linguistics?

Question

Hi,
I'm 17 and am thinking of joining the military after I graduate (next year), but am not sure which branch..

I want to go into linguistics.. such as a CTI etc. I haven't taken the DLAB yet, but assume that I pass. All the branches offer positions in linguistics so I'm not sure which branch I should join. Here is my cons/pros for each branch..

MarineCorps - might be too radical, seems more
brawny than brainy, too tough/exciting, meaningful,prestigious, and adventurous, travel?

AirForce - Seems whimpy, heard they wont guarantee
a job prior to joining (you must pick like four?)/Brains over
Brawn, travel?

Navy - Travel? dont know much about the navy compared to the other branches..

Army - brawn over brains/travel? meaningful don't know much about this branch either.

I would greatly apreciate additions/details to my pros/cons list, personal experiences, opinions, comments, and just about any information... especially concerning linguistics

thanks : )

Answer 1

Had to laugh at your definations of each branch. In the military today it takes some smarts, yep even fo us Marines. Dummies can't fire weapons made today, all conected with computers and comm links and such.

Go Marines!

Answer 2

Well, as my husband is career Air Force, I take some offense at it being called wimpy. However, you are pretty much right in not being able to pick your career. It's also harder to get promoted in the Air Force than the other branches because it's based almost entirely on WAPS test scores.

On the plus side, in general (not true for all career fields) the Air Force has shorter and fewer deployments. Again, depending on career field, the deployments the Air Force go on tend to be a little safer and farther away from the "action."
My husband has been in 18 years and has spent over 9 living in Europe and has deployed or been tdy (temporary duty) to Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Germany, the UK, Sardinia, Virginia, Florida, New Mexico, Colorado, and North Carolina (more than once on several of these places too) so if you join the Air Force you will travel, whether you want to or not.

As someone who has been around the military all my life, my advice would be go to college first if you must join and be an officer. Enlisted life isn't all that great and it's gone downhill in the last 10 years. Benefits are being cut left and right, pay raises are the lowest they've been in years, deployments ar at an all time high. My husband literally works in a condemned building because there isn't the money in the budget to fix it up. Don't believe all the crap the recruiter feeds you.

Answer 3

My husband is in the National Guard and is a linguist and we are at the DLI right now - he is learning Korean and already speaks Spanish. We love it. Regular Army you don't get to pick your language - they pick for you depending on your DLAB scores and what is in demand. With the guard - we got to pick. I believe that Air force and the other branches are the same as the Army - they pick for you. I will tell you that in Korean - which is one of the hardest and longest programs - it is mostly Air force that gets rocked out. But as far as your definitions of each branch - I would look at the type of job each offers in linguistics. there are the type where you just listen and traslate or interigation jobs - talk with recruiters from every branch to deternime the types of jobs they offer in linguistics. Once you pass your DLPT then you get a language pay every month on top of your other pay. I believe that it is an incintive to keep you studing - the DLPT if very hard though. Days in school are about 10 hour days and then about 3 hours of homework a night. You go through a chapter every 2-3 days - it is hard and fast. You then have to retake your DLPT every year. You still are a soldier so you have the same basic, and still have other "soldier" training that you do as well. There are many big companies and other federal agencies that hire ex-soldiers that were linguists in a heartbeat and they get paid very well - espcially Arabic and Asian languages. Good luck. Be sure that you know English well - you get a 1 week crash course in "remembering proper English" in the beginning of your course

Answer 4

Well I would talk to the recruiters of every branch. See what they have to offer you, not to mention where you can get the best bonus. I know that the Army can guarantee you your choice of job and if it's not available, you can leave before you swear yourself in. As for the other branches, there is a chance that you will get the job you want, although the chances go up with how in demand the job position is.
Also, are you looking at active duty, reserves or guard? They all have their pros and cons. The recruiters don't outright lie to you, but may bend the truth, if you're not sure about something ask for more detail.

Answer 5

i would say the army for linguistics. its a great mos when i was in Korea i met a couple of people in that mos...its a long ait but when you get out you are already promotable to E-5. you also wont be put in a cubical they send you to country where the language is that you study. also with the army you will get the best of both worlds(brainy,tough,exciting)lol. anyways good luck with what ever branch you chose.

Answer 6

Navy CTIs are NOT stationed aboard ships as permanent party, although they will go go TAD frequently. But most first termers find themselves in one of two spots> Ft Gordon or Ft Meade, where they sit in a cubicle and listen to stuff all day long.

Answer 7

Marines, you probably wont regret it, the most successful people of all branches in the military are the United States Marines. You would probably end up with Arabic, Russian or Mandarin though

Answer 8

Marines

Answer 9

Do you speak and read Farsi? Guarantee it means easy duty any branch.