i was thinking of going to the army. i will be 18 on saturday. army, navy, or where? why?

Question

what things do you do? how much do you get paid? how often? how often do you go home? do you actually fight in war?

Answer 1

I'm going to tell you the same thing I told my kids. Get the best deal you can. get the most rank you can going in, get a job skill that you can use when you get out. Get the most educational benefits you can. Get the biggest bonus you can get, and get that bonus spread out over several years. They will want to give it to you in one lump sum, but unless you are married, own a house, or are supporting a family member who has huge medical bills, most of that bonus is going to go right back to the government in taxes.

Talk to recruiters from all of the branches and let them know you are shopping. Don't be the least bit shy about getting the best deal you can get because like any career, you are investing your time and talent and they should be willing to compensate you accordingly. Besides, every dollar they put into your military career is going to come back to them one hundred fold when you are an upper middle class, tax paying professional! These are some of the things you should insist on:

1. Guaranteed Advanced Individual Training. If they want to give you an "A" school" or put any kind of conditions other than insisting that you pass the training, talk to another branch of the service.

2. Choice of first duty station. You will not get this if you choose the buddy system, or any program where a husband and wife serve together, but you should otherwise be given a list of bases that are open in your job field, and the choice of one of those bases.

3. Sign up bonus. If you are getting in under any type of waiver, this may not be offered, but otherwise, you should get a signup bonus which will not be paid until you graduate from all of your initial training. Don't forget, no lump sum payment. You will get more money this way, and it will be easier to manage.

4. Educational benefits: Now the Military pays up to seventy five percent of your tuition if you take courses while you are serving, but that doesn't stop yo from going to school afterwards. Going back to college is an excellent way to transition back into civilian life, and you will not believe how your grade point average will soar with those skills you learned while you were in.

You get thirty days of paid leave per year, and you can earn passes in addition to that. You generally cannot travel much on a pass, but if you are serving close to home it's a possibility. Part of being in the Military is the reality that everyone should be ready, willing, and able to take up arms in defense of the country. It's kind of like asking that if you go to MacDonald's, are you going to have to cook? It will help if you chose a job that requires technical skill, or requires that you stay in a particular location. X-ray technicians for example, rarely see front line duty. This is something you will want to talk to a career counselor about before you make your final decision. Your recruiter should have a current pay schedule, or you can look it up on the web. Military personnel generally get paid once a month. There is a bonus for serving in a combat zone. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Every branch gets paid the same amount depending on the rank. E-1's make about 1000~ a month. Every branch is actively participating in this war but if you want to weigh it out, thats where the Marines and Soldiers come in. It all depends on what MOS (job) you sign up for. If you would like to go in a medical direction look into the Navy, want to kill and figh consider the Army or Marines. Want to become a fighter pilot or such join the Air Force, I think they are also more technological along with every other branch I geuss if you choose a mechanical job.

Answer 3

In peace time, jobs are much like government jobs except the pay is lower and you have to stay physically fit. Pay is monthly but some special pays (like, for travel expenses) can take forever. I believe leave is acquired at 2.5 days per month and up to 60 days can be saved. When you take leave and how many days you can cash in is between you and your supervisor. All services require you to go where they say especially when fighting is going on.

If you want to make a career or if you want to gain job experience, I'd suggest the Air Force. Most jobs have civilian counterparts in a much higher percentage then the Army or Marines and many skills learned are more then competitive - they are highly marketable. The Air Force is the least "rank conscious" of the regular services and enlisted members are more empowered to get their job done plus keeping fit is not done in primetime (regular working hours) but is your responsibility to do as you see fit (if you don't keep fit, you're gone). My second choice would be Navy. Both select who they want (more applicants then positions) so get the most qualified people so hopefully you're grades have been decent. Do not overlook going to college on an ROTC scholarship. If you go enlisted, I'd recommend staying in long enough to complete at least two years worth of a competitive college degree then exiting. Enlisted pay is excellent for people straight out of high school but NCO (sergeants) are greatly underpaid.

Answer 4

Depending on the military branch you decide to join (I personally think that the Air Force or Marines is the best way to go), depends on which job you qualify for. You of course will need to take the ASVAB for that.

Your pay scale depends on your rank, and you will get paid on the 1st and 15th of each month. Here is a link that will take you to a military pay chart for all Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines : http://www.dfas.mil/militarypay/2006militarypaytables.html

As you work, you earn leave time. One day of work equals a certain amount of leave time. It's not much-but after a while it adds up. Sometimes you'll be able to go home, sometimes you wont whether or not your leave request is approved or disapproved.

And, as for "fighting" in war (including the war going on now)-you may have to. You wont necessarily see front of the line battle, you could be one of many personnel behind the stage curtain helping out with office work (yes-office work comes with the desert), supply shipments, and other stuff...depending on your job and what they want you to do. You could be on a ship if you're navy...being on a ship for up to 6 months is never fun though.

If you're young, and you really don't know what you want to do with your life, joining the military would be a good career choice for you. You'll have some many more opportunites, not only career wise, but recreational, and educational too. You'll be able to travel to lots of countries, if you're lucky you might get stationed in Europe or Japan for a while. You'll receive free medical as long as you are in the military, and the benefits are great. Although-for some people, the military isn't the right way for them to go. For example-if you grew up a military brat, then you're already used to the in's and out's of it, but if you've always been a civilian, you might have a harder time compared to most. All in all, at the end of the day, you'll have it easier than what you would in civi land. Think it over with yourself first, then talk to your parents. Find a recruiter near you and have a sit down with them. Here are the websites that will give you more information:

http://www.navy.com
http://www.airforce.com
http://www.goarmy.com
http://www.marines.com
http://www.gocoastguard.com

I hope you make the right choice. Good luck.

Answer 5

The various branches of the military are fairly different from each other, due to obvious reasons, they have different missions and ways to accomplish them. It depends on what you want to do and where your talents may point you. Talk to a recruiter but keep in mind that he or she is just a salesman who is trying to make a quota so you are just another number to them. Talk to veterans, if you want to look beyond the brochures and their promises. Bottom line, the military is not just another job but it is hard work. Take your time. Better yet, go to college then join. That way you have the chance to become an officer and life will get a lot better for you. Good luck!

Answer 6

i believe that you need to look into yourself on what you really want in joining the military. if you're looking for a good compensation, then being in the US military (regardless of the branch, whether in navy, army or air force[check http://www.military.com/Recruiting/Content/0,13898,rec_step03_compare_enlist_options,,00.html for more info]), is the place to be. the possibility of fighting a war greatly depends on what branch and designation would be. if by "fighting a war" you meant direct contact with hostiles then, highest possibility of fighting a war is by being with the infantry or cavalry. the artillery brigade plays big in indirect fighting but is a high priority target for hostiles. so generally, artillery brigades are targets of direct fighting but being in the US military would mean chances of getting into direct fighting is very rare. there are also desk/clerical jobs in the military. There are quite a number of military jobs that involves no direct contact at all. supplies custodian or some clerical jobs at the jag are possible posts.

But if you really want frontline action, then, you might even want to join the French Foreign Legion.

Answer 7

I suggest you analyze what you want to do with your life. Do you want to be a career soldier? What field interests you the most? Try to find a military job that parallels with that.

I am in the Army, so I must admit my opinion is not impartial. The Army is meant to be the main land force. You would be combat-trained as well as have a specific job of your choice You contract for the job YOU want, not what Uncle Sam wants for you (of course, your ASVAB score determines what you are eligible for though).

The Marines have my highest respect for the extreme training they go through and the danger they are exposed to. I respect them because (I'm not afraid to admit this) they have bigger balls than I do. The ONLY thing I don't like about them besides the danger is that they don't offer as much in return for service. The Army had a better package.

I have been around Air Force people as a result of them training on Army bases. They are very obviously less disciplined than Army and Marine personnel. Another thing I hate about the AF personnel is their lack of training for combat situations. In today’s warzone, you are either half infantry or full target. Of course there are always exceptions, but this is the general attitude I have attained through experiences with airmen.

My experiences with Navy personnel are similar to the Air Force. However, I will say that I have not seen many sailors, so my sample may not be representative of the whole.

As for the Coast Guard - I mean no disrespect (when a description starts with those words, it can't get much better), but I do not consider them military. They serve a vital role for our country, but their role is not that of combat or combat support. They fall under the Dept. of Transportation, not the Dept. of Defense. Again, I do not mean to downplay their importance, just that they are not a military component.

That said, let me say that EVERY branch of our military serves a specific purpose. Without any branch, we would be ineffective.

I have no idea what your background is, so I will answer under the assumption that you will be joining as an E-1. That is the lowest pay grade there is. You'll make 1,178.10 per month if on Active Duty.

The following is a link to the pay grade chart for 2006 (I believe it has gone up some since then, but not much more than a few cent - maybe a dollar or two):

http://www.dfas.mil/militarypay/newinfor...

The following is a link to tell you the rank names for all those E-such and such, O-such and such, and W-such and such... for each branch:

http://www.princetonreview.com/cte/artic...

Most people in the military are paid twice a month. What you see on the chart will be divided in two, and you'll be paid on the 1st and 15th of every month (a couple days ahead if those days come on a weekend).

The amount you are paid depends on your situation. If you have kids and/or are married, you will receive more money. You will also have subsistence allowance for the purchase of food on many occasions (this depends on where you are). You may also receive substandard housing pay (if your barracks don't have something the Army is making an attempt to make standard for its soldiers), but again, this depends on where you are.

You earn leave days while on Active Duty. You save up your leave days just like vacation days in a civilian job. These are paid days off. If you choose not to take these days off, you will be able to "sell" them to the Army. You will be paid your base pay divided by 30 then multiplied by the amount of days you are selling.

As stated by earlier answers, money is not a good reason to join the military - if it's the only reason that is.

And for you last question, every branch of our military serves a war function. Every person in those branches goes to war - in their own way. The Army and Marines rough it up on the ground, the Air Force does their thing on the air bases (they usually don't see too much action besides mortar rounds). The Navy controls the seas from their ships (Seals are an exception).

If you want action (aka danger), join the Army or Marines (marines get more of both). If you want to be pampered but ill-trained, join the Air Force. If you don't mind being cramped on a ship for long periods of time but fairly safe from IED's and the like, join the Navy.

Thank you for your interest in joining the US military. God bless you. Stay safe. I hope I helped you a little.

Answer 8

u can do alot of fields medical dental all except combat jobs the reason is because ur a female its not right. every two weeks u get paid . i depends on ur rank on how much u get paid u save up leave days to go home u get 30 days a year better than most civilian jobs. think on going to collage and become an officer u get better pay

Answer 9

i was in the army 11 years, if you want the safer of the armed forces i would suggest navy or airforce, in the air force your deployments are usually only 3 to 6 months but army 12 to 18 months, marines usually 6 months sometimes longer.

Answer 10

Im in the army deployed to Afghanistan, this is my third tour down range twice to Iraq and here for the first time, if your a girl who doesnt mind getting her hands dirty and living life the hard way with no luxuries and gets ok pay say 20k a yr. non- deployed and about 25-30k a yr. deployed then ya its for you. If you like living in the best of standards and getting better pay then go to the Air Force