Would it be stupid for me to enlist in the Army?

Question

I'm planning on enlisting in the Army.I still have to meet with a recruiter, & take the ASVAB test.I already toke the AFQT, & I scored an 89.I'm planning on enlisting for 4 years active duty as an Indirect Fire Infantryman(11C).I don't want to leave home until atleast October1.My grandma is very sick, she is 84 and has a very weak heart.I want to be at home when she dies, so I can go to her funeral.Nobody in my family really support my decision to enlist.My mom,sister,grandma,aunt & uncles all want me to stay home.My mom is worried because my older broyher died when I was 9, & my dad dies when I was 13.But I'm 20 years old.Shouldn't my family members respect my decision?

Answer 1

Do what you think is right. If you worried about your grandmom, then stay and wait. Other than that. its YOUR life, no one elses. And don't let anyone on yahoo answers try to make that decision for you.

Don't listen to the moron below, less than .08% of soldiers in Iraq are killed.

Answer 2

If you have enlisted for the right reasons and feel there is no doubt that this is what you want to do, then by all means, do it. Your mom has very good reason to be worried. She has already lost a son and a husband...much more than anyone should have to bear at a young age. Your family wants to make sure you are safe, and with the war still waging on, I'm sure their fears are valid. My husband (2nd) was in the army for 20 years and was in Desert Storm, Somalia and a few others. He told me he would never encourage his son to join. This is your decision however. Make certain it is what you want to do. Four years might not sound like a long time, but if you are miserable, it can feel like an eternity. Do try to understand your family's concern. If it were my son, I'd be upset too. Good luck.

Answer 3

You have to make your own decision. All I would say is choose an MOS where you learn a trade. If you don't like the military you can get out and use the knowledge and experience you will gain from your Army job. The Infantry is an honorable profession but doesn't lead to too much on the outside.

Answer 4

In my opinion, unless you're really gung-ho 11C is a waste of a score like that, but to each his own

You're family is trying to protect you, the military is a great opportunity, make sure you've researched what you want and go with you're gut.

FYI, the military in general is hard, the army is harder, and infantry is just hardcore.

Answer 5

Dont do it man, the point is regardless of any percentage (Use of Statistics is the easiest way to mislead), you have an incredibly highER chance of a premature, violent end to your precious life then you would if you didn't join, not to mention the tens of thousands of soldiers without limbs, and the mental scarring you will carry with you for the rest of your life from being around so much death & violence.

Answer 6

Personally, I believe that everybody between 16 and 26 should do a stint in the military for two years active or six years reserve. I was in the reserves and it was a great experience that I don't regret at all. Do what you want. Your an adult now!

Answer 7

I don't mean to sound like a b-word, but if I do, then sorry.
Ah, if you want to be home when your grandma dies, what makes you sure that you can enlist, go to BCT, & she'll still be alive 'n kickin' when you return? She could die when you're in the middle of BCT, do you really want that?
Wait 'til she passes on if you really want to join up.
Oh, & for the ASVAB? Check to see what jobs you qualified for after you take it. There's no commitment until your BCT date rolls up & then there's no turning back.

Answer 8

It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you are not. ~Andre Gide

He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away. ~Raymond Hull

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. ~e.e. cummings

There is just one life for each of us: our own. ~Euripides

Wherever you go, go with all your heart. ~Confucius

The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere. ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

An unfulfilled vocation drains the color from a man's entire existence. ~Honoré de Balzac, "Scnes de la vie Parisienne," La Maison Nucingen, 1838

You must have control of the authorship of your own destiny. The pen that writes your life story must be held in your own hand. ~Irene C. Kassorla

Do what you want man, and if that is enlisting then so be it. You will regret and hold it against anyone and everyone who told you to stay when you truly wanted to go. But that is unfair to them who truly love you and just want you to live. But if you stay be it becuase you consciously choose and realize it was YOUR choice and never blame anyone. Actually never regret your decision either.

Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong. ~Peter T. Mcintyre

Answer 9

Wait until we're out of Iraq. You're young, you can join the army five years from now if you still want to. Do you really want to fight in a disastrous war for the benefit of crooked multinational corporations? Listen to your mother. She loves you and she know what's best.

Answer 10

If you're over 18, it's your choice. You have to do what you think is right, but don't expect the military to accomodate you for family issues if you go to Iraq. If you're worried about your grandma, and want to go her funeral, I'd suggest waiting to enlist until she passes.

Answer 11

No, it would not be stupid, as long as you know what you are getting into: both the difficulties of boot camp, and the possibility of getting deployed into a war zone, and possibly getting killed or having to kill others. And yes, your family members should respect your decision, as it is indeed yours to make.