ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, 19 yr. old (female non-violent) pre-med student. Bad idea??

Question

There's truly no rational explanation why I'm even considering this, But, I'm considering joining the (IN) Army National Guard. I'm 19 & in my first year as a pre-med student. That means I have 4-8 years of college ahead of me if all goes as planned. I'm also a peaceful, strong-minded, stubborn, art student. Basically I'm the last person I'd ever picture in the army. I'm going to talk to a recruiter tomorrow. Here's the deal: I DON'T THINK I COULD FIGHT unless it were HERE in the States, protecting the homeland. Or even protecting other innocents. But what's going on in Iraq?! I don't know about that. In addition, I want to finish school un-interrupted! I'm terrified of dying. Definitely don't want that. & not sure I can handle a 12 month deployment. Yet, I want to be an active part of this country in more ways than politics. I don't want to be useless if something were to happen. Please anyone with true Army NG knowledge, please let me know if you think this is the worst idea ever!

thanks all (so far), but keep em coming :)
- it helps to know that there truly are options other than fighting,
of course recruiters say that but i'm scared to trust them.
i would really LOVE to help/work in a hospital even over seas,
there's like a global code not to bomb hospitals right?? hah, i'm not paranoid. hell it's probably riskier driving on the highway ...

Answer 1

Not everyone that goes to Iraq fights and kills. For that matter, not everyone that joins the guard goes to iraq.
There is a place for EVERYONE in the Army. You will learn things while you are a member that you won't learn anywhere else.
People overseas need people like you!!! They need medical help, they need smarts, they need everything you have to offer. All the qualities you listed should be your reason to join. You will do fine!
Recruiters will sugar coat the truth most of the time. But listen to what they have to say! They know what they are talking about.

Answer 2

The Army/ National Guard has many many MANY branches within it that give everyone an opportunity to put their skills to use. Furthermore, currently as a female, you cannot join the Infantry, Ranger, or Special Forces branches so your chances of seeing combat are slim (not impossible, but very unlikely).
As far as being pre-medical goes, National Guard is a good option. You will have to go through basic training but you will likely be able to get hands-on experience in the Medical Service Corps and once you get through medical school you will be able to move up to being a doctor. You will also be eligible to a lot of benefits (especially financially) throughout undergraduate study and medical school.
Find a recruiter that you trust and discuss all of this with them- just make sure that you emphasize that you need to finish school (so basic training over a summer) and that you are pre-med. If you want to serve your country and you want to be in the Guard (or Army), then overall this is a pretty good option. But if you just want to do it purely for the benefits, maybe look into other options because it's not just a way to get through school, it's a career.

Answer 3

Sounds like to me you should give the NAVY a look. Your a pre-med student, sounds like you could be a corpsman. Your a female so Fleet Marine Force wouldn't be in the plans, so that means no war zones. As far as going to school uninterrupted if that's what you really want to then forget joining any service,because there is not such thing in the military. Out of all the services the NAVY put the most emphasis on higher education while active duty.

Answer 4

Why not finish college and med school first. Then, if you are still interested in join the military, you can go in as a doctor and an officer. You will still be young enough to join and could have a long career doctor. Doctors are rarely, if ever, called on to fight in battles and I guarantee you will save more lives as a doctor than you will take. Serving your country as both a solider and a healer is a noble endeavor that all rational people can respect and admire.

Answer 5

Well the first thing to understand is you will go to Iraq or Afghanistan. If you are in the medical corps because of the Geneva convention you cannot bare arms. But the enemy does respect the red cross emblem. The Army when you join is going to teach you to shoot and handle small arms as part of basic training regardless of you occupational specialty.

Dying is part of life. My nephew decided not to join the army because of pressure from his mom. She was afraid he would be killed. Several weeks later he died in a car wreck. You can die anywhere, anytime. The difference being his death in the army would have been for something. His death behind the wheel was for nothing.

I was on active duty and in the NG. Is it worth it? That is something you have to decide. everyones experience in the service is different. In the Army you will get a real chance to practice your vocation around the world.
Good luck!

Answer 6

Go for it Jenna. My 19 yr old son enlisted as Army NG Reserves. He did boot camp, then AIT training. He's an army Medic, and now in college for forensic nursing. He will hopefully finish his college education before any deployment. If by chance he is deployed he will be in an army hospital which is pretty far away from the action. His platoon is not scheduled to be deployed until late 2008. Depending on the status of war he may be deployed or he will continue college. You can never be sure with the military.

Answer 7

There are not any female combatants in the Army, Army Reserves and Army National Guards. Hopefully you will be able to find a position in the IN National Guard in the medical field. As a nurse or a doctor in the military it is necessary for you to learn how to defend yourself, your fellow soldiers and patients should they come under attack.

If you're looking for some type of guarantee, sorry. No can do! You can spend up to 30 weeks of medical training at Fort Sam Houston, TX following basic training that will give you a good leg up in your Pre-Med instruction. Can anybody promise you that you won't go into harm's way? Nope! Can anybody say for sure you won't be deployed? No again. There is a price to be paid for everything in life.

If you're that terrified of dying then maybe you should stay clear of the military, we're at war and people are dying. In the military you're very likely to see death, if you work in civilian medical profession you're also very likely to see death. Nice, innocent people die needless, senseless death everyday here in America, driving down the street or stepping off a street curb. Sounds to me that you want to have a role in life that is positive and productive, but none of the risk. If you find that position please let me know because I've never seen one like it before........

Answer 8

There is no guarantee you will be in a hospital if deployed. You still have to convoy everywhere between bases and going on leave and almost everyone we lost was on convoy when killed. Chances are pretty high you would be deployed during your enlistment which means you would be pulled out of school. I had a buddy who was pulled out of the RN program twice and had to start over. Not being mean but maybe you should consider Coast Guard instead of Army.

SSG Bachelor

Answer 9

Being pre-med you most likely won't be fighting. You would be working in a hospital. You may get sent over seas for a while but they could also send you to work at a VA hospital somewhere in the US. The best advise you could get would be someone who is actually serving as a medical professional for the armed services. See if you can find a VA hospital and go see if you can talk to some doctors and nurses there.

Answer 10

It doesn't sound like the Army is for you. You should finish college completely and then decide what you want to do. If you don't think you could fight unless you are here in the states, why don't you consider a "community service job" like a cop or firefighter. Or why don't you consider border control? I say your education is the most important thing right now. Get that done and then decide what you want to do.