How long do you have to be in the military until they can send you to war?

Question

If I was to concider joining the military, how many months or years would I have to be in the military until they can send me to war?

Thanks

What about Coast Guard?

Thanks for all your answers you guys.

Answer 1

Once you are fully trained

Answer 2

OK, first NOBODY goes to war until the following takes place:

A)If you are Army your basic MOS ("Job") is infantry- that is, to shoot, move and communicate.

B)If you are Navy your basic MOS is "Able Bodied Seaman"- to hold watches, and do the other basic 1001 things that need to be done on a ship.

However- since most people are sent to a specific MOS ("job") that means you go to Basic, then AIT (Advanced Individual Training) if Army or Navy, or your "A" school if Navy, or Coast Guard.
(Not sure how the Marine Corp does this)

So, lets do the math- 2 months BASIC, (Actually 56 days), AIT/A school (Anywhere from 10 to 200 weeks- that is, basic Infantry/Mortar is about 10 weeks is the easist, and the opposite extreem in the Navy's Nuclear School, which is a mandatory 9 year enlistment, first 4 years are nothing but schooling)

Then, depending where you're going you will have anywhere from 2 weeks to 30 days worth of leave- then you report to the "Repple Depple", then ship out to your Permanent Duty Station- which could be a Fort (Such as Fort Bragg, North Carolina) or a ship (Aircraft Carrier)

Figure on the average however, about 5 to 8 months of schooling prior to going into a combat zone. Then figure being in the combat zone for 14 months, rotate home/leave/shore duty more schooling then do it again. By this time a few years have passed, and you should have gotten promoted- or, you've gotten pissed, screwed up and got kicked out.

Good Luck

Answer 3

There are so many variables it is impossible to give you a specific time frame.... You must complete your training before you can be assigned......once you are trained ....you are subject to the needs of the service and the conditions of your contract......you could go immediately or never go at all

During the draft and Vietnam.....some draftees/ volunteers went to Europe and never even saw Vietnam
Other draftees immediately volunteered for OCS hoping by the time the six months were up, the war would be over.
Take a close look at John Kerry's career and you will see a man who did everything he could to avoid Vietnam duty.....when he accidentally got drawn into Vietnam he quickly orchestrated his quick escape.

My advise is....if you have qualms about combat service.....do not join....you vacillation could get others killed

Answer 4

Maybe you should consider some other line of work. As a VietNam Vet, my personal experience was two months at basic training, two months at AIT (Advanced Individual Training) and three weeks at Jump (Airborne) school. I then had 15 days leave and then was shipped to Nam. My best answer is about six months, depending on what job your being trained for.

Answer 5

Depends on the Branch, and also depends if you get a school out of Boot Camp.

could be as little as 6.5 weeks for the air force or as much as 12 weeks of the Marines.

If your going to school to learn more about your specific job after Basic training than you could be looking at a few months.
But after that if your unit or Ship is going so are you.

Answer 6

I know of one doctor who got sent to Desert Shield 2 weeks after he checked into his first base. I assume they did so because as a doctor he already knew how to do his job when he came on duty. I would hope ground troops would get basic and their specialty training finished before they get shipped off.
As a guess, I would say six months.

Answer 7

once you finish all your initial training you are capable of being deployed. some factors come into play though, like your MOS (job), if you are infantry you have a higher chance to be shipped out immediately than if you were say, finance. i cant help you much on the coast guard part...sorry

Answer 8

My brother was deployed very soon after boot camp as a part of the infantry, but my other friend went into another MOS and had intense training for about a year before they sent him out to Iraq as a sniper... so it varies depending on your MOS

Answer 9

They can send you as soon as you're out of basic, it depends on what's going on with the unit you get assigned to. My husband had 11 months after Basic... my cousin had two weeks. You really can't tell.

Answer 10

well you go through meps which is about 2-3 days. then you wait for a couple of months to go to basic. after 9 weeks basic, then you go to your specific job training. communications, medical, infantry etc. then you go to any extra schools like airborne school, ranger school etc. THEN you wait fo the division they are going to send you to deploy to a combat zone. soyour look at about 6-10 months from contract sign date.

Answer 11

Well, in general I think that as soon as you are fully trained ie. basic training and basic trade specific courses, then you are considered ready for deployment.