Well I've made a big decision...

[mjonesjr]

Not everyone is cut out to be an officer. There have to enlisted personnel. If you have too many chiefs and not enough Indians, you will not accomplish anything.

 

[koda6966]

How you doing sailor. *winks*

 

[Hypnotic Toast]

I do realize that I would start at the bottom if/when I joined, but to me I feel like I'd rather be doing that there than in a workplace somewhere else. And as it was said before, the Navy would be paying me to finish my degree when I chose to do so.

I feel more inclined to joint he military based on what I want as a career. Since I started high school I've wanted to be part of the law enforcement field, whether as a police officer, FBI or SWAT. I feel that the knowledge and experience I could gain from the military would be much more applicable than a college degree (at this time). I do plan to finish my degree and possibly continue my education further.

I just feel like if this is something I don't do, I'll look back on it later and wished to hell I would have. I've had many people tell me after getting out that it's difficult at some times but the time they did spend in the service they wouldn't trade for anything.

 

[AllanD]

I do realize that I would start at the bottom if/when I joined, but to me I feel like I'd rather be doing that there than in a workplace somewhere else. And as it was said before, the Navy would be paying me to finish my degree when I chose to do so.

I feel more inclined to joint he military based on what I want as a career. Since I started high school I've wanted to be part of the law enforcement field, whether as a police officer, FBI or SWAT. I feel that the knowledge and experience I could gain from the military would be much more applicable than a college degree (at this time). I do plan to finish my degree and possibly continue my education further.

I just feel like if this is something I don't do, I'll look back on it later and wished to hell I would have. I've had many people tell me after getting out that it's difficult at some times but the time they did spend in the service they wouldn't trade for anything.

Police FBI or Swat?

You don't want to join the navy, you want to be a Marine!

AD

 

[fastpakr]

Amen to that.

 

[Hypnotic Toast]

Police FBI or Swat?

You don't want to join the navy, you want to be a Marine!

AD

Ha, I have thought about that, too. Since I haven't signed anything yet, I still have a little bit to change my mind. It's a possibility.

 

[fastpakr]

If you'd consider the Reserve option, look at the Air Force or Army again. Both of them offer the Tuition Assistance program to reservists ($4500 per year towards college tuition without touching your GI Bill at all). Department of the Navy provides it only to Active Duty members, so Navy/Marine Corps is out of luck on the reserve side.

 

[skippy]

I do realize that I would start at the bottom if/when I joined, but to me I feel like I'd rather be doing that there than in a workplace somewhere else. And as it was said before, the Navy would be paying me to finish my degree when I chose to do so.

I feel more inclined to joint he military based on what I want as a career. Since I started high school I've wanted to be part of the law enforcement field, whether as a police officer, FBI or SWAT. I feel that the knowledge and experience I could gain from the military would be much more applicable than a college degree (at this time). I do plan to finish my degree and possibly continue my education further.

I just feel like if this is something I don't do, I'll look back on it later and wished to hell I would have. I've had many people tell me after getting out that it's difficult at some times but the time they did spend in the service they wouldn't trade for anything.

Might I suggest Master at Arms if you want to dabble in law enforcement in the Navy.

Damage controlman is a new one on me,used to be Hull Maintenance Techs were in charge of damage control,and all engineering rates assisted.I was on damage control/fire fighting teams My whole time in,countless hours at fire fighting school,classroom training and never ending fire/flooding and damage control drills.I was in A-gang ,an Engineman,and everytime I had duty I was in an oba on a hose nozzle fighting a Imaginary fire,Ranking Hull Tech was always in charge of the team.

As was suggested before,to finish college would be the way to go but if your mind is made up I wish you all the best.

 

[AllanD]

If you'd consider the Reserve option, look at the Air Force or Army again. Both of them offer the Tuition Assistance program to reservists ($4500 per year towards college tuition without touching your GI Bill at all). Department of the Navy provides it only to Active Duty members, so Navy/Marine Corps is out of luck on the reserve side.

I'm sure Caleb know more about the curent deals than I do...

Hey Caleb, tell him...

so he knows you don't have a conflict of interest.

Semper Fi

AD

 

[mjonesjr]

If you'd consider the Reserve option, look at the Air Force or Army again. Both of them offer the Tuition Assistance program to reservists ($4500 per year towards college tuition without touching your GI Bill at all). Department of the Navy provides it only to Active Duty members, so Navy/Marine Corps is out of luck on the reserve side.

Agreed.

Not to mention that if you went reserve and liked it, you could always go into active duty.

 

[Will]

If I had the means to go to college after highschool I'd be Secretary of the Navy right now. It's stupid to enlist if you don't have to. Much better to be an officer.

 

[fastpakr]

I'm sure Caleb know more about the curent deals than I do...

Hey Caleb, tell him...

so he knows you don't have a conflict of interest.

Semper Fi

AD

Good point. To the OP - Just to clarify, I'm a current Marine enlisted reservist (Combat Engineer unit in Roanoke, VA). Will's a former artillery/embassy guard enlisted Marine.

 

[fastpakr]

If I had the means to go to college after highschool I'd be Secretary of the Navy right now. It's stupid to enlist if you don't have to. Much better to be an officer.

Agreed, but with the current education programs available, if you're willing to put in the effort you can accomplish both at the same time and come out with good job experience plus a free bachelor's degree, with plenty of GI Bill money left over for a Master's when you're done. Not that many people actually do it, but the program's are in place to make it possible. A hard working active duty member could easily take care of the first two-three years of school during a four year term. An Air Force/Army reservist could finish their degree in four years using the TA program, then switch into a Master's program before they even finish their six year term of enlistment.

 

[Will]

Just make sure you go in as a reservist then. Problem with going in active duty is you get lost in the bars and whore houses and lose track of your life's goals. I mean that seriously.

Bootcamp, school(s), sitting around the deployment center for a couple weeks on working parties, shipping out to your first unit, training deployment--living out of a bag. God forbid dodging bombs. Or, in garrison, busting rust, weekly scrubbing of the barracks for Friday morning inspection. Maintaining your wall locker for the CG that's always on the horizon, people yelling at you because your underwear is incorrectly folded. The day of bullshit starts early and runs late. The least important part of your life is whatever you do for work. You just want to be free of all the crap so when you do get released on liberty, you aren't thinking about your college future or whatever. It's a completely absorbing life of crap and you'll spend most of your time wondering how someone so stupid managed to get appointed over you. And whoever that person is, the same guy that tells you what to do at work will also be there at night looking for dust bunnies under your bunk, telling you to get a haircut and change the blades in your razor and that your overweight and no, you can't go on leave because we need you down in the motorpool painting over rust because the colonel is going to be walking through.

The military does need privates, but I wouldn't aim for that. Not if you have already seen the inside of a college. Go into the Army or AirForce and let them help pay for your college.