Thinking of joining the military

[UpstatePanther]

8 minutes ago, Anybodyhome said:

You don't want to know. I failed at three marriages while I was in. Not that big a deal for me, but I went into each of them with a clear understanding that I'm gone a lot and while they all said they could handle it, it was exceptionally stressful, and when reality set in, it was a different story. This was before internet, cell phones, etc. When I left home, I typically wouldn't be able to call home and talk to my family until 4 weeks later from the Philippines or Japan. You could go weeks without mail and, during one deployment, we did 145 straight days at sea- no mail, no phones... I think it's much easier now because communication is pretty routine and regular.  

I'm sorry to hear that Anybody. As FuFu said, this is one of my biggest concerns. Im grateful that I don't have a woman in my life right now, but within my first term of service, I hope to change that. But with my skill set, I don't think I'd be any better off in the Army. I'm gonna be gone alot no matter what. Maybe I should do the Air Force and try to work in cyber warfare/defense or intelligence. Thoughts?

[Davidson Deac II]

37 minutes ago, Anybodyhome said:

You don't want to know. I failed at three marriages while I was in. Not that big a deal for me, but I went into each of them with a clear understanding that I'm gone a lot and while they all said they could handle it, it was exceptionally stressful, and when reality set in, it was a different story. This was before internet, cell phones, etc. When I left home, I typically wouldn't be able to call home and talk to my family until 4 weeks later from the Philippines or Japan. You could go weeks without mail and, during one deployment, we did 145 straight days at sea- no mail, no phones... I think it's much easier now because communication is pretty routine and regular.  

Yeah, that is why I got out when I did (after my second enlistment).  Got married, wife was pregnant and I didn't want to be like so many others who missed so many important dates in their family lives.  Fortunately, it worked out very well both from a family and financial perspective for me.  

[Davidson Deac II]

22 minutes ago, UpstatePanther said:

I'm sorry to hear that Anybody. As FuFu said, this is one of my biggest concerns. Im grateful that I don't have a woman in my life right now, but within my first term of service, I hope to change that. But with my skill set, I don't think I'd be any better off in the Army. I'm gonna be gone alot no matter what. Maybe I should do the Air Force and try to work in cyber warfare/defense or intelligence. Thoughts?

All branches of the service do cyber defense/warfare and intelligence.  I was an intel analyst in the Navy, and parlayed it into a career as a information security analyst in the financial industry.  

[UpstatePanther]

43 minutes ago, Davidson Deac II said:

All branches of the service do cyber defense/warfare and intelligence.  I was an intel analyst in the Navy, and parlayed it into a career as a information security analyst in the financial industry.  

That's kinda my goal as well. Only with foreign language interpretation lol

[Chimera]

19 hours ago, UpstatePanther said:

@Chimera and @NanuqoftheNorth, what branch did you guys serve in? if Navy, the following question applies to you...

@Davidson Deac II, @cookinwithgas, @Anybodyhome... could you guys give me some info on what ship life is like? pros and cons. ive narrowed my choice down to the Army or Navy, and it may sound simple, but the question im trying to answer for myself is whether i will be able to handle ship life. 

I answered from the Army perspective because that's what I know.

I haven't ever lived it, but I imagine the ship life would be cool for about a week. After that, you're around the same people, in the same environment, looking at the same endless ocean. Personally, that would drive me insane.

I don't know your overall end goal, but I figured I would throw in a lot of the cons of going Army. One of the pros (if you go as a linguist) would be that you will most likely be working with operators - you'll see cool poo that gets taken out of movies because no one thinks its realistic.

[h0llywood]

Ive been on the USS Bonnehomme Richard, Stennis and Nimitz and I can tell you that ship life absolutely sucks and I would rather be stationed in the desert in a shithole for a year 10x over.

[h0llywood]

1 hour ago, Chimera said:

I answered from the Army perspective because that's what I know.

I haven't ever lived it, but I imagine the ship life would be cool for about a week. After that, you're around the same people, in the same environment, looking at the same endless ocean. Personally, that would drive me insane.

I don't know your overall end goal, but I figured I would throw in a lot of the cons of going Army. One of the pros (if you go as a linguist) would be that you will most likely be working with operators - you'll see cool poo that gets taken out of movies because no one thinks its realistic.

I think this is the opposite of what he wants.

[Chimera]

12 hours ago, h0llywood said:

I think this is the opposite of what he wants.

Yes, I've gathered this from his posts. I said he'd work with operators, not be one.

Besides, someone who wants to be in the military and not do military things should have someone help reevaluate goals.

[Jangler]

3 hours ago, Chimera said:

Yes, I've gathered this from his posts. I said he'd work with operators, not be one.

Besides, someone who wants to be in the military and not do military things should have someone help reevaluate goals.

But, what about the education? 

Seriously though, with the way the world is going, this fight is going beyond the military.

[Davidson Deac II]

21 hours ago, Chimera said:

I answered from the Army perspective because that's what I know.

I haven't ever lived it, but I imagine the ship life would be cool for about a week. After that, you're around the same people, in the same environment, looking at the same endless ocean. Personally, that would drive me insane.

I don't know your overall end goal, but I figured I would throw in a lot of the cons of going Army. One of the pros (if you go as a linguist) would be that you will most likely be working with operators - you'll see cool poo that gets taken out of movies because no one thinks its realistic.

I had the pleasure (and I use the term pleasure sarcastically), of spending a couple of weeks in the field with some Rangers and Marines.  IMO, shipboard life was paradise compared to that.  But to each his own I guess.  

[Chimera]

31 minutes ago, Davidson Deac II said:

I had the pleasure (and I use the term pleasure sarcastically), of spending a couple of weeks in the field with some Rangers and Marines.  IMO, shipboard life was paradise compared to that.  But to each his own I guess.  

Yeah, I'm definitely a "field type." I'd rather be blinded by my own sweat and have salt stains on my shirt than go cross eyed at a computer monitor and have my butt print impressed onto a chair.

Going to the field with Rangers and Marines can be good and bad. I mean, they both have great "can do" attitudes and want to continue no matter what. But Rangers have some serious fuging egos that make no one want to work with them. You have to babysit Marines to keep them from eating crayons.

[Davidson Deac II]

17 minutes ago, Chimera said:

Yeah, I'm definitely a "field type." I'd rather be blinded by my own sweat and have salt stains on my shirt than go cross eyed at a computer monitor and have my butt print impressed onto a chair.

Going to the field with Rangers and Marines can be good and bad. I mean, they both have great "can do" attitudes and want to continue no matter what. But Rangers have some serious fuging egos that make no one want to work with them. You have to babysit Marines to keep them from eating crayons.

Yeah, and I would rather have air condition and hot meals/showers.  Plus I managed to parlay my tech background into a pretty nice career outside of the military. :)

 

Fwiw, though, when I was in (late Reagan era), computers were somewhat of a novelty on a ship.  For most of the sailors on board at the time, sitting at a desk was a rare luxury.  Most of the work (even when deployed) revolved around maintaining the ship, and practicing for combat or emergencies such as fire or flooding.  

[h0llywood]

4 hours ago, Chimera said:

You have to babysit Marines to keep them from eating crayons.

Sad but true. 

[UpstatePanther]

for the record, i know that no matter which branch i join, i know i will be doing military stuff @Chimera lol. and i dont have a problem with that. but if i can avoid as much of it as possible, thats also quite alright with me. i'll do as im told and try to cope with whatever comes, but who wouldnt want to make their life alittle easier and less dangerous if given the choice?