I am very uncertain about joining the service.Any Advice?

please this is not about politics and i would prefer an answer from someone that knows what they are talking about (someone who served or is serving or is close to someone that has.. )





well 1st of all for years i have always thought and wanted to join. im not sure which branch would be right for me.... i joined the naval junior reserve officers training corps in highschool about 2-3years ago.. and i was one of the top in my class..and i enjoyed every minute of it..





noone in my family has everyjoined which would influence my descision for it..my step grandfather.my 2nd cousin and my half uncle..(all 3 men i am not close to an i did not know until after i had 1st thought of every joining whic was when i was nearly 10 years old..)





thefore i do not have anyone to talk to about this and is why im turning to yahoo anwsers. i know the type of person i am and i am not capable of combat..


i pictured myself working with equipment or computers..but i've heard a lot of stories about you joining and not getting what you thought you would get.. i know that joining is signing up for combat..risking your life to serve the country and if that is what i have to do i would go into combat with pride..


but recently i had a close family member go threw medical problems and its inspired me to want to go into the medical field (most likely an RN or something along those lines..)





i do not know how medical works in the service..do you follow the men and women going into combat? do you stay home at hospitals? should i think of another job? should i consider joing and what branch? is a recruter going to sugarcoat everything? what are the downfalls and the ups to joining? any intelligent story or answer regarding all of this will be greatly appreciated..





IS THERE ANY ADVICE FOR ME TO FIND WITHIN MYSELF THE ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS???





I APOLOGIZE FOR THIS NOVEL OF A QUESTION..I MADE IT LONG TO MAYBE HAVE SOMEONE READ DEEPER INTO MY STORY/QUESTIONS AND MAYBE UNDERSTAND MYSELF BETTER...





THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME..AND HAVE A GOOD DAY / (OR) NIGHT..





-KrystleI am very uncertain about joining the service.Any Advice?
dont!


10points?I am very uncertain about joining the service.Any Advice?
Don't do it. I myself am in the navy and wasted four years of my life. If you do join go Air Force i heard the treat their ppl good. But my advice is to go to school
I was in NJROTC in high school. I was set for the Navy until I saw the living conditions. The Air Force was the place for me. I have been in for 16 years and have loved every minute. If you are into computers, the AF is going through some great changes and the training will be 2nd to none. Did I mention all the great assignments and ton of extra computer/network training. I could have left service years ago to work for more pay. But, the AF has always been good to me. When I do retire, I can rest assured I will have a great job lined up. See your local rep and look on the web for the jobs....Good Luck in your choice....
I was in the Navy for 4 years


My first piece of advice is:


When in doubt, don't.





My second is:


Wait for peacetime.





My 3rd is:


If you HAVE to go NOW:


Join the service LEAST likely to get shot at, for now, the Navy.


I am not just saying that because I was in the Navy.


I was miserable, but was suffering from an undiagnosed clinical depression, so would have been unhappy ANYWHERE.





My 4th piece of advice AND POSSIBLY MOST IMPORTANT:


DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING A RECRUITER SAYS UNLESS IT IS IN WRITING.








MY FINAL PIECE OF ADVICE:


Since you aren't even sure at this point which career direction to take DO NOT JOIN


Go to a college near you and take a course allong the lines of 'education and career planning'.


Why?


Because it will not only tell you what you are good at, MORE importantly, it will tell you what YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO.





and THAT isn't just advice for you or for now


it is for ANYONE ANYTIME


FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU ENJOY DOING, THEN FIND A WAY TO GET PAID TO DO IT.





Who wants to do something that SUCKS for 20, 30, 40 YEARS?





[finally, if you don't listen to ANYTHING ELSE, listen to this: If you go, go Commissioned Officer, NOT enlisted. You will bless me every time you hit the rack at night on a ship, and every time you eat a meal too, for that matter]
joining military service is not an easy job coz you have to be strong physically and mentally because its too different from a civilian life. most of the time you have to deprive your self just for the benefit of the countrymen. anyway no one could answer your question except by you. coz you are the one who knows about yourself if you are strong enough to fight for your safety of your countrymen. remember it is a commitment between you and your country.
you'll travel the most in the navy. not sure of their nurse programs, army has 68WM6 which is a basic level nurse.


its not necesarily joining for combat it depends on what your MOS is. M6's for example work in a CSH, which is not dangerous in ANY way. the only time a woman will see combat is if her convoy gets hit...which most of the time you'll just get the disabled truck and keep going (since chicks can only be in support units) or if the infantry guys are going to search women, in which case you will sit in the truck until they need you.


make sure that you get EVERYTHIGN in writing that you want.


you can also do the armys or navy's PA program
Krystle, this is a very easy answer. The answer is, do what you feel is best for you. Don't let anyone else's terrible time in the Navy (or any other branch) take away from what you want. If you choose the right job and get what you want in writing in your contract before you sign, then it can be very rewarding. Do good on your ASVAB so that you have a bigger pool of MOS's to choose from. DONT JOIN THE MILITARY FOR JUST A JOB!!!! If you want a job, go to college or work. THE MILITARY IS FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SERVE THEIR COUNTRY AND FELLOW AMERICANS!! WARNING!!! YOU ARE JOINING THE MILITARY AND MAY BE SHOT AT!!!! WAR TIME AND PEACE TIME ARE ALL PART OF THE PACKAGE%26gt;%26gt;
As per your request, someone who served:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwwMF6biC鈥?/a>


Watch AT LEAST for 3min, then you won't be able to stop watching. Also see related clips.





This is a big decision for you, with so much information out there, do your research.





Also see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0i4sJqHP鈥?/a>


This one might not make sense at first, but gets round to the military in a bit.


All the best.
Okay, politics aside...





Krystle, military life is very different than civilian life - it's a lot like going to a foreign country. You're under a different set of rules (military law) and you answer to the government 24/7/365. This includes your personal life. For example, should you happen to get into financial or marital problems, you may have to answer to your CO (commanding officer).





The healthcare is not the best. Physicians in the military are offered cheap tuition and nice breaks on student loans for serving so they don't attract the best doctors. There are constant scares and controversies like Agent Orange to current required vaccines.





We are currently at war which means you can be called to serve at any time anywhere, even in Iraq. Officially, women are not allowed to serve in combat. Unofficially, they still serve in positions that are dangerous and they still deal with combat issues.





There is a threat to women in the military that men do not have to worry about. Rape and sexual harassment still happen. You don't need to be captured and tortured to have this happen to you and if you think it's rare that's simply because like most such incidents fear and intimidation keep women from reporting it.





Ultimately this is a decision that only you can make and fully appreciate for yourself. Yes, a recruiter will sugarcoat everything. They have quotas to meet and positions to fill as death tolls rise. They are not there to be your friend. What makes a good soldier? Someone who does what they are told without question and who is willing to die no matter what.





Jarhead (marines) is a good film for you to watch because it offers a balanced view of what it's like for many of the men and women serving abroad right now. You may also like the PBS documentary about a naval ship, Carrier, which can be viewed online at: http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/





As an alternative you may also wish to check out the Army National Guard which typically stay in the U.S. and deal with domestic - not foreign - concerns. Be advised though that the national guard may be activated at any time to serve in any capacity and can be sent to war.





Also consider how it might affect your desire to have a family someday. Carrier showcases a divorced woman with 2 small children and gives some insight into how deployment affects them. Finally, remember the term Stop-loss which is also the title of another film you might wish to see. You can be called back into service at any time in your life.
First off, joining the military is a huge decision. It's a good but very tough life. My best advice is talk to a recruiter from each service and see where you fit in best. If you want some basic information military.com is a good start. All the questions you listed above are for recruiters because it varies from branch to branch. All service have their pro's and con's. Just research everything you can thoroughly.