I plan to go into the military in a few years, either Army or Marines. Dunno whether I'll go officer or enlisted. Anyone here got any military experience?

AFSOC pilot here. Go officer if you can. If you're the type of person that really appreciates what enlisted folk do, then you're the kind of officer we need.

AFSOC pilot here. Go officer if you can. If you're the type of person that really appreciates what enlisted folk do, then you're the kind of officer we need.

Well thank you for your service and I am leaning towards Officer. My Grandfather was a SFC in Vietnam, so I definitely respect enlisted soldiers.

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Well thank you for your service and I am leaning towards Officer. My Grandfather was a SFC in Vietnam, so I definitely respect enlisted soldiers.

"Welcome to the US officer corp, where everyone tries to command something where everything is adequately commanded.

"Co-command in the mess hall with ten other officers of equal rank begins at 0300 hours."

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"Welcome to the US officer corp, where everyone tries to command something where everything is adequately commanded.

"Co-command in the mess hall with ten other officers of equal rank begins at 0300 hours."

Lol, that reminds me of this

In any case, unless you want to sit about repeating sweet nothings or desperately trying to validate yourself then I probably would advise against going straight officer all-out. After all, in the glorious world of staff structuring you're going to probably get stuck at the FOB or in some base office desperately validating the next level-higher's job as he desperately validates it to his boss. Unless you otherwise have prior experience in a, say ROTC/JROTC program or in a military family then just go grunt.

I get the impression you want to see action in the deep rear recesses of your mind and on the off-chance war with Russia breaks out or we put boots back on the ground in the middle-east in some ham-fisted attempt to again "stabilize" the middle-east beyond non-committal airstrikes you're not going to get it in the officer corp. You got a at-best 1/9 or 2/9 chance of maybe seeing the field.

But I guess you could also join the Donbas Battalion and be in a worse position than army officer.

In any case, unless you want to sit about repeating sweet nothings or desperately trying to validate yourself then I probably would advise against going straight officer all-out. After all, in the glorious world of staff structuring you're going to probably get stuck at the FOB or in some base office desperately validating the next level-higher's job as he desperately validates it to his boss. Unless you otherwise have prior experience in a, say ROTC/JROTC program or in a military family then just go grunt.

I get the impression you want to see action in the deep rear recesses of your mind and on the off-chance war with Russia breaks out or we put boots back on the ground in the middle-east in some ham-fisted attempt to again "stabilize" the middle-east beyond non-committal airstrikes you're not going to get it in the officer corp. You got a at-best 1/9 or 2/9 chance of maybe seeing the field.

But I guess you could also join the Donbas Battalion and be in a worse position than army officer.

Somehow I doubt they would let a Marine Officer sit around and do fuck all. I'm sure America will get into some type of shit by the time I'm in college. We are the international police force after all. Or I could serve a standard enlistment then go to college, but if I plan to stay in the military that long I'll probably just stay grunt and serve another 4 years.

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Somehow I doubt they would let a Marine Officer sit around and do fuck all. I'm sure America will get into some type of shit by the time I'm in college. We are the international police force after all. Or I could serve a standard enlistment then go to college, but if I plan to stay in the military that long I'll probably just stay grunt and serve another 4 years.

At its peak in 2011 barely a tenth of the US military was present in Afghanistan. But even then, not everyone would have been combat personnel, because you have to account for a vast-majority of combat personnel in any theater will be non-combat roles. Especially since the time of massive dramatic engagements as was the theme in the Second World War is long gone.

No matter the branch of service, no matter the specific corp of service in any branch in that service: there is a greater chance you will be in a non-combat role than you will have in heading out for patrol. There's a host of critical tasks to accomplish leading to a significant group of people who will probably not need to use a weapon. Marine, SPEC OPS, or regular. Do not get your hopes up on having to lead a great drama that is a patrol, or ending up as Restrepo.

For every person in combat, there's at least seven-ten non-combat individuals behind him. Not "with" him. But behind him. Enjoy the FOB. Don't drink all the DQ Blizzards.

So you're probably going to join, be Fobbit, and then complain about it for four-six years because you're fuck bored.

Eh, whatever, still got at least two years to see how the wind changes.

or join the Air Force, get on aircrew and complain about how bored you are from the sky.

Back when I was at that age where suggest you join the military, that was what they suggested. "Join the military, you're smart enough to join the airforce so you won't actually have to do anything."

If that is actually the case and the airforce is truly as cushy as they say, then there is your answer.

Though I have a cousin removed by some numbers that was posted in Greenland. Not sure how cushy Greenland can possibly be.

There's a reason the air force is considered the chair force.

You can at least join that and basically admit to yourself that you're useless.

If you're still in highschool, check out the Academies. I'm West Point c/o 2019 (R-Day is in 39ish days or something) and there's some nuances to the application process. It's worth it though. Definitely good places to be. Tons of opportunities.

But I'm not a recruiter.

If you're still in highschool, check out the Academies. I'm West Point c/o 2019 (R-Day is in 39ish days or something) and there's some nuances to the application process. It's worth it though. Definitely good places to be. Tons of opportunities.

But I'm not a recruiter.

Some people go to college for four years and talk about what their favorite professor told them about diplomacy in the middle east.

Academy folks talk about that time when the SECDEF, two joint chiefs, the CIA director, the chief of NASA, and Tony Blair came over for lunch.

....no, seriously. If you can get into an academy do it.

Honestly, I think I'm probably gonna enlist and go into The Green Berets.

Honestly, I think I'm probably gonna enlist and go into The Green Berets.

Just to keep your expectations level, that's the same thing most future Army civil engineers say right about now.

If you want to be the best, be the best, and that'll help your chances. Personal experience says, manpower vacancies can help too -- pipelines are opening up as we step up our SOCOM game. But that pendulum swings both ways and you never know when the window closes.

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Some people go to college for four years and talk about what their favorite professor told them about diplomacy in the middle east.

Academy folks talk about that time when the SECDEF, two joint chiefs, the CIA director, the chief of NASA, and Tony Blair came over for lunch.

....no, seriously. If you can get into an academy do it.

The tradeoff is that we can't talk to girls.

Honestly, I think I'm probably gonna enlist and go into The Green Berets.

>Berets



Join tactical weather bro. It's Spec Ops.

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The tradeoff is that we can't talk to girls.

Well you can, as long as you keep your chin in, so to speak.

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Well you can, as long as you keep your chin in, so to speak.

Yeah, but they're scary.