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bnorton325 · 04-06-2008, 06:06 PM

I'm gonna throw my $.02 in here.

1. Basic will be mentally and physically challenging. But it isnt brutal. You will hate it at first, but look back on it and be proud that you did it. Basic is a little "softer"than it used to be, but the intensity of it will be directly reflected in the MOS (military ocupational specialty) that you choose. Any combat arms mos will be a little tougher than an admin or soft skill mos.

2. Infantry units in the Army are not under trained or under equiped. I am an airborne infantry platoon sergeant in the 82nd Airborne at FT Bragg. I have deployed in support of the GWOT 5 times now. The men are always trained and equiped. We dont carry "video game" weapons...but I have yet to run into anything in Iraq or Afghanistan that couldnt be dealt with by an M4, SAW, M203, or M240. And as an Infantry soldier you will learn to adapt anything you have to use to your advantage.

3. As far as college goes there are a couple different options now. You will have your GI bill. You will pay into your GI bill for the 1st year of your enlistment then you will get your benefits. GI benefits have increased alot over the last few years. I'm not sure what the actuall numbers are now, but I think they are up in the $40000 range now. You will also get $4500 a year while on active service as tuition assistance. You can use this for night classes or online classes. You can also enroll in eArmyU. It is a distance learning program that has quiet a few colleges in it. You take classes online working towards your degree.

And now the most important thing...only join if t is something you really want to do. The Army (or military for that matter) isnt a job...its a lifestyle. You will lead a different life than a civilian. You will have different responsibilities and be looked at differently. People will expect more out of you and give you more respect in general for what you do. The military int for everyone. That is what makes us a little special. You dont have to be a huge ripped up monster to be in the Infantry. The muscle that will carry you to a distinguished career is your heart. Your heart will make the difference. Dont join because of some family legacy or not join because of some family pressure. You are going to have to make the decision based on wat you want to get out of life.

I have the utmost respect for the men on here who have served, past and present. We are a brotherhood linked together by experiences that 99% of America have not and will not have. If you decide to join, the Army (military) is a small world...hope our paths cross at some point.

04-06-2008, 06:06 PM	#7
bnorton325 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: FT Bragg, NC Posts: 25	I'm gonna throw my $.02 in here. 1. Basic will be mentally and physically challenging. But it isnt brutal. You will hate it at first, but look back on it and be proud that you did it. Basic is a little "softer"than it used to be, but the intensity of it will be directly reflected in the MOS (military ocupational specialty) that you choose. Any combat arms mos will be a little tougher than an admin or soft skill mos. 2. Infantry units in the Army are not under trained or under equiped. I am an airborne infantry platoon sergeant in the 82nd Airborne at FT Bragg. I have deployed in support of the GWOT 5 times now. The men are always trained and equiped. We dont carry "video game" weapons...but I have yet to run into anything in Iraq or Afghanistan that couldnt be dealt with by an M4, SAW, M203, or M240. And as an Infantry soldier you will learn to adapt anything you have to use to your advantage. 3. As far as college goes there are a couple different options now. You will have your GI bill. You will pay into your GI bill for the 1st year of your enlistment then you will get your benefits. GI benefits have increased alot over the last few years. I'm not sure what the actuall numbers are now, but I think they are up in the $40000 range now. You will also get $4500 a year while on active service as tuition assistance. You can use this for night classes or online classes. You can also enroll in eArmyU. It is a distance learning program that has quiet a few colleges in it. You take classes online working towards your degree. And now the most important thing...only join if t is something you really want to do. The Army (or military for that matter) isnt a job...its a lifestyle. You will lead a different life than a civilian. You will have different responsibilities and be looked at differently. People will expect more out of you and give you more respect in general for what you do. The military int for everyone. That is what makes us a little special. You dont have to be a huge ripped up monster to be in the Infantry. The muscle that will carry you to a distinguished career is your heart. Your heart will make the difference. Dont join because of some family legacy or not join because of some family pressure. You are going to have to make the decision based on wat you want to get out of life. I have the utmost respect for the men on here who have served, past and present. We are a brotherhood linked together by experiences that 99% of America have not and will not have. If you decide to join, the Army (military) is a small world...hope our paths cross at some point.