long ago i decided id like to join the military, and plan to do so by first joining ROTC while in college, then go active duty. basically, id like to know what information would be usefull about going through basic training, rotc, or just military service. i appreciate all help
and yeah, i know what your thinking, but i dont particularly have a liking for officers myself, but *shrugs* as a capitalist i cannot exactly turn down the higher pay of being one. really hoping ill get to try the infiltration course and whatnot that my dad did.. he went army but i am going air force so im kinda doubting ill get to... but who knows he got to test for many things you normally arent supposed to.. he was over hanging out with friends in other divisions when they went to train with different weapons. he apparently got to use grenades, some machineguns, etc.. which got him qualified using a .45 to do ops which ill speak no further on
inuyasha...my dad spent two years in ROTC as a requirement of all students in the college he attended. Then...about nine years later, when Pearl Harbor was bombed, and he was in the middle of a new career and married with three kids all younger than seven yrs old, he voluntarily joined the navy, as I recall at the age of around 31.. After boot camp he was quickly assigned the rank of Lt. JG. There he served on board an armed guard ship escorting supply ships, many times in hostile waters, around the world.
im not saying they're bad people, but sometimes they tend to be arrogant and lord their position over privates and whatnot. personally i have more respect for the private since they have to do all the dirty work, but i understand the pressure and whatnot officers have, they just tend not to be liked as much. my dad had a guy above him that said something and my dad bit his lip to keep from laughing, but the sides of his mouth turned up so the guy made him do 50 push ups... didnt phase my dad, and the other guys called the guy on it so he had to do them too.. my dad asked if there was anything else he wanted done... so the guy made him shine a garbage can... which made my dad say "isnt that the shiniest sumbeach you've ever seen?".. took him into see the colonel who had a even shinier one in his office and made my dad shine it even more. true, he deserved it.. but even the other guys in his outfit saw the guy was riding him a bit too much. personally id feel im contributing more if i was a private and did that work, but i need the cash more.
Best advice to get ready for OTC or any other modern milatary training...start Running every day....jogging, push ups, pull ups and the like make up a lot of the milatary training in Boot camp OTC....the better shape you are when you get there the better off you will be. they will teach you all the other stuff....trust me repatition is the name of the game in milatary courses....As for officers vs enlisted...Ive meet good and bad of both....a jerk is a jerk no mater what rank he/she is. As a former USMC Recruiter I also offer the advice that you had best get what ever the Officer (or enlisted) recruiter promises in writeing...our motto was lie lie lie...and if you get caught denie denie denie.
Some officers can be great guys. I had two on my ship I really liked. One was a Mustang, prior enlisted who later went to OCS. He remembered where he came from, and treated us enlisteds well.
Another went to college on a football scholarship, then went into the Navy as a butterbar. He was great fun. We called him "Chester", as he looked like the Chester the Molester character in Hustler Magazine.
For awhile, I had to go to a secure facility to work on crypto gear, and they didn't have me on the access list. When the job came due, I'd ask Chester if he felt like a drive. "Sure!" He liked any excuse to get away from the boat. He was on the list, so he'd sign me in, and I'd do my work. I was probably the only ET3 with his own LTGJ driver! Hehehe. :right:
I think (just guessing) the ROTC would pay for a lot more of your education then the GI bill. As Doglips recommended, being in good shape going in makes your whole life a lot easier. In basic you have enough going on just learning everything without the added distraction of massive body pain hindering your every move.
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Liberty is for those that claim it.
Enlisted or O. go in with a plan.
I know a lot of guys with degrees who are enlisted, they like thier jobs and wouldn't want it differently.
First, if you go Air Force and your enlisted. You need to get that Private stuff out of your head. Your going to start as an Airman Basic.
If you have some college, you can grad basic traing with 2 stripes (also on a 6 yr enlistment) Airman First Class.
if your a motivated sharp troop, you may be able to achieve E-7 Master Seargent in 8~10 years. Most fast burners of this caliber are destined to be Senior Master or Chief Master Sgt's MSGT, SMSGT & CMSGT are the top 3 of the enlisted corps.
Another option is to go in enlisted and get commisioned at a later time as Big Dog refered. Some prefer this route to gain experience. I't very common in the Guard & Reserves.
If you want high speed jobs in the AF look at the special forces divisions. Para Rescue, ASOC, combat comm and a others.
i already knew about the rank differences between branches, i was just stating as privates and officers dealing with the army, it usually is my line of comparison rather than the air force stuff. just seems too odd to be called an airman even if what you do isnt directly flying and whatnot. for what im doing though i doubt ill be promoted overly much because of the job type im doing.. im going to be working computer tech and stuff on their things. light programming, troubleshooting, etc so that im not overly concerned with.. basically i just want to like what i do, and if its not for me, ill go a different job or army i suppose, provided i score high enough on their tests. as it stands though im going college for or two years, then start rotc for the last 2 or 3 years of the college work. its basically just to get me a little extra cash for having a degree and whatnot that hopefully the military will pay for.
im trying to concentrate on the book work stuff so far, and attempting to do the physical work a bit too.. never was good at losing weight, i like pop and pie too much :s on a more amusing note though.. when i was looking through some military sites for what i need to do to qualify and whatnot i stumbled across what you should bring to basic training... apparently for men pants shirts or underwear is optional.. ill post a link later but all it really lists is shaving equiptment...
When you go to Basic, all your personal effects go into a store room - the USAF issues everything you'll need for the duration. Everything.
Your Flight is taken to the BX, where you'll buy all the basic necessities. You'll pay for your own first haircut too - even if you arrive as a skinhead, the nice Airforce barber gives you a once-over to make sure. Once you've become a 'pinger' (the sound of a hand run thru that crushed-velvet hair) you get you clothing issue. We got the 'Pickle Suits' (OD fatigues - don't know if they still issue those these days), and all else. Hopefully everything is the right size the first time . . .
Practice your shoe shine with the basic Kiwi black polish - you'll do a lot of it!
I hope you get as good a TI as I had - he was stern but fair.
And you'll learn to appreciate your other fellow flights - they can help you out in a jam. Don't ask how I know.
I actually enjoyed the Obstacle Course at Lackland AFB - much more fun than just PT or running. Just don't get stuck behind the fat kid.
basket weaving 101 seemed to be the prudent course with navy officers while i was in. my best advice would be to study towards a field you want to go into after the service.
They say never to volunteer but I volunteered for everthing that came along. Pvt to Flight Chief, Drill Sgt, 1000 Hrs as a Gunner on a B-29 in the Korean war. Instructor School. Mustanger direct commision as 2/LT. No OCS. Flight School and then Navigator School another 1000 hrs in F-89's as a RIO. Avionics Officer, Grad Of Air Command and Staff, Air War College and ICAF Industrial College of the Armed Forces. The Ex Officer and last 3 Yrs as the I.G. ret LT/COL with 33 1/2 Yrs. Volunteering all the way. Go For It !!!!!
the best advice i could give before ya go to basic would be to keep your mouth shut and dont volunteer for crap! be a ghost! i wish someone would have told me that before basic! i bet the indentions of my hands are still visible at fort jackson from all the trouble my mouth got me in! hee hee but it was never dull!
My .02 cents worth. Some of the best officers i worked for were mustangs. They started out enlisted then went to OCS and got their commission. The Mustangs really do seem to remember what it was like to be on the bottom before moving to the top. I had Officers that were great leaders, but the best ones that seemed to get the respect of the enlisted men had been enlisted themselves.
As mentioned before Get in best the phsyical shape as possible. Try keeping you mind open. That is all I got other than i am done with the militaary in 15 days.
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If you find yourself in a fair fight your tactics suck!
Go enlisted for your first tour and then drop and OCS package. Most officers that come in are so out of touch with the reality and gravity of the situation that they hinder results, sort of like a politician.
I started enlisted and went NROTC as an E-5, when I was rudely demoted to midshipman. From my experience on both sides, and alluded to in an earlier post, the good guys and the bad guys depend upon the guys and not on their starting point. I've seen the entire gamut, including academy grads who had a knack for leadership and looking after their troops, to mustangs who were complete dipchits.
If you have reservations about being an officer and only seek it for the paycheck, then you might ought not do it. There may be men and women who rely on your leadership and not your paycheck.
You might be surprised about the difficulty of officer training compared to boot camp and the like. It's generally pretty tough for the officers, although I can't speak for the Air Force, as I just don't know.
If you F&*( up as an officer, it's times ten. Your behavior, temper, demeanor, habits, everything (theoretically) should be spotless. Never happens, I know, but you have a responsibility that might be beyond your experience.
Figure your first 4 or 5 years are just to learn. I wouldn't advise being a know-it-all as a junior officer.
Remember the symbology of the rank insignia. The O-1 is a gold bar because it resembles great worth (gold) that is very valuable, yet it is easy to mold into shape because it is a soft metal.
The O-2 is silver because now the metal is more experienced and slightly harder, yet still mallable and valuable.
The O-6 is an eagle, because the Navy Captain/USMC USAF USA Colonel represent a majestic bird that flys high and oversees his domain.
The O-4 and O-5 are an oak leaf and represent Greek statues because the oak leaf is always on the prick.
What ever your recuiter promises, make sure you get it in writing on your contract. If he promises it but won't put it in your contract then he is probably lying. I haven't heard much about recuitment being down anymore and the Air Force usually turns away more people than any other service.
I've been in both the Army and the Air Force and the Air Force is the most casual of the two. Whatever AFSC you select, you won't get much combat training, so if you think you'll get to shoot MGs, throw grenades, or anything other than the proper way to fill out forms then forget it and join the Army.
he got to test for many things you normally arent supposed to.. he was over hanging out with friends in other divisions when they went to train with different weapons. he apparently got to use grenades, some machineguns, etc.. which got him qualified using a .45 to do ops which ill speak no further on 
