What branch should I join?

[xtreme]

Are you rated? Believe me it gets better. I have been stationed on the following units:

82 foot patrol boat USCGC Point Bonita (little Creek VA)
EM-A School
Airstation Sitka Alaska
270 USCGC Thetis (Key West Florida)
Operation Iraqi Freedom (Kuwait and Bahrain)
ANT Kodiak (Kodiak Alaska)
Currently at the Small Boat Product Line in Baltimore MD.

Truely its what you make of it, never judge the USCG or any branch by just one unit.

 

[ATFIII]

I am enlisting in the USCG as the ME or Maritime Enforcement rate. Leaving for basic in a month or two. Going reserve so I can get the experice as well as my degree. Twin brother is doing the exact same thing. Again, RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH!

 

[xtreme]

I am active duty and going to school at nights right now. After the college counted my 12 years of active duty and all the training I have had. I only needed 6 class to have an electrical engineer degree.

 

[vance580]

If you can try and get a degree then go in as an officer. Life will be so much better. You have to have the right job to be able to get a degree while you are in. I was Marine Corps infantry and there is no way I could of gotten a degree. The only traveling I did was to shithole countries living in shithole conditions. Its a huge commitment but like everyone said the recruiter is going to tell you what you want to hear to get you to join. I wouldn't trade my time for anything but its definitly not for everyone. Be prepared to do stuff that doesn't make any sense what so ever. Also if you do 4 then get out use your GI Bill dont let it go to waste. Half of the people that got out with me are not doing anything with theirs and its tough to pass up free education.

 

[iman501]

ME is a new rate and has a long school waiting list something like two years I think...

 

[iman501]

ATF we will have to share boot camp stories when your done I'm sure we will have had/seen a lot of the same CC's lol looking back in it all basic was really funny but u don't think so while you are there!

 

[Blaylock1988]

ROTC is your best shot at becoming an officer in the military. I am doing Air Force ROTC, just got my first base assignment yesterday.

 

[donphantasmo]

Hey man, I don't know if you joined or not. I wanted to put in a few words. I used to be a Navy recruiter, but I'm (gladly) done with that tour of duty. There are some pros and cons for every branch. If you're looking for an easier job, that is a bit better then most, the Air Force is the way to go. The only problem is you have to have impecable background (must have a security clearance), and you can not choose you job. You will choose a few, and they will pick the job for you. Also, they do longer deployments, and it's usually in one location (9 months in Quatar, or 8 months in Kuwait).

The Navy also has pros and cons. I've been in since 99, and have NEVER even seen a ship (or boat). I've traveled many different countries, states, and territories. I LOVE what I do, but also hate it at times, just like any other job. I'm a jet mechanic, in charge of C-130 scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. Our deployments in the Navy are usually 6 months (but can go up to 8 or 9) (ours in my command are 1-3 months). If you're on a ship, you will stop in a different port every 2-3 weeks. You can get a job, with a contract, and a school. But if you don't make it through the school (which you have to be a moron to fail), they will put you in wherever they need you.

So, go talk to all the recruiters. See which one at least sounds better, and then take the asvab with them. Taking the ASVAB doesn't mean you're going to join. It means you want to see if you qualify. Sitting with a recruiter doesn't mean you're going to join, it means you're going to see if you qualify. 75% of people that talk to recruiters are ineligible to join. See what your asvab score is. 35-50 is ok, 50-75 is great, 75-99 is outstanding. You'd think the higher the more the jobs you can get. True, but it also must mean that job is needed. I want be a cook, for example, with a 85 test score, but cook isn't available, so I guess I can be a mechanic or an admin clerk.

If you have any questions, please feel free to P.M. me. I have a very good friend of mine that used to be a recruiter, he's in HI now. You can ask him to help you out. His name is Todd Yamauchi, and he's pretty good people.

Either way, do something with your life. I graduated highschool in 1995, messed around for 4 years (college, dumb jobs, played around). If I went into the Navy right away, I'd be retiring in 4 years.

 

[Blaylock1988]

The Air force does some of the shortest deployments. In fact they were so short (3-4 months) they were getting complaints from the other branches with problems with just finishing training in the job and leaving and causing a lot of continuity issues. They recently extended deployments back to around 6 months to a year.

Each branch is a different way of life, Air Force is more of a white collar type of job (with exceptions like PJs and Air Combat Controllers) with a lot of business opportunities when you get out.

 

[donphantasmo]

When I was on P-3s, we complained alot about our depolyments. We were out for 6 months (let's say Italy or Spain, or Japan or whatever), and we were back at homeport for a year. Then it went to 18 months at home. So we were pissed because they were messing with our per diem money. a 3 month deployment sucks, it's too short in my opinion. 6 months is about right. You're ready to be back anything after 5 months, to be honest with you..

 

[idbuellxb9]

bottom line find something you want to do and do it. go take the asvab see what you qualify for and go for it. I just skimmed thru the comments in this post and some of the post are ridiculous. there are a million different jobs in each branch. i've seen all shapes and sizes in all the branches. go talk to a recruiter.
don't listen to ignorant assholes that have never been in the military or have very little experience with other branches. all they speak is bullshit.