Basically, yes. They will pressure the hell out of you to sign. Hold out for what you want. If you can't get what you want, last thing you wanna do is get stuck doing something you hate because Chief So-and-so told you to "Keep your options open." That's all well and good, if you're willing to drag chains across a deck somewhere for a few years. For example, I had to wait nearly 7 months to get a Seabee CM contract. It's what I wanted, and although I had to wait, I ignored the navy nuke and master-at-arms offers they threw at me and won out. Just don't sign something you're not sure of, because only assholes go into a contract they don't plan on honoring.
Just finished MCT heading out to Twentynine Palms for the Basic Electronics course. I got this being open contract so I'm not really sure what to expect. Does anyone have any experience in the 2800 field or with Twentynine Palms? Any advice is appreciated. Semper Fi
Ok what the hell has happened to the Army? I got a lecture from a Sergeant Major for making a private do push ups for doing the wrong thing during SGT's time. People come out of AIT with Permanent Profiles? You try to make someone on profile do PT (within the limits) and they go to IG even though the guy giving it is on a legitimate profile not a i tripped at the club a combat injury. Privates can just mouth off to NCO's because they know all they get is a piece of paper telling them not to do it again. Then you try to train them based on your experience and they think its a joke. I understand why people say I hate privates. Then The retention NCO asks you to Re-up. Hahaha
It is the inevitable aftermath of a fighting force that has gotten used to combat and is now being weened off of it. The cream goes away, and the pussies rise to the top. The Army can't even come up with a decent replacement for the CYZ-10, one of the most important pieces of gear in its arsenal, so they are for SURE not going to be able to distinguish between a bitchy 18 year old kid and a wounded combat veteran. SGM's are scared because they aren't going to have anymore cool guy combat NCOERs to toss around.
This is also a result of the recruiting/retention desperation from 2004is-2008 due to a good economy and multiple and seemly unending deployments, they took some real fucktards then (look up Cat 4). Topped off with the frustration caused by latent PTSD/TBIs, and the Army's huge suicide issue. Then combined with youth (privates) raised in a pussified PC society trying to push the same on a combat hardened force trying to raise disciplined steely eyed warriors to fight. PS. I've also been counseled multiple times for smoking privates/SPCs and told to fuckoff when I tried to counsel an E5 (for pulling rank in the MWR on a SPC to get a chair). I figured out you get less shit if you drop with them and just try to get the fucks to do as many pushups as you do or just put it on paper and when they fuckup big they can burn.
For all the Marine's on here, Commandant Change of Command Ceremony will be streaming live via a link from their Facebook page (kind of ridiculous that they've resorted to FB, I know). But if you have time today, I highly recommend you check it out: http://www.facebook.com/marines 1100EST. The first aviator to become Commandant, very cool times for us in the community.
This is the worst at the senior NCO level because the good ones can get out and double their pay, collect their retirement and not deal with the bullshit. The fucktard E-7's that would be homeless if it wasn't for the Army stick around and get promoted. And don't get me started on how many of those shit bags don't have a combat patch. 9 fucking years of continuous combat and you haven't found the time between school house rotations to spend the 30 days in country it takes to get one? Fuck yourself. On an unrelated note, the next mother fucker that tells me "That's not doctrine", is getting a 9mm enema.
I went to basic in March and have been at the world's longest AIT ever since (with a month left.) I thought the "no smoking" thing was TRADOC being gay. There are a lot of sick call rangers here and profiles. It's pretty sad, because outside of the not-so-difficult PT we just sit in a classroom all day. Lots of fatties too. With all that said, not too many people mouth off to the cadre, and the majority are decent soldiers. But this is a little different than I expected. I hope the unit I'm going to doesn't put up with shitty soldiers.
I got out of the Navy at the end of May due to being fucked by my CoC and I'm now a civilian again. I'm looking to go back in, but I want to go Army this time. I spoke to a recruiter about reserve opportunities that can easily move to active duty and they were pushing Psychological Operations hard. It's part of the Special Operations community which I had looked into while in the Navy, and they are also Airborne qualed, which is something that I've wanted to do. Anyone have any info on this MOS?
Do NOT go into Psychological Operations. If you've already signed up for it, find your contract and burn it. PM or email me if you want more info. Edit/update: There are certain conditions in which going PsyOp might be advantageous for you, but those depend on your future plans and interest in the Army Special Operations community. Once again, if you care to learn a little bit more, pm me and I'll reply. Whatever you do, don't take the recruiter's yammering at face value.
Just FYI the Psyc Opps and Civil Affairs units are Reserve only, and there aren't that many of them which means if you move you could fuck yourself and either have to drive a long ass ways to drill or not be slotted in your MOS and all the fun that entails. I might be wrong, but a few years ago Civil Affairs and Psyc Opps were mostly Reserve only If you want to do hooah/hooah shit look into Guard SF support. Both Groups are Airborne and have a shit ton of MOSs that will transfer to basically anywhere including Active duty. I also cannot emphasize how much more I like the Guard than the Active Reserves. I've served 5 in the former and 6 in the later and deployed with both.
There are active duty PsyOp and Civil Affairs units. 4th POG for PsyOp or 95th CA for Civil Affairs. Both are a much smaller size than their reserve components and are usually tasked to support SOF units. If you are speaking to the lack of NG PsyOp and CA, then I apologize, I misunderstood your response.
Corrected I am. I went on a an overseas training mission a few years ago and there were a couple of CA guys there and they said something about their entire unit being AGR because of a limitation on the number of Active Component units. I just thought a fewer Active slots (as opposed to the number of slots available to the Group support MOSs) would be worth mentioning because the original poster was talking about going Active which is usually enough of a bitch anyway.
PM's sent. Basically my intention is to go back active one I finish with my schooling. I spoke with the Guard and the Army reserve recruiters and it's obvious to me that they will both try to push me into high pri MOS's. The reason I am a civilian again is because I tried to go Blue to Green earlier this year. I routed my paperwork through my CoC and they sat on it for over three months while my EAOS quickly approached. The only thing the local recruiting station could get me at the time was EOD, which I was fully prepared to take, but they needed that paperwork back from my CoC before I could go to MEPS and make it official. By the time I got the paperwork back, there was nothing left for prior service E-5's and I was stuck. I decided to re-enlist in the Navy and try again later. The Navy has what's called a PTS, or preform to serve, which is paperwork that you submit that determines whether or not you're are allowed to re-up. Mine had been approved for the better part of a year, but since I routed the Blue to Green paperwork, and a forced 1306 to adjust my PRD to my EAOS, my PTS was purged from the system without any notification. So when I tried to re-enlist, I was told there was nothing I could do and to start going through my separation checklist. With about 40 days to separate, find a place to live, and all that goes along with leaving active duty. So, with all that being said, the main reason I wanted to go Army was because I wasn't finding what I wanted in the Navy. I was looking forward to EOD and that fell through. I wanted to go Airborne and eventually Ranger, or try for an 18x contract, but they wouldn't give them to me at the time. I'm sure things are about the same now in regards to prior service and that's why the PsyOps offer got my attention. It would allow me to get my foot in the Special Operations community and still be a reservist until I finished my schooling, at which point I could return to active duty. The Guard offered me a basic 11b contract and assured me that they get all of the good schools that I'm interested in, like Air Assault and Airborne, but I know that it's really up to your CoC and availability of slots. I wouldn't mind being a grunt though, but if I can get into something better I will. So yeah, the bigger picture has been painted i guess. I know we have some really experienced members on here so I wanted to post and get everyone's feedback. Any and all responses are appreciated.
That blows, but sounds like the system. I'm sure you know this, but the Guard and Reserves are fundamentally different animals with very different missions and organizations (VERY simply put BCTs organized around States vs a truly strategic reserve). If you or anyone else wants me to post on this I will. If your recruiters are anything like both my Reserve and NG were, they usually recruit mostly for one unit. If you want to go SOF find a local SF unit and call them directly they will hook you up with their unit recruiter who actually knows WTF they are talking about, an example is how the Guard will let you pick your 18 series MOS. The other thing to consider is going so far as to talk to another State. Driving an extra couple of hours once a month for a job you love is more than worth it. The both components get the schools, but you will have to be MOSqed, have WLC (NCO school) before you even approach the OML. I also noticed that you earlier mentioned about trying to transfer to Active Duty. DONT PLAN ON THIS. It is all reliant on your chain of command to release you from your contract, they don't have to and probably won't unless you have deployed. Then you get to start over with the prior service fuck-fuck games with the Active Duty recruiter.
This is really just a rant, but rants and raves would be a misplaced spot for it. So I get back from a 9 month deployment in June, and the first thing I do is get told to go see the SgtMaj. I haven't been back 6 hours and this idiot wants to see me. So I go up there and he and my new 1stSgt, that I have never met, are waiting for me. I get told that I have been selfish for the last 5 years because all I have done is go to schools and deploy. I didn't decide the optempo for my team, how is this my fault? So I get in to it with the SgtMaj. I am quickly informed that I have more deployed time than anyone else of the same rank in the battalion, once again not my fault. So finally he tells me that I am going to leave the battalion. I ask to go to one of our sister battalions so that I can keep deploying. I get told I am selfish again. How does wanting to go to AFG selfish? This leads up to the real buddy fucking. I finally work myself into an option between 2 new jobs. I can either stay at the battalion for a year in the training cell (only to go back to the FMF), or I can go out to the school house for 3 years, and stay in the community. Since I haven't even been to my house yet I ask for a little time to think about it. Given my rank that is not an outlandish request. Basically he gives me until the middle of August to make a choice and let him know. Three days later this cocksucker puts orders in for me to the school house for 1 August, and doesn't bother to tell me. He refuses to talk to me about it, and refuses to give me access to see my own orders. I was angry that day. Several Senior SNCO's and Officers go to bat for me, and all of them are shot down. I find out that this is his new thing. He likes to just take a name, and throw it at a personnel requirement without looking into the ramifications of using that person. Anyways I have been teaching since August, and everyday is the worst day of my life. I feel stagnant and trapped. It's the longest that I have been home for 5 years, and I am losing my shit. I thought it would get better the longer I was there, but clearly not operating and not having a gun anymore does not sit well with me.
My best advice would be to focus on getting the best education you can at the most prestigious college you can afford. Avoid online courses. You want eyeball contact with your professors and you want the contacts and experience a college campus can give you. Major in whatever you like/whatever you feel you can be committed to, but minor or double major in a language. The language is key. If you can become fluent in French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, the various flavors of Arabic, Farsi, or something of that nature, you've got a leg up. Better if you can spend a semester in the region studying abroad. Once you are 1 year out on being done with college, then reassess the services. Get in contact with a recruiter for the job you want and build rapport if possible. You mentioned Green to Gold. Figure out whether you want the enlisted or officer route. Both have their advantages and obstacles. I realize you want what you want now, but the reality seems to be that you have a break in service instead of an interservice transfer. I've never seen the military treat those with breaks in service with any degree of favor. If you are certain you want the 18x contract, it is usually around 2 and 1/2 to 3 years of training from basic to graduation, barring any injuries or extended time as 'the help'. As an officer, the selection process has more hurdles, beginning with the fact that you have to be a Captain(0-3). Captain rank applies to PsyOp and I believe CA as well.
I see what you're saying and that's what I was kinda forced to do by getting shuffled out by the Navy. I'm staying in school and trying to clear this hurdle before I go back in. I was never keen on the idea of going to school, it's just not my thing ya know? I've always been a good student, but I have no desire to go into a civilian career when I know that I want to stay in the military. Either way, I'm here now and if I don't get this out of the way, I probably never will, so I'm trying to make the best of it. I did however drop by the recruiters office and see if they changed up their prior service restrictions for active duty. For E-5's, it was mainly communications jobs, 25 series I believe. They did have a relatively new mos (25Q?), Electronic Warfare Specialist, that someone in the office was actually crossing into and getting $40k to do it. Advancement is supposed to be really great in that one too, as I remember the recruiters back in Washington telling me the same thing. I noticed however that an E-4 would be eligible for 19D, Cavalry Scout. I told the recruiter that I would take a voluntary drop in rank to land that MOS and he said Big Army won't allow it anymore. Kinda fucked up, and I don't really understand it. It's a shame because if they would, my previous statement about riding out school might just be retracted. And the world keeps spinning.
If you are using school to "clear the hurdle", reevaluate that. Take school seriously, go to a good one, and have fun. Trust me: you'll be extremely glad you knocked it out while you are still young. And you'll have good war stories about banging hot college chicks to tell your buddies in the military. Don't pick a job based on bonuses, "advancement", or anything else. Pick something you think you'll love, because the Army sucks most of the time, and if your job sucks too... you'll hate it. Going CA or PSYOPS does indeed land you under the USASOC umbrella, but you will be treated as less a part of the SOF world than a regular airborne soldier. CA, back in the day, was where old SF dudes went to die... but not anymore. Something tells me that your recruiter isn't telling you everything. I know a ton of prior enlisted E-5's from the Navy that went 18X and Option 40. Hell, one of the guys on my team used to be a Navy Combat Swimmer back in the day.