Joining the Military!?

[icp4life162005]

I am thinking of the National Guard. My only issue really is my weight an that I have no idea what I want to do. I want to make a career out of it if I do it. SO what is or was everyones favorite thing and most hated thing about their time in the service? Please feel free to pass on any advice or tips that you may have.

[agentw0]

As long as your height is in proportion to your weight you will be fine They can "Tape" you to get you in. The Army will be more lenient on you going in because you WILL lose weight in Basic Training ( i lost 40lbs) The best advice I can give you is to start jogging, because you will run a lot, Plus Work on Push Up's and Situps just to get a good base. Everything else will fall into place and you will notice a big improvement in your performance by the third week.

Also Listen to Directions Carefully, ALWAYS BE ON TIME & KEEP YOUR BOOTS SHINED.. These will be the biggest keys to your success.

[headcase]

First two weeks of basic is a mind f. Realize that all the punishments are actually just getting you in shape and building unit cohesion. Has your recruiter taped you yet? Every sentence starts with Sergeant and ends with Sergeant. Do what you are supposed to, when you are supposed to, and you will be fine. If you go guard, you should probably check your local units to see what they need, same with the reserves, or you will be doing some traveling. If you go active, you can pick whatever you're qualified for. Double check on what they tell you to bring, everything on my list, other than shaving kit and such, got locked up until basic was over....


BTW, learn your rank identification, if your drills are anything like mine, you better know how to tell what three rockers and a diamond mean or you're going to the back of the chow line

[B.L. Hall]

I am in the Regular Army currently in Iraq. I'm a MSG (Master Seargeant). Been in for 22 years, been in two wars, one police action, two hardship tours and one long tour in Germany.

I'd be glad to answer any questions you might have...

b_l_hall@yahoo.com put Army in the subject so I don't accidently delete it.

[P.SUTER]

You can drop me a line if you want to see what the Guard is all about. I can bring you along for a drill if you want to see what they are like. PM me and I can give you more info.

[JoeWilliams]

I served two years as a Combat Engineer in the Army, and another 9 as a Security Policeman in the Air Force.

The military delivered everything they actually promised, but you HAVE to read your contract. Pick the job you want before you go in. For goodness sake, don't go open general, or you are liable to find yourself as a sewer scrubber or some other job no one really wants.

I loved the camraderie, the sense of mission and purpose, the fact that what I did REALLY mattered. In the Air Force, I loved the power, authority, and responsibility you get as an enlisted person. I loved the fact that they would say "this is your mission" and leave it to you to figure out how to get it done without micromanaging. I loved the fact that I was "keeping my friends, family, nation and way of life strong, proud, and free." I loved the general level of hyper-competence in my co-workers. I've been out 13 years now, and still have issues dealing with how tolerated incompetence is in the civilian world. I really loved the military.

Things not to like:
I hurt every day now from injuries received during the course of my duties. Bumps and bruises gained when you are all gung ho and early 20s come back to haunt you in the early 40s

I hate how many of my friends I buried. Every Memorial Day is a somber one for me. I hate that my fiance was one of them. A couple killed by bad guys in the line of duty, a couple killed in accidents, a couple killed by stress, a couple killed themselves (an occupational hazard). None lost to war, remarkably. Even during peacetime, the military is a dangerous way to make a living. Proper training is dangerous.

I hated the fact that I had to choose between having a family, and staying in. IMHO, as heavy as deployments had become by the time I got out the military was not a suitable lifestyle for a family. We were spending far more time away from home than not.

Don't buy into the "1 weekend a month" with the Guard, either. As Iraq and Afghanistan are dramatically showing, for better or worse a huge percentage of the U.S.'s combat power is now in the hands of the Guard and Reserve, and that means lots of deployments.

I miss the military. I miss the people I worked with. I miss being part of something important, being part of history. If it weren't for my family, and the fact that they have no need of 41 y/o fat cannon fodder, I'd still consider going back in. It was a fantastic life.

[paul]

I just got back from Iraq, and the best advice I could give you is this, I came up with a set of rules made the new guys learn them by heart, we called them "The Big Boy Rules"

1. Always Look Cool
2. Don't talk too much
3. Keep Up
4. Don't. Get. Caught.


Follow those and you'll be alright.

If you have some specific questions ask them, there are plenty of knowledgeable people around here. I would say that if you wanted to make a career out of it you might want to go active duty, at least for your first stint.


Blacksheep Actual Over

[LastManOut]

Get it in writing.

[paul]

Yeah, also, when it comes to basic training,

Don't Be the Stinky Guy.

/no one likes the stinky guy.

[TaePo]

To speed up your get in shape training:

Learn to do some weight lifting. I prefer machines (such as Nautilus) that let you isolate specific muscle groups. This will get you into shape faster. You will develop stamina and be able to run better, longer, faster and do more sit ups and push ups too.

I would work out three days per week on weights. Low weight, high reps. When the weights get too easy, increase reps each week and then add 5 or 10 lbs and start at lower reps. (let's say 20lb start, 15 reps. Build up to 30 reps by adding more reps each time. When 30 reps @ 20lbs seems too easy, then increase to 25 or 30 lbs at 15 reps.)

The other three days a week you should do aerobic exercise such as running two miles each day. Stretch before the run and do some situps and pushups on those days too.

You will do fine. Remember, the yelling is to get you stressed and to work under stress. Don't take it too personally. Combat stresses are nothing in comparison.

Let us know how it goes. I did 4 years Active Army and two years Reserve as a Linguist in M.I..