So I'm 18 and head to college next year...

[Kryztof]

But I don't think college is for me. Like NORMAL college, at least.


I'm really uber good with computers and robots and mechanical stuff. But, alas, I am not the best.
So I thought randomly after recieving recruitment letters and stuff...


Why not join the Service?
Army or National Guard or something. Something where i can put my talents to good use.


I was talking to a Recruiter a month or two back and I was talking to him about his medals and stuff (He was a first sergeant, highly decorated i believe. Had 3 purple hearts). And then he asked me about my skills with technology and stuff and I told him i was pretty good.
And he told me about a program where I enlist, take about 6 years of Army Technical college (Or something like that) and when i come out, I'll be a 2nd Lieutenant "Technology officer" working on monitoring computer networks that the military owns and working on UAV's and robots and stuff like that.

It sounded awfully interesting.
Pretty much what I wanted to do! Join the military, and easily get to paygrade O1 just by doing school + possible army bootcamp?


But I'm not exactly sure about the details.
I forgot alot of what he said, and the other stuff i wrote down wrong >_<

I show SOME leadership qualities, which he said may help me. And I'm good with my hands. I'm good at memorizing how stuff goes together. And I'm REALLY good at anything computer related (EXCEPT C++ AND HTML!!!! CURSE YOU COMPUTER LANGUAGES!!!)

Don't get me wrong. I want to join the service, I just don't want to get shot at. I'm not that kind of guy. I want to work behind the lines, and STILL save people by keeping their equipment running.

Is there any hope for me being in the Military?

 

[xenophek]

Half of my family is enlisted, and the best way to not get shot at is to go to college BEFORE you enlist. That doesn't help, does it?

Hey, I don't go to a normal college. I go to TSTC (Texas State Technical College). It's a Associate's degree, and they have a degree for just about everything. I'm majoring in Network Administration and Desktop Support. It's super fun here. You could go to a technical college. They're everwhere. I know my tuition runs about $1200 a semester.

No matter what you do, I feel that you're going to excel. There's no better way to serve the country than enlisting. Just know that you have other options.

-Xen

P.S. They only pay for half of your college. The GI bill takes half of your military paycheck and saves it. When you finally go to college they take that saved money and double it. Just thought I'd clear that up.

 

[OODA Loop]

military is a awesome choice, and they take good care of you even after you are out. i doubt think you will be on the front working on computers.

 

[Dewars]

if u enlist in military make sure to go in as officer, then u wont be on front lines. but be very careful about recruiters because they'll really glorify the military life cause they get commission when they get some one enlisted.

 

[pillar]

ya my moms in the air force reserves & shes a master seargeant (been in for like 30 or so years now) but im hoping to try & get into the air force sometime l8er this year (after ive turned 27) & for some odd reason the cut off age for gettin in the air force is 27, so i guess ill just have 2 find out. but ya, when it comes to technology & electronics, theres very few people on the front lines. majority of those guys (like ourselves who work on the hardware & software) stay back in the states working to make other soldiers lives alot better & safer.

 

[Kryztof]

Yeah going to a tech university before enlisting was one of my thoughts as well. I was thinking about California institute of technology, or Virginia Tech (Not so sure about the latter, considering what all happened...)

 

[xplag]

if u enlist in military make sure to go in as officer, then u wont be on front lines. but be very careful about recruiters because they'll really glorify the military life cause they get commission when they get some one enlisted.

As an officer, you will lead troops into battle, meaning you may be on the front lines as well. To NOT be on the front lines, you just need to specialize in something that puts you back, such as logistics or computer stuffs (I don't know the technical lingo). Even if you enlist (go in out of high school) you still can stay off the front lines depending on specialty, though you don't have as much say in where they will put you. As for joining a branch, I would say Army would be a better option than the National Guard, even though everyone knows Marines are the best

 

[Ballzac]

well you CAN join any branch of the military and do electronic/computer work so you could check it out

 

[bigbaddabooma]

M.i.t

 

[Badfish]

Yep Tech school

 

[Kryztof]

M.i.t

Damn fool I ain't no uber computer genius! Who do you think I am? Gil Bates? No. I'm just Kryztof Dudek.

But yeah. Typical dogface for you. Glorification of the army as always. lesigh.

And I'm definitely not joining marines. The crucible and me aren't friends at all.

 

[USMC SatComm TeK Stubster]

Whats the crucible? As others have said front lines all depends on your specialty.