Off to basic training in a few months, now what?

[BrianSD_42]

So I'd like to throw this out there:

1) like the previous poster said don't get married before boot camp (or deployment)

2) even if you do get married don't give you GI-BILL benefits to your spouse until you have been in at least 6 years. I have known many fellow sailors who eventually realized that college could be a good option for them (older now) but could not separate because they had given their GI-BILL away to the wife so she could go to school ... only thing is they got divorced shortly afterwards leaving him without options. Your benefits are yours not your spouses. Even at age 40 those benefits might be of use when you want to start a new life on the outside.

3) Again don't get anyone pregnant (if it hasn't already happened LOL) and try not to let any relationship trap you in the service. This happened to SO many buddies of mine. The wife was always supposed to get a career but instead ended up a -military wife- sitting at home depressed and there for the soldier to support indefinitely. I witnesses this in > 50% of all the guys I knew. Many couldn't leave because they had big unnecessary debts like a house, car and a family; you can always start a family at 30


SEE THIS RELEVANT REDDIT THREAD FROM LAST WEEK:

Reddit, my world got torn apart today. Thinking about enlisting in the military. I need your help. : AskReddit

There is some good advice in there for anyone who is new to the service or thinking of joining.

I served for 6 years & 2 deployments then I got the hell out. I have no regrets and am glad I served.


There is also www.reddit.com/r/military:
Military

:vader:

 

[Brignola85]

EOD eh? yeah, keep the runner. You're gonna want it when you're stuck at Redstone Arsenal for 6 months. (We spent a lot of time around the Tenessee river.) Then you'll be off to Florida for the remainder of your training. The T4R will be a must! Keep your grades up in AIT, it is VERY easy to fail out of that MOS.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Well, thanks for your service! :thanks: I retired as an E-7 in 2005 after 23 years of service (active and reserve component.) I started off as an 11b (infantryman), spent some time as an MP as well although most of my career was in intelligence.

Only bad thing is dealing with my brothers that are marines.

Yeah, dealing with the jarheads is always fun. Hey, if they give you the old "ARMY stands for Ain't Ready for the Marines Yet" bit, just tell them that MARINE means "Muscles Are Required, Intelligence Not Essential."

Well I know this is my own dead post but i figured you military guys who posted may like an update

anyways I leave in Feb I decided to keep the 4runner, and as well I have swapped my MOS to EOD bomb disposal instead of MP.

Thank god, I am happy with all my choices, especially not being an mp.

Thanks for the service military guys, and thanks for the extremely helpful advice.

EOD, huh? :wow: Well, that's definitely an exciting career field. A little too exciting for me and I was Airborne. :

Anyway, I think it takes a lot of courage to join the military nowadays when you know you're going to go to war. When I joined in 1980 the Vietnam war had been over for years and there was nothing but the Cold War going on.

So kudos to you. :thumb3:

Getting back to your question about whether to keep the 4runner, if your AIT is long (I'm guessing it is for EOD) you will most likely be allowed a POV, and you definitely don't want to be stuck on post without a vehicle.

Now, if you're the only guy in your group to have a vehicle, you will be one popular person! My only advice here is don't drink and drive. Ever. Not even once. It will totally wreck your career (especially if it's anything that requires a security clearance and I'm guessing that EOD requires a Secret at bare minimum.) The military will soon be drawing down (as we withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan) and any black marks on your record are an excuse to give you the boot. I saw the Clinton era drawdown of the mid-90's and it wasn't pretty.

So be smart, pay attention, and enjoy it. The military can be a great life.

Good luck and feel free to ask any questions, although there are folks on here who have much more current knowledge than me.

:cheers::cheers::cheers: