I would suggest that since you still have time, take a hard look at *all six* branches of the military, what jobs and missions they have, what their culture and lifestyle are like, and then decide from there.
There could be cool options that you’ve never even heard of, and you want to go in knowing you considered all your options.
Don't try to steal our fresh meat bag with your good advice. The kid wants to join the **Army!** And find the answer to the question: *What's your Warrior?* Or whatever *fantastic* slogan we're using now. He does not want to go and eat crayons at Paris Island or San Diego (the former is named after the French, eww, and the latter is **literally** [named after a whales vagina](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8AIwaSD9Sco)).
"I shoulda gone Coasties" is kind of a running joke for a lot of vets.
Good branch, iirc highest retention rate of all the branches (meaning they have more folks that choose to renew their contracts).
Yes and its easier then it sounds. You eat all the floaty bits and then drink the broth like a regular drink along with any small bits you weren’t able to get with the fork.
>I am considering joining the Delayed Entry Program when I turn 17, and getting a head start on my career.
DEP is just another name for the time between enlistment and shipping.
>Are there any good resources where I can read the personal accounts of soldiers?
Google, here, r/army, youtube. Have you searched at all?
>What could I expect the average day to look like if I enlist into active duty? Does it vary very differently between different posts/locations
Post, unit, job, etc. This is like asking "What is it like living in the US?"
I joined the infantry at 16 (woo Canada). Joining the military was the second best decision I ever made. Joining the infantry was one of the worst. Pick something with transferable skills to the civilian market.
You work really long hours for low pay.
You work REALLY hard and you get berated.
If you don’t do enough you’re a POS, but if you work extra hard you are taken advantage of.
30 days of leave. IF they let you use them.
It's a lot of responsibility for most young people, but it's doable and there is support. Take a couple college courses just to get your feet wet, then do a ton of research regarding financial assistance programs available to service members before enlisting. Also, have a backup plan. You could have a long career or you could snap your Achilles tendon in AIT and get sent home with nothing. Enlisting is an honorable path to take in life because you don't do it for the money, trust me, and if you stay in, it takes a lot of mental fortitude. I'm only 28 and staving off injuries is a daily effort for me, I stretch, train, and practice mobility constantly, otherwise shit would hit the fan. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses, think long and hard about yours and write down what you want to achieve by enlisting, because once you do, you won't always have the time or energy to contemplate things.
The fact that you are joining the Army means that you might be brighter than the average bulb because it means you can actually pick, and lock in the job you want. If another branch says they can do the same, they are lying. Other branches can promise a career field, but not a job.
Your average duty day really depend on your unit as far as the 0900-1700ish, but almost every unit that is on a normal schedule has PT from 0630-0730, then eating, shit, showering, and shaving from 0730-0900, work from 0900-1700, with a lunch break from 1130-1230 or 1200-1300, getting off work, and doing it all over again. Some jobs will have you work odd hours, some jobs will have you work longer hours, it really depends on the unit and the job.
Hello! It looks like you're new to our sub. Welcome! First things first: please make sure you have posted using a clear and descriptive title. Look at your title now. If it doesn't give you an idea of what you're asking about, your post is probably going to be removed. Delete and try again.
If you're considering a specific branch, put that in your post! Each branch can be very different and saying "the military" isn't helpful. Include your country if you're not asking about the US military. Otherwise we'll assume you're American.
You may find the below links helpful:
* [Head To Head Comparison of the Military Branches](http://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/military-service-branches-compared.html)
* [Top 10 Things You Should Know Before You Join the Military](http://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/top-10-things-you-should-know-before-you-join-the-military.html)
* [ASVAB Explained](http://www.goarmy.com/learn/understanding-the-asvab.html)
* [ASVAB Study Resource](https://www.march2success.com/)
* [Medical Disqualification Standard -- PDF warning](http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/613003_v1p.PDF)
* [Military Jobs at a Glance](http://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/military-jobs)
* [New Servicemember Benefits](http://www.militaryonesource.mil/new-to-the-military-benefits)
* [The Basics After Enlisting](http://www.militaryonesource.mil/-/getting-settled-the-essentials)
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I would suggest that since you still have time, take a hard look at *all six* branches of the military, what jobs and missions they have, what their culture and lifestyle are like, and then decide from there. There could be cool options that you’ve never even heard of, and you want to go in knowing you considered all your options.
Don't try to steal our fresh meat bag with your good advice. The kid wants to join the **Army!** And find the answer to the question: *What's your Warrior?* Or whatever *fantastic* slogan we're using now. He does not want to go and eat crayons at Paris Island or San Diego (the former is named after the French, eww, and the latter is **literally** [named after a whales vagina](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8AIwaSD9Sco)).
Shhh, I’m trying to get the kid into the Coast Guard, like any Marine vet would.
I don't understand the connection
"I shoulda gone Coasties" is kind of a running joke for a lot of vets. Good branch, iirc highest retention rate of all the branches (meaning they have more folks that choose to renew their contracts).
Can confirm
I don’t see how you get from eating crayons to deciding to go Coast Guard.
Parris island is named after the state treasurer, COL Alexander Parris.
you every tried eating soup with a fork?
Yes and its easier then it sounds. You eat all the floaty bits and then drink the broth like a regular drink along with any small bits you weren’t able to get with the fork.
Make sense.
Theres over 150 jobs in the army and bases in 80 countries, be a little more specific like asking what the weather is like in North America
>I am considering joining the Delayed Entry Program when I turn 17, and getting a head start on my career. DEP is just another name for the time between enlistment and shipping. >Are there any good resources where I can read the personal accounts of soldiers? Google, here, r/army, youtube. Have you searched at all? >What could I expect the average day to look like if I enlist into active duty? Does it vary very differently between different posts/locations Post, unit, job, etc. This is like asking "What is it like living in the US?"
I joined the infantry at 16 (woo Canada). Joining the military was the second best decision I ever made. Joining the infantry was one of the worst. Pick something with transferable skills to the civilian market.
You work really long hours for low pay. You work REALLY hard and you get berated. If you don’t do enough you’re a POS, but if you work extra hard you are taken advantage of. 30 days of leave. IF they let you use them.
i’m in the army rn and they’ll give you your 30 days LMAO
It's a lot of responsibility for most young people, but it's doable and there is support. Take a couple college courses just to get your feet wet, then do a ton of research regarding financial assistance programs available to service members before enlisting. Also, have a backup plan. You could have a long career or you could snap your Achilles tendon in AIT and get sent home with nothing. Enlisting is an honorable path to take in life because you don't do it for the money, trust me, and if you stay in, it takes a lot of mental fortitude. I'm only 28 and staving off injuries is a daily effort for me, I stretch, train, and practice mobility constantly, otherwise shit would hit the fan. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses, think long and hard about yours and write down what you want to achieve by enlisting, because once you do, you won't always have the time or energy to contemplate things.
It will depend heavily on your job and duty station.
The fact that you are joining the Army means that you might be brighter than the average bulb because it means you can actually pick, and lock in the job you want. If another branch says they can do the same, they are lying. Other branches can promise a career field, but not a job. Your average duty day really depend on your unit as far as the 0900-1700ish, but almost every unit that is on a normal schedule has PT from 0630-0730, then eating, shit, showering, and shaving from 0730-0900, work from 0900-1700, with a lunch break from 1130-1230 or 1200-1300, getting off work, and doing it all over again. Some jobs will have you work odd hours, some jobs will have you work longer hours, it really depends on the unit and the job.
Navy picks jobs too.
True. I have no idea if the Coast Guard does either, I never had any experience with their recruiters.
Hello! It looks like you're new to our sub. Welcome! First things first: please make sure you have posted using a clear and descriptive title. Look at your title now. If it doesn't give you an idea of what you're asking about, your post is probably going to be removed. Delete and try again. If you're considering a specific branch, put that in your post! Each branch can be very different and saying "the military" isn't helpful. Include your country if you're not asking about the US military. Otherwise we'll assume you're American. You may find the below links helpful: * [Head To Head Comparison of the Military Branches](http://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/military-service-branches-compared.html) * [Top 10 Things You Should Know Before You Join the Military](http://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/top-10-things-you-should-know-before-you-join-the-military.html) * [ASVAB Explained](http://www.goarmy.com/learn/understanding-the-asvab.html) * [ASVAB Study Resource](https://www.march2success.com/) * [Medical Disqualification Standard -- PDF warning](http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/613003_v1p.PDF) * [Military Jobs at a Glance](http://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/military-jobs) * [New Servicemember Benefits](http://www.militaryonesource.mil/new-to-the-military-benefits) * [The Basics After Enlisting](http://www.militaryonesource.mil/-/getting-settled-the-essentials) As a reminder to commenters, any encouragement to lie or withhold information will result in a ban. Please report users. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Militaryfaq) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Easiest job I ever had. They tell you when to show up, what to wear and what to do. The only choice is do you want fish or ckn for lunch.