Leaving for Army basic training tomorrow, any last words of advice?

[Fursphere]

I wasn't even tempted to go into the marines, the idea of not being able to choose your specialty doesn't appeal to me.

I choose mine. If the recruiter told you otherwise, he/she was lying to you. Recruiter duty is seldom choosen. You get selected for it - and making your monthly quotas are often the difference between a promotion and not. So they do whatever they have to to make numbers. I can't say I blame them honestly - its a bullshit billet.

I would get your MOS in writing. IE - written into your contract. And if you're going enlisted, tell them you want to enter as an E2 or you'll walk. They'll give it to you. At least they were when I went in... (one guy went in as an E3 for being an eagle scout in the boyscouts.... seriously)

Military police, I was thinking about applying for a police officer job for when I get back and thought that would look nice on the resume. Although it's sad that I was making about 5000 more a year bartending at a slow restaurant than I would make starting out as a police officer...

You should talk to local law enforcement before you go down this road. Military and civilian police is drastically different, and often times civilians don't want military...

Military police are often times told to shoot first and ask later.

I thought about going for an Officer position since I have a bachelors degree, but I would be losing out on all the student loan repayments and the enlistment bonus.

Officer life is MUCH better than enlisted life. Its like the difference between being a rich kid and a poor kid. Seriously.. you might want to take a second look at that option.

I stated out talking to the Navy Recruiter but half way through getting information he took a call from his girlfriend and talked for 4 minutes about a blockbuster account, I just got up and walked out after that.

Heh. I talked to a Navy guy too. He showed up with a mouth full of gold teeth and that "used car salesman" attitude. I walked too.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

This may sound pedantic, but bear with me (I wish someone had given me the nickel speech before I left for basic...).

Keep in mind while you're doing all that "shit" work in basic and all the running and other crap that just seems like it's a means for the drill sergeants to be mean and degrading that there are basically two forces at work:

• They're trying to equip you with skills that will keep you alive later on, not all of which they can explain to you every 15 minutes when the answers aren't obvious; you'll get answers later; for now, learn the routines. It is an exceptionally rare case that your instructors are just mean old bastards. Remember the gunny's words to the guys at the end of the training phase in Full Metal Jacket? He's congratulating them for becoming something worthwhile. That really is their goal. Give them the respect to assume you're not the first person who ever thought a DS wasn't being fair or nice.
• It's up to you and your squad/platoon mates to keep each other squared away. If you see someone fucking up, help them out as a team instead of letting them fuck up. Because if you let them fuck up and the Drill Sergeants find out about it, you will ALL pay the price (as you worthless scumbags should).

Aside from that, basic is more or less a mental game. Can you learn the very rudimentary skills that you will need later in advanced schools while being kept in a sleep-deprived and physically exhausted state? If not, you really have no business being in the military. And yes, that goes for personnel pukes, too. They also serve who file and type.

Oh. Also keep in mind that there are only two ways to get out of the army and not have your separation be a black stain on your record:

• Medical (wounded, injured, physically incapable of performing duties)
• End of your normal contracted 2-8 years of service.

EVERYTHING else, including whining to mommy and having your senator/rep call the base and get you out all result in "general" or dishonorable discharges, which employers frown upon. So suck it up and deal, even when things look bad.

One final note: don't forget to think/duck. I moved into a headquarters company after driving tanks for a bit and had my sergeant major give me a pen and tell me to write something on a lexan calendar in precisely 1/4" print, all caps. I was so focused on the 1/4" all caps print that I didn't look to see the pen was permanent, a fact that caused me no end of embarrassment when he said, "Now erase it all."

And good luck. You'll meet some mighty fine folks in the service.

[Reprisal]

I think I read the marine thing online on a military web site, I didn't have a desire to go into the marines anyway. I already signed the contract for military police an am enrolled in the training. I'm going in as an E-4 because of my degree. I really just need the student loan repayments, getting out of debt and saving for a down payment on a house for my girlfriend and I is high on my list at the moment. If I ever do fully enlist I will definitely look into going in as an officer, but as for now I feel I made the right choice. I'll find out here in a few days I guess.

I understand about the recruiter thing, I felt he was being upfront about the whole thing, either way it doesn't matter, I wouldn't back out at the moment either way considering I ship tomorrow.

I don't think the training will go to my head, I understand the basic concepts and what they are trying to achieve in basic and while I'll do what I'm told, I don't think it will remotely change who I am as a person. So hopefully that wouldn't disqualify me from a police officer position. I did 90 hours of ride alongs with the Kansas City Police Department and 6 out of the 8 guys I rode with were ex-military with 3 being marines. So we'll see.

[Multibocks]

Officer life is MUCH better than enlisted life. Its like the difference between being a rich kid and a poor kid. Seriously.. you might want to take a second look at that option.

I can't stress this enough to anyone with a desire to join the military. Don't be a fool and go enlisted like I did. It's amazing the difference between the treatment of officers and enlisted. Slaves vs plantation owners...