Quote:
Originally Posted by Destine4destiny  I was wondering if you or anyone you know in the military would advise someone to join the military. I'm thinking about it but I haven't made my decision yet I have a B.S. in Accounting I was said to be starting off as an E4 making 35K-40K and that it's the best career move to make because of all the benefits the Army has to offer. If you or anyone you know is in the military would you advise someone to join? I'm asking to get a better perspective on whether or not it's a good career move because the recruiter is going to give me what I want to hear. |
My father is an active officer in the Navy.
If you join, despite what the recruiter says, you are fairly certain to be shipped overseas. A few years ago, it would've been Iraq. Now it is more likely to be Afghanistan. And yes, even technical positions are being shipped over. They have such an intense shortage of troops that nearly any boots on ground are acceptable. Young is preferred, older is acceptable.
Going to a war zone severely scarred my father. He wouldn't talk about it with anyone but me. Happy as I was to be there for him, it was a long period of watching him struggle with horrible memories and destructive instincts. He became a different person. When he first got back, we went to a restaurant. He couldn't stop himself from looking at everything, trying to figure out where danger may come from. He told me that he felt wrong, naked, vulnerable without a gun and body armor. His eyes had an emptiness behind them. It may sound trite, but it is true: a piece of him died. It took a long time to get that piece back at all, and he is still struggling with it. He is overseas now. I do not know how he will be when he returns.
I'm not going to say the Army is a bad choice. But it should be made with full awareness of what you're doing. You may have to kill another person. Are you willing to do that? You may have others trying to kill you. Are you willing to endure that? It is not merely a job; the Army isn't another career. It is not something to put down at 5 pm and go home. If you are assigned to a war zone, you live at war.
With a BS in accounting, there are myriad other career options open. If you feel like you don't have enough, get your MS and CPA. Education opens better careers. Currently, a career in the Army is not a very safe bet. At times of peace, perhaps. But joining now is joining with full awareness that you are likely to go to war.
My views in this post are entirely my own and none should be imputed to my father, though I believe he'd agree with most of what I say.
Good luck in your decision. It is a big one to make.