Posted on 10/09/2010 2:10:47 PM PDT by TnGOP
Hi everyone. My daughter is a senior in high school, 18 years old, and will be graduating next May. She has decided to join the military after high school.
Her goal in life is to be an MD, and needs to go into the branch of service that will help her the most toward that goal. She has spoken with a Navy recruiter and a Marine Corp recruiter at school, but is still undecided.
I work with a bunch of retired military folks from all branches. Most of them are recommending Air Force or National Guard.
What we are looking for is the branch that will help her with college expenses, and further her goals of becoming a doctor. I'm going to turn this over to her for this thread so she can respond directly to you. Thanks for your help in this most important matter.
My oldest daughter joined the Marines. Hated it, as did her Marine husband. I don’t need any Marines dumping on him, though - he did two tours in Fallujah in infantry and is currently on 80% disability. My daughter concluded that women should not be allowed in the Marines.
The Navy means ships, which is no life for a human, let alone a woman. They have shore billets, but the shore isn’t the fighting edge, and their facilities are poorer because they spend so much money keeping the ships ready.
The Army? Lots of chance to practice giving shots, etc, but life on an Army post in Afghanistan is pee poor. However, if patriotism is important, then a few years learning what soldiers do for their country may well be worth it. I respect the Army, but was very glad I wasn’t in it. But the folks giving medical care are doing the Lord’s work.
The Air Force is a much nicer lifestyle, and the hospitals will probably be bigger and better equipped. It makes for an easier life than the Army, but you might end up doing trivial tasks in a base-side hospital.
If I were a young woman instead of an old man, I’d play Army vs USAF. See which would give me the best deal. All other things being equal, I might go with the Army because they need good medical folks more, IMHO.
And you go where you go and do what you need to do. My daughter studied electronics in the Marines, then worked sheetmetal because that was what her squadron needed. And I spent so much time in Saudi that I have no sympathy for any woman who whines about a year there - I averaged 6 months/year for a number of years.
If the work you are doing is important, you don’t care where it is. You just want to do it. Anyone who doesn’t want to stray from the USA can find other employment.
Just my $0.02 worth.
I’ve been in the Navy 24 years and it’s been good for me.
No branch of the military is good to join unless you are truly desperate. Why place yourself under the control of some a**hole like obamma for 2 to 6 years and at his whim he can send you to fight for something you do not support. How many deserters would we have if that MOSLEM in the White House decided to attack Israel?
The topic of adding links to other pages will give you the code for adding the AMEDD as an actual link. Look at the next to last example under the topic. Substitute your Army link for the www.w3.org shown in the example. Preview the link to see if it works by clicking on it or hovering your mouse over it. The link address should show up in the lower left of your browser.
As a 20 year Air Force veteran I am biased to that branch of the service. When I was thinking of joining way back when my dad’s advice was join the Air Force or the Navy because at least you’ll sleep in a bed every night.
But with the blurring of the service responsibilities, that is no longer a valid truism.
What are your daughter’s interests?
um yeah, except i would refuse to wear a burka. thats a slap in the face of any chrisitan and any woman who has the balls to join a service.
Oops, missed her wanting to be an MD.
Air Force! The hospitals are nicer
I think you meant to reply to someone else.
Wow, I loved being on the ship! The times we were underway are some of the best memories of my life!
could very well be:) sorry
In any of the other branches, I would question her willingness and ability to do her sworn duty, to the best of her ability.
In the USAF, her private, personal goals would not conflict with her squadrons mission.
In any other branch, she might be more a liability than an asset.
Thanks! I bookmarked the page; my HTML knowledge is VERY limited.
More on-topic: With the current round of BRACs, medic/corpsman training for all services is being consolidated at Ft. Sam Houston. The barracks for all the medic trainees look to be almost complete now. In fact, many functions are being combined, and the administration is going through so many changes, it's hard to keep up.
I would suggest trying to get the professional degree, or at least a college degree, before joining any of the services. There are plenty of options, whatever you decide to do.
I have no complaints about the Army hospitals. BAMC is great!
None.
The best schools that can be translated to civilian careers later, if she so chooses, are both the Air Force and the Navy. There are actual degree programs, utilizing the training and schools for credits, in both those services. The present trouble is that, with both the Army and Marines (which are doing a lot for their country these days), the unspoken danger factor is there, in greater magnitude, but not to be ignored, in the Air Force and Navy.
The rest of the options, I am sure you will hear from others. I wish her well!
That is one of my MAJOR reasons for joining I want to help this country and its people keep the rights and freedoms I have, and paying for college will be a MAJOR help for me.
I started off as a field medic. I later changed MOS to be an infantryman. I was normally cold, wet, tired, and hungry, but I really enjoyed running around the countryside with a machine gun.
However, that sort of thing isn’t for everyone. If I had to recommend a service I’d say the Coast Guard. You’re unlikely to get shot at, but there’s adventure if you want it.
If I recall correctly, one of our astronauts started out in the Coast Guard and then went to the military med school.
Also, I was an English Professor for nearly 20 years, and I absolutely loved having veterans in my classes. Good luck to her.
I love helping people any way I can, I also love children and want to work with them how ever I can, but I would LOVE to go into medicine. I have taken all the medical classes my school offers and taken 5 years of science after this year.
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