What questions should we ask the RECRUITER?

[GottaLuvAkitas1]

My daughter is talking to RECRUITER for military service, and we have someone coming by from the Army tonight.

Can you please help me with questions to ask?

We plan to talk to all branches before she decides. Thank you for any help.

[antiRepublicrat]

There's a box on the back of the enlistment form. Anything the recruiter promises MUST be mentioned in that box or it doesn't exist. Otherwise, pick and choose from (as others may have mentioned)

• Guaranteed MOS (job). Run a list of jobs she likes through us here (collect my name and ping please) so we can tell you the ins and outs.
• If she plans to make a career, look for a job with promotion potential (some jobs have very slow advancement)
• Guaranteed assignment upon completion of training. Great chance to see the world. But remember, an assignment in Germany doesn't prevent her from spending half that time in Iraq.
• If she plans to get out, look for a job with civilian college credit and experience potentential. Some jobs can get you civilian certifications, especially in the medical field.
• GI bill (helps pay for college)
• College fund (lot more money for college)
• If she plans to do college while in the military, try to get a job (or post) that doesn't go to the field too much. Avoid Fort Drum, NY, like the plague
• Get all the freebie goodies you can (coffee mugs, etc.)

Last but most important: Resist all attempts at pressure. Have her put off signing for however long she wants, do not let the recruiter steer her to a particular MOS. Recruiters have a quota to fill, first and foremost, and are often under intense pressure.

[sean327]

"so that the Air Force could provide the Marines with air support. "

We provide our own Close Air Support. But you are correct, not everyone can fill a Combat Arms MOS, someone must play the support role. Each job is an important part of the whole picture and ensures that we put steel on target and kill bad guys!!

[Tarantulas]

Have her check out the Navy Nuclear Power Program. When I enlisted (1971) I had to promis to extend my enlistment to 6 years. But I got a rank of E-4 right out of "A" school and two years of electrician and nuclear power plant training. As a woman, she will almost certainly be assigned to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier with (comparatively) all the comforts of home. No snipers, RPGs, kidnapping by terrorists, etc. And once she gets out of the Navy she will have nuclear power skills, and those will be valuable at the new nuclear power plants this country is starting to build. Nuclear power plants pay well, and many of the staff members at the current plants are reaching retirement age, so job openings will be everywhere. The Navy Nuke program weeds out most of the jerks and idiots during the training, so she will be working with the cream of the Navy crop, so to speak. You can find more information here and here. Good luck to her and please let us know what she chooses.

[antiRepublicrat]

One excellent job these days with good college credit and applicability outside the military is intelligence. Specifically, anything requiring a language. The Army will send her to school for up to a year to become fluent in a language, and she'll earn extra pay as she keeps up her skill in it. The other side is this requires IIRC over a four-year commitment.

And if after those years she's thinking of getting out the enlistment bonuses are extremely enticing. Wanting to stay in for one tour can quickly turn into a career.

[Yasotay]

During wars and national emergencies, the military can stop critical MOSs from leaving the service .... even past the enlistment and 8 years of the enlistment ...

[A.A. Cunningham]

BS. You were slamming Marines despite your claim to the contrary and while we are all trained to kill people from 500 meters with an M-16 and break necks with our bare hands we are not all grunts. Recruit training, not basic training, as well as recurring marksmanship training, develops and hones our skills as riflemen, not as grunts.

[liberateUS]

Coast Guard and get it in writing!

[BlueNgold]

Too many unknowns to answer properly - feel free to Freepmail if you want more info.

Here's a start - it's more about your daughter than the military:
1. What is her educational background?
2. What are her educational plans/desires?
3. What are her long term career goals?
4. What is her physical condition?
5. What are her top 3 reasons for considering military service?

Answering these questions will help guide you through the maze. It will hopefully answer if military service is a good choice for her, and if so, what branch is best suited for her talents and commitment.

I love recruiters, but remember that they can be a lot like car salesmen - they have a tough job, are under much stress to move product, and their careers depend on their success. Recruiters have been known to make verbal promises that the DoD does not deliver - so like everything else, get their commitments in writing. Even then, remember that the needs of the country will outweigh even a written promise from a recruiter.
** It's not about the job, it's about the service. **

I'll close with tidbits from the I-Day speech I gave to my OCS recruits as they arrived:
- Look at the flag - if you're not willing to add your blood to the red stripes you see, if you are not willing to honor your country and your shipmates with your valor, if you are not willing to die so that others may live - you are in the wrong place. The future greatness of this country relies on the honor, dedication, valor, and sacrifice of those who answer the call and willingly serve. If you are up to the task, welcome.
- If you're here for any reason other than service to your country -(pause for effect)- do NOT dishonor those who have gone before you nor those who will follow -(another pause)- the door is open. You can leave the way you came.

[TSgt]

Whatever.

[gnarledmaw]

"The Air Force has the best managers and good opportunity for advancement. The Navy has the best training and tech schools."

Ive been out a while now but I find it hard to believe that there has been a total reversal here. When I was in, the AF was taking about twice as long to make rank as the Navy and everyone in the Navy claimed to have been trained in about 6 fields but couldnt do any of them.

[DuncanWaring]

the belief that the average life span of a Second Lieutenant in Vietnam was about two days.

Of course,things certainly might have changed since then.

I'm pretty sure the life expectancy of a Second Lieutenant in Vietnam is longer than two days now...

(Ducking)

[RHINO369]

Why not go to a state school and do ROTC, or the rotc program for whatever branch she wants to join? That way you she'll get college, then graduate and be an officer?

[RHINO369]

opps pinged the wrong person gnarle!

[PzLdr]

A person can enlist for training in a specified MOS. They can get a written guarantee for that. Caveat: although someone is trained in an MOS, they may wind up doing something else. Depends on the needs of the service.

Some MOSs, with extensive training, require an enlistment commitment in excess of the norm to get that training. Check it out.

Your daughter will have to take a battery of tests, aptitude included. Make sure you find out what the scores are needed to qualify for the training she decides on, because if she doesn't get the scores, she may be ineligible for the training.

Between overseas stints in the ROK and RVN I did a tour in recruiting. Although some things have probably changed, that's a fair idea of how it works. Does your daughter have any idea what she wants to do?

GO ARMY!!!

[Incorrigible]

This may help the decision making process:

 

 

[Random Access]

Make sure they give her choices on the color scheme for her condo at basic training.

[joesnuffy]

I got two words for you as well...

Coast Guard (if she is good enough to get in)

[lonster]

ASVAB-ASVAB-ASVAB!!! tell her to do well on the asvab test. they will try to tell her that it's not important but it really is. this is the test they give you to determine what jobs your loved one with be qualifed to obtain. get as high a score on every part of it that you can.

[MrEdd]

Getting a specific MOS does not always guaranty that you will work that job. I am not sure if they still have special catagory MOS's now or not. I always got an assigment in my MOS because of that. Had to fight for it one time, but we got there (they kept trying to assign me to the motor pool or mess hall).

During my second and third tours, I found a reserve unit with the specific MOS (that) I wanted. Then I went active for the duty-station after a nominal minimum unit time. I'm not sure you can pull that off anymore...

[armymarinemom]

Don't get me started on that traitor, She sickens me! I know some of the guys who served with her son, and they say he would die all over again if he could see what she has done to our country in his name. BTW, what a sorry excuse for a mother! LOL I told you I can't stand her.

Ditto on that. I'm a 1st Cav Mom myself.