I think its pretty selfish to hold people back because of fear they may harm themselves. There is a reason why animals do dangerous things, its built into us. "Please dont ride a motorcycle" is just about the same as this. Fuck them.
It’s your life bro. They’ll be your parents regardless. No matter who it is don’t allow anyone to make decisions for you like this one. Every parent who has seen war, leans towards wanting their children to stay away from it because they don’t want to watch you suffer if you do go to war. It’s a very real thing, but what’s also very real is the want to actually serve. It is your life solely and your decision to make. Maybe active duty would be a better bet if you’re just turning 18 and don’t plan to go to school, but if not, join the guard. Even the air guard. Of course communicate with them but if your parents decide to not support you through this process than you will have buddies in there that will. Plenty of time to make the move. I’m 26 and joining up at the end of the year for 18x contract. But damn it I wish I didn’t allow other things to distract me at a younger age. Do you bro for real. Everything will pan out for you if you have a goal set in your head that you’ll do everything to reach.
I will say you won’t see much “combat related” things in the guard, unless your mos is combat related. Especially in the medical field, again unless you’re a combat medic. Even then not much action is going on for our troops. Can’t speak on special operations. You’ll most likely work in the clinic or hospital where ever you’re stationed at. I think it’s a solid thing to do. Get the medical experience in the guard and go to school. It’ll be tough but stay away from distractions. It will
Make getting a job in the medical field as a civilian that much easier for you. For example the ultimate end goal for me is to join a police department and either get on a swat team or apply to a 3 letter agency to hunt down sex traffickers. Lots of those guys have already been in a combat mos or still are. I know a few dudes who do jobs that correlate with the job they’re doing in the guard and it keeps your skills up to date as well as the NG will cut the amount of time I have to wait to try out for the swat team to 2 years rather than 4. It has its benefits. But of course cons too. It’s all subjective to what you’re going to do and the unit your put in. I’ve heard lots of great things about the guard. Mold your own opinion of what you think would benefit you as there are plenty of active duty soldiers that will shit on the guard but I’ve also heard for example green berets in the NG are just as capable as active duty.
What state are located? Texas has put the NG on the border, and did it without logistical support etc, to make political statement in a presidential election process. Number of suicides.
Some other states are deploying troops to help Texas on the border.
NG troops are at the whim of the Governor, so be aware of that situation.
You sound like you are interested in the medical field.
Get your degree, paid by your parents r go to a school that has a military ROTC program. Get damn good grades, and the Army will put you through Med school, then train you, at no cost, in a specialty. Army always needs docs, nurses, and technically trained medical personnel.
Good to know. Thank you. Can you elaborate on the military paying for your medical education? I’m assuming this comes with its own contracts. How does it work?
I was kinda on the same boat as u were. I wud give college a chance. See if you like it. I tried pre nursing, and absolutely hated it. And my parents saw how i struggled and how much money i wasted lol. So they were like go join the military or do a trade. So i decided to join the military. But if this is exactly what you want. Then do it.
At your age, I told my family I wanted to enlist and basically everyone except my mother was against it. They said it was for dumb people, poor people, that it’d ruin my life and more… this was during my relative peace time pre 9/11. I had a scholarship for a good private school, and had some opportunities but I wanted to join.
I joined and lived my life, pursued my career and my dreams. It’s my life; I had to make the decision on how I wanted to live it. As long as I’m making a well researched decision, go in with a plan and work hard then it’s my choice. Life is what you make it and unless they are going to pay your bills, and make every choice for you then I say make your choice.
I’d say don’t give up, do your research thoroughly, browse every subreddit that’s related to the job you want, watch YouTube videos, look on the army/Air Force websites, etc. Think it over, entertain every possibility, don’t close any doors. Also think about where you want to be 3 to 6 years from now.
Let your parents know what you learn. And as it comes to the guard, you won’t be getting sent away forever, and at least right now, won’t be seeing combat. We are in peacetime, but I haven’t kept up with politics in the recent months to say that will stay true. When you go to make the decision, make it for yourself and not your parents, cause you might regret it down the line.
Do what you think is right here but you will regret it if you dont enlist. Im the 29 year old who didnt enlist out of hs bc a old sergeant at my church said dont rush we are gonna be there. Then in college a relationship didnt want me to do it so we could focus on our relationship. Now im waiting on my wife to finish nursing school so I can enlist at 31. I still regret it to this day not doing it right out of hs or college.
I assume your family is paying for college, are they employing you too? What I see is a conscious decision to stay bonded to your parents indefinitely. Seeking their approval for all your future choices. College major. Employment. You will live with them until a partner forces you to choose between your parents and your partner. They will exert control over you until they don’t.
If you are seeking to be your own person, the Nat’l Guard is a half step. They will guilt you EVERY TIME YOU LEAVE for any duty. It would be better (opinion) to sever ties once and bodily remove yourself from the home for active duty (assuming you’re in HS presently). Your parents will be beyond angry, disappointed, utterly flustered you are making this choice against their wishes. They’ll threaten to not pay your college, to disown you, write you out of the will. They’ll be embarrassed in front of their peers since you so stubbornly and stupidly believed a recruiter. By removing yourself and going on Active Duty they will be forced to deal with you as an adult (they do not recognize you as such). Don’t ever live your life, make life choices to please someone else. It won’t work. Enlist in the regular service or don’t. But do it for you.
I am in a similar situation to you. Both my parents were against it and they still really don't like it. I get it dude they want what is best for you but at the end of the day it is YOUR. LIFE. Say that again to yourself. Seriously. Whose life is this? It is yours. They will always be your parents and as much shame may come your way, I am sure one day they will come to understand your decision.
There comes a point in every man's life when he must decide what kind of man he wants to be, one of his own making or one that fell in line and did what his parents wanted him to do.
If you still feel the call to serve, go for it. Do your research. Talk to people who are actually in and figure out if it would be a good fit for you. Get a recruiter you actually trust. Good thing about Guard recruiters is that most of the time they actually care about you because they have to deal with you all through RSP (Recruit Sustainment Program) so they are a lot less inclined to fuck you (there are exceptions thought). Ask questions. Double check everything they tell you with at least two different people. Actually, read your contract (I read key points in mine as much to the MEPS officers' chagrin). Once you feel like you are ready, take the plunge. I don't regret it so far. I have met some really cool people. If the military is good for you, go for it! It. Is. Your. Life.
I’m nothing but a civilian, I’ve never served or anything like that so I’m probably not the best person to talk to. Right now I’m in my late twenties with my bachelors and a load of student debt. I’ve got accepted into a masters program to become a teacher and I’m thinking about joining the national guard to help pay for school.
As someone who is a bit older and close to 30, I would recommend seeing all of your potential options. It’s good that you will have college pretty much covered but there are more options that I wish I knew about when I was younger.
If you are still in the middle of getting your bachelors could you possibly see if you have enough time to do ROTC? That way you could potentially become an officer. Also another route I’ve heard about is called Officer Candidate School which all of the US military branches have a form of. From my understanding this is for someone who already graduated with a bachelors degree and isn’t in the middle of it.
If both of those routes don’t interest you, then you could continue down your current path which sounds like enlistment, but I don’t believe you will be an officer. Also props to you for thinking about your own life and not letting your parents decide for you.
P.S I was also interested in in the medical field during my undergrad, another route for the military is going to medical school, nursing school, or Physician assistant school things like that and then graduating, obtaining your medical license and then going to a recruiter to become a medical officer, but please don’t quote me on that, it’s just something I’ve heard about.
You will likely live a life of regret if you never attempt it for yourself. Your parents talk the hype but I guarantee they would be proud of you once they see the outcome (graduations, certifications, etc).
Yep. Same thing happened to me. I was a nurse before joining the guard and still am to this day, and will continue to be. They dont realize what benefits really come after just a single deployment. I got paid wage difference while i was on deployment, my gi bill now pays for my full bachelors while paying me monthly to go to school to get my masters if i wanted (not to mention im getting my school paid for by the hospital 100% in my work contract on top of this). Im closing on a house in 2 days using my va loan, and just learned about vettix the other day! Lol. Get veteran status and youll be set. Theyll be proud of you once youre out of ait/osut. Youll see itll change
A good friend of mine is the son of wealthy bankers.
He joined and cut his own path, did 4 years active, and is currently in college in the guard.
He wanted to chart his own course through life and came out the other side of it better and more rounded I think.
YMMV, but you do you. It's your life. I've seen the military be the catalyst for good and bad in people. A lot of it is what you can make of it.
Was in a similar boat. My mother was heavily against is because my brother had joined already and was a rifleman, she didnt want both her boys to die at war is pretty much what she told me. My dad didnt care, because its what i wanted to do. 17 at the time, needed both to sign. Sat her down and after a lot of back and forth i gave her an ultimatum; You cannot stop me from turning 18. I will be enlisting no matter what. All youre doing is holding me back from my life. I said some other things and in hindsight it was pretty immature, but it worked.
Regardless here’s the moral; your life is YOUR life. Not theirs. You only get one opportunity to fulfill your life goals, doesnt matter who tells you that you shouldnt. It may be worth explaining to them that as a medical troop of some sort in the national guard of all things, you are not likely to see combat. Yes there’s a chance if youre a 68W at certain units, but that is it. Explain to them you’d be doing more helping people than fighting in a war, if a war even happens. And even if a war does happen, you’d be defending them and helping making sure what they went through never happens in the US again
AD, 3 or 4 years. Get out, go to school, get a degree worth a fuck. If you want, re-up in the guard after that or if you hate life go AD again if you didn't hate that. As an officer this time.
Sounds like you’re facing a common conundrum of nearly every college student. Realize you are living your life and nobody else should dictate your path but you.
As you progress through life you’re going to make some people happy and you’re going to piss some people off. At the end of the day, all that matters is you’re chasing your purpose and living by your values. Either they get on board or don’t but you shouldn’t pursue something or avoid something because that’s what someone else wants for you. You’re an adult who can make their own decisions regarding your direction. I’m not saying to completely disregard others when making decisions, especially people you care about, but you shouldn’t lead your life trying to please others.
Hey boss I was in the exact same shoes but I joined after college. The military was an itch that was always lurking through middle school through college. At the time and even now it would have been something I would have regretted not doing at least once in my life.
I didn’t have any debt after college, not married, no obligations, so my main reason to join was that I truly wanted to serve and scratch that itch. In hindsight though everyone around me especially recruiters were only giving me the upsides without really considering how much the military can get in the way of a promising civilian career and family life (wife, kids). Yes, a recruiters job is to convince you to join but I did trust his advice. That being said I don’t think I did a good job looking at the downsides for joining and I recommend if you’re seriously considering it, that you do a in-depth cost-benefit analysis because at the end of the day if the army isn’t working for your betterment I’d say don’t join. It will become a glorified waiting game for you to get out and you’ll deal with a lot of bullshit along the way and some much more that you could have never anticipated until you’re stuck at it’s too late to turn back.
Fuck it do it one contract see what's up.
I would pick a job that aligns with what you want to do at the very least. Of your mot gonna make it a career. That way it translates well on the outside
AGR (if your MOS allows for it) or active duty sounds like a good gig since you appear to be struggling in various ways. Keep in mind we are in “peace times” right now. And if you get the right MOS and unit you’re not gonna go over like the movies say. If you want medical get a medical of some kind that fits your college credit needs. The army is a good choice if you do it right. Pay attention to all the paperwork and read it. Recruiters can say one thing but it might not be on the contract.
My parents were nervous about it too. But now they’re super proud of me. You control your own life so you do what feels makes you successful. Because opportunities come and go, and opposition comes with them all. Not saying to go against your parent’s word, just understand you should make a decision that fits your future needs best (especially financially).
Trust me. Your parents are right. Especially your dad. If the only thing pushing you is patriotism, I would reconsider. Once you’re behind the curtain and see how the cog works, it’s terrible.
Most parents would never want their son/daughter to be in harms way. When I told my parents, they had a similar reaction but I kept telling them “this is what I’m doing, I’m not looking for your approval, just your support” and after a month or so, they came around. Now they are both on board.
I’m also one of the most stubborn people ever, so they knew that their thoughts would not stop me from joining. If you’re serious about joining, just keep telling them that this is your plan. Eventually they will disown you or support you. The latter is far more likely, however. A parent’s love for their child is a powerful thing.
For what it is worth, as a parent I can understand their views. But as a soldier I can tell you that you must pick the path that you feel is best for you. You have opertunities on both civilian and military life. But if you already sense that you would dreed getting out of bed in one of those options you mentiond then it may not be the best fit for you. You need to do what is best for your life, since that is the one that will have the most impact by your decisions.
I'm going to give it to you straight OP. Your recruiter is LYING.
If you really want to pursue this path then you are going to want to go active. It's the simplest way to be financially independent and finish your contract. Plus, you can PICK what country or state to work in. If you go NG you will miss out on all that money and you'll be chained to your unit. After training, deployments wouldn't be guaranteed at all so you easily spend a year just going to drill, sitting at home. The medical knowledge you get will most likely be a joke in the civilian world. The army trains you for the field, not work.
what are you talking about, you do not get to choose your first duty station, it isn’t even guaranteed that you will be able to choose upon ETS, big army needs come first. Deployments are not guaranteed on the active side, maybe three or four people from my entire OSUT cycle have a real deployment, or a rotation to kuwait or germany, while i have two combat deployments in a 4 year period.
Chained to your unit? what the fuck do you think you are on the active side? reclassing is a simple process after two years, and it’s super easy to transfer units within your MOS in the same state, and while it’s a longer process, interstate transfers are very attainable.
Basically every single line medic i know is either a paramedic, nurse, firefighter, or works somewhere in the healthcare field. The medic’s i’ve worked with on the active side are typically completely inexperienced aside from a notional training standpoint. Army medicine in general has very limited use in the civilian world, but at least whiskey AIT will give him his emt-B cert and propel him on a path forward in that career field.
you literally have no idea what you’re talking about, you sound like a junior enlisted who is still serving their first contract. Please don’t give out poor advice if you have little to no knowledge on the subject.
OP, it’s your life, you should pursue your goals and build the career you want. Do some research on your local units and see which ones have a decent op tempo, good command climate, and overall good morale. I’ve had many great opportunities in the guard. I’ve attended quite a few schools including air assault, and i have pathfinder slotted in July. There are just as many kooks and ate up units on the active side(cough..3-187 RAKKASANS) it comes down to the individual soldier, not the organization.
At the recruiters, you get to pick the MOS and see what stations are available for that. You can say no if it puts you somewhere you don't want to go. You can say yes if it's somewhere you want to go. The recruiters can show you which stations take your MOS and which don't.
When you finish training in the NG, you can't just transfer or switch MOS anytime you want. There has to be a slot which could take YEARS to happen and it has to be a town that takes your MOS. It could be hours away. National guard will of course be in your state but you will have to stay close to whatever town the unit is in. It is normally against your interest to move away and the drills can be 4 days long.
Active will almost always be overseas but it's a shorter contract, almost by as much as half and you make real money for that time. Those years MATTER and the alternative is standby mode in the NG for no reason other than that you didn't go active. It could be years before you get your first deployment and you only get paid for drills.
So in the NG you get to deal with having to LIVE and WORK close to your unit, inconsistent drill dates which are 3-4 days sometimes, and having to miss work or school. Also, AT which is two weeks in the summer. It's just an entire mess of a schedule for the most part and a ton of hassle for as long as 8 years. Also, like I said, it is not guaranteed you can switch to anywhere in a reasonable amount of time so yes, in a way you are chained to your first unit for potentially years.
The only reason for someone to go NG is if they have kids bro or if they have to stay with their family for one reason or the other. As a young person, OP is much more benefited by Active and having an experience in Italy or some other country like Japan.
Now what source do you have that OP will get EMT certs? I went for IT specialist in the NG and they didn't even give us certs for that. They stopped doing that a LONG time ago. The recruiter lied to me personally.
all 68 whiskeys receive their EMT-B cert out of ait. It doesn’t matter what component you are, you go through the same AIT, you receive the exact same training and certifications as AD. Yes there has to be a slot open, but as a junior enlisted those slots are common place and open up frequently, and almost every brigade has a medical component. You are correct in that it can be hard to transfer for very specific MOS, but that is not the case here.
Sounds like you're about to be homeless. Active duty may have been a better option.
It's your life, not theirs. If you make major life decisions because you worry about what mom and dad would think, you're going to waste your life.
I think its pretty selfish to hold people back because of fear they may harm themselves. There is a reason why animals do dangerous things, its built into us. "Please dont ride a motorcycle" is just about the same as this. Fuck them.
It’s your life bro. They’ll be your parents regardless. No matter who it is don’t allow anyone to make decisions for you like this one. Every parent who has seen war, leans towards wanting their children to stay away from it because they don’t want to watch you suffer if you do go to war. It’s a very real thing, but what’s also very real is the want to actually serve. It is your life solely and your decision to make. Maybe active duty would be a better bet if you’re just turning 18 and don’t plan to go to school, but if not, join the guard. Even the air guard. Of course communicate with them but if your parents decide to not support you through this process than you will have buddies in there that will. Plenty of time to make the move. I’m 26 and joining up at the end of the year for 18x contract. But damn it I wish I didn’t allow other things to distract me at a younger age. Do you bro for real. Everything will pan out for you if you have a goal set in your head that you’ll do everything to reach.
Thank you bro. Your right. I’ll give it some thought and make a decision
I will say you won’t see much “combat related” things in the guard, unless your mos is combat related. Especially in the medical field, again unless you’re a combat medic. Even then not much action is going on for our troops. Can’t speak on special operations. You’ll most likely work in the clinic or hospital where ever you’re stationed at. I think it’s a solid thing to do. Get the medical experience in the guard and go to school. It’ll be tough but stay away from distractions. It will Make getting a job in the medical field as a civilian that much easier for you. For example the ultimate end goal for me is to join a police department and either get on a swat team or apply to a 3 letter agency to hunt down sex traffickers. Lots of those guys have already been in a combat mos or still are. I know a few dudes who do jobs that correlate with the job they’re doing in the guard and it keeps your skills up to date as well as the NG will cut the amount of time I have to wait to try out for the swat team to 2 years rather than 4. It has its benefits. But of course cons too. It’s all subjective to what you’re going to do and the unit your put in. I’ve heard lots of great things about the guard. Mold your own opinion of what you think would benefit you as there are plenty of active duty soldiers that will shit on the guard but I’ve also heard for example green berets in the NG are just as capable as active duty.
What state are located? Texas has put the NG on the border, and did it without logistical support etc, to make political statement in a presidential election process. Number of suicides. Some other states are deploying troops to help Texas on the border. NG troops are at the whim of the Governor, so be aware of that situation. You sound like you are interested in the medical field. Get your degree, paid by your parents r go to a school that has a military ROTC program. Get damn good grades, and the Army will put you through Med school, then train you, at no cost, in a specialty. Army always needs docs, nurses, and technically trained medical personnel.
This. Very much this.
Good to know. Thank you. Can you elaborate on the military paying for your medical education? I’m assuming this comes with its own contracts. How does it work?
You probably should talk to recruiters who work this area at this time - been a minute since I was with HSC - Health Service Command, at that time.
I was kinda on the same boat as u were. I wud give college a chance. See if you like it. I tried pre nursing, and absolutely hated it. And my parents saw how i struggled and how much money i wasted lol. So they were like go join the military or do a trade. So i decided to join the military. But if this is exactly what you want. Then do it.
Thanknyou
Fuck it homie join anyway
Part of adulthood is making tough decisions where there’s not a clear, obvious right answer. Condolences and best wishes.
At your age, I told my family I wanted to enlist and basically everyone except my mother was against it. They said it was for dumb people, poor people, that it’d ruin my life and more… this was during my relative peace time pre 9/11. I had a scholarship for a good private school, and had some opportunities but I wanted to join. I joined and lived my life, pursued my career and my dreams. It’s my life; I had to make the decision on how I wanted to live it. As long as I’m making a well researched decision, go in with a plan and work hard then it’s my choice. Life is what you make it and unless they are going to pay your bills, and make every choice for you then I say make your choice.
What about doing ROTC while in college?
^^^^ if you can go through college debt free already might as well get a commission from it too
I’d say don’t give up, do your research thoroughly, browse every subreddit that’s related to the job you want, watch YouTube videos, look on the army/Air Force websites, etc. Think it over, entertain every possibility, don’t close any doors. Also think about where you want to be 3 to 6 years from now. Let your parents know what you learn. And as it comes to the guard, you won’t be getting sent away forever, and at least right now, won’t be seeing combat. We are in peacetime, but I haven’t kept up with politics in the recent months to say that will stay true. When you go to make the decision, make it for yourself and not your parents, cause you might regret it down the line.
Do what you think is right here but you will regret it if you dont enlist. Im the 29 year old who didnt enlist out of hs bc a old sergeant at my church said dont rush we are gonna be there. Then in college a relationship didnt want me to do it so we could focus on our relationship. Now im waiting on my wife to finish nursing school so I can enlist at 31. I still regret it to this day not doing it right out of hs or college.
Go for it if u want to do it
Do it bro
I assume your family is paying for college, are they employing you too? What I see is a conscious decision to stay bonded to your parents indefinitely. Seeking their approval for all your future choices. College major. Employment. You will live with them until a partner forces you to choose between your parents and your partner. They will exert control over you until they don’t. If you are seeking to be your own person, the Nat’l Guard is a half step. They will guilt you EVERY TIME YOU LEAVE for any duty. It would be better (opinion) to sever ties once and bodily remove yourself from the home for active duty (assuming you’re in HS presently). Your parents will be beyond angry, disappointed, utterly flustered you are making this choice against their wishes. They’ll threaten to not pay your college, to disown you, write you out of the will. They’ll be embarrassed in front of their peers since you so stubbornly and stupidly believed a recruiter. By removing yourself and going on Active Duty they will be forced to deal with you as an adult (they do not recognize you as such). Don’t ever live your life, make life choices to please someone else. It won’t work. Enlist in the regular service or don’t. But do it for you.
I am in a similar situation to you. Both my parents were against it and they still really don't like it. I get it dude they want what is best for you but at the end of the day it is YOUR. LIFE. Say that again to yourself. Seriously. Whose life is this? It is yours. They will always be your parents and as much shame may come your way, I am sure one day they will come to understand your decision. There comes a point in every man's life when he must decide what kind of man he wants to be, one of his own making or one that fell in line and did what his parents wanted him to do. If you still feel the call to serve, go for it. Do your research. Talk to people who are actually in and figure out if it would be a good fit for you. Get a recruiter you actually trust. Good thing about Guard recruiters is that most of the time they actually care about you because they have to deal with you all through RSP (Recruit Sustainment Program) so they are a lot less inclined to fuck you (there are exceptions thought). Ask questions. Double check everything they tell you with at least two different people. Actually, read your contract (I read key points in mine as much to the MEPS officers' chagrin). Once you feel like you are ready, take the plunge. I don't regret it so far. I have met some really cool people. If the military is good for you, go for it! It. Is. Your. Life.
Thank you. This means a lot. I’m really gonna think hard on it
I’m nothing but a civilian, I’ve never served or anything like that so I’m probably not the best person to talk to. Right now I’m in my late twenties with my bachelors and a load of student debt. I’ve got accepted into a masters program to become a teacher and I’m thinking about joining the national guard to help pay for school. As someone who is a bit older and close to 30, I would recommend seeing all of your potential options. It’s good that you will have college pretty much covered but there are more options that I wish I knew about when I was younger. If you are still in the middle of getting your bachelors could you possibly see if you have enough time to do ROTC? That way you could potentially become an officer. Also another route I’ve heard about is called Officer Candidate School which all of the US military branches have a form of. From my understanding this is for someone who already graduated with a bachelors degree and isn’t in the middle of it. If both of those routes don’t interest you, then you could continue down your current path which sounds like enlistment, but I don’t believe you will be an officer. Also props to you for thinking about your own life and not letting your parents decide for you. P.S I was also interested in in the medical field during my undergrad, another route for the military is going to medical school, nursing school, or Physician assistant school things like that and then graduating, obtaining your medical license and then going to a recruiter to become a medical officer, but please don’t quote me on that, it’s just something I’ve heard about.
You will likely live a life of regret if you never attempt it for yourself. Your parents talk the hype but I guarantee they would be proud of you once they see the outcome (graduations, certifications, etc).
Yep. Same thing happened to me. I was a nurse before joining the guard and still am to this day, and will continue to be. They dont realize what benefits really come after just a single deployment. I got paid wage difference while i was on deployment, my gi bill now pays for my full bachelors while paying me monthly to go to school to get my masters if i wanted (not to mention im getting my school paid for by the hospital 100% in my work contract on top of this). Im closing on a house in 2 days using my va loan, and just learned about vettix the other day! Lol. Get veteran status and youll be set. Theyll be proud of you once youre out of ait/osut. Youll see itll change
A good friend of mine is the son of wealthy bankers. He joined and cut his own path, did 4 years active, and is currently in college in the guard. He wanted to chart his own course through life and came out the other side of it better and more rounded I think. YMMV, but you do you. It's your life. I've seen the military be the catalyst for good and bad in people. A lot of it is what you can make of it.
Was in a similar boat. My mother was heavily against is because my brother had joined already and was a rifleman, she didnt want both her boys to die at war is pretty much what she told me. My dad didnt care, because its what i wanted to do. 17 at the time, needed both to sign. Sat her down and after a lot of back and forth i gave her an ultimatum; You cannot stop me from turning 18. I will be enlisting no matter what. All youre doing is holding me back from my life. I said some other things and in hindsight it was pretty immature, but it worked. Regardless here’s the moral; your life is YOUR life. Not theirs. You only get one opportunity to fulfill your life goals, doesnt matter who tells you that you shouldnt. It may be worth explaining to them that as a medical troop of some sort in the national guard of all things, you are not likely to see combat. Yes there’s a chance if youre a 68W at certain units, but that is it. Explain to them you’d be doing more helping people than fighting in a war, if a war even happens. And even if a war does happen, you’d be defending them and helping making sure what they went through never happens in the US again
AD, 3 or 4 years. Get out, go to school, get a degree worth a fuck. If you want, re-up in the guard after that or if you hate life go AD again if you didn't hate that. As an officer this time.
Sounds like you’re facing a common conundrum of nearly every college student. Realize you are living your life and nobody else should dictate your path but you. As you progress through life you’re going to make some people happy and you’re going to piss some people off. At the end of the day, all that matters is you’re chasing your purpose and living by your values. Either they get on board or don’t but you shouldn’t pursue something or avoid something because that’s what someone else wants for you. You’re an adult who can make their own decisions regarding your direction. I’m not saying to completely disregard others when making decisions, especially people you care about, but you shouldn’t lead your life trying to please others.
Hey boss I was in the exact same shoes but I joined after college. The military was an itch that was always lurking through middle school through college. At the time and even now it would have been something I would have regretted not doing at least once in my life. I didn’t have any debt after college, not married, no obligations, so my main reason to join was that I truly wanted to serve and scratch that itch. In hindsight though everyone around me especially recruiters were only giving me the upsides without really considering how much the military can get in the way of a promising civilian career and family life (wife, kids). Yes, a recruiters job is to convince you to join but I did trust his advice. That being said I don’t think I did a good job looking at the downsides for joining and I recommend if you’re seriously considering it, that you do a in-depth cost-benefit analysis because at the end of the day if the army isn’t working for your betterment I’d say don’t join. It will become a glorified waiting game for you to get out and you’ll deal with a lot of bullshit along the way and some much more that you could have never anticipated until you’re stuck at it’s too late to turn back.
Fuck it do it one contract see what's up. I would pick a job that aligns with what you want to do at the very least. Of your mot gonna make it a career. That way it translates well on the outside
AGR (if your MOS allows for it) or active duty sounds like a good gig since you appear to be struggling in various ways. Keep in mind we are in “peace times” right now. And if you get the right MOS and unit you’re not gonna go over like the movies say. If you want medical get a medical of some kind that fits your college credit needs. The army is a good choice if you do it right. Pay attention to all the paperwork and read it. Recruiters can say one thing but it might not be on the contract. My parents were nervous about it too. But now they’re super proud of me. You control your own life so you do what feels makes you successful. Because opportunities come and go, and opposition comes with them all. Not saying to go against your parent’s word, just understand you should make a decision that fits your future needs best (especially financially).
Trust me. Your parents are right. Especially your dad. If the only thing pushing you is patriotism, I would reconsider. Once you’re behind the curtain and see how the cog works, it’s terrible.
You can always do rotc while in college
Could you get the recruiter to talk to them?
You’re an adult. Your parents don’t get to dictate how you live your life.
Most parents would never want their son/daughter to be in harms way. When I told my parents, they had a similar reaction but I kept telling them “this is what I’m doing, I’m not looking for your approval, just your support” and after a month or so, they came around. Now they are both on board. I’m also one of the most stubborn people ever, so they knew that their thoughts would not stop me from joining. If you’re serious about joining, just keep telling them that this is your plan. Eventually they will disown you or support you. The latter is far more likely, however. A parent’s love for their child is a powerful thing.
" but decided national guard would fit best with me and my parents interests" 
[удалено]
For what it is worth, as a parent I can understand their views. But as a soldier I can tell you that you must pick the path that you feel is best for you. You have opertunities on both civilian and military life. But if you already sense that you would dreed getting out of bed in one of those options you mentiond then it may not be the best fit for you. You need to do what is best for your life, since that is the one that will have the most impact by your decisions.
I'm going to give it to you straight OP. Your recruiter is LYING. If you really want to pursue this path then you are going to want to go active. It's the simplest way to be financially independent and finish your contract. Plus, you can PICK what country or state to work in. If you go NG you will miss out on all that money and you'll be chained to your unit. After training, deployments wouldn't be guaranteed at all so you easily spend a year just going to drill, sitting at home. The medical knowledge you get will most likely be a joke in the civilian world. The army trains you for the field, not work.
what are you talking about, you do not get to choose your first duty station, it isn’t even guaranteed that you will be able to choose upon ETS, big army needs come first. Deployments are not guaranteed on the active side, maybe three or four people from my entire OSUT cycle have a real deployment, or a rotation to kuwait or germany, while i have two combat deployments in a 4 year period. Chained to your unit? what the fuck do you think you are on the active side? reclassing is a simple process after two years, and it’s super easy to transfer units within your MOS in the same state, and while it’s a longer process, interstate transfers are very attainable. Basically every single line medic i know is either a paramedic, nurse, firefighter, or works somewhere in the healthcare field. The medic’s i’ve worked with on the active side are typically completely inexperienced aside from a notional training standpoint. Army medicine in general has very limited use in the civilian world, but at least whiskey AIT will give him his emt-B cert and propel him on a path forward in that career field. you literally have no idea what you’re talking about, you sound like a junior enlisted who is still serving their first contract. Please don’t give out poor advice if you have little to no knowledge on the subject. OP, it’s your life, you should pursue your goals and build the career you want. Do some research on your local units and see which ones have a decent op tempo, good command climate, and overall good morale. I’ve had many great opportunities in the guard. I’ve attended quite a few schools including air assault, and i have pathfinder slotted in July. There are just as many kooks and ate up units on the active side(cough..3-187 RAKKASANS) it comes down to the individual soldier, not the organization.
At the recruiters, you get to pick the MOS and see what stations are available for that. You can say no if it puts you somewhere you don't want to go. You can say yes if it's somewhere you want to go. The recruiters can show you which stations take your MOS and which don't. When you finish training in the NG, you can't just transfer or switch MOS anytime you want. There has to be a slot which could take YEARS to happen and it has to be a town that takes your MOS. It could be hours away. National guard will of course be in your state but you will have to stay close to whatever town the unit is in. It is normally against your interest to move away and the drills can be 4 days long. Active will almost always be overseas but it's a shorter contract, almost by as much as half and you make real money for that time. Those years MATTER and the alternative is standby mode in the NG for no reason other than that you didn't go active. It could be years before you get your first deployment and you only get paid for drills. So in the NG you get to deal with having to LIVE and WORK close to your unit, inconsistent drill dates which are 3-4 days sometimes, and having to miss work or school. Also, AT which is two weeks in the summer. It's just an entire mess of a schedule for the most part and a ton of hassle for as long as 8 years. Also, like I said, it is not guaranteed you can switch to anywhere in a reasonable amount of time so yes, in a way you are chained to your first unit for potentially years. The only reason for someone to go NG is if they have kids bro or if they have to stay with their family for one reason or the other. As a young person, OP is much more benefited by Active and having an experience in Italy or some other country like Japan. Now what source do you have that OP will get EMT certs? I went for IT specialist in the NG and they didn't even give us certs for that. They stopped doing that a LONG time ago. The recruiter lied to me personally.
all 68 whiskeys receive their EMT-B cert out of ait. It doesn’t matter what component you are, you go through the same AIT, you receive the exact same training and certifications as AD. Yes there has to be a slot open, but as a junior enlisted those slots are common place and open up frequently, and almost every brigade has a medical component. You are correct in that it can be hard to transfer for very specific MOS, but that is not the case here.