Well, Im going to start from the beginning. That way you all can see were im coming from and and can give a fair opinion based on the info.
Right now, Im 19 (Sept. 22nd), I am currently one class away from my diploma because the homeschooling place that i went to decided to neglect a a months worth of school work and forgot to send me my next class' the two months after that, So right now Im behind thanx to them. I have completed one year of dual enrollment in college, and im looking at going to an art college by the name of Full Sail. The tuition there is almost 80,000 for two years and a bachelors (noot including living expenses).
About two years ago I decided that I wanted to join the military. Specifically the Navy (lke my step father) so that I could join the SEALs. So I trained my ass of at the age of 16 for about 6 months, in that time got into serious shape, could run 5 miles without even losing breath, could crank out 60 pushups in a min., 80crunches in a min, etc. I trained my ass off by my self with my own motivation to succeed. During that time i had joined a SEAL forum and had been talking to these guys for a while. Well, one day it finally acccured to me that my childhood asthma could keep me from my goal. So i researched and found that only if you had it after the age of 12 would it effect you. Well, bad news. I had received several inhalers since i was 12. I never really needed them but when one would expire i would get another just incase i ever needed it.
So I posted on the SEAL forum about it and they all flat out said that the Navy would not except me much less let me test in Bud/s. Needless to say, I was destroyed. I had convinced my parents why i wanted to go, trained, talked about it every day for 6 months straight ALL FOR NOTHING! It got me pretty depressed, and I felt like I was being forced into the collared/career/college route because that was the "only right" decision and not to mention my arents have made it clear I would be considered a failure if I didnt go. So I went back to my childhood career dream of working in the movies. So at 18 i went through the trouble *by my self* of enrolling my self into this art college. I drove myself 3 hours to visit this school, have talked to the reps. and have worked through most of the enrollment/financial proccess BY MYSELF! My motherhas talked to a rep ONE time and that was to tell him i wasnt home at the moment. So far Im scheduled to start my term of permanent Debt on the 29th of January.
Not so fast.
After hearing and reading what a lot of the military guys have had to say, Im wanting to join now more than I ever did. Right now, Im considering either the Air Force or the Marines.
So my delimia is Im sure exactly the same as a few of yours were. I really have never wanted to go to college but my parents seem hell bent on making me go to college (even though i dont get any financial help from them). So im really stuck, I really want to join the military and have a career in it but my parents have made it clear that that would be EXTREMELY dissappointing to them if I did not go to college. I guess im not really looking for an answer, just looking for some brotherly advice I guess.
Basically the reasons that i want to join are the same as everbodies. I want to serve my country and help defend our freedom plus i want to travel the world. If i go this route then I plan on making this a career, not just a 4 years then im out.
My physical condition is in pretty good shape. Im going to be competing in a triathlon sprint next month and a 26 miles marathon two weeks after that. So i am more than capable of completeing the boot camp training with flying colors.
For instance on the SERE website, part of the test is to swim 200 m. I swim 1.5 miles every saturday. and have swam 2 max. 200m to me is like a dip in the pool to rinse off. Running is obviously going to be easy, dont really have to do biking but If I ever had to I can pump out 38 miles in just over 2 hours (and that was with hills and a constent head wind at 8 mph). So Im pretty confident in that aspect but as far as my academics go. I suck at math. My last class that I have righ now is Algebra II and its extremely hard trying to teach your self much less trying to teach your self that.
Now im gonna go have a beer cause that took a lot ot of me. Thanx for your time guys.
well justin, if you join the air force (depending on your work hours and mission requirements) you can go to school at the same time. and if you join the marines, well, ask nick. but you seem pretty determined so i would say military for sure. do it while you're young and you never know, you could really love it, make it a career, and become the next CMSAF or something like that or retire before you're 40. and you'll have the oppurtunity to go to school. it's encouraged that you do actually. there's alot of different options but IMHO i think the military is one of the best. pfft, there's nothing else i can think of that i could get as much pride out of doing as i do now.
oh, well i read some of it, i never wanted to go to college either, but now im a family man, and doing deployments isnt something i look forward to anymore. however, having not gone to college, i dont have anything but experience to offer the civilian community, and going jobless with a family is one of the scariest things i can think of.
what? who said anything about being a seal? f-that man, those ****ers are crazy man.
just saying he trained his ass off for seals to be let down. if he was motivated to push him self through that kind of training at that age, then he can push him self through college. im just saying, ive been in for 15 and some change. im at the point where i should be thinking of retirement. instead im thinking of getting out. i have an associates in general bs. yeah i can still go to school finish my bachelors, but i dont have the time. im on shore duty at a command that works like they are out on deloyment. i have a wife and kids who fight each other for my time when i am home. i will agree with your parents and say go to school, get an education FIRST, while you can. it is your life like you said, the choice is yours. but as i stated earlier, go to school, get a degree, come in as an officer, get a fat sign on bonus and get your schooling paid for by the gov't. do your six years of obliserve time and if you like it stay in, if not you have a degree to fall back on to at least make some decent cheese my friend!
this is my opinion, but you make your own mind up. military is a fine choice, but i wish i had the opportunity to go to school prior to joining, so that would be out the way. good luck with your decision.
just saying he trained his ass off for seals to be let down. if he was motivated to push him self through that kind of training at that age, then he can push him self through college. im just saying, ive been in for 15 and some change. im at the point where i should be thinking of retirement. instead im thinking of getting out. i have an associates in general bs. yeah i can still go to school finish my bachelors, but i dont have the time. im on shore duty at a command that works like they are out on deloyment. i have a wife and kids who fight each other for my time when i am home. i will agree with your parents and say go to school, get an education FIRST, while you can. it is your life like you said, the choice is yours. but as i stated earlier, go to school, get a degree, come in as an officer, get a fat sign on bonus and get your schooling paid for by the gov't. do your six years of obliserve time and if you like it stay in, if not you have a degree to fall back on to at least make some decent cheese my friend!
this is my opinion, but you make your own mind up. military is a fine choice, but i wish i had the opportunity to go to school prior to joining, so that would be out the way. good luck with your decision.
Thanx for your advice, its a good perspective to look at.
college first military later. go to school then if you want join the military become an officer and let the nav or whoever pay your student loans. my .02 having 15 years in. if you dont go now while you are motivated you will probably never go, schedules are hectic and it will take you a long time to get even an associates while in the service. i just got my associates last year. im 34, wife, 2 kids. barely have time to ride much less go to school and im on shore duty in the middle of nowhere.
Well, im 19 so i really dont have to worry about the "jobless with a family", second, some people are just ment for the military and some are just ment to do it and add it as another notch to their belt. Me im more of the first, just trying to make sure the water isnt to deep before I jump in, if ya know what i mean.
Hybrid Mode
