[Sandwich]

So I'm graduating college at the end of this month, and real life is rapidly approaching. I've got to figure out what the hell to do with it. I'm not sure I'm ready for the whole "work, buy things, ask for raise, buy more things, ask for promotion, buy extra things, work work work" cycle just yet. Originally I was going to work for a while then go to grad school, but right now I just don't want to get back in college. I love biology (my degree), but lab work is pretty tedious, and I think i'd rather be calling the shots then performing them, which requires more than a BS. So I'm not really sure what I want to do with myself now that I'm "on my own".

Which leads me to the Navy. Where I'm from, the armed forces are pretty much considered a last resort. I didn't give it much thought when I graduated high school, and nobody I know entered the military except for one kid who went to the naval academy. Anyways, I've always been fascinated with the SEALs, as they are elite physically but also mentally. Additionally, their training is some of the hardest to pass.

I'm pretty fit, getting back into it after slacking off for a couple years, I have good joints etc, and pretty decent eyesight. I swim like a fish and can run alright too. I think that I would like having a disciplined life style- I find that I get less done and procrastinate more when I'm on my own. I'm thinking the Navy could help that. I think it would be a bit of an adventure, too, and I would put off real life for a few more years while I decide what I really want to do. I don't really have a lot of faith in the government (GW), and I'm not a huge fan of the Iraq war, but I'm not a big opponent either.

Anyways, I'm kind of ranting. I'm not going to base a final decision on anybody's comments here, but it would be nice to hear some insight or advice on making this kind of a decision. Anybody BTDT?

 

[manimal]

uhhh...you don't just sign up for the seals. you have to pick a normal job then tryout for it. you have to go into it knowing that the attrition rate for BUDS training is extremely high and if you don't make it, you'll be back in your originally assigned job.

just some food for thought

 

[TheMontashu]

if you do make sure you wont have to carry that piece of crap M9 barreta i would never trust that with my life

 

[Sandwich]

I know...but you can sign up for the SEAL challenge which allows you to accelerate through boot camp and head directly to BUD/s. You can try again, too, but I don't question my ability to stick with it; the only way I'd fail is if I really didn't want to be there or was physically unable. I don't really "quit".

 

[dexter]

out of all the positions to volunteer for i think the seals is the most elite (like you said) and most looked up upon. I have been thinking lately if I ever get any taller about going through seal training and seeing what happens from there. It is hard as balls though, my cousin played football since he could walk, was all state in high school and got a scholarship to CU from St Louis but got kicked off for a dui. he jioned the seals as a last resort and went through training and just barely passed. He was already huge and in awesome shape but he said it wasnt **** compared to what type of shape you need to be in. just hope if you do make it you dont get sent to afganistan, hope its cool missions like in germany or japan (the ones we never hear about)

 

[blue]

hope its cool missions like in germany or japan (the ones we never hear about)

Somebody reads too much Tom Clancy...

 

[NineFingers]

Anyways, I'm kind of ranting. I'm not going to base a final decision on anybody's comments here, but it would be nice to hear some insight or advice on making this kind of a decision. Anybody BTDT?

Having joined the Navy myself back in 97 for the same reason you are dealing with, I'd say go for it. I got out in 2001, did four years and don't regret it. I did then, but now I sometimes wish I was back in. Seals is tough, but I'm sure you know all about it if your contemplating it. I won't go into great detail, but make sure you choose the right career field when you go through meps, pick something you'd like to do and if you don't make BUDS, then you have a job to do that you "LIKE". It's alot better than thinking you'll make BUDS 100% and don't, then get stuck scrubbing decks and painting for the next few years... The military is systematic, it has set time frames, rules, and regulations that make it work like a clock. If you stay within those rules, regulations and time frames, then you can go very far, it's the people who do foolish things that get them a black mark on their permanent record that we all have electronically. I personally went into boot camp with a similar mentality, but different goals. Just have a fall back plan if you attempt it because once you sign, your in, period. It's not a bad deal if your on cue with the system, but if your off track, it can be your worst nightmare. I personally got out what I set out to get, and in exchange, I served a role for a four year period.

I'd say go for it, you only got one life to live, and if your up for an adventure, you can rest assure BUDS is it.

 

[-dustin]

i've got a friend who became a SEAL. of the 9000 people in my hometown, i think maybe 1 or 2 thought he'd pass. pie in all of our faces.

 

[NineFingers]

I've met a few seals, roomed(in a dorm) next to some PJ's(the airforce equivilant), and hung out drinking beers with them. They are a unique bunch, the dedicated of the dedicated! Most the guys I met were very on top of their game, more so than anyone I had met in the past. I think it's an awesome training program, and the few who make it through, become a different breed of human. Not by some brainwash theory or any of that crap, but fined tuned humans who function with a different perspective. Kind of like the difference between your weekend warrior DH guys, and the guys who work at whistler to just be at whistler to get in 15-20 runs top to bottom a day. Just dedicated individuals with fine tuned skillz! Good luck if yah do it bro, my hats tipped.

 

[Transcend]

i thinkt he comparison is more apt to be the weekend warriors and nicolas vouilloz. Not the other weekend warriors who just happen to have trust funds.

On that note: I know exactly one SEAL, and a few rangers and one combat weatherman. (Do NOT talk **** about combat weathermen...these guys are the heart beat of special ops). They are like SEAL computer nerds..my heroes!

The seal is about the most "in tune" person I have ever met. If a squirrel knocks againts something outside, his ears perk up. It is crazy being around him, he is so in tune and aware of his environment it can be frightening - and to think it is all automatic.

If you do go for it - I wish you all the luck.

 

[Silver]

You better be more than just an "ok" runner...

 

[Jayridesacove]

I know...but you can sign up for the SEAL challenge which allows you to accelerate through boot camp and head directly to BUD/s. You can try again, too, but I don't question my ability to stick with it; the only way I'd fail is if I really didn't want to be there or was physically unable. I don't really "quit".

Don't believe everything the recruiters tell you.

I know from 4.5 years in the Marine Corps. I had a blast during my tour, I've been stationed in Hawaii and Okinawa, I've been deployed to Korea, Austrailia and Thailand. But with all the good times, come the sh**y times. There is a lot of crap you put up with on a day to day basis. All the crap you can't see in a recruiting video.

It will be especially tough if you even make it and then graduate BUDS. SEALs operational tempo is pretty demanding, you'll be deployed - alot. If you ever got homesick during college, you're better off not even trying.

As far as BUDS training goes, it's insane. The only Marine Corps training I know of that is close to that intensity is during the indoctrination for Marine Force Recon.

Navy basic training is like taking a trip to disneyland compared to the first week of BUDS training.

As far as running, you'd better start out running 6-10 miles to get back in shape. Minimum of 6.

And how fast can you run 3 miles?

 

[Silver]

Don't believe everything the recruiters tell you.

You mean it's not all golf and snowboarding?

 

[Jayridesacove]

You mean it's not all golf and snowboarding?

Maybe in the Air Force.

 

[Jayridesacove]

Oh and get used to being cold, wet and tired; sleep deprivation is mandatory.

 

[NineFingers]

Oh and get used to being cold, wet and tired; sleep deprivation is mandatory.

Yep, what Jayridesacove said is true, it's the harsh reality of it all. Any of the special forces are elite, it's just that the Seals has the most elite training known to man. The combat controler field is exactly as described, trained military personnel to serve the uplink and downlink, prepare perimeters, etc etc. Those guys are every bit as important as you'd think, and then some. Think of Seals as elite force with occupational specialties. Not only are you the most fine tuned fighting force known to man, but you also have a professional specialty to perform at the same time.(Combat Controllers, Medics, Officer tactical commander's, etc)

If you have a bachelor's though, I'd look at officer training programs and doing the excellerated Seals program through that, enlisted personnel are the trusted back bone of the military force, but why not try and score some decent pay if you meet the criteria. Just don't fall into that bullsh!t line that officers are better than enlisted or you'll learn just how fast you are not in control hmm hmm hmm...

 

[zane]

As mentioned before, the military has it's good times and it's crappy times. The army training I've been through was pretty easy, but it's nowhere near the training seals have to go through. I can say is there's a lot of BS associtaed with the cool training, but if you're really set on it mentally it makes things easier. A positive attitude will take you very far in military training....

 

[DRB]

60% of all BUD/s trainees drop on request or quit. So you say you wouldn't quit....but the odds say different. The graduation rate out of the indoctrination and the three phases is about 20% to 25%.

Don't underestimate how bad it sucks to spend 200 to 250 days a year in the field at that sort of level. Sleeping in the mud and the dirt if sleeping at all. It will wear you quick.

 

[riderx]

I think i'd rather be calling the shots then performing them

Then what are you thinking about the military for??? Guess who won't be calling the shots.

Just because you are graduating doesn't mean you need to do all of the things you described.

 

[MikeD]

If you're going to join the military, do it because you want to join the military, not *just* be a SEAL. You may not become a SEAL through no fault of your own (injury, medical condition, whatever) and be stuck, as has been mentioned. Or you may find that SEAL training is beyond the threshold you can't cross...don't casually say "I won't quit, because I'm not that kind of person" until you're having your cluster pinned on your chest. You haven't been there, so stay humble and quiet until you've overcome the obstacle (and hopefully afterward, as well...)

You might consider a different path, because if you join the Navy, there are precious few other "cool guy" jobs to fall back into. Maybe you could become a corpsman (medic/"doc"), then try to go through Special Amphibious Recon Corpsman training to work with the Marine Force Recon community, but that's about all I can think of. Although as a doc, you'll get to work with the regular USMC community, too.

Anyhow, joining the Marines or Army might be a better choice, so you can become a regular grunt, then step up to Ranger, SF, Recon/Force Recon, whatever, without the possibility of becoming a non-rated Navy puke scuzzing paint off a bulkhead. More career choices in the general direction of what you're looking at. Then again, being a lance corporal rifleman in a grunt battalion might piss you off, too, after your 30th working party of the week in 115 degree 29 Palms heat, working to the wonderful scent of sewage blowing in the hot breeze off "Lake Bandini."

Also take a hard look at officer training vs. enlisted. You might find being an officer puts you in a place more favorable to your wishes to "call the shots," and gives better benefits to boot (more conducive to happiness, given that even officers don't make a heck of a lot.) Like Zane said, it's not a "better person" thing, but a question of what role you want to play.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

...I think that I would like having a disciplined life style- I find that I get less done and procrastinate more when I'm on my own...

So you feel the need to have an institution take responsibility for your life?

Not recommended.

 

[Jayridesacove]

If you "want to call the shots" like you mention, you will not like the enlisted side at all. We are working men.

Go for an officer program if you want to supervise.

 

[golgiaparatus]

If thats what you want to do with your life then do it... but dont just be like "I've always thought the seals were neat, maybe I'll give that a shot" Your going to have to dedicate yourself to it FULLY and see it as a far away goal... your not just going into the Seals right away. You gotta be Pvt Sandwich first.

 

[N8 v2.0]

My advice (from a 13 year Navy vet):
Link: http://www.answers.com/topic/u-s-navy-seals

1. If you have a degree, see if you can go in as an officer. In the Navy, officers have a lot of responsibility (vs. officers in the Air Force) but they also get a lot more respect. Officers are treated as the upper class of the Navy's hierarchy. Not only will you get a lot more pay (a Lt (O-3) can knock down $60k counting pay, BAQ, COMRATS, etc), but you will have a much better quality of life at the BOQ than you would at the BEQ. The Seals have officers too, so you can still try out for them.

2. If you enlist, go into a 'trade' field (something you can do as a civilian). A lot of recruits sign up to be torpedo man only to discover that there isn't any demand for those skills out side the military. If you like construction, and don't want to be stuck at sea for months at a time, I recommend the SeaBees. SeaBees are the combat engineers for the Navy and are live more like Marines than swabbies. In the Bees you can become a carpenter, steelworker, electrician, plumber, etc.

3. Navy Seals: I have known several Seals and one thing about them is they are not huge muscle-bound 'foot-ball' types. They are usually lean like swimmers/tri-geeks. Physical strength and endurance is not something that makes a successful Seal. What does make a successful Seal is unwavering Mental Strength. They NEVER quit no matter what the stress level is around them.... no matter how bad the pain is... they never ever quit. There are less than 1% us who have this ability. You might have it, but odds are you don’t. However, you never know until you try.

Hope you do make it though! Anyone who wears a "Budwiser" pinned to their chest, has the respect of all men.

 

[BikeGeek]

If I were a member of an elite fighting unit, I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be going into the types of situations they do with a guy who was there as a "last resort." Do it because you want it, not because you don't want to do something else.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Shave my head and live with men.....................where do I sign



Actually I have a buddy who was a Seal, he told me some pretty cool stuff.

 

[MMike]

Can you balance a ball on your nose? Do you like fish? If you answered YES! then it's for you.

 

[Echo]

I hate to say it but I agree with N8. If you have a degree go in as an officer. You'll get way more money, deal with way less bullsh!t, and have way more opportunities as far as what you do with your time in the service.

It would be completely insane to go in enlisted when you have the opportunity to go in officer.

 

[sayndesyn]

I realize the "glamour" of the Navy SEAL via hollywood movies is why people tend to think of them as the most elite of the elite, but don't look past the AF. If you look at the training attrition stats the Pararescue career field is actually more "elite" and you will be already an accomplished combat medic (during school you serve as a paramedic in inner cities so you can get used to treating gunshot victims), SF certified closed/open circuit scuba diver, halo jumper, etc by the time you graduate from the almost 3 year school. Whereas already pinned SEAL's have to fight to get slots in the HALO school, it is part of the AF Spec Ops pipeline. I guess you have to make the choice whether you prefer your primary mission to be more lethal in nature, or take on the PJ creed "That others may live". Both are highly respected and vital to the SpecOps community, but just because Charlie Scheen isn't in a PJ movie doesn't meen that they aren't at the top. Oh and the AF is much better at taking care of it's troops in terms of pay, living quarters etc. Trust me cause I've taken two joint military classes..

 

[Jayridesacove]

That's because the Air Force sucks out all of the funding for the DOD Budget! They have more money than all the other services.

Compare BEQ on an Air Force Base to the one's on a Marine Corps base.

It's like the Waldorf Astoria compared to the Budget Inn.

And this pay thing...

I don't know where you guys get your numbers from but all Armed forces base pay is the same for all the services. A single E-4 with 4 years service in the Marines, gets the same as an E-4 in any of the other services. To include the time in grade. Obviously this does not count for the married individuals with kids, comrats, etc.

 

[I Are Baboon]

Interesting thread (yes, I read it all). I watched a Discovery Channel show on SEAL training, and that was enough to convince me it's not for me.

 

[Jayridesacove]

Interesting thread (yes, I read it all). I watched a Discovery Channel show on SEAL training, and that was enough to convince me it's not for me.

Hell, that training is not for 99.9% of the military.

If I was this guy, I'd go into the Naval Aviation Program.

 

[Jayridesacove]

I recommend the SeaBees. SeaBees are the combat engineers for the Navy and are live more like Marines than swabbies. In the Bees you can become a carpenter, steelworker, electrician, plumber, etc.

No offense, but the only Navy personnel that actually live like Marines are the Hospital Corpsman attatched to FMF units that live and train with us.

In the field the Seabees are THE combat engineers, but in the rear with the beer, they just do normal construction work.

 

[N8 v2.0]

No offense, but the only Navy personnel that actually live like Marines are the Hospital Corpsman attatched to FMF units that live and train with us.

In the field the Seabees are THE combat engineers, but in the rear with the beer, they just do normal construction work.

True, the Navy Corpsmen live just like jarheads do, however, you may want to rethink the "in the rear with the beer" comment:

Marines await word to take Fallujah
Pause in U.S. offensive stretches into 4th day
THE SUN HERALD | 15.Apr.04 | PATRICK PETERSON

FALLUJAH, Iraq - Fresh off a nearly six-hour firefight, Seabees with NMCB 74 set off for Fallujah, a six-mile ride from their encampment, to check pipes causing problems for Marines.

The Seabees discovered that a leaking pipe had been turned off, perhaps by residents, when they entered the town to find the source of water that had threatened to flood a Marine encampment.

"Somebody turned it off," said Utilitiesman 2nd Class Michael DeAngelo, 22, of Martinsville, Ind. "There's not running water in any of the houses for the few families that are there."

Of 200,000 residents of Fallujah, at least a fourth have fled the city, where insurgents and Marines hold their positions and skirmish with insurgents who take potshots.

A large lake had developed near the Marines' camp, but it seemed to have gotten smaller, said DeAngelo, who analyzed the situation after a quick inspection with Seabee Utilitiesman 3rd Class Michael Hunter, 28, of Gastonia, N.C.

"All they really wanted to know was if they were going to be flooded out," DeAngelo said.

The firefight broke out Tuesday as Seabees returned fire to protect bulldozers working to extend a berm out from one of the roadblocks around the city. As the convoy left Camp Fallujah the next day, the battalion commander, officers and chiefs looked after the young Seabees like worried parents.

Not far outside the camp, a mortar landed about a mile from the convoy, but the shock wave still rattled the Humvees.

"It's at your 11 o'clock," shouted Constructionman Chris Bertelsen, 20, of Tucson, Ariz. "It sounded way closer."

The highways around Fallujah were virtually empty, and the parched countryside seemed completely inhospitable. Few buildings in Fallujah are more than two stories, and as the convoy approached the sprawling city, it was apparent that most residents had fled.

One family waved from the gate of an attractive home, but the town seemed deserted. At the Marines' camp, the armed Seabee Humvees circled up to wait while DeAngelo and Hunter examined the leaking pipe.

In one corner of the camp, Marines sprawled across the ground, sleeping in the dirt, as they have for six weeks.

A few minutes to rest was welcomed by Lance Cpl. Abie Antillion, 20, of Aurora, Neb. He also welcomes the offensive pause, which is in its fourth day.

"It's a change of pace," he said. "We've been going at it quite a while."

Marines believe that despite the pause for political discussions, they will return to the offensive and clear insurgents from the city. Already, cordons are designed to allow families to leave while forcing insurgents to surrender or fight.

"I believe K Company will keep pushing through," Antillion said. "That'll flush out more bad guys."

The fighting has been sporadic but steady, and Marines find themselves facing an enemy that is dedicated or occasionally deadly, but rarely both.

"They're really inconsistent," Antillion said. "They take potshots and run off. They're pretty dedicated. They want to kill us. Most of them are untrained, but a few can shoot."

This unit, the 3rd Battalion of the 4th Marine Regiment, is the same unit that toppled the statue of Saddam last year in Baghdad.

One unit "owns" about a fourth of a square kilometer in Baghdad.

"We can own a lot more, but we're not going to until they figure things out in the political spectrum," said Maj. Kevin Norton, 37, of Mountain Top, Penn.

Norton is confident that the reinforced Marines can clear insurgents out of Fallujah easily.

"It's not really a military game now," said Norton, who fears a political solution might be impossible because the insurgents have no allegiances.

"The guys we're fighting aren't led by one particular person. Who's got control? They may not listen to anybody."

Medical Corpsman Matthew Fresquez, 20, of Albuquerque, N.M., said the fighting goes on, "Every day, all day."

Fresquez and his unit have been living in the dirt for six weeks.

During a break Wednesday, Fresquez and his unit flopped in the dirt, passed out, their faces swollen from sleep and caked with dirt. When roused to move out, Fresquez said, "We're going to kill some guys that are trying to murder us."

Beyond the quarter kilometer owned by the Marines, chaos reigns. At dusk, small arms fire begins to crackle, answered by the smack of a .50-caliber machine gun.

"It all happens a block and a half away," said Lance Cpl. Caleb Wilson, 21, of Philadelphia, Mo. "They usually kick stuff off at dark."

The Seabees move away from the camp at dark and make their way through the dust back to the main highway. A brilliant white flare, usually fired to illuminate a battle, rises from the Marines' camp and floats above the homes of Fallujah like a grim version of the Star of Bethlehem, signaling the night's activities.

Asked about the uneventful convoy, Seabee Edvin Mota, now a combat veteran, sums it up in a word: "Cake."

 

[Sandwich]

Whoa guys, let me answer some questions or comments:

First off- It's not like I'm uneducated. I know very well what I'd be getting into. I'm aware of hell week, the three phases, cold weather training, etc. What I'm asking is if anyone else has experience with something along these lines.

Two, when I say I want to be calling the shots in a Biotech lab, I think of it as being VERY different than calling the shots in a Military batallion. If I were a research assistant, cleaning glassware and preparing things for other scientists, I wouldn't really think of myself acheiving much or getting much out of it. That wouldn't be the case in any of the infantry positions, as even the lower levels have a ton of merit, IMO. I may not think so highly if I got stuck in a crappy job, but with my degree I may be able to select a career that will be more beneficial to me IF i drop out.

Three, I have considered becoming an officer, and I would choose that route, but I have heard that you only get one shot as an officer through bud/s. Just in case, I'd rather go enlisted (3 tries) and try to become an officer later. I need to speak with my recruiter.

Lastly, it's not a last resort. I don't think of it that way, regardless of what it may have appeared as. I've considered it for several years, but figured I should wait until I'm done with school and then decide. I don't want it because I think it is a neat job, I think it's someplace I could fit in and succeed at. I'm considering other alternatives- a biotech job, back to grad school, professional modeling, playboy, etc., but the Military lifestyle appeals to me.

I've seen that Discovery series too, and it doesn't scare me as much as it appeals to me. Is that scary?

 

[Corporatefailure]

Be all you can be man!

 

[Jayridesacove]

Oh, I'm not doubting the Seebees combat heratige. They're just like any other deployable unit that just does their regular job routine when they're back in the rear not currently deployed.

 

[N8 v2.0]

I realize the "glamour" of the Navy SEAL via hollywood movies is why people tend to think of them as the most elite of the elite, but don't look past the AF. If you look at the training attrition stats the Pararescue career field is actually more "elite" and you will be already an accomplished combat medic (during school you serve as a paramedic in inner cities so you can get used to treating gunshot victims), SF certified closed/open circuit scuba diver, halo jumper, etc by the time you graduate from the almost 3 year school. Whereas already pinned SEAL's have to fight to get slots in the HALO school, it is part of the AF Spec Ops pipeline. I guess you have to make the choice whether you prefer your primary mission to be more lethal in nature, or take on the PJ creed "That others may live". Both are highly respected and vital to the SpecOps community, but just because Charlie Scheen isn't in a PJ movie doesn't meen that they aren't at the top. Oh and the AF is much better at taking care of it's troops in terms of pay, living quarters etc. Trust me cause I've taken two joint military classes..

I know a Forward Air Controler who says PJ training is a bish! I asked him if he ever got to see the "wizard" and he just laughed. This past weekend the National Geographic Channel ran a 3 hour show which followed a PJ class through stage one of the pipeline. Very intense.

Rescue Warriors
Drill Down [TV-G]
Pararescue indoctrination is a grueling selection course designed to weed out all but the toughest and most dedicated students. The constant physical and mental demands of Indoc force each man to confront his own limitations. Those who cannot endure heat, cold, exhaustion and physical misery will not pass. In the first 3 weeks of training, more than one third of the class will quit or be dropped. Of the 66 men present the first day of training, less than 20 will emerge as Pararescuemen - 2 years later.

Also airs:
Thursday, April 21, 8:00P
Thursday, April 28, 12P

 

[JRB]

I would vote for the Navy. Involving it's porn and all.

Rules for a gunfight

Author unknown but I think it's safe to say a Marine wrote this.

US Marine Corp Rules for Gunfights

1. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
2. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
3. Have a plan.
4. Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won't work.
5. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
6. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber does not start with a "4."
7. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
8. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend.
(Lateral & diagonal preferred.)
9. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
10. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
12. In ten years, nobody will remember t! he caliber, stance, or tactics. They will remember who lived.
13. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating.

Navy SEALS Rules For Gunfights

1. Look very cool in sunglasses.
2. Kill every living thing within view.
3. Return quickly to looking cool in latest beach wear.
4. Check hair in mirror.

US Army Rangers Rules For Gunfights

1. Walk in 50 miles wearing 75 pound ruck while starving.
2. Locate individuals requiring killing.
3. Request permission via radio from "Higher" to perform killing.
4. Curse bitterly when mission is aborted.
5. Walk out 50 miles wearing a 75 pound ruck while starving.

Army Rules For Gunfights

1. Select a new beret to wear
2. Sew combat patch on right shoulder
3. Change the color of beret you decide to wear

US Air Force Rules For Gunfights

1. Have a cocktail
2. Adjust temperature on air-conditioner 3. See what's on HBO 4. Determine "what is a gunfight"
5. Request more funding from Congress with a "killer" Power Point presentation 6. Wine & dine 'key' Congressmen, invite DoD & defense industry executives 7. Receive funding, set up new command and assemble assets 8. Declare the assets "strategic" and never deploy them operationally 9. Tell the Navy to send the Marines

US Navy Rules For Gunfights

1. Go to Sea
2. Drink Coffee
3. Watch porn
4. Send the Marines

 

[Jayridesacove]

Whoa guys, let me answer some questions or comments:

First off- It's not like I'm uneducated. I know very well what I'd be getting into. I'm aware of hell week, the three phases, cold weather training, etc. What I'm asking is if anyone else has experience with something along these lines.

Two, when I say I want to be calling the shots in a Biotech lab, I think of it as being VERY different than calling the shots in a Military batallion. If I were a research assistant, cleaning glassware and preparing things for other scientists, I wouldn't really think of myself acheiving much or getting much out of it. That wouldn't be the case in any of the infantry positions, as even the lower levels have a ton of merit, IMO. I may not think so highly if I got stuck in a crappy job, but with my degree I may be able to select a career that will be more beneficial to me IF i drop out.

Three, I have considered becoming an officer, and I would choose that route, but I have heard that you only get one shot as an officer through bud/s. Just in case, I'd rather go enlisted (3 tries) and try to become an officer later. I need to speak with my recruiter.

Lastly, it's not a last resort. I don't think of it that way, regardless of what it may have appeared as. I've considered it for several years, but figured I should wait until I'm done with school and then decide. I don't want it because I think it is a neat job, I think it's someplace I could fit in and succeed at. I'm considering other alternatives- a biotech job, back to grad school, professional modeling, playboy, etc., but the Military lifestyle appeals to me.

I've seen that Discovery series too, and it doesn't scare me as much as it appeals to me. Is that scary?

Some people have a gung-ho approach to things they know nothing about, then do a complete 180 when they're actually exposed to it.

And the Discovery series shouldn't scare you, it's a documentary. What will scare you is when you're underwater and the instructors try to drown you. And if you're claustrophobic, you're really going to be in for it.