Would you be willing to share your experiences dealing with your parents on the subject of enlistment?
As you all know, the drawdown means that fewer and fewer people are being accepted into the comissioning schools. Now, my parents have been supportive so far but I have mentioned that I am more interested in pursuing a career in the profession of arms than the issue of whether I'm an officer or an enlisted man, which caused them to come down on me like a ton of bricks. In their minds I either join with a comission or don't join at all.
I understand where they're coming from. They don't want me to come back gutshot or in a body bag, or have to put up with the alleged misery of being an E-1 and it will probably look better on my resume if I was an officer, but these are all things I've thought of and if I'm judged non-competitive for OTS, I would still enlist. They also think of the enlisted as being a lower class of people that I wouldn't get along with due to lower levels of education or what have you which, to me, sounds like an absurd and vicious stereotype.
I am having trouble trying to convince them that enlistment is not something to be avoided at all costs and they have tried everything from personal experience in a bureaucracy (they both work in the UN) to class and education arguments (as detailed above. Apparently having a degree to them means you must become an officer) to outright emotional blackmail (Well if I were to do this, I would feel bad at having betrayed my education and squandered all the money my parents invested in me).
Is my situation unique? How have you dealt with your parents once you told them you were enlisting?
Skyler2012-03-01T07:07:44Z
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I could go on for days on this answer, but basically you should do what you think is right. Being an adult is all about making your own choices and then living with the consequences. I would try to obtain a commission, just for the better benefits and pay while you are serving your country. If for some reason you can't do that, you shouldn't let that stop you from enlisting. Plenty of enlisted personnel have the education and ability to become officers, but choose to stay on the enlisted side for personal reasons. The officer world is very political, and more often than not many of them get out after they become Captains or Majors because they are "told" by their superiors that they will most likely only achieve certain ranks based on their performance to date and personality traits. On the other hand enlisted personnel have a very good chance of reaching the top tier ranks in their field if they are willing to make a career out of it and stay in for 20 years or so. Do you like being a leader and being in charge or project efforts? Most officers deal with command positions very frequently in their career. If you like being an expert in a certain job field and getting your hands dirty, the enlisted side would probably appeal to you more. Your parents want the best for you, which is why they pushing the officer side on you. If you join up as an enlisted man, they will be upset at first, but will surely come around to your point of view and support your service. By the way, if you go enlisted, you won't be an E-1 for very long, within a few years you will be an NCO and have plenty of responsibility and prestige. If they are still freaking out, you can always take them to see your recruiter. Recruiters deal with parents all the time, and have a way of expalining things on their level. My father was shocked when told him I was planning to join the Army. He was convinced that I was just threatening to leave and had no ambition to be a soldier, until I set up an appointment at my recruiter's office with the three of us. After that he supported my enlistment.
Not unique. Many members i know have there degree and enlisted as an E-1 in the military. Do what you want its your life not your parents and if you parents where really there for you and wanted whats best for you well then they would be supportive. Depending on the branch you join your just as likely to be outside the wire as an enlisted depending on your job.
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