Can you give a potential enlistee some advice?

well first off remember the only way that you can be guaranteed a language is if you already have a degree in it or have taken the language proficiency test and scored well in it. And as for the bonus's it goes up and down every quarter. if you sign up for four years and have four left you could either join the reserves or IRR . Now if your only coming in for the min why would you want to go to sear training its no joke its not a picnic in the park i know. Army housing varies from bases to base i mean the style . And yes the army keeps its word you get everything that is written down on paper in black and white. but remember to read every thing and don't be afraid to ask questions about every paper. I have a soldier that was suppose to go to Airborne before he got to the unit but they didn't send him he told me and i looked at his contract and sure enough he was suppose to go so i took care of him and now his going back to the states in two months to go to Airborne school. they made the mistake but we fixed it. All i can say is you and your wife need to think this out and decide on the best course of action that will benefit your family . and i cant stress it enough ask questions i was lucky my father was a Sergent Major when i joined so he watched out for me. Good luck on your decision and not all recuiter are idiots or liars find one that you can trust

First off...talk with an Air Force recruiter. I was prior Army and crossed over to the AF 18 yrs ago. The quality of life in the AF is 100 times better than the Army (bases, housing, bonuses, etc). The AF has some big bonuses for language skills that you will get upon joining as well as a pay increase every month depending on your language skill level. As far as the college goes...the Army bumps the benefits up to reel you in but never tells you that the other services do the same thing and it is easier to continue school in the AF. Just talk with the AF recruiter and see what they have to offer. I can promise you it will be WAY better than what the Army has to offer.

Well yannoe, i am just 17 years old right now. Gonna turn 18 after about 30 minutes or such and it has always been my dream to join the air forces. they earn wads of cash but i don't know if it's worth the risk or not. if you just wanna find out a way to live your life in a financially stable state i wouldn't really suggest you to join the air forces. i mean, there are so many opportunities open to you. but i can tell you this much that writing alone is not gonna put bread on your plate so you need to have other options open. There are loads of options but these all depend on your grades. High school is a very important thing and i'm gonna take it seriously for good grades and all that. why don't you join in some sort of business firm or anything? or become a consultant of some sort after having studied in a particular field. or if you really wanna become a writter you could try writing for a tech blog or something like that. i heard they earn a lot of money and they all earn it from home. whatever you choose, all the best. but air force is a really good option and way to earn money if you ask me. if i was tall enough, i'd have joined it i suppose. but my field currently is medical science so that's where i'm headed towards.

I'd rather give you some very practical advice for a person about to be a recruit. Get in the best shape you can before leaving for basic. Get used to getting up before 5:00a.m, go exercise and run at least two miles before you eat breakfast. If you show up in shape, you'll be more alert during classes and you'll ask more and better questions. This will bring you to the attention of the NCO's teaching the classes. Getting ahead requires being noticed.

Zip locks!!!!!

You'll be going to the woods for training and throughout your tour of duty. Buy 1 gallon ziplocs, heavy duty is better. Load one complete change of underwear in one ziploc, that way, when you are in the field and get rained on, you'll have dry underwear and socks. You'll also find it easier to reach into your pack in the dark and find a ziploc than digging around for the individual pieces. The empty ziploc makes a good pillow, too......and someplace to put worn wet clothes.

Don't count on Army housing at any place you'll be transferred. Most places are full and you'll probably be given the option of living off post and given a housing allowance. I would highly recommend that you leave your family someplace where there is family support nearby while you are away at training. for you to focus and excel and be noticed, you don't need the distraction of trying to keep a family together at some strange place where you are the only person your wife knows. Military training posts are notorious for having very low wages for part time spouses IF she can find a job and work and you can afford day care.

Given the current situation in Iraq, I would advise you not to join the army at this point of time. Think of your wife. Your family. Are you willing to forsake these and be prepared to be posted for duty in Iraq?

You'll never know what will happen. When you are at the airport, departing for Iraq, it may be the last time you will see your wife. Can you imagine seeing her for the last time?

I'm not trying to curse you or anything buddy. But I'm hoping you are aware of the probability of mishap happening to you, especially if you are fresh, and not as alert to the situation as the war veterans are. You may walk into a road-side bomb trap without realising it.

Think over it carefully.

Personally I would go Air force. You may not get the rank as fast, but its a fact that the Air Force has a better way of life. They take better care of their people. When did they up the commitment to 8 years? It use to be only 6. Talk to a number of recruiters and you will know who is BS'ing you and who isn't. My recruiter was spot on with me.

You better be prepared for some harsh realities. Regardless of what MOS your recruiter secured for you, all this means is that you will receive that training, not that you will be working in this specialty. The needs of the army comes first. If they need front line grunts, then that what you will be doing, and your official MOS is 11B, infantryman. This comes from experience while in the U.S. Army.

Ask a lot of Questions before you leep into this one. No crybabys allowed ! Some men grow up on the battlefield. When you sign up for any armed forces, it's as I have mentioned before: " Mine is not to question Why, Mine is but to Do or Die ". good luck, Claudia

i don't know about the rest of your questions but personally I liken recruiters to used car salesmen, they will tell you anything,mine flat out told me to lie about things so he could fast track me in.

Ok, whatever branch you choose and whatever deal you make GET IT IN WRITING.......and yes the branches do keep their word about schooling.