Joining the military? Good or bad?

don't join the military. world peace baby.

Well joining the military would be great for someone in your situation. It will give you a stable career, income and most of all, it will teach you values that you cannot receive from any other job in this world. And seeing as your dad can most likely be labeled as your dependent, you could possibly help him out even further.

The military=purpose. Do you want purpose in your life? If so, join. Which branch? It depends. I'm fond of the Air Force myself. But that's because I have family members who have served. It's relatively safe, and they are very good with families. The Army and Marines are obviously more dangerous. The Navy isn't as bad as either.

And I'm going to mention something that almost no one ever mentions. The US Coast Guard. Chances are you won't be deployed to some random spot on the earth because the USCG is the ONLY branch in the military that's run by Homeland Security. And they really are the more female friendly branch. They deny no job to a woman. They are equal in that sense. However, they are also extremely small so it's harder to get into. But a woman usually finds it easier to get into because there's more space available for women than there are for men. Less women enlisting=better chances of you getting in.

Obviously if you don't like being in water, don't go Navy or Coast Guard. But the Coast Guard is good because it's main focus is saving lives. They are not war oriented.

And just because it's the Air Force does not mean you'll get to fly a plane. That's reserved for a select few officers.

Out of all of the branches the Army is the easiest to get into because they have extremely high demands and their necessary scores for the ASVAB test are not that high. (It's an easy test too.)

As for bootcamp. Each branch has a different amount of time. The Air Force is around 8 weeks and so is the Coast Guard. The marines I know have quite a bit more training. And it's a heck of a lot more demanding physically.

The contract for each branch depends on how long they need you and what you do. You are going to have to talk to a recruiter about that one. Some are 4 years, others 5, I've seen some as little as 3. But again, it depends on the branch and your job.

I hope I helped somewhat. And hey, good luck with your search. I'm about to graduate and I'm definitely looking into joining.

*Edit* Here are some sources for the things you're looking for

USAF Basic Training aka Boot Camp:

http://airforce.com/opportunities/enlisted/basic-t...

USAF Basic Training video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDYL3hxEw20

USCG Basic Training:

http://www.gocoastguard.com/being-a-guardian/basic...

USCG Basic Training Video: (This has 8 parts to it. It covers all 8 weeks of training you'll go through)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGfiIv2T30k

USMC Basic Training: (Turns out it's 12 weeks. And let me tell you it's intense. This covers all the weeks. And has videos)

http://www.marines.com/main/index/making_marines/r...

US Navy Basic Training:

http://www.navy.com/about/during/bootcamp/

US Army Basic Training: (Turns out this is 9 weeks)

http://www.goarmy.com/life/basic/index.jsp

I honestly hope I've helped. And all the website I've given you are the official websites (Not including youtube obviously). The BEST thing you can do however is think things through, take your time, and talk to a recruiter. We are in need of soldiers right now so a career is waiting for you regardless.

If you need any help, I'm more than happy to help

And here's a comment about what someone said. Peace? People have their freedom today because of the SOLDIERS, that fight for your rights. The people who risk their lives by enlisting are heroes.

Because of these men and women, you can say what you just said. Because they gave their lives for your freedom of speech.

peace comes at a price Matti. That's where the military comes in so you can enjoy your sweet peace.

Anyway joining the military is one of the least selfish things you could do. Your giving part of you for the good of your country. (not necessarily the president). For right now the second answere is the one who is most right. perhaps your kind of branch would be most likely U.S. Air Force, like my sister. She is in intelligence and she loves it. However if your looking for more of a challenge and more demand of improvement out of yourself you might want to consider the Marine Corp.

Have you considered the Coast Guard? They are listed with Homeland Security until a war is declared (then they fall under the Dept of Defense). The Coast Guard is more laid back then the regular military and offers you a good career where you may transit to another Homeland Security dept (ICE/Customs/DEA etc...).