As the proud mother of a honorable high school son, and the equally proud wife of a retired U.S .Navy chief, I found it interesting when a postcard arrived in the mail, inviting my son to join the United States Marines.
The slick wording and flashy photographs added the bonus of a Marines book bag or dog tag if my son sent away for additional information. Unfortunately for the Marines, my son will attend an out of state college upon graduation.
However, for those who may plan to make the military a career, perhaps do a hitch, here are some tried and true tips to "be all you can be " as an informed recruit. When you sit across from the recruiter, keep in mind, he needs you as much as you may need im.
Ask questions! You are valuable to the recruiter, his job and more than likely move up in rank is based on getting civilians to join. You are in full control of the situation. He will and does know the answers to what you may ask ... if he hems and haws or says he does not know, ask him to have the answers by your next meeting. I doubt that will be the case, military men and woman do not play the "duh, don't rightly know" game, but again, you are valuable, make him earn his pay.
Sample questions may be: Where in the US might I be stationed after "A" school (Navy, but all branches of the service have schools)? Is this a large city? Small town? What can I expect living there? What will happen if I do not pass the "A" school I was promised? The Navy only promises they give you the chance to go to the school ... not that you will pass it. Fail Navy "A" school, and you're IBM ... instant bo'sun's mate. What will be the ship/shore rotation of my rating during my enlistment? Where would my shore duty be served? Overseas or state side? What sort of ship would I serve on, and what are it's duties? How may crew are on board and what sort of duty section would I serve? What is the deployment schedule, and when is it up for its next deployment? What is its battle group, and what countries could I expect to visit? How can I get through boot camp with reduced stress?
Memorize general orders, memorize ranks and names, practice the motto of squared away? A recruiter can show photos of a sample barrack room, ask to see photos of navy racks if you chose that service ... most Navy or Marine recruiters will have photo albums. What will a rack locker hold? The military can be a smart stepping stone to a bright future. You will leave the military with leadership and life skills, but it will not come easy.
Do not make it "easy" for the military to pluck you from a high school desk and set you down in combat without being informed. Look out for your best interests, and explore all aspects of serving … not just enlisted, and not just one service.
Mary Musgrave
Holden
The military can be the best or worst experience in a person's life. The quality of a military career starts with a recruit's knowledge of what lies in store for them. Most of the Sailors I knew who had "problems" went into the Navy "blind" and didn't ask those all-important questions in the recruiter's office. Be informed, be productive, enjoy your future.
Going into the recruiter office with a list of questions is definitely the right way to go and if you know someone who is currently serving in the armed forces this can be another great resource to answer your questions. The key to interacting with a recruiter is to realize that he/she is trying to convince you to take the exams to see what type of specialty you will be qualified for and then following through by convincing you to commit a few years of your life towards pursuing that career and servive in the military.
Things have changed over the years and I can assure you that the military recruiters are not out there to try and find meat for a grinder! They are looking for qualified, educated, healthy men and women who best fit the needs for this great nation to maintain the freedoms that can ONLY be seen in America. Recruiters in Logan County are definitely NOT the enemy! Logan County is still similar to the ways it was when I graduated High School 20( ) years ago and when I graduated, the choices were......Dig Coal, Sell Drugs, go to college (If your parents had the ability to send you) or join the military. Not everyone wants to dig coal after you live your youth watching friends lose their fathers in the mines or watching the health of young men decline rapidly from life spent in those shafts. The smart youth realizes that drugs are a one way ticket to prison (Eventually they all get caught) and sadly, college is just not possible for many of the youth in Logan.
Here is a really nice piece of information for anyone who is interested in the military and would like to go to college first! Contact a college ROTC program! There are hundreds of scholarships that are offered through ROTC each year that never even get filled out because the word has not been passed down to those who could use it! When I was in college, I used to spend my Spring Breaks speaking to High School students all over Charleston (and sometimes Logan)about these programs. If your child has decent grades(2.00 GPA or better) and you cannot afford to send him/her to college, then contact that local guidance counselor and ask about these programs! You can do that or you can figure out what college your child is interested in and see if they have an ROTC program. Contact the program and explain to them that you have a child that would be interested. The ROTC program is always looking for new cadets and they will contact the High School for the transcripts and set up a time and place to conduct an interview with your child. If your child has maintained a 2.00 GPA then they will have a great chance of being accepted! Once accepted they will enroll into college and will have room and board, food and books paid for by the governemnt. They will be required to take a minimum of 12 college hours per semester and will be expected to maintain above a C average. The only requirements that are extra is that each semester the student must take college ROTC (nothing like the Logan High School Program) and the summer bewteen their Junior and Senior year will be spent at Fort Lewis, Washington going through Advanced Camp which educates them on leadership and tactics in order to prepare them to complete their final year in collage and get commissioned to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army.
I apologize for the novel but I am writing this because I have personally lived this! Uncle Sam paid for me to go through four years of college at the college of my choice. I chose West Virginia State Because I wanted to be close to my family. The military can be a dangerous profession! I have served in Iraq twice and have been to numerous places in the world that are not areas you would ever want to visit as a tourist but on the flip side, Uncle Sam has given me and my family the opportunity to see amazing sights and interact with other cultures that have fascinated me over the years. I will gradute on the 11th of June, 2009 with my Masters Degree because Uncle Sam has allowed me to take night classes and has even paid 75% of the costs. As far as I am concerned, the only people in Logan that can offer benefits and also follow through with the promise is the recruiters!
Last but not least, I am willing to provide my email address for anyone interested and who may have questions about the US Army and potential training sites. I have been a Private and know what it is like to go through Basic Training and I have also been an officer for the past 12 years and know what it was like to go through the scholarship process and serve as an officer in both peacetime and at war. I enjoy communicating with those who are interested in military service and will tell you that all of the branches of service are outstanding. I have served and worked directly with all of them and agree that either route a person chooses will be beneficial to their career and their life.
If anyone would like to contact me I can be reached at sapperfi@aol.com. Please place "Military Questions" on the subject line.
Sappers Clear The Way!
Airborne All The Way!
MAJ Richard Ojeda