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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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 Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:40 am Post subject: |
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| kimchi_pizza wrote: |
Basically, (In the Army at least) no matter how many years of active duty you sign up for, usually between 2 - 5 years for the first enlistment, you are actually signed up for 8 years.
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It's called Military Service Obligation and is currently eight years (increased from six years in the early 1980s). It applies to anyone who joins any branch of the US Armed Forces. |
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conrad2
Joined: 05 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 1:04 am Post subject: |
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Op,
You were injured and had to be medically discharged? And yet you sing the praises of the military? |
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Sleepy in Seoul
Joined: 15 May 2004
Location: Going in ever decreasing circles until I eventually disappear up my own fundament - in NZ
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 1:21 am Post subject: |
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| OP, the only flaw in your suggestion is that to follow your advice and get the benefits you claim is that I would have to become American. And I'm not prepared to have a lobotomy at my stage of life. |
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Mr. Pink
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: China
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 1:34 am Post subject: |
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I just wanted to state a correction in my earlier post:
In Canada the military won't pay for your law school (on any site that I could find) They will pay for you to go back to school once you are in for a while and rank up to major or lt. col. so perhaps they pay for your doctorate?
Anyways, seems like a crappier position than I had previously thought, even though you do start at something like 68k cdn as a captain, which is higher than you would get as a starting lawyer unless you were #1 in your class at at top school in Toronto and were able to kiss some serious butt during articling...anyways I am digressing.
The military still is becoming competitive in pay and benefits, which is imo good! |
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reactionary
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Location: korreia
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 3:23 am Post subject: |
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| Sleepy in Seoul wrote: |
| OP, the only flaw in your suggestion is that to follow your advice and get the benefits you claim is that I would have to become American. And I'm not prepared to have a lobotomy at my stage of life. |
oh deary deary deary deary me, how cheeky |
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mcviking
Joined: 24 Mar 2009
Location: 'Fantastic' America
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 3:48 am Post subject: |
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| Mr. Pink wrote: |
mcviking:
I think a few years dealing with kids in a Korean hawgwon could also give some people post-traumatic stress disorder. Seriously, I had nightmares about my first hawgwon for years, and overall the place wasn't THAT bad. I was paid on time and not treated like crap. It is just somehow got under my skin.
So I can see how soldiers who go into dangerous situations can get it. However, getting it while on a ship? Are you kidding me? After reading that I figured my attitude would be an asset. I seriously don't think about innocent people suffering. If I did, I would go insane, as it happens everyday in every country. War is what it is: people get hurt, people die. Hopefully it is military people, but innocents get hurt too.
I was actually thinking about the military and how they have changed since I was in high school (at least in Canada). They pay like twice as much now and have better benefits. A smart person would go to Royal Military College (our West Point), get a 4 year degree, then go to law school. Have the military pick up the tab for that, get out of law school, get ranked automatically as captain and do your required years. Yes, you will be ranked higher than your classmates after only a couple extra years of studying. Pretty sweet huh? Captains salary beats what a lawyer makes their first couple years, and you get job experience to boot. Hell, since you are in the military, you probably get to do your year articling for the military too.
Anyways...I am too old and unless the military is hiring teachers of a different nationality, I guess my time has passed.
For younger people, I agree, it is a pretty good deal in many respects.
Oh and that military experience in the US = secret or top secret clearance = BIG paying jobs for DoD contractors. I got a buddy making 150k a year working for a contractor and even though 50k of that is his housing allowance for the year, that is still pretty damn AWESOME. Another guy I know is making over 200k a year tax free working in a war zone. |
Well it wasn't only that. He has never said oh no I have PTSD the bombs the bombs! But he is not the same person he was. Also his MOS was pretty stressful. He was a nuclear engineer. Its one of the hardest positions to get in the navy. His MOS school was two years as apposed to the usual 6 months at most, for most positions. The other thing is he absolutely hates the military. Why did he join then? Not sure. Pre 911 joining the military was like over-glorified boy scouts. See the world, no danger, pay for college, play with some sweet guns. He hated every minute of it but a six year contract is a six year contract. I hate illogical decision making, and if that decision making also might put me in front of bullets, then f that noise. But hey to each his own. I much prefer seeing the world just because I can speak English. |
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conrad2
Joined: 05 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 5:26 am Post subject: |
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| Sleepy in Seoul wrote: |
| OP, the only flaw in your suggestion is that to follow your advice and get the benefits you claim is that I would have to become American. And I'm not prepared to have a lobotomy at my stage of life. |
Like Kiwis are renowned for their intellect? Learn how to pronounce vowels properly first.
NZ doesnt really have much of a military and foreigners are allowed to join the US armed forces. |
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Binch Lover
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 5:43 am Post subject: |
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I love how nobody has once mentioned about HAVING TO KILL PEOPLE!!!!!
Pretty major downside in any career in my opinion. |
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nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 6:19 am Post subject: |
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| Fox wrote: |
-If you leave your assigned location without permission, you can be arrested. Your freedom of movement, as such, is gone.
-If you disobey orders, you can be put to criminal trial. Your freedom of action, as such, is gone.
-You lose your right to a lawyer and your right to be tried under the US legal system. Your basic rights to be treated as a citizen in the eyes of the law, as such, are gone.
The methodology of the military, if employed in the private sector, would be illegal, and with good reason: it's tantamount to slavery. |
Personally speaking i was always far too independent to become an owned, political pawn like that. |
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bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 6:20 am Post subject: |
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| conrad2 wrote: |
Op,
You were injured and had to be medically discharged? And yet you sing the praises of the military? |
I have a co-worker that was medically discharged from the army back in '07. He gets $3k/month in disability payments (he got torn up by an IED). He loved being in the service though, and misses it like crazy. Why? Because he was able to do things he would have never been able to do outside the Army (and no, I don't mean the killing of people or anything along those lines).
Funnily enough the other 2 vets I work with, who weren't injured while serving, are a lot less enthusiastic about the military. |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Binch Lover wrote: |
I love how nobody has once mentioned about HAVING TO KILL PEOPLE!!!!!
Pretty major downside in any career in my opinion. |
and even better, you get to employ Enhanced interrogation Techniques to POWs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_interrogation_techniques |
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Zulethe
Joined: 04 Jul 2008
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 4:06 pm Post subject: |
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| mcviking wrote: |
| Mr. Pink wrote: |
mcviking:
I think a few years dealing with kids in a Korean hawgwon could also give some people post-traumatic stress disorder. Seriously, I had nightmares about my first hawgwon for years, and overall the place wasn't THAT bad. I was paid on time and not treated like crap. It is just somehow got under my skin.
So I can see how soldiers who go into dangerous situations can get it. However, getting it while on a ship? Are you kidding me? After reading that I figured my attitude would be an asset. I seriously don't think about innocent people suffering. If I did, I would go insane, as it happens everyday in every country. War is what it is: people get hurt, people die. Hopefully it is military people, but innocents get hurt too.
I was actually thinking about the military and how they have changed since I was in high school (at least in Canada). They pay like twice as much now and have better benefits. A smart person would go to Royal Military College (our West Point), get a 4 year degree, then go to law school. Have the military pick up the tab for that, get out of law school, get ranked automatically as captain and do your required years. Yes, you will be ranked higher than your classmates after only a couple extra years of studying. Pretty sweet huh? Captains salary beats what a lawyer makes their first couple years, and you get job experience to boot. Hell, since you are in the military, you probably get to do your year articling for the military too.
Anyways...I am too old and unless the military is hiring teachers of a different nationality, I guess my time has passed.
For younger people, I agree, it is a pretty good deal in many respects.
Oh and that military experience in the US = secret or top secret clearance = BIG paying jobs for DoD contractors. I got a buddy making 150k a year working for a contractor and even though 50k of that is his housing allowance for the year, that is still pretty damn AWESOME. Another guy I know is making over 200k a year tax free working in a war zone. |
Well it wasn't only that. He has never said oh no I have PTSD the bombs the bombs! But he is not the same person he was. Also his MOS was pretty stressful. He was a nuclear engineer. Its one of the hardest positions to get in the navy. His MOS school was two years as apposed to the usual 6 months at most, for most positions. The other thing is he absolutely hates the military. Why did he join then? Not sure. Pre 911 joining the military was like over-glorified boy scouts. See the world, no danger, pay for college, play with some sweet guns. He hated every minute of it but a six year contract is a six year contract. I hate illogical decision making, and if that decision making also might put me in front of bullets, then f that noise. But hey to each his own. I much prefer seeing the world just because I can speak English. |
Pink your right about everything except the clearance: a secret doesn't mean anything, you need a top secret. Trust me, I've only got a secret but if I had a top I'd be working those DOD jobs.
The military is a means to an end. Sure you may be put in danger and they may ask for your life, but in turn, if you take full advantage of the benefits, you will be better for it.
I met countless knuckle heads in the Army who did nothing during their time: no school, saving, nothing. I took full advantage of the schooling. I finished my masters degree for free, and I saved 100,000 in 8 years and paid cash for a house.
PTSD is some serious shit and I was pretty messed up after I got out. I never wanted to get diagnosed because at the time I was considering going into law enforcement and I didn't want that stuff on my record.
The military does pay damn well. As just an E-5, my base pay was 2500 per month. Then I got 1500 tax free dollars for housing (West Point NY housing depends on where you live) as well as about 250 a month for food.
Officers make a lot more money.
Thinking about law school or med school? This is what you do: Go to school and rack up a couple hundred thousand dollars in loans and join the service and they pay all of that debt back.
Not trying to sound like a recruiter, I'm just putting this out there. And let me reiterate - I hated my time in the service. I was an educated older enlisted person who was surrounded by morons. |
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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 5:51 pm Post subject: |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
| Fox wrote: |
| CentralCali wrote: |
| mcviking wrote: |
| remember you are US government property after you sign up! |
Members of the United States Armed Forces are not government property. |
-If you leave your assigned location without permission, you can be arrested. Your freedom of movement, as such, is gone.
-If you disobey orders, you can be put to criminal trial. Your freedom of action, as such, is gone.
-You lose your right to a lawyer and your right to be tried under the US legal system. Your basic rights to be treated as a citizen in the eyes of the law, as such, are gone.
The methodology of the military, if employed in the private sector, would be illegal, and with good reason: it's tantamount to slavery. |
If you abandon your assigned duty, you can be tried under the laws of the United States.
If you disobey a lawful order, you can be tried under the laws of the United States.
You do not forfeit your right to legal representation. No, you are not property and you are still a person under the law.
Members of the United States Armed Forces are volunteers who have willfully joined and made themselves subject to a particular code of US law, passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law by the President. Military members continue to remain subject to civilian law also and they have not forfeited their rights to trial or legal representation. |
Nothing you posted here contradicted what I said. Indeed, for the most part it reinforced it: once you join the military, obedience is required by law on pain of criminal charges. As far as I am concerned, that's tantamount to slavery. |
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samcheokguy
Joined: 02 Nov 2008
Location: Samcheok G-do
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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| asthma-I'm out. Been kicked out of two recruiters...navy and army. |
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mc_jc
Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Location: C4B- Cp Red Cloud, Area-I
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 11:31 pm Post subject: |
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Here's what I got:
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| 1,000 a month for life after only serving 8 years (medical discharge) |
~ Not exactly. You get a pension after you reach 20 years of service or 62 years old. If you are disabled, you get VA Disability Compensation based on the percentage they judge you to be disabled.
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| Free health insurance for life. |
~ You get that after service 36 months on Active Duty or over 90 days in a combat zone.
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| Easy to get a government job when you get out (I had one and could easily get another one) |
~ You get points based on being a soldier, but you still have to meet the qualifications explained in the job announcements. Also, if a person is looking for a GS job in Korea now, they have to have a high-level of qualification because many of the low-level GS jobs are now given to dependents based on a new initiative to employ more military dependents whose families are hard-struck by the economy.
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| GI bill which is insanely good nowadays go to va.gov benefits and check it out. |
If you are talking about the post-9/11 GI Bill, yeah it is awesome. But it is only good for undergrad work, unless the VA waives the requirement allows you to use it for graduate-level work. But keep in mind that it is only good for 3 years and you have to use it before the end of the 10-year mark from the date you ETSed.
But the cool thing is you could use the GI Bill not only to go to university, you could use it to go to a trade school or to obtain a professional license.
But you should call 1-888-GIBILL1 and speak with an education counselor. Also you could call the Yongsan Education office in Seoul to find out how non-affiliated veterans living in Korea could use it for their education.
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| Go to school for free while on active duty. |
And they pay for books too.
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| Student loan repayment program. |
That depends on how long you enlist. Usually it is for people who enlist for 4 years or more.
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| Guaranteed home loan. |
There is also a program that pays for the down payment. Again, call the VA to find out which state has that program. Not all states have the same veterans benefits.
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| Not only does the government have a preference for hiring vets over non-vets but so do many major corporations and businesses. |
To be honest, that is not always true. Many corporations don't want to handle the mental issues many vets come home with these days. If a person were to get into a career that is similar to their MOS, then it is almost a cinch because the company doesn't have to pay for training. I know several who retired from the Signal Corp who are working for telecommuncations companies out in the western US, they are making anywhere up to $150,000 annually.
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| It's a three year commitment but three years that will pay you forever. |
Although I work for the government now, I will honestly say to wait until the smoke clears in Afghanistan before joining the Army. If you want to join the Air Force or Navy, it would be a safer bet- Most USAF personnel stay on base during their entire deployment in Afghanistan or Iraq.
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| Don't get me wrong, I hated the Army but it was the smartest thing I've ever done. |
Congrats- but also take care...
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| It's so nice to go to work everyday knowing that I can tell the boss to shove it with no worries at all. I'm set for life. |
-uhm...you are potentially going to get an Article-15 (possibly a Field Grade) if you tell off an officer or NCO who is E6 or above. |
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