military worth it?

[TimboKhan]

The last Paycheck I got was June 8th... (They are bad about paying you on time) I just completed my final physical...

I can't even go into how many ways the Marines have screwed me over.
(I just got JAG involved)

This is kind of what I was talking about when I said that you have to understand what your getting into. My experience was apparently as different from Nomads as it could be. I don't know where the differences lie, but obviously there are some.

The not getting paid on time is weird. With direct deposit, it's a simple matter of just processing your check into your bank. I have never not been paid exactly on time by the government, either in the USMC or now that I get a disability check. Wierd. I will say that when I got discharged, it was bungled pretty badly, but that was the regimental discharge clerk's fault, not the Marine's. I actually had to call my senator after not getting a DD214, final paycheck, or basically anything indicating that I had been discharged for a full 6 months after I was discharged. Then, the clerk just did a craptastic jbo on the DD214, so I ended up having to get another one done. Given that I was our battalions discharge clerk, that guy was having a hard time coming up with a good excuse for me.

On another note, U.S.SFC_Ret said:

Some of those leaders are losersMost of those leaders are average and a percentage are great leaders. Leaders are Made but in the meantime they can get you killed because they put you into a position that you can't get out of that you have no choice or voice in it yourself.

And he was dead on. I was lucky enough to have, at a minimum, competent leadership the entire time I was in the Marines. I was also lucky enough to serve under some truly great leaders, most notably LtCol. (Now Lt. General) J. M. Mattis and a fantastic 1st Sergeant named Ronald Genet. Our battalion did have some real losers: One Lt. got discharged for being a narcissitic, cry-baby a-hole; another was stealing cars, and another had sex with a minor. I never had to work under those guys, but they sure enough were losers. My first platoon commander was sort of a nitwit in garrison, but he turned out to be an excellent combat commander. My point here is that you can't choose your leadership, and you have to be prepared to deal with some real idiots. I was being quite literal when I said that I got "lucky"...

When you fall someone will be there to pick you up.

There are alot of vollunteer opportunities in the service.

You will work your Butt off, but then you'll play hard too.

This is all true as well. Unless your just a miserable bastard that no one likes, if you get hurt or are in a pickle, you generally will always have the support of your buddies. The volunteer opportunites are pretty varied, and were possibly one of my favorite aspects of service. We got to do a bunch of "Marine for a day" Make-a-Wish things, and they were always incredibly fun and extremely rewarding. Plus, Toys for Tots. I enjoyed the service aspect of it, and I also enjoyed the amount of tail that I pulled by standing around in my blues asking for toys for needy kids. That might sound a little bad, but no one ever said that volunteer service is a one way street! Also, when we got together and played, we played hard, and we had serious fun.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

98% I got paid on time every time except when congress balks on approving the budget or the president has to sign and approve or what not.
The military won't let you know its leadership credentials but the reports are out there at command levels. Brigades cycling through the National Training Center and the problems, They are called "learning experiences". Problem is sometimes "command doesn't learn"..

 

[trueblue1776]

The not getting paid on time is weird.

Getting a bill for $3000.00 for a PCS move you made 6 years ago is even weirder, welcome to bizarro military land, where customer service starts with an "F" and ends with a "U".

 

[inherentical]

I will say that when I got discharged, it was bungled pretty badly, but that was the regimental discharge clerk's fault, not the Marine's. I actually had to call my senator after not getting a DD214, final paycheck, or basically anything indicating that I had been discharged for a full 6 months after I was discharged. Then, the clerk just did a craptastic jbo on the DD214, so I ended up having to get another one done. Given that I was our battalions discharge clerk, that guy was having a hard time coming up with a good excuse for me.

After getting the runaround for two years on my DD214 I wrote a letter to General Charles Krulak. I had to put my life on hold, couldn't use my MGIB benefits, and couldn't even prove that I had ever been in the Corps. Sure I had a copy of my records and orders, but no one accepts those the same way they accept a DD214.

 

[Katigroszek]

I advise against military.
I'm not US citizen and military service here, where I live, is a must for every man over 18 yrs unless he is still learning or studying. I'm 32 now and had the luck to avoid the service. I love guns since I was a kid and started reading on firearms when I was 10 - serious staff (principles of operation of semiauto and automatic weapons, ballistics and such), not some kind of baby crap. I know it sounds like I'm making it up, but I'm not - believe it or not, as you please. I was always very intelligent (last IQ test 143-thinking of joining Mensa) and had hard times to listen to stupid and arrogant people trying to give me orders taht did not make any sense. That is why I always try to avoid military service and finally succeded (when I finished law school all that year's graduates were free from service).

I now have similar problem to the thread starter guy - I'm about to have my examinations for a lower court judge - very hard 3-day exam in front of 5 upper court judges. But law is boring and the work of judge is not attractive for me too. Therefore I'm about to make a U-turn (bet my folks won't like it) and start a gun related business - which is IMHO what the guy should do. I'm about to apply for a handgun/carbine/shotgun/rifle instructor course and exam (6 months) and then I will start a handgun/rifle range in my city's vicinity. I've thought hard and that is the way to go for me! Perhaps for him too! That way I will be my own boss, will afford all the guns I want and make a living out of it too.

 

[Glockman17366]

I did 8 years regular Navy. I carried a 1911 on watch (unloaded, but had a full magazine in a belt carrier) and, on one ship, was a member of the ship's self defense force (rifle, selective fire...the rifle was in the ship's armory until a drill or the need arose.
Anyway, if you're out of school and don't know what to do...the military is a good option. It still "makes a man of you".
But, unless you're infantry...you may not carry a rifle much after boot camp.

Now, even though I was a "lifer" (at least headed in that direction), I'm against sending troops overseas unless there is a declared war and total commitment to win...but, you'll not see much of that these days, I'm afraid.