Career Advice

[AWP]

You've been a member since 2014 before enlisting last year which means you were on this forum for about 2 YEARS before enlisting.

And NOW you want our help?

 

[Six-Two]

No, I patently, 100%, emphatically did not ask "you" for advice - I asked people who are in a position to give it. If I wanted advice from non-SOF infantry, I would just ask them -there's plenty of them in my unit.

And I'm not the one getting emotional here - I just don't want to waste my time letting internet dudes get their rocks off by shitposting the new guy because they smell blood in the water. I don't really give a fuck if this is just a condemnation of my choices - but if that's all this is gonna be, then just delete anything personally identifying from my posts cause I can't edit or delete.

 

[Red Flag 1]

I didn't show up and announce everything sucks. I've shown up a half hour early to every drill, put out, volunteered to do everything, and kept in shape. When the reality of the situation became clearer, I started to think that maybe this isn't a great use of what I have to offer - which I'm sure will probably be characterized as "nothing" because I haven't gone to IET yet, but is actually considerable, between language abilities, civilian experience, and physical build - and am trying to figure out an alternative course of action. But it sounds like I'm not gonna get that advice here.

You come here and ask advice. The people here are giving you some advice. You are deciding to argue with everyone, you are doing the same with me on pm's.

The only time you get to throw the challenge flag for a booth review is in the NFL.

Your call, but I'd back down a little, but that's just me.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

No, I patently, 100%, emphatically did not ask "you" for advice - I asked people who are in a position to give it.

I was writing "hate"....but then I changed it to 'like' because your above quote made me laugh out loud so hard my dog came downstairs to make sure I was all right.

Assuming this whole thread does not get nuked, I will return to it from time to time for a needed chuckle.

 

[Six-Two]

You've been a member since 2014 before enlisting last year which means you were on this forum for about 2 YEARS before enlisting.

And NOW you want our help?

I did ask for your help here, several times over the last two years.

You come here and ask advice. The people here are giving you some advice. You are deciding to argue with everyone, you are doing the same with me on pm's.

The only time you get to throw the challenge flag for a booth review is in the NFL.

Your call, but I'd back down a little, but that's just me.

How have I argued with you at all via PM?

 

[Diamondback 2/2]

No, I patently, 100%, emphatically did not ask "you" for advice - I asked people who are in a position to give it. If I wanted advice from non-SOF infantry, I would just ask them -there's plenty of them in my unit.

As someone who knows the USAR and ARNG system, and who was able to bounce between at will. You are right, my non-SOF Infantry self cannot and will not help you...now.

And I'm not the one getting emotional here - I just don't want to waste my time letting internet dudes get their rocks off by shitposting the new guy because they smell blood in the water. I don't really give a fuck if this is just a condemnation of my choices - but if that's all this is gonna be, then just delete anything personally identifying from my posts cause I can't edit or delete.

I originally wanted to help you, help you build some character and maybe assist you in a few things. But I read your bullshit posts of the past and realized that you are just a pussy who was afraid to sign a 18X contract, to fail and get sent Army wide, so you took a 38B contract in the Reserves because you want to claim you are SOF down the road, then found out you will still not be SOF. Reality, is that you probably won't make it through basic, much less 38B MOSQ, you will get corrected, your character will be tested, and you will fail. Your responses here show that. You wouldn't make it with us non-SOF grunts, or a "civil affairs" special operations team, or any thing in the Army for that matter. You might have the physical ability, but you don't have the mental gear. You defeated yourself before you even tried.

And stop claiming you have a unit, you don't, your not a soldier.

Anyway, welcome to the ignore list.

 

[x SF med]

Six-Two... you've asked for advice before, we've given it. You've been on the receiving end of the 'not so gentle' repercussions of poorly thought out questions, and survived.

YOU made your choices for both NG and CA and DEP... you actually said this:

I go to Benning for BCT in July, then Bragg. So theoretically, I could pop smoke/try my ass off to get another MOS/cut off my fingerprints and change my identity to reenlist as an 18-X/finish college and put in for CIA. I got a 99AFQT, and have about 18 months of college left, if I had to guess. I'm strong, but my run sucks because I haven't trained in two months (rolled my ankle training). I'm 29. I'd like to commission at some point if I'm gonna make a career out of this. If I don't, Directorate of Ops would be pretty neat. But a reserve opportunity where I can run with some solid dudes would be tits.​

So tell us... what exactly do you want... enlisted SOF, Officer of any stripe, or CIA... you have 5 years total to make up your mind, because there is an age cut off.

It sucks that you are unimpressed with the CA unit in your area, but again, choices...

You are currently not MOS qual'd ... but it sounds like you thought you were getting onto an SF A-Team, and got disappointed because your research sucked... yet again, choices...

Talk to your command, and your recruiter, before you leave for Benning/Bragg and see if you can change units, MOS and/or branch and component.

You're 29, college educated, and a full fledged adult... play the hand you've dealt yourself and try to read the available draw cards.

Drive on.

 

[Deleted member 2517]

You haven't gone to basic so just drop whatever you're doing bail on your current unit and take the risk of failing OSUT/BAC/SFAS/Q and go for what you wanted in the first place. Do a lot of soul searching and get some humility/lose your shame because that's what it takes to do anything that really sucks and is worth it in the Army. You don't come off as someone who can keep wandering the woods looking for points while dealing with a stomach bug or who would be willing to take shit talking from a DS or throw down in a platoon vs platoon brawl. I could be wrong and hope I am, I'm a prime example of someone had some serious issues Getting to where I am.

 

[Six-Two]

Look, I’m sorry for being an ass. I didn’t mean to make less of anybody’s service or pop an SOF-boner, and I’m sorry - that was shitbaggy of me.

I’m just trying to be more pragmatic - and informed - about my career moving forward and thought somebody here could shed some light. It seems to be impossible to talk about one’s own gifts without sounding arrogant, but I’m an in-shape, intelligent dude in the prime of his life who speaks 3 languages and reads 6. My gut reaction to being in a company where an an entire team can’t make weight and our SBCT runs a fucking valet service was “is this really the best hill for me to die on?” I’ve made my peace with the possibility of getting my ass shot off, but I guess I hadn’t really made it with relying on dudes who literally failed a PT test then had double breakfast burgers with fries and a coke the next morning.

TL;DR - I’m sorry, guys. I made my choices and took my chances. I’m not looking for some magic bullet “out” here, just some guidance given the circumstances. Before going to IET, there’s still room to maneuver. Less so when they’ve paid for $120K worth of school. I’ll be fine either way, just wondered what, if any, options were available.

P.S. Have not read the comments since my last post, will do so now.

Six-Two... you've asked for advice before, we've given it. You've been on the receiving end of the 'not so gentle' repercussions of poorly thought out questions, and survived.

[snip]

Talk to your command, and your recruiter, before you leave for Benning/Bragg and see if you can change units, MOS and/or branch and component.

You're 29, college educated, and a full fledged adult... play the hand you've dealt yourself and try to read the available draw cards.

Drive on.

Thanks for the response, x SF med. To further that analogy, I guess I'm still trying to figure out what hand I can cobble together after a rather sobering flop.

To be clear - I'm not trying to bail on the military. I'm looking forward to boot camp, even though Benning is gonna suck then (I'm somebody who'd rather have his beanie frozen to his head than deal with 99% humidity, given the choice) and everybody's gonna be ten years younger than me. But if 38B is the route that lays ahead, I'll make the best of it. There's worse things out there than being paid to jump out of airplanes and shoot guns, even if you have to do CIM homework and MEDPROs next to softbodies. Just thought it prudent to give a quick shout out to the universe to see if there were any other routes out there.

 

[CDG]

Apparently the volumes of information out there about the Army, it's MOSs, career paths, etc were in that 7th language that you can't read. You haven't even been to Basic yet, but you're on here talking shit about the unit you signed a contract for.

 

[Six-Two]

You haven't gone to basic so just drop whatever you're doing bail on your current unit and take the risk of failing OSUT/BAC/SFAS/Q and go for what you wanted in the first place. Do a lot of soul searching and get some humility/lose your shame because that's what it takes to do anything that really sucks and is worth it in the Army. You don't come off as someone who can keep wandering the woods looking for points while dealing with a stomach bug or who would be willing to take shit talking from a DS or throw down in a platoon vs platoon brawl. I could be wrong and hope I am, I'm a prime example of someone had some serious issues Getting to where I am.

Thanks, man. I appreciate the encouragement. At 29, I can't say I'm in love with the idea of getting reamed by a 24-year-old DS, but I also realize that A, he could well have been soldiering for 6 years by that point, B, it's for a damn good reason, and C, this shit is just temporary. I'm tougher and smarter at 29 than I ever have been in my life - so yeah, my first inclination isn't to get into a brawl with a bunch of teenagers, but I also know I'll fuck their fuckin' week up when we do.

As far as the other adversity, well, I guess we'll see. I've held it together while spraying diarrhea out of my ass every 5 miles on a motorcycle trip in Northern India and worked 18-hour days of Katrina relief and still found time to scheme on strippers, which I think is a promising start.:troll:

But I'll do some more soul searching between now and next drill. I appreciate you pointing me in that direction.

-6-2

Apparently the volumes of information out there about the Army, it's MOSs, career paths, etc were in that 7th language that you can't read. You haven't even been to Basic yet, but you're on here talking shit about the unit you signed a contract for.

You point me to the article that says "come to CA, we have cheeseburgers," or the Facebook page of a unit whose motto is "Sometimes we forget to guard our Strykers" and I'll happily concede that point.

 

[Red Flag 1]

How about we all sit back and call a halt. If the pile grows beyond here, I'll lock down the thread.

 

[Six-Two]

Apparently the volumes of information out there about the Army, it's MOSs, career paths, etc were in that 7th language that you can't read. You haven't even been to Basic yet, but you're on here talking shit about the unit you signed a contract for.

I talk shit about an entire unit collectively violating the first General Order of the Army, and I'm the asshole here?

 

[Red Flag 1]

We're done here.

 

[Polar Bear]

No. Which is why I'm trying to figure out what to BEFORE I ship. It's a lot easier to figure out a reclass or inter-service transfer before they pay for all your schools.

You will NOT BE VETTED UNTIL YOU COMPLETE BASIC AND AIT. Quit sending the request