C7
Unverified
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2012
- Messages
- 5
I apologize for this being my third post.
I grew up most my knee-high years being an army brat. My father was a Cavalry Scout for 16-17yrs. We lived all over the United States and in Germany, twice. I grew up my entire childhood listening to my father's fun and exciting Army stories. The Army family was extension of my real family and played a huge role in my childhood. Every holiday, especially Christmas, our apartment / townhouse / or single-family house would be full of my dad's Army friends, who didn't have families close by to spend the holiday's with. My dad finally retired when the Army offered early retirement for E6's and E7's , which he promptly took. I was roughly 13yoa. After leaving the military, my family moved to the midwest, where my father became a peace officer.
When we first moved to the midwest, I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I graduated high school. Join the Army. I picked my high school solely on the fact that they offered an Army JROTC program. After doing two years in the JRTOC program, like all high schoolers, it was quickly replaced with the "Chasing Tail" program. I pursued this program all the way to graduation.
After graduation, I applied for an apprenticeship program through the local law enforcement station, following my father's foot steps. It was a program that taught young minds the in's-and-out's of law enforcement / police duties. Once I completed the program, I would be automatically placed into the subsequent recruit class to be a police officer. The normal wait time outside the program was two to four years just to get selected for the academy.
After a year and half of the apprenticeship, 9/11 hit. I still remember where I was and what I was doing, when the cowards struck the two towers. I had just gotten off work and took my uniform off in my bedroom and flipped on the boob tube. I sat down at my desk, kicked my feet up, and waited for the sandman to pay me a visit. After about twenty minutes, the live footage just came streaming in like a collapsed dam. After watching for a few minutes, I saw the second plane's carnage as it screamed into one of the towers. I quickly woke up my entire family and we all watched in absolute anger and frustration. I can honestly say that was the first day I felt all emotions hit me all at once like a pregnant woman; sadness, rage, frustration, helplessness, etc. The proper bi-product of teen hormones.
A week after 9/11, I decided I wanted... No, I needed to join the Army and fight for my country. After work, roughly 8am, I drove to the closest Army recruit station, ready to sign whatever they gave me. As soon as I reached the station doors, they were locked. Came to find out, the recruit station didn't open up till 9am. I just chuckled to myself and went home, where my mom was cooking breakfast. I told her what I wanted to do and begged her not to tell my dad. She was quiet for a while but eventually agreed. I ate breakfast, showered up, and went to the recruit station. I spoke to the recruiter, who gave me very little information on the Army life, other then he can have me shipped to basic within the week. The recruiter pressured the hell out of me to sign a contract. The pressure hit a breaking point, where I felt I was actually getting ready to fight and I immediately became defiant. I walked out, pissed off. I went home to collect my thoughts and figured I would talk to the "old man". My dad, who was also an Army recruiter, was a straight shooter. We talked for hours about the recruiter, the great times in the Army, along with the bad times. Ultimately in the end, he didn't want me to go in and give up my young promising career in Law Enforcement. Mind you, my father was my hero and inspiration in life. I agreed.
I graduated the Academy and reported to my first assignment. After OJT, I was immediately moved to the busiest car in the area. After a year there, I was recruited to a proactive unit, where I'm still currently assigned. One thing I can definitely attribute my success to in LE is my work ethic, which I learned from my father. Other units also recognized this and at one point, I was almost kidnapped to a bigger, more-specialized unit. I developed so many friendships and due to the camaraderie, I had to beg and plead to stay. After several years, I was so preoccupied with work, the Army dream fell to the way side. Out of sight, out of mind.
At the beginning of 2011, my brother wanted to join the Army. He was 28 and wanted to change his life. All he did was work construction and play video games. He spoke to a recruiter and due to his GED, he signed a contract to start basic at the beginning of 2012. This was the start of that spark coming back. Roughly around November of 2011, I woke up one day and wanted to join the military before the doors closed on me. But I just didn't want to the join the Army, I wanted to do something exciting, memorial-able, and challenging. I spoke to my wife and kids about my plans to join the NG's. They all agreed. Now what to do. My brother was looking to join the Ranger regiment so I also looked. From what I learned the Rangers conduct direct-action missions where ever they go. I thought to myself, this would definitely satisfy my appetite. Thank goodness for the internet. I spoke to an Army recruiter online, they advised me that it was not possible in the reserves. Feeling completely dejected, I ended up running into one of my old friend and patrol partners, who was a First Sgt in the Army Reserves. He brought up going NG SF. He also advised we had a few people within the Dept., who were in the NG SF's. So I thought this would be a chance to get my foot in the door and take a peek. A few weeks went by and I had a chance to speak with one of them. I would have never guessed what he did as a "Side Job". He was quiet, reserved, and in phenomenal shape. Funny thing is, we never really talked about SF. But from that point on, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I've done a ton of online research, spoke to several Hero-Oncalls, one that put me in touch with a NG SF operator through email. The operator was absolutely, blunt, and honest, which I can appreciate. So the plan is to get an 18x contract by mid 2013. In the meantime, prepare my mind and body for the rigorous training. I have been doing SEALFit for body and Rosetta Stone, spanish for mind. Any advice would greatly be appreciated in this endeavor.
BTW. My brother passed Basic and AIT with flying colors and was offered a Ranger contract. He went to Airborne and RASP, which he passed. I am absolutely proud of him and he is an inspiration.
Sorry for the long post. Maybe I can add foot notes to scale it down =D
I grew up most my knee-high years being an army brat. My father was a Cavalry Scout for 16-17yrs. We lived all over the United States and in Germany, twice. I grew up my entire childhood listening to my father's fun and exciting Army stories. The Army family was extension of my real family and played a huge role in my childhood. Every holiday, especially Christmas, our apartment / townhouse / or single-family house would be full of my dad's Army friends, who didn't have families close by to spend the holiday's with. My dad finally retired when the Army offered early retirement for E6's and E7's , which he promptly took. I was roughly 13yoa. After leaving the military, my family moved to the midwest, where my father became a peace officer.
When we first moved to the midwest, I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I graduated high school. Join the Army. I picked my high school solely on the fact that they offered an Army JROTC program. After doing two years in the JRTOC program, like all high schoolers, it was quickly replaced with the "Chasing Tail" program. I pursued this program all the way to graduation.
After graduation, I applied for an apprenticeship program through the local law enforcement station, following my father's foot steps. It was a program that taught young minds the in's-and-out's of law enforcement / police duties. Once I completed the program, I would be automatically placed into the subsequent recruit class to be a police officer. The normal wait time outside the program was two to four years just to get selected for the academy.
After a year and half of the apprenticeship, 9/11 hit. I still remember where I was and what I was doing, when the cowards struck the two towers. I had just gotten off work and took my uniform off in my bedroom and flipped on the boob tube. I sat down at my desk, kicked my feet up, and waited for the sandman to pay me a visit. After about twenty minutes, the live footage just came streaming in like a collapsed dam. After watching for a few minutes, I saw the second plane's carnage as it screamed into one of the towers. I quickly woke up my entire family and we all watched in absolute anger and frustration. I can honestly say that was the first day I felt all emotions hit me all at once like a pregnant woman; sadness, rage, frustration, helplessness, etc. The proper bi-product of teen hormones.
A week after 9/11, I decided I wanted... No, I needed to join the Army and fight for my country. After work, roughly 8am, I drove to the closest Army recruit station, ready to sign whatever they gave me. As soon as I reached the station doors, they were locked. Came to find out, the recruit station didn't open up till 9am. I just chuckled to myself and went home, where my mom was cooking breakfast. I told her what I wanted to do and begged her not to tell my dad. She was quiet for a while but eventually agreed. I ate breakfast, showered up, and went to the recruit station. I spoke to the recruiter, who gave me very little information on the Army life, other then he can have me shipped to basic within the week. The recruiter pressured the hell out of me to sign a contract. The pressure hit a breaking point, where I felt I was actually getting ready to fight and I immediately became defiant. I walked out, pissed off. I went home to collect my thoughts and figured I would talk to the "old man". My dad, who was also an Army recruiter, was a straight shooter. We talked for hours about the recruiter, the great times in the Army, along with the bad times. Ultimately in the end, he didn't want me to go in and give up my young promising career in Law Enforcement. Mind you, my father was my hero and inspiration in life. I agreed.
I graduated the Academy and reported to my first assignment. After OJT, I was immediately moved to the busiest car in the area. After a year there, I was recruited to a proactive unit, where I'm still currently assigned. One thing I can definitely attribute my success to in LE is my work ethic, which I learned from my father. Other units also recognized this and at one point, I was almost kidnapped to a bigger, more-specialized unit. I developed so many friendships and due to the camaraderie, I had to beg and plead to stay. After several years, I was so preoccupied with work, the Army dream fell to the way side. Out of sight, out of mind.
At the beginning of 2011, my brother wanted to join the Army. He was 28 and wanted to change his life. All he did was work construction and play video games. He spoke to a recruiter and due to his GED, he signed a contract to start basic at the beginning of 2012. This was the start of that spark coming back. Roughly around November of 2011, I woke up one day and wanted to join the military before the doors closed on me. But I just didn't want to the join the Army, I wanted to do something exciting, memorial-able, and challenging. I spoke to my wife and kids about my plans to join the NG's. They all agreed. Now what to do. My brother was looking to join the Ranger regiment so I also looked. From what I learned the Rangers conduct direct-action missions where ever they go. I thought to myself, this would definitely satisfy my appetite. Thank goodness for the internet. I spoke to an Army recruiter online, they advised me that it was not possible in the reserves. Feeling completely dejected, I ended up running into one of my old friend and patrol partners, who was a First Sgt in the Army Reserves. He brought up going NG SF. He also advised we had a few people within the Dept., who were in the NG SF's. So I thought this would be a chance to get my foot in the door and take a peek. A few weeks went by and I had a chance to speak with one of them. I would have never guessed what he did as a "Side Job". He was quiet, reserved, and in phenomenal shape. Funny thing is, we never really talked about SF. But from that point on, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I've done a ton of online research, spoke to several Hero-Oncalls, one that put me in touch with a NG SF operator through email. The operator was absolutely, blunt, and honest, which I can appreciate. So the plan is to get an 18x contract by mid 2013. In the meantime, prepare my mind and body for the rigorous training. I have been doing SEALFit for body and Rosetta Stone, spanish for mind. Any advice would greatly be appreciated in this endeavor.
BTW. My brother passed Basic and AIT with flying colors and was offered a Ranger contract. He went to Airborne and RASP, which he passed. I am absolutely proud of him and he is an inspiration.
Sorry for the long post. Maybe I can add foot notes to scale it down =D
