MEPS and Recruiter

[x SF med]

@agentlank … SF is a high optempo branch, your training needs are different from Big Green, and will not just fall into one weekend a month and 2 weeks in the summer, you do realize that after OSUT, BAC and passing SFAS/getting selected, you have a minimum of a year/year and a galf away from your family right there... are you going to turn down schools because you'll be away, be non-deployable because you've got family issues, the list goes on … are you going to place your civilian government job above your team?

It sounds like SF is not for you, sorry but that's the hard truth. Find another Guard job that will more easily fit your wants and needs at home and in your civilian career, don't let your ego get my brothers killed. This is all said as a former SF soldier with more than one SF MOS, the mod hat went away long ago in this thread.

 

[Gunz]

Your want of serving again vs. your want of being there for your family.

He says he's not prior service.

OP: At 35, this is your first shot at joining the military in any capacity. And you want to be a Green Beret. You have a wife, kids and a job. Examine yourself and your motivations with honesty. Could some selfishness play a part here? The desire to be a trigger-pulling door-kicking cool guy with coveted headgear? Or at least look like one? You have to ask yourself that because once you have children, as you know, they must come first in any decision. Without rationalizing, what is your true motivation?

Heed the advice of @x SF med .

 

[medicchick]

I think a lot of folks are missing the point. The point is this, when recruiters tell me, "it will be this and that is no problem" and then none of that was the case it doesn't sit well with me. Both SORD and my recruiter said it will be no problem at all to delay ship date to the August-Sept time frame. Then when I get there ready to sign all of a sudden it becomes a problem.

They said there wasn't anything available from August all the way to Oct. October being the first available.

I fully understand once I'm in I can be called up at anytime for training, missions, deployments, etc. But if on the front end I still have some say/control of the situation and I CAN choose a 14 week OSUT rather than 24, why wouldn't I do that. Especially when there has been ZERO mention of 24 week OSUT from my recruiter or anyone else until they printed the reservation.

Recruiters are notorious for not disclosing information, lying, telling others to lie, the list goes on, so when 10 extra weeks is sprung on me at the last minute it doesn't sit well with me. Someone, somewhere in the recruiting pipeline needs to be aware that OSUT is 10 extra weeks and they were all oblivious to that fact.

Some might be able to relate some may not, but I'm a husband and father before all else. Every decision I make that could impact them I need to evaluate. At this time I'm still in the driver's seat, so I'm trying to control what I can while I can, because I know that won't always be the case.

In the grand scheme of things is 10 weeks alot, no, but it was amplified by my recruiters tactics and lies.

I appreciate the insight and the comments from those that have and are serving. I meant no disrespect to anyone or any occupation in all if this, just trying to make the best decision with all of the information I have.

People are signing up everyday and what was available may be taken. This is not a lie on your recruiters part, that is why they say the quicker you can get to MEPS the better. Sept is the end of the fisical year and there are always more jobs slots open in October. This was true in 2003 when I was going to enlist and it's true today. It's the reason I didn't have paperwork yet when I met my husband, the slot I wanted wasn't open yet.

 

[Cannon850]

SF will definitely have a considerable impact on family time. Your family will be able to PCS to Bragg with you during the Q-course, but you can count on being away training in Camp Mackall for large chunks of that time. Although most of your MOS phase, and the entire 6 months of Language training will take place on Bragg so you'll be home for that which is nice. I was active duty so its probably a bit different, but you can count on multiple deployments or JCETS each year, and in between those you will have advanced schooling that will require you to be away from home from anywhere to a few days to a couple months. Total I would estimate that I was gone anywhere from 6-9 months out of the year, every year. Again I was active duty and have no experience with the guard, but if you want to make the most out of your career you should try for as many schools and deployments as you can get.

My wife biggest hurdle was that she's a HUGE planner. She loves to have every detail planned and accounted for, and unfortunately in this line of work you really can't make big plans months in advance. Schedules change quickly and multiple times. Trying to plan anything farther than 3 months out is nearly impossible, hell even 3 months can be a stretch.

Best of luck in your choice

 

[bb08]

I know this thread hasn't been active for a month but just wanted to add that I spoke with the 19th in Utah and they told me they don't send REP 63 to OSUT anymore because they don't have infantry in the group so they don't know what to do with those who don't make it through selection or Q course so they have to reclassify them. So the route at least for the 19th is basic and then AIT instead of OSUT. That gives a little more flexibility of not having to worry about the OSUT extension. However, I don't know if the 20th is doing the same.

 

[Ball N' Chain]

I am not sure why folks would be upset to have an extended OSUT. If I could go back through, I would happily choose the 22 week program, and that is with me having a wife and daughter. More training is not a bad thing. If the system is implemented the way it is intended to be, privates coming out of OSUT are going to be far more squared away. Drivers training, more combative training, better medical training, the list goes on....

A couple months after you graduate OSUT, you are not going to be thinking about the extra time you spent there, but you will be better trained and not have to worry about taking time out of training with your unit to complete the extra training you're now going to be getting in OSUT.

 

[LimaPanther]

Many going into special operations units have no idea of their time away from family. I got married 2 weeks before getting out of the Corps (Recon Marine). Went to the Army and the first 6 years we were married we saw each other roughly 2 years total. I wasn't home when my 3 children were born. When with the 10th Grp in Germany, during my Nam tours, we figured I was gone 7 months of the year. Divorce rates are high because when we are young and dumb we have a tendency to put work before family. I can say that my wife stuck with me and we will soon celebrate our 55th anniversary.