Whats your backup plan?

Here to bring this party back to life.

First, thank you @compforce for the inspirational read. I saved your words onto a word document in my computer to re-read at anytime.

Secondly, I'd like to address a personal issue, or flaw, in my backup plan and if anyone who's been there, done that, and has the t-shirt could offer their advice I'm all ears.

My backup plan is to become a journalist.

I'm at the end of my first contract as a grunt. Following this contract I'm going to college because, well, it's just a personal accomplishment I need to do before I advance anymore in any career. After college I can foresee myself wanting to return to the military for a chance at special operations, perhaps as an officer even - branch TBD. But, as I'm in school I'll pursue my backup plan as a journalist. This plan requires me to make a lot of contacts, build a lot of networks, and live a pretty public life. Which leaves me to ask, how much does having a large social media footprint influence the level of security-clearance I'd receive? What's more damaging, a large footprint or a negative - think inflated ego, party addict - footprint?
 
My back up plan: get assigned to an infantry unit, serve active duty for a few years and save up as much money as i can. When the time is right and my contract is over, start my own business, either a gym or a bar. (Or I can combine the two, get drunk and do some pullups)
 
xGenoSiide said:
Simple: Go back to my job and keep training and trying until I either make it or get tired of being told 'no.'
Click to expand...

Taking this back a couple years for an update, but it's time I look at my tertiary option. I was given a date to assess for CCT in Aug of 2013, but being in an STS had its drawbacks... namely, my CC and CEM thought it was too close to my car accident to assess and didn't want to see me injured so they pulled me from the TDY. Upsetting because I was ready, but I understand they had my best interest in mind. No big deal, I wasn't in my retraining window anyway, I was invited as the functional used to be my Ops Sup. January of 2014, I enter my retraining window and the day before I'm schedule to take my PAST break my thumb. When I'm off my profile, I am both out of my retraining window and 1C2 has no quotas. I PCS to bumfuck, ND in March of this year, apply for retraining the day I arrive and am found eligible, but my 422 needs updated, and the quotas for SSgt are filled before my 422 is updated. Now that the new NCORP list is out, I cannot retrain into 1C2 because my AFSC has no 'out' objectives. This would be no big deal except for the fact that I have to be E-5 with less than 10 years TAFMS, and I hit 10 years in January.

So now I either hope they start accepting exceptions to policy to allow me to retrain even though I'm in a balanced AFSC, or I start working on my commissioning package with the hope to commission as an ALO.
 
Coming late to a good party.
Freefalling said:
Listen Tadpole....your jingoistic motospeak sounds.....it sounds just awesome, killer. Here's the problem:

It is garbage, utter nonsense.

What video game did you pull this from? Do you speak like this day-to-day? Do you blouse your pants in your boots? Are you "that guy" in high school who tries to act like he knows everything about the military and no one talks to you, but they're just "pansy liberals" who don't "get" what it is to be an American?

I love these teenagers who spout crap like "With your shield or on it" or make some connection to the 300 or whatever. Digest a speech from Shakespeare if you want to show some warrior-monk chops, quote Sun-Tsu or the Wu-Tang Clan or whatever, develop that deep sounding stone-cold-killer vibe. I get it, I do...I understand the process.

It is still crap.

When I read a post so hardcore it makes a John Philip Sousa march sound like Das Kapital the Opera, then I know we're in for a treat. You're taking cool sounding phrases and stacking them up like Legos. The problem with Legos is that one day you lose one, then you step on it, it hurts your foot, and then you hop into traffic where a bus runs you over...
Click to expand...

Being, to my knowledge, one of "highly motivated", testosterone-filled super-hard chargers, who wants nothing more than that lifestyle..

Thank you.
Probably the best advice/response I've seen so far, along with @compforce (saved his story aswell); I try not to and do my best not to get completely infatuated with moto. To me, failure is something one learns from. Get it wrong now, make it right later. In response to your Lego statement, I believe that even though it may come to bite you in the ass, is the purpose of them not to gradually make something great? You might get your ass hurt by that one block, but you can still put it back and continue building.

COA: Make it past boot > 03xx/K-9 (I believe this is MP) > A&S/ITC > MARSOC
Should I not make it past A&S/ITC, then I'll be doing my damndest to get into Recon. Fail that, go back to Infantry or MP and serve the Corps best I can. Just give it my all no matter what, because what's the point of doing something half-heartedly?
 
I joined the Navy with the plan to be a SARC. Physically I was OK, always room for improvement, but OK. I had all my ducks lined up. I was already civvy-SCUBA certified (NAUI & PADI), a civvy DMT with chamber experience, was a paramedic. Could not fail. Guess what? Could not pass a dive physical. I am "technically" color blind. I couldn't even get out of the gate. My Plan B? Be the best damn FMF corpsman I could be, and I was. Loved every minute of it.

Sometimes the Fickle Finger of Fate screws you. That's life.
 
I don't plan on giving up, ever. If life does throw a screwball, though, I hope to make use of my degree and work at a management consulting firm (which is similar to my plan after the military). Instead of stressing out over which branch/service to finally go into once I graduate, I will choose one and stick with it. I have read time and time again that it's a waste of time to sit there and try to figure out all of the details.

Now I understand that; I have realized that the best course of action is to just do it. Choose a path and stick with it-- a strategy akin to the choosing of my university. Would my life have been different at another college? Yes. Does it matter? Not really. So, my backup plan is fairly general. I think everyone's should be. If one tries to make such a detailed secondary plan, then time is taken from the primary and, if the secondary doesn't start out quite right, more stress is invoked and time is wasted.
 
First things first, I enlisted with an 11x option 40 contract and have hypothyroid controlled by medication. The Army is the only service where I could get a SOF contract without needing a waiver. On the macro level, it appears that as long as you meet the general enlistment standards regarding hypothyroid, then all the opportunities are available. I walked in to the recruiter’s office with hard copies of relevant pages of AR 40-501 and DODI 6130.03 in my hand and everything went relatively smoothly from there.

Beyond the low statistical likelihood of success, I am preparing myself for the possibility that even if I make it to RASP healthy and everything goes perfectly, I may not be selected due to hypothyroid since the decision is now at a more micro level. I have no reason to suspect this may or may not happen, and I do have a PULHES of 111111, but I am aware that shit happens. Therefore, I have placed a specific emphasis on alternate plans.

Regardless of unit, I will be serving as an Infantryman and will be happy to have the privilege. My main goals are to learn as much as possible, perform well, and to continuously improve physical fitness. Beyond that, it seems that the Army has a plethora of other opportunities, if one seeks to do something different. An option that is on my radar is the Warrant Officer Flight Training Program. I will seek to learn more about this, but if I am able to put together a competitive package when the time is right, it would be an awesome opportunity.

If I decided to get out of the Army after my initial enlistment, I already have my degree which I completed with the original intention of going into law enforcement. Much more research would have to happen before I would make a decision, but I would look to find work either in law enforcement or the fire/rescue service. Additionally, with the educational benefits afforded to those who have served in the military, the opportunity will be there to complete a Master’s, earn a 2nd degree, or learn a trade.

Months ago I watched an interview of Pat McNamara done by Bravo Company USA. In this interview, he states that he continuously reminds himself and others that, “…the probability of achieving the outcome you desire will increase once you let go of the need to have it.” It is an interesting concept and one I have thought a lot about. I still do not fully understand, but it is beginning to make more sense.
 
My C-WAY came back for in-rate re enlistment only. With that being said I can not submit a conversion package. I will continue to
do my job to the best of my ability then upon my EAOS switch to the ARMY and see what doors opens up. You can only fix what you can control. There's always light at the end of the tunnel.
 
If you fail SFAS, as far as I can tell you go
Infantry--->Iraq--->Afghanistan--->Divorce--->Rangers--->Iraq--->Afghanistan--->SFAS--->SF
 
macNcheese said:
no it was what I was told to prepare for going into 18x. Seemed a bit bleak.
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Lol. Someone was a hater. You likely won't get into Ranger Regiment as a failed 18X, if you are a good soldier you may go to Ranger School. The other stuff is prolly spot on. When I was a new 18X just about everyone who failed was in Iraq within a few months. The divorce thing is prolly accurate in or out of the Q course.
 
TLDR20 said:
Lol. Someone was a hater. You likely won't get into Ranger Regiment as a failed 18X, if you are a good soldier you may go to Ranger School. The other stuff is prolly spot on. When I was a new 18X just about everyone who failed was in Iraq within a few months. The divorce thing is prolly accurate in or out of the Q course.
Click to expand...
They were sending anyone who didn't quit student company/selection to RASP if they wanted. They just ended that but I came to Batt with a couple buddies who made it to day 19 and one who was in SUT before being dropped. It wasn't that uncommon until recently.
 
DasBoot said:
They were sending anyone who didn't quit student company/selection to RASP if they wanted. They just ended that but I came to Batt with a couple buddies who made it to day 19 and one who was in SUT before being dropped. It wasn't that uncommon until recently.
Click to expand...
Ok. While I was there the only guys who got to go to Regiment were guys who failed out of The Q after being through SOCM. I think that is good though as there are a lot of good dudes who don't make it.
 
Hey for the AF guys , if you hold an EMT basic cert. Before indoc and they you drop out . Is it possible to sill be put in a health career field?
 
If I don't make it STO, then I'll probably go AFOSI, I always try to keep a list of plans. That doesn't mean that I'll quit easier at the fact I know there's a backup plan, but just me as a person I always have a plan for each letter of the alphabet. I'm currently in the Candidate process at the Air Force Academy and currently cutting weight. Cant wait for what the future holds.

Ghstefaniak said:
If I don't make it STO, then I'll probably go AFOSI, I always try to keep a list of plans. That doesn't mean that I'll quit easier at the fact I know there's a backup plan, but just me as a person I always have a plan for each letter of the alphabet. I'm currently in the Candidate process at the Air Force Academy and currently cutting weight. Cant wait for what the future holds.
Click to expand...
Really just want to serve to the best of my abilities and give back to people who have given so much to me. As a highly motivated individual who is always down for the biggest challenge to beat, that's why I'm going Special Operations.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Gingerfish said:
Hey for the AF guys , if you hold an EMT basic cert. Before indoc and they you drop out . Is it possible to sill be put in a health career field?
Click to expand...
Maybe, yes, but needs of the AF cancel out all other quals. Also, not the thread for this question. Look at the title- now look back here- now look at me- your question doesn't have anything to do with the thread.
 
I see what you mean and not to argue but to point out how it works with this thread is becoming an emt could be a back up plan for me in the case they don't accept me because of prior service. But moving on out of this thread thanks for the answer
 

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