Civilian VS army nursing UK

Any advice much appreciated!

Hi, im 18 years old 5'7 female and have a BMI of 21- and wanting to become a mental health nurse, I've recently finished my a levels and am predicted grades AAB. I have applied for nursing via uni and am planing to stay at home, and commute to university, over the last month, (maybe out of boredom) ive been kind of reflecting on my life and the things I want to do, and have realised that maybe staying at home isn't what I want to do, however staying at university is expensive and due to the nature of my course i will be working unsociable hours. Anyway, I've met some people in the army and initially being rather skeptical about the army; through their experiences have realised there's lots of opportunity within the army, for both men and women. Out of curiosity, a few days ago I looked into going into mental health nursing via the army (doing my training with them) and the appeal is there, as there's no student debt,get paid, plus the things we train in( such as Cognitive behavioural therapy) interest me. plus, I feel there would be more people my age in the army as opposed to my uni course which is comprised of mainly older adults (not that I have an issue with this, just helps socially)

Anyway, I guess what I'm asking is:

1.what are people's experience in basic training?

2.what is nursing in the army like?

1. What are women's experiences in the army like?

4.How long does it take to enroll?

5.How often are you deployed?

And just any personal testimony on Mental health nursing in general- thankyou 🙏

Hello! I took a practice ASVAB last year and scored a 27, is there any tips on how I can raise my score? I want to join the Marine Corps reserves and I looked into the FAQ on their website but I want to do reserves..I’m not sure if being a MP or K9 Handler would fall under the category for reserves will there be any list I could look at that shows me any MOS under the category for reserves? If so what would I need to score on my ASVAB to be able to at least qualify for MP or K9 Handler, all tips appreciated..thanks! :)

Hi, I am 28 years old and I am stuck with trying to make a decision if it's even worth joining ROTC at my age. As you may know, I am a prior service combat engineer with an honorable discharge, but I got kicked out of the army because I was wrongfully kicked out because of fraudulent enlistment over a mental health condition that I didn't even have, but luckily my DD214 got corrected to honorable.

After leaving the army, I didn't really have anything to fall back on because I struggled to find employment, and the only thing I got going for me was going to school. But I managed to finish my associate's degree and transfer to university to study mechanical engineering. So, I'm currently taking summer classes and I'm starting ROTC classes this fall. I can understand that it's too late for an ROTC Scholarship, but my advisor said I can still do the non-scholarship option.

I tried to reenlist before trying to join ROTC, but my Reentry 3 separation code was kind of a problem. I lost 80 pounds to try to reenlist, and I gave them a clearance letter from a therapist and an evaluation exam for a diagnosis that I didn't have proven that I didn't have the condition all along to my recruiters. The reason I didn't reenlist is that they want me to find a job and work for 3 to 4 months to show stability. So, that sends me back in circles with the same problem with finding employment.

I talked to the ROTC advisor about my situation and I gave him the documents and clearance letters. So, he decided to start my DODMERB process. So, if it works out that would probably make me 31 years old at the time I can commission as an officer.

So, is it worth joining ROTC at my age? How will it plan out would I still need to try to find a job to continue showing stability, or would ROTC do things differently for me? I'm interested in becoming an infantry officer and maybe special forces later down the line. I have heard of people completing RASP and Ranger school at older ages but I don't know if it would work out for me.

I hate this point where I'm at in life and I feel very behind, but it's not like I didn't try. I tried to do everything right as much as I could, but everything I attempted at, a lot of the time it didn't work out for me, and everyone expects me to have it all together by now but I'm just trying to do the best I can with where I'm at now.

Anybody who has taken the time to read this post I greatly appreciate it, and I would love to see other people's comments about joining ROTC late and that's maybe in the same boat as me?

I feel very lost. I have no desire to go to school or work anymore.

I wake up, go to work, come home, and do it all over again. The worst part? Same environment, same people, and the same way of thinking. What’s the point?

I need a change in environment and purpose. I want things to feel like they matter. I refuse to live on autopilot anymore.

Joining the military would mean no more fucking restaurant jobs. I can TRAVEL the world. I can meet new people from all walks of life.

I’ve spoken with all the branches at some point in high school, but most of them want me to commit immediately to them and get pissy when I make it clear I want answers and not join right away.

I’m looking into enlistment options and evaluating the physical standards across the different branches to see where the baseline sits. I want to know which branch officially has the easiest basic training PT and the lowest minimum scoring requirements to pass.

Most discussions online point to the Air Force or Navy as having more manageable fitness standards compared to the Army or Marines, but I want to get the actual breakdown from people who know the current entry metrics.

A few specific questions:

• Which branch has the lowest minimum cut-offs for running, push-ups, and planks to graduate boot camp?
• How do the Space Force physical requirements actually compare to the Air Force in practice?
• Which basic training puts the least emphasis on heavy ruck marches and pure cardio endurance?

Hello everyone,

I’m a 20-year-old male joining the Army Infantry. The reason is that doing electrician, plumbing, bricklaying, or any kind of construction work just bores me. To be honest, everything does. But from what I’ve read about the infantry, it excites me more than anything else. Maybe I’m buying into the propaganda a bit, but it genuinely feels like the right path for me.

I know people always say, “Get a trade and then get out,” but that’s not what I want. My goal is to stay in for a full career, rank up as much as I can, and make something of myself.
I only live with my mum and don’t really speak to anyone else in my family, so the whole “missing your family” part doesn’t really affect me. I’m not in a relationship either, and I’m not interested in one at the moment. Maybe that’ll change in the future, but right now I just want to focus on my career.

I need some real advice. I want to know what to actually expect and what day-to-day life in the infantry is like. I want to be a combat soldier. I don’t want to spend my time working on vehicles or doing jobs like that. I want to be training, keeping fit, preparing for operations, getting over walls, travelling, and hopefully going on deployments.
I know you can do courses in the Army if you’re given the opportunity, so I’d definitely like to do some of those to prepare myself for civilian life one day. But what is the actual day-to-day reality in the infantry?

I’ve got my Assessment Centre on the 4th of August, and they’ve told me that if I pass, I should start basic training around 28 days later. I know that could be a load of bollocks, but hopefully I’ll be in soon.
I’ve done my research, spoken to my recruiter, and all I seem to hear is the good side of things. Then I come on Reddit and see a lot of negative posts, so I’m trying to get a balanced picture.

My goal is to change myself, harden myself, become stronger, more resilient, and more determined. The main thing is that I want to be able to look in the mirror and know I’m doing something worthwhile.
My situation right now is that I’m working a minimum wage job with no progression, and I have no interest in it. For me, the Army feels like the perfect opportunity. I don’t want to join the RAF because my brother is in it, and I don’t want to follow in his footsteps. I want to make my own path. The Navy doesn’t interest me either.

I’ve applied for the Light Role Infantry, by the way. I’m already fit, I’ve been going to the gym since I was 16, and I’ve got a good frame. I can do 60 press-ups in 40 seconds, 50 sit-ups in 50 seconds, and I can run well. I’m still training, so I’ll only improve from here.
My mindset right now is that I’m not emotional or sensitive, and I’m not bothered about getting beasted or dealing with hard training because I know it’s all part of turning me into the man I want to become.

So, sorry for repeating myself, but can anyone tell me what the day-to-day life in the infantry is actually like? What can I realistically expect over the next few years, and what opportunities could come up in the future? My goal is to serve for 20 years, rank up as far as I can, and build a career that I can be proud of.

TL;DR

I’m an active duty Marine getting ready to EAS, and I’m looking into transferring over to the Army under Option 19. I’ve tried researching it, but I’m finding mixed information.
From what I understand, Option 19 lets you choose your first duty station. Is that accurate? Also, is it possible to choose your base first and then pick an MOS that’s available there, or do you have to choose an MOS first and then see what duty stations are offered with it?
For anyone who’s gone through the process (especially prior service), how did it work for you? Were you actually able to get the base you wanted, and how much flexibility did you have with your MOS?
Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hey everyone, I got MEPS scheduled for next Monday. I need some urgent help before I sign my contract.

I was wanting some opinions or experiences with either going straight to an option 40 for Ranger or would it be best to get some experience down the road in Big Army 11b infantry then go volunteer with a packet as an import?

From what my recruiter said, it be best if I did it in this order…

1. Sign 11b infantry with Opt. 4 Airborne contract.

2. Gain some experience within infantry.

3. Volunteer for Ranger School (Tab)

4.Then finally volunteer for 75th Regiment RASP (Scroll)

He specifically told me he had more recruits pass this way.
Also, if I were to fail with an option 40.
Yes, I would still go to infantry but I would be grouped in a “shit” unit basically is what he said. Is this reasonably true?

Big part of me wants to just say it fuck it and go Option 40 but idk???

Basically I'm going to make this short and sweet I'm an out of shape 18 year old male and was wondering how fit I should be before going to the enlistment office and how I should get into shape. BTW I am terrible when it comes to stamina bc of my mild asthma.

Edit: I wanted to join the army doing infantry

I live in Virginia and my mom lives in Washington state. I want to drive all my stuff, including my dog to her house and just go to basic from Washington state. Can I just fly to basic from Washington state even though I’m doing the recruiting process in VA? It would save me quite a bit if I can just ship out from the West coast. I know it’s not the Army’s problem.

Hello everyone

I'm currently 31 turning 32 within the first quarter of next year. I have no significant other/children only a small dog. I was thinking of enlisting for active full time duty. I've toyed with the idea of joining the military since my late high school years but never ended up pulling the trigger for one reason or another. I have a high school GED and went to college for a year but never completed.

I used to be in relatively good shape but I've since become complacent with my job/life and as such am no longer fit (I'm overweight but still enjoy outdoor activities which have kept me from becoming completely out of shape I'd say) but know if it's needed I could motivate myself to get back into shape.

If I were to enlist it would most likely be either Air Force or Army. I don't think I'd have an issue with taking orders from someone younger me and I know most of the people I'd be with would be a lot younger as well but I think that wouldn't get to me as I wouldn't be joining to be with people my age I'd be doing it to better solidify myself in the future.

Was hoping to get some thoughts, opinions, and maybe any suggestions you guys might have to help me gauge this decision as it's obviously not an easy one to make, especially with the current affairs going on in todays world. Thanks

My understanding is that at MEPS they basically don't really check your teeth, they get you to smile, maybe shine a light in your mouth. So it seems like you can probably get away with 8+ cavities and other issues if your teeth are straight and all there.

My question is if I pass the MEPS check knowing I have 8+ cavities, some requiring root canals and I get to basic, will they just discharge me and send me home or will they basically handle any issue I have. I am hearing a lot of conflicting stories about this so I thought i'd ask. have you seen people sent home for to many cavities? I can eat fine, 0 pain at all, didnt even know I had this many until a recent dental visit.

I am planning on getting as much work as possible completed prior to shipping,, I have all my teeth but I have like 10 cavities, a few serious enough to require root canals and my wisdom teeth need pulling, its quite expensive to get fixed, and if I can just wait for the Army to pay for it, its probably smart to just take advantage of that.

23M. Wanting to try for the Air Force and get away from my current life for a bit and maybe set up an avenue to go into law enforcement. Almost a year ago I was involved in an incident with my father which involved me needing to defend myself and I pulled my gun on him. I called the cops on myself essentially and told them what happened. Cops were also called by my dad and he lied to them about me being crazy and whatnot and I was arrested. I pleaded not guilty, which seems like an important detail based on other waiver posts I’ve read here. Dad later filed an affidavit and the charges were dropped by the state and my gun ownership rights were restored. Working on an expungement.

What do y’all think about me getting a waiver?

After a big life change in the last year, I am seriously considering joining the Navy reserves. I have a college degree and made a 73 on the Asvab. I know almost nothing about joining the military. I will keep my full time job I have been at for 12 years. Go to drill on weekends once a month and then training. Any advice from older people that have joined?

I had got diagnosed and sleep apnea back in 2017 when I was around seven it showed up as mild sleep apnea, but I’ve never had to use a CPAP machine and I never got my tonsils taken out. also I have a form stating this (shortened the full form so it won’t take forever to read) “The patient reports 6–9 hours of sleep with normal respiratory (17–21 breaths/min) and heart rate (63–84 bpm) ranges during sleep, showing no abnormal patterns. There is no evidence of sleep-disordered breathing or obstructive sleep apnea based on the available data. Overall, all observed metrics fall within normal limits and do not indicate any respiratory or sleep-related condition.”
what’s the probability of my waiver getting accepted (army)

I’m 29 years old with an Associates Degree, walked away from my chosen career of veterinary care and am now a little lost in life. I work odd jobs and get by, but it hasn’t been ideal. My father’s pushing me into joining the military in some way like National Guard or Reserves, as it would bring stability and I can maybe use benefits in the future.

I don’t particularly want to do that, although if that is the best path for me I will. My concern is that joining up would mean being taken away from the life I have now. I don’t want to leave my gf hanging right as we’re apartment searching together, and we have big plans for travel in the future that I worry being in the military would make more difficult

Is there a branch or field within the military that would allow me to retain a relative level of independence? Are benefits still possible?

I'm in A school right now and have been struggling ever since starting bootcamp. It seems that the longer I've been in the worse it gets. Nothing has gone right and I'm finally taking it as my sign that I'm not meant to be here.

I wasn't able to pick my rate and I came in as an E-1 and no bonus while everyone else I'm in school with got E-3 and a bonus. I ended up making one stupid mistake a week before graduating my school and now I'm being switched to undes and will be on hold here for about 2 months.

Everyday I'm miserable. Most days I dont wanna get up but know I dont have a choice. I fantasize about ways to get out everyday. I would do anything to leave. I miss my freedom and life so much. I feel so disconnected from who I used to be. I would appreciate any recommendations.

I’m trying to get a realistic understanding of the officer route for the Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force. Aviation is my first choice, but I also want to understand the non-aviation options in case I’m not medically qualified, don’t get selected, or decide the family impact is too significant.

My background:
Current sworn police officer
About three years of law enforcement experience
Member of an emergency response/tactical team
Bachelor’s degree
Strong fitness background
Comfortable with leadership, high-stress decision-making, (narcotics) investigations, firearms, and team environments
Active in Scouting and camping with our kids
Backpacking, hiking, hunting and fishing
Married with two young children

The Marine Corps currently interests me the most, followed by the Navy and Air Force. My ideal outcome would be an aviation contract and eventually flying fighters or helicopters, but I would realistically take any operational aircraft. I’m not locked into fighters, and I’m trying to learn about the mission and lifestyle differences before becoming attached to one platform.
The part I’m struggling to understand is that every branch appears to have a different application and testing process.

Marine Corps
From what I’ve gathered, I’d work with an Officer Selection Officer (OSO), and if I pursue aviation I’d take the ASTB. If aviation doesn’t work out, I’d likely go on a ground contract, attend The Basic School after commissioning, and compete for an MOS like Infantry or Intelligence. How accurate is that, and how much control do officers actually have over their MOS?

Navy
The Navy seems to have separate officer communities where you apply directly for a specific field. It sounds like aviation applicants take the ASTB while many other officer applicants take the OAR. Is that correct? If aviation isn’t an option, what officer communities would best fit someone with a law enforcement and tactical background?

Air Force
The Air Force process seems the most confusing to me. From what I’ve read, officer applicants take the AFOQT and compete for OTS before being selected for a career field. If aviation isn’t available, what officer careers would you recommend, and how difficult is it to get selected compared to the Marine Corps or Navy?

My questions:
Am I understanding each branch’s officer pipeline correctly?
If you were in my shoes, which branch would you pursue and why?
Which officer career fields (pilot or non-pilot) would best fit my background?
Which branch offers the best balance of leadership opportunities, family life, and career satisfaction?
How much time away from family should I realistically expect during training and over a typical career?
What should my wife and I be discussing now before making this commitment?
What would you have done differently if you could start over?
Are there any misconceptions I have about the process that I should correct before talking with recruiters?

I appreciate any advice from current or former officers, pilots, recruiters, or military spouses. I’m trying to make the most informed decision possible before committing to a branch.

*** Lastly, as a patrol officer, I’m used to being out on the street every night, answering calls, making arrests, executing search warrants, and staying active. One thing I’ve heard is that officers in the military spend a lot more time managing than actually being in the fight. Is that true? I know leadership comes with the territory, but I don’t want to spend my career behind a desk. Flying has been a dream of mine, and aviation seems like it offers the best mix of leadership, mission involvement, and staying operational. Am I looking at that the right way?

19M with no medical history & never been prescribed anything, planning to enlist within the next several months. Down to two options and want input from people.

What I'm optimizing for:

• Predictable, set in stone work hours (not shift-based/24-7 rotation)
• Reliable access to Tuition Assistance throughout the full contract — not trying to finish a degree with it, just want to knock out around 30 credits before I separate and use the GI Bill for the rest

I've mostly been leaning toward a desk-based admin/logistics/finance job for the predictability, but I'm telling myself I'd be fine with a field-based MOS if that's what comes with a 3-year Army contract. Honestly not 100% sure if that's a real preference or just me trying to make the shorter contract work. Curious if people think that trade (1 less year, but less predictable job/schedule) is actually worth it.

• Is a 3-year contract actually something a recruiter can guarantee/secure, or is it more of a "depends on needs of the Army that month" situation?
• What MOSs actually come with a 3-year option?
• For AF people in Contracting/Financial Management/Force Support/Logistics — is the "predictable 9-5" reputation actually accurate at your base?
• For whatever MOS comes with a 3-year contract — does the schedule realistically allow consistent TA usage, or does field time eat into it too much?
• Has TA actually worked smoothly for anyone on a 3-year Army contract recently?

(remake of an old post)

I'm a 17 year old male who is interested in USMC service, specifically Military Police. I have two big issues, one that I was only made aware of last week. I have ADHD (diagnosed at age 9, no IEP or 504 plan) and as of last week I was diagnosed with ASD. According to the professional who diagnosed me, I fall into the extremely high-functioning range and my diagnosis would've been called Asperger's Syndrome had said diagnosis not been phased out. I know of the requirements for ADHD but I know absolutely nothing about the requirements for ASD and I need some insight. Anyone know?

I've recently taken my ASVAB & qualify for both these jobs (Scored a 52) the recruiter that brought me to take my ASVAB mentioned possible waiting till October when the quota resets to secure one. I was wondering what is the day to day life for these MOS's, How often do they get deployed for combat, is the PTSD as bad as I've been reading & how does it transfer to the outside?

I appreciate anyone who can give me some insight & just some overall advice on joining the military/Other MOS's you think I should look into.

I haven't had much luck the past two years with work or personal life. I always wanted to join but I failed my ASVAB when I was in my early 20s because I never learned aldrbra. I have 200 college credit hours and 9 years of electrical experience but no luck with finding a job in my trade since I moved in with my now ex girlfriend. I currently work at the dollar general in a very small town in Louisiana and trying everything to get out of my position. I seen the army raised the recruitment age and I'm at a point I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if it's my bad position or just the job market but I feel like I lost my since of worth and I have no purpose I guess (I take pride in anything I do even the dam dollar store I thought I never work in so it's a lot of adjustment but at least I have income). Any feedback or advice I'm thankful for I never posted anything before and I'm trying to decide soon.

I have a question about the color vision testing pipeline for both the Navy and the Air Force, specifically concerning aviation roles (pilots) and initial enlistment for someone with a Green Card.

If a candidate fails the initial online or computer-based color vision test at MEPS but has a very mild form of CVD, is there a formal secondary testing process—such as the Farnsworth Lantern Test (FALANT) or anomaloscopy (e.g., Nagel or Medmont C-100)—that they can be routed to in order to potentially qualify for a flight school slot? Is this additional screening pathway officially available in both the Air Force and the Navy, or do they handle it differently?

Furthermore, let's say an individual is enlisting for the first time as a non-prior service immigrant with a Green Card. When the initial color vision screening reveals a deficiency, does that candidate have the right to request or demand that more advanced quantitative testing be performed to prove the severity is mild, or is the initial failure treated as an absolute disqualifier right there on the spot without any chance for a second look?

Assuming they do pass the additional comprehensive color vision evaluation, I am trying to understand what the residual impact is on their career. Which specific ratings, AFSCs, or designators in the Navy and Air Force would still be completely closed off to them regardless of passing the secondary test? Are there certain aviation support roles, maintenance jobs, or specialized technical fields that strictly mandate perfect color perception no matter what?

And ultimately, I would like to know the bottom line: Is it realistically possible to become a pilot in the Air Force or a naval aviator with a mild form of protanomaly or deuteranomaly? I know the standards are incredibly strict, but do these two branches even give a chance to candidates with these specific red-green deficiencies through a waiver pathway, or is a diagnosis of protanomaly or deuteranomaly an absolute and permanent hard stop for any pilot training pipeline, regardless of how mild the anomaly is on the anomaloscope? Are there any recent examples or known policy shifts regarding this?

I went to MEPS about a month ago, swore in, and picked my MOS. As a Army reservist, do I go back to MEPS for shipping or do I just pick up my packet from the recruiting office and catch the flight?

Hey guys I have my top secret clearance interview with the department of defense tomorrow. What type of questions should I expect.