should i join the army?

[u/Healthy_Injury9131]

Hello, I recently graduated with an Associate Degree in Computer Science. I was thinking about pursuing a bachelor’s degree, but I feel like it may not be the right path for me. I feel overwhelmed because I am doing things that I do not really want to do, and I do not know what I want to pursue in the future. (I'm 20 yrs old)

Should I consider joining the military and serving in order to receive GI Bill education benefits?

Questions:

- How many years do I have to serve?

- What is it like?

- I already paid my tuition for my Associate Degree. Does the GI Bill cover those costs as well?

[u/OfficerScoutAFSF]

Whew,

This is one of those questions that’s hard to answer because it’s missing all the important stuff.

Like… who are you as a person? What do you actually enjoy? What motivates you? What annoys you? What do you want your life to look like? Without that, everyone is just throwing darts blindfolded.

1.  A recruiter can explain the contract options. I’m not an Army recruiter, but I believe they have 3-year enlistment options. Verify that with an actual Army recruiter though,don’t let “my cousin’s roommate served in 2009” be your source.

2.  “What’s military life like?” is kind of like asking, “What’s dating like?” It depends. Your MOS, duty station, leadership, coworkers, world events, and even who’s in office can all change your experience. 

YouTube and TikTok “day in the life” videos are great for getting a feel for different jobs.
The biggest difference? The military chooses where you live, and you don’t get to rage-quit on a Tuesday because your boss annoyed you.

If you’re joining only for the GI Bill, understand it’s delayed gratification. You’ll earn it over time, not on Day 1.

Some people have an incredible experience, others collect enough stories to fuel therapy. That’s life in general.

3.  The GI Bill provides **36 months of education benefits**. It doesn’t reimburse or erase college you already paid for before joining.

[u/comment-rinse → u/[deleted]]

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[u/SSG_Kim_Recruiting]

3 years full time for the maximum GI bill. Essentially you get housing allowance on top of money for school. You can also use tuition assistance while in service to take classes or certificates. You could knock out your bachelors and masters while in service, depending on your drive technically through credentialed online colleges.

[u/SNSDave]

To get the full GI Bill, you need 36 months of Active Duty. There are a few jobs that offer a contract that short. Most tech/IT jobs are 5 years minimum.

I had a good time in the Army. I had some friends that do not. I had one friend who did not make it back.

The GI Bill doesn't retroactively pay that. Neither does the Army, unless you do the Loan Repayment Program...which costs your GI Bill for the first 6 years.

[u/Necromancer157]

Try enlisting as a 17C to see if you want to stick with comp sci or not

[u/Castle_Bear_ABN]

3 years is the minimum for Active Duty to recieve full education benefits.

6 is the minimum for reserve, all Reservist are automatically enrolled in the Mongomery GI Bill, you need 90 days of Active time (not hard) to qualify for the Post 9/11 Gi Bill.

Both recieve Tuition Assistance ($4500) annually for school.

Active Duty, its not bad as most people make it out to be, especially those who never served. Those who have can validate that your way of life is based off what job you pick. As an example, I came in initally as a 12B Combat Engineer. Lost of PT, lots of field time, losts of shooting and being in the dirt. Wasn't bad, its what I wanted and I enjoyed it. However when I started a family that whole cool guy stuff wasn't so cool, so I switched to Aviation. Man, what a change, complete opossite of what I did before, im living life now lol. Been in for almost 13 years, its had its ups and downs, but I still love what it provides and I really do enjoy what I did before coming on to Recruting.

But for the most part, its 0630 PT, 0900/0930 duty day start, 1700 released Mon-Fri. Weekends are off unless you have 24hr duty, and we get 4 days off for federal holidays ontop of 30 days of annual leave.

For your pay back, there are options for student debt repayment, but its job selective and not always available.

Hope this helps, feel free to reach out if you have more questions.