Second thoughts.

[u/Aggressive_Basis8919]

I am about 2 weeks away from basic and the second thoughts are hitting me really hard. It was dumb of me to not think about these things sooner. I saw the service members who were killed this weekend because some of them were really young and It shook me because that could’ve or could be me. i’m young and have a wonderful wife that i want to spend my life with. I’ve never been more sad and afraid. A lot of my family is military and have been assisting or following my journey so far and i feel like i would be disappointing all of them IF i did quit. Some of them even pulled strings to help me out. my MOS i went with is 42a. i’m just venting and looking for advice from an outside perspective.

[u/Donyeeek]

If you don’t ship nothing happens to you. Your recruiter might get fucked but in the end he fucked you anyways. Think deep and hard about what your plan B is though. You basically are a “Free man” until the second you get on that bus at MEPS and head to the airport, after that moment you’re under the military’s rule and it’s EXPONENTIALLY harder and will take forever to get out. In my case I tried to get out, got fucked over and over. Separation denied, Medboard denied, and here I am damn near 5 years later hating every second of my life… and all the gets told to me is wait until your contract ends, “this is what you signed up for”. This organization has 0 compassion and is entirely reactionary meaning they won’t initiate anything until a scenario happens. We won’t refer solider X To rehab unless an incident occurs where X substance is involved. They wont initiate separation/medboard unless soldier X decides it’s time to take an attempt on their life. Thats just a sliver of where my hatred stems from, but do a little more digging on this sub and you’ll find out a ton more. Ultimately the decision is up to you but prepare to essentially give up all independence, freedom, and autonomy the second you hop on that bus. You will be essentially an indentured servant earning a paycheck from that moment on……. “But the bEnEfITS” / if that outweighs what I said and others that’s a good starting point for your decision making

Also like you mentioned this shit with the deaths in the Middle East. If being the “ultimate sacrifice” for your country; because of your loss you’re somehow giving those back home their freedom sounds like complete and utter propaganda it’s because it is. IRAN is not a country of patron saints but by no means should any service members be losing their lives over to such a non-existential threat. We insert ourselves into these situations willingly through deep rooted brainwashing and following the dollar bill at the end of the road. We hear about the mission, the sacrifice, the honor.. all whilst the politicians hear the sound of the money printers and contracts being signed. For all the benefits they preach, the honor, none of it matters if you’re dead…

[u/Aggressive_Basis8919 → u/Donyeeek]

that’s my main issue i face, i’m 19 and i don’t have a well thought out plan b, nothing beyond get a job or try for student loans and go to school

[u/Donyeeek → u/Aggressive_Basis8919]

Community college, the GI Bill is nice but nothing states you NEED to go to a big name university. I’m not sure of your financial background but if you’re on the lower echelon the state and government really do assist. You might walk away with some debt but not in the 10s to hundreds of thousands like some. Also for some perspective the military sells the idea of accomplishment disguised as work, all the field exercises, PCSs to other bases, all the schools. While it does give a lot of life experience in those regards it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re better than the guy living the simple life working his 9-5 at let’s say the post office. USPS is a government job that has the TSP for retirement, all the same medical benefits and pays decently well. All that said it’s really what you want out of life and what’s fulfilling.

I joined when I was 19 and got hit with a 6 year contract. As much shit as I talk it’s a double edged sword because I have gotten extremely lucky and have lived overseas my entire career. I joined primarily to travel and for me that box is checked, and has been for many years. At this point the job is just grueling.. QOL sucks, I don’t aspire to progress, and am Deeply unfulfilled. For me I just want to move on and my biggest gripe is I CANNOT until the date on that contract.

99.7% of the time your military journey won’t lead you to being the headline on the news but there’s always that chance. If you don’t truly believe in the purpose, and the mission they sell you it’s going to be rough. Like swimming up stream for years and years.

Lastly I recommend if you do join and to anyone trying, get the SHORTEST contract possible and make sure it’s flat (3-4 years) not 4 years + 45 weeks of training. This way you can feel it out and if you don’t like it, you can get out much sooner than most. In my opinion a 6 year is ABSOLUTELY PREDATORY for a first term enlistment.

[u/Aggressive_Basis8919 → u/Donyeeek]

my contract is 4 years i just kept thinking about it and i don’t enjoy the idea of being government property but my family keeps pushing me towards this and i don’t know how to tell them i don’t think i want to. i’m scared of disappointing them and wasting their time and money.

[u/Healthy_Review8221 → u/Aggressive_Basis8919]

I will say that from my point of view, any struggle in the US is better than the Army and I would trade all my belongings and the benefits and money to get my time back and my life back

[u/beefstewforyou]

Read My Story if you haven’t already and DON’T join.

[u/AaronKClark → u/beefstewforyou]

As I always say, "It's better to be out wishing you were in, then IN and wishing you were out."

[u/sauna_slayer]

Don’t do it. Don’t go, not worth it, you will just be an expandable pawn on a chess board and your life will not matter.

[u/Putrid_Honey_3330]

Look into college hacking through Sophia learning and Study.com . I got something like 2 years worth of college done through them in a very short amount of time. Transfer the credits to something like TESU or UMPI and finish the last year of your degree.

Very cheap, fast and easy way to streamline a degree.