Hello,

I am a college student currently looking into joining the military for experience and college education benefits. I plan on doing the ROTC program next year when I am at the main UConn campus. I have always wanted to be a pilot but I am studying to be a lawyer in college. I spoke to a National Guard recuriter and I have been to Meps. Everything is set...I just need to lose some weight to get in. I am currently 206 and am 5'7. I don't look that big the height has killed me. I have been to Meps twice. Im hoping this last time I will get in. I am supposed to go back on the 23rd of this month. I still want to enlist..but I am not sure what to do. I don't want to miss two semesters so I decided to wait until January to ship for basic. I am also not sure if I should enlist with the National Guard. I have looked into other military branches..I haven't talked to other recuriters but I have done my research. I respect anyone's opinon...pear save me your bullshit. I am just not sure what to do. My current plan is to enlist and then join ROTC and serve under the National Guard's Simulteanous Membership Program...then I was going to flight school. But I want to fly planes not choppers. Can I change inbetween services? Is the Air Force better? Can I please get some guidence? My other idea was to stay in the Army and maybe become a JAG lawyer but again not sure. If anyone can also tell me how boot camp is like and what I can do to get ready and lose the weight for enlistment I would appreciate it.


P.S. I thought this might be funny..but there was a guy at Meps that joined the Army and talked a lot of smack talking about he enlisted 16 people in the Connecticut area. He said he had been promoted to E-3 and walked around wearing an army shirt and hat wearing the PFC ranks. Is it possible for an enlistee to get that many people? And can he walk around wearing rank like he has earned it? I just felt like that guy should have been smacked for talking so much shit.

Gabe

If you're serious about being a pilot, then AF is the way to go. If you have a two-year degree you might be able to get into the Army Warrant Officer program, but that's for flying helicopters only. The AF is trying to get rid of a lot of people right now, so it might be a little tough to enlist in the guard, or to try to walk right into a special education or commissioning program. A recruiter will probably try to direct you towards enlisting now, then leave you high and dry regarding your pilot aspirations. If piloting planes is what you want, the Navy is also an option, but me being Air Force I don't have firsthand knowledge of how the Navy operates.

The boot camp experience depends on what service you go into, I'm sure everyone has their stories...and a lot of those are posted on this board. About the difference between services, all of that is negligible depending on if you get the job you want. I know a lot of people who gripe and say "I hate the AF" or "I hate the Army" when really they just hate what they're doing. Don't think that the grass is greener in other services because they all have their pluses and minuses.

And about that kid at MEPS, those are the kind of tools that get brought back down to size in basic training. A lot of those types don't make it through anyway. Techinically now he's a civilian punk, so wearing the rank doesn't break any rules (it's the full uniform and lying about medals earned that will get ya). He's technically not an E3 until he graduates basic. Those that get extra rank before basic are treated as equally as every other recruit, so there's no real reason to think that you're special.

Good luck with the weight loss, just keep at it. If you're trying to drop pounds to get in, focus on cardio. Start with running and see if you can push yourself up to doing 5k (3+ miles) regularly. Most military workouts (and I said most so don't correct me Marines) consist of 25-45 minutes of cardio or just straight up running, so the 5k mark is a good average.

I assume you are talking about joining ROTC, you dont have to go to meps to join ROTC. You dont want to join as enlisted at all if your goal is to fly or be a lawyer. Either go ROTC or wait until you graduate to join OTC/OCS. When you finish law school you wont go to basic you will get a direct commission. If you go the flight route you will have to go through OTS, but flight is a crap shoot. Oh I almost forgot if you want to go to law school and you are in ROTC, you have to "get permission" to continue your education, the way I see it I will be damned if im getting permission from someone like a 8 yr old kid to better myself, thats just my opinion.

So the best thing you can do is get your law degree and pass the bar exam and talk to an officer recruiter, start by asking for a contract to flight school if there is no demand for pilots you can say oh by the way I have this law degree and my bar I want a direct commission and if he still him haws around just walk out.

If you do air force even if you go flight you dont do basic, OTS is all the BS in one shot, the army drags it out (ie basic and OCS seperate)

Talk to a recruiter first. He'll layout your options and pick the one that suits your needs. Much like what rppearso did when he joined up.

Just make sure its an officer recruiter.

Finally....a breakthrough! Thank you for telling him to see a recruiter.

The critical difference is he needs to talk to an OFFICER recruiter, not just any joe blow recruiter. officer recruiters are alot harder to find and I wanted to make sure that distinction was very clear. An officer recruiter will cut the BS and let you know what is avalible. So if you want to fly and there are no slots he will tell you, he wont say oh join now blah blah blah and then apply from within when all of you ability to negotiate is gone because you are already in. Because then you will be in the position I was in when all you care about is getting the hell out of dodge because there really are no pilot slots and your going to get shuffled into something that you dont want, to "meet the needs of the military". Of course thats crazy talk and no one should listen to me because I dont know what im talking about, until of course you are stitting in reception or out of basic being told you are going to be an infantry officer then you will think back and say hey that rppearso guy wasent so full of crap after all.

son, take a compliment with good grace for a change.