I just joined the US Army yesterday!!

[DeLamar.J]

I just inlisted in the army yesterday!! I almost puked when I swore in, having an officer in front of you,and being in that big offical room is very scary. But I made it lol. I sighned up for a 4 year term and got a 7,000$$ inlistment bonus! yeeee haaaa! Now I can get the new bike I have been wanting! My job will be either an 11B or 11C, they said I wont really know till I get there. I wanted to get an airborne , ranger, or SF option but none were available at the time, that sucked. But everyone says all you got to do is just apply for those things from within and you shouldnt have any problems. I also got inrolled in the GI bill, I'm very happy about that GI bill, the GI bill is kind of a win win situation because if I dont like the army life I can just not re inlist and then I can go to college for free. I think this might be the best decision of my life.

[Blackwood]

Congratulations!

The GI Bill is a wonderful thing. Too bad it wasn't available when I was in!

Good luck!

[Shimura]

I'm "riding" my GI Bill now, and you can't beat it with a stick.

[rentaroo]

Congratulations, and thank you for serving your country. I joined the Air Force a little over four years ago, the best decision I ever made. Like you, I opted to enroll in the GI Bill. Tremendous benefit, you pay in $1,200 (DoD automatically deducts $100/month from your pay for one year) and then after serving for three years (you can use GI Bill while on active duty), you are eligible to receive over $20,000 for college tuition. I already had a Bachelor of Science degree when I joined the Air Force (entered as an officer), however I can use the GI Bill to pay for my Masters Degree.

There are many other benefits to serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard. The training and education you receive will benefit you throughout your lifetime. The friendships you make will also last forever. You will have the opportunity to travel. Since joining the Air Force, I've had the good fortune to travel across the U.S. on several occasions.

Some words of advice for you:

Basic training is just that, basic - you will get beat down mentally and physically. The intent is to instill discipline, honor, integrity and a service-before-self attitude. I firmly believe my training in the martial arts helped make the transition much easier.

Listen to your instructors, they will tell you everything you need to succeed. It's their job and they take pride in it.

Learn to foster teamwork amonst others in your training group (not sure of the exact Army term); if you're doing well and others are not, leadership will want to know why you're not helping to make them better. Helping others to achieve more will reflect positively on you, I guarantee it!

Give credit where credit is due, enough said there.

Good luck!!

[Pete Knox]

Hooahh!!!

Congratulations. Your life will change forever, and that will be a good thing. Thanks for defending our country and our freedom.

BTW -- I know an 11B is a groundpounder, but what's an 11C?

As for the SF, I thought you had to be a sergeant or better to get it, unless they changed that. Either way, you still have a chance. Just keep your nose in order, complete any schools you can, and you should be selected eventually. Completing Ranger school would definitely be an asset in that regard, but as I'm sure you know, that's no Sunday walk in the park.

Good luck soldier (now stand up straight!)

[Mitch Saret]

For those who don't know...11C is mortars, you could also be 11H, heavy anti-armor. And the army term would be platoon. I enjoyed my service and i hope you will too. The fact there were no airborne slots is odd, but I have been out 20 years. And back then you didn't need to be sgt E-5 to get SF, but you would be by the time you got out, training was that long. I had a high school buddy go through it the same time I was airborne. Cool thing was neither of us knew the other had joined, we just ran into each other at the Main PX at Ft. Bragg one day...wild!

[IchiRiKen1]

I'm just all kinds of help all over the internet tonight...

I am on active duty with the US Army at Fort Lewis, WA. I used to be an 11C (Indirect Fire Crewman - Mortar), a 19D (Cavalry Scout), and am now a 27D (Military Paralegal NCO).

Once you complete Basic Training (BT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT), you will receive your first assignment. When you arrive, you can always request Airborne school, but bear in mind that your unit will have to pay for you to attend, and if you are not in a unit that requires you to have that skill, you won't be going. The same goes for Ranger and SF - you can request those schools, but there is more to it than that...

For Ranger, it is best that you are already Airborne qualified. Additionally, you won't just show up at either Ranger school or to a Ranger unit. You will be screened first. Not just everybody makes that cut.

For SF, you will need to be an NCO before you are eligible to volunteer. They don't want raw recruits for a number of reason, the least of which are that you don't know enough about anything to be useful to them, and your fitness level simply wouldn't allow you to survive their initial screening process...

Good luck. When you go to BT, keep your mouth shut, your bed made, and your boots shined. You should be okay if you do.

[Budoka 34]

Well James you did it!

Now I can tell you, You nasty leg puke, get down and give me twenty!

Good luck and when you get done with basic and AIT, I'm buying! Then Airborne, then SFAS, then the Q course! Man this could get expensive!
Stay in touch LEG!

[txhapkido]

I was a 11C (81mm Morters) in 1970 before switching to 91C. Start building up your upper body strength and running. I was a cross country runner and never suffered but others did, especially those boys from New York...we were at Ft. Polk, Louisiana. Watch out for the short rounds!

[A. M. Jauregui]

Congratulations!!! And thank you, for doing your part...

[ghp]

Thank you for serving our country. The GI Bill is a great benefit, but please always remember first that you are in the military to "soldier". But I'm sure you think that way already.

I used to cringe when I heard soldiers say the only reason they joined was to get the GI Bill -- and they didn't give a whit about service to their country. But in every organization there is that bottom 10%. Since you have hopes of going SF or Ranger, I feel you will serv the country well, and again:
THANK YOU!!!

The GI Bill is a GREAT benefit. I used it to complete my BA and still had enough to get me through graduate school.

Again ...(did I say this yet?) Thank you very much for your committment and service.

Best of luck,
Guy

[DeLamar.J]

Originally posted by IchiRiKen1
I'm just all kinds of help all over the internet tonight...

I am on active duty with the US Army at Fort Lewis, WA. I used to be an 11C (Indirect Fire Crewman - Mortar), a 19D (Cavalry Scout), and am now a 27D (Military Paralegal NCO).

Once you complete Basic Training (BT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT), you will receive your first assignment. When you arrive, you can always request Airborne school, but bear in mind that your unit will have to pay for you to attend, and if you are not in a unit that requires you to have that skill, you won't be going. The same goes for Ranger and SF - you can request those schools, but there is more to it than that...

For Ranger, it is best that you are already Airborne qualified. Additionally, you won't just show up at either Ranger school or to a Ranger unit. You will be screened first. Not just everybody makes that cut.

For SF, you will need to be an NCO before you are eligible to volunteer. They don't want raw recruits for a number of reason, the least of which are that you don't know enough about anything to be useful to them, and your fitness level simply wouldn't allow you to survive their initial screening process...

Good luck. When you go to BT, keep your mouth shut, your bed made, and your boots shined. You should be okay if you do.

Man that would really suck if I cant even get airborne training, I hope I get some opportunity to advance in infantry. Airborne,ranger,pathfinder,sniper,SF, something. I dont wanna be stuck in infantry for my whole four years, if so then I will have to accept it,but I really want to advance.

[Budoka 34]

James,

I can't believe they would not at least give you unit assignment options, 82nd, 101st, etc. That used to be easy to get in a contract.
I guess its changed a little.

Don't worry James, if they won't send you to Airborne school I'll take you up and throw you out myself.

If I do, does that mean I have to buy another round?


Keep in touch Lego.

BTW, I may be in Akron next month, when do you leave?

[Ben Bartlett]

Well, having never served in the military myself, I can't pretend like I have any idea of what it's going to be like for you. Nevertheless, it sounds like the right decision for you, and I wish you the best of luck!

[Soulend]

Congratulations!