A Time For Change In My Life. Need Some Opinions Or Thoughts Please! [Navy]

First off before I say what I'd like to say, i want to make a few things very clear.

Hopeful Rules:
Now, I'll actually start what i wanted to say:

My life has been rather uninteresting and overall pretty horrible. I am 25 years old and have worked 12 different jobs, and moved over 10 times since i was 16. I never did good in high school and overall got a very slow start in life.

I made the typical mistake of getting engaged too early only to end in tragedy 4 years into the relationship. My entire life felt broken and i moved back home with my parents.

I decided to give college a try. Somehow because i went with the graphic design field I've found myself landing a 3.8 GPA and managing dean's list nearly every quarter. 76 credit hours later i'm finding that continuing college is going to be very impossible for me. I had a falling out with my parents to the point where i was told i was nothing and would never accomplish anything. I recently ended up giving them my 30 days to move out and pretty much move in with my fiance.

This is where my life stood recently without going into ridiculous pointless detail.

I can move in with my fiance, but our lives are going to be very hard. I dropped all my classes after giving my parents my 30 day notice to try and find full time work.

Obvious bad move; Nobody is hiring in my area for anything that matters. And at 25 i refuse to work at mcdonalds or anythign beneath me (Don't misunderstand i respect the people who do those jobs).

I decided to look into the Navy after examining and doing research on the internet. After about two weeks of internet research, books, and calls to friends who ARE in the navy as well as questions to a recruiter... i decided to take all my paperwork in.

This is where my life stands right now

I was never smart in high school, i only did great in college because it's what I'm interested in.

I was scared shitless of the asvab. Somehow when i went to the recruiter two days ago i managed a 57 on the practice. I was like ok cool, that's not too bad. I filled out paperwork, talked with him about my intentions and it looks like I'm a perfect match for the navy.

I really appreciate the way he talked to me and my fiance as it wasn't a persuasion talk like most horror stories I've seen/heard about recruiters. I made sure to be very clear and ask for more elaboration.

He drove me to MEPS and i took my full on test within the next few hours. I managed a 69 and did well on the code section. My recruiter told me 67 or higher qualifies me for tier II advanced jobs. He also told me because i had 76+ credit hours that i would be moved to rank E-3 possibly (E-2 for sure at least).

For the first time in my life leaving that recruiter office i feel like i have a great chance at having hope in my life. I'm not doing it for the money, I'm not doing it for the benefits, I'm not doing it for any other reason other than to have a better quality of life.

Today i did all the information for my security clearance, i left him a voice mail and plan to stop in tomorrow. I may leave for MEPS and stay in a hotel either tonight or monday night.

I'm 99.9% sure i'll pass all of the medical exam but it's been nearly 7 years since i've seen a doctor or dentist. No medical insurance all my life made it impossible with the full costs.

I just hope i get a decent job that's available in either IT with computers or ATC (Air Traffic Control). I hope to have around two months before i have to leave for boot camp. Might be more if nothing is available but with my score i have a good chance i think.

I guess what replies, comments, or suggestions I'm looking for is people who have either been in the Navy or have genuine experiences who have any form of feedback or thoughts.

I'm tired of sitting around doing college full-time, Even after college there is no guarantee of a job since many people do graphic design or photography as an easy way out in life. I need more in my life and i need to get away from my computer, Final Fantasy XI, and straight out binging on videogames in general.

After MEPS and all goes well it looks like I'll be sworn in and whatnot. Also any experiences or processes would be well appreciated. I only know after boot camp i go to "A" or "C" school for a bit based on what career i choose.

It turns out that quite a many people have replied to me on myspace, facebook, and FFXI wondering about some info as well. I'll give everyone the things that helped keep my spirits up and drive forward.



Useful Practice Asvab Tests
http://www.military.com/ASVAB
http://www.4tests.com/exams/examdetail.asp?eid=67

Asvab Requirements by Job
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/navy/l/blasvabscores.htm

Helpful Youtube Videos giving decent Boot Camp Insight



I hope anyone else that considers the Navy gets any kind of useful knowledge or preparation from the above as i did.

User videos that give good insight


I found this guy's videos very inspirational and i hope i get stuck with someone like this guy as it's very similar to my personality and attitude. I watched a ton of his videos on a ton of different things.



Now i obviously know that you won't be able to do ***like this often if any at all... but i found this pretty entertaining and fun to watch.

If your into this kind of thing, look into ONI, from what i hear its a pretty interesting job with many career choices when you get out of the navy.

I'm not sure what Office of Naval Intelligence really does. I'll be sure to get all the info i can before choosing a career. I know that if i do ATC a friend of mine told me the FAA will snap you right up out of the navy with a VERY nice career. Plus if you are trained for ATC the re-enlistment bonus is ridiculous because they want to keep you.

Thanks very much for the suggestion though.

I commend you for what you're about to embark on, sir. You and I have a lot of similar reasons for enlisting (I'm in the Air Force). I'm 24, had too many jobs that I can remember, moved all over the place since I graduated high school, and getting married in a month or so. I took my ASVAP back in October and just passed the physical part of MEPS two weeks ago.

My mother, father, uncle and step-mother are all retired Navy. So if you got any questions, I am sure I can help you out. Dad was a submarine tech and near retirement he switched to Navy police. My brother is doing his second tour in Iraq right now and is Special Forces.

But yeah. I enlisted for the same reasons as you did. Except I did well in the school department but school is just too expensive. I was afraid of spending thousands of dollars and being in a jobless situation like you. And I need to be able to provide for my fiance. She's sick (some bad genetic back issues) and her medical insurance would be too expensive or she is having problems since it is a pre-existing condition. And without a college degree, it is nearly impossible to find a job that would be able to provide for us and our needs.

You'll enjoy the physical part of the MEPS by the way. Nothing is better than having a doctor asking you to bend over and spread the cheeks. Haha. Or standing in a room full of guys in their boxers/briefs and doing the duck walk together.

Also I've been waiting nearly 3 months to get ready for boot camp. Nothing has opened. There are some guys at my job who have sworn in and have to wait until July to get sworn in a second time for boot camp. There is quite a line from what I'm seeing. One of the guys I've run into the MEPS has been doing the whole enlisting process since March '09. So be prepared for a possible wait. I'm hoping my wait isn't that much longer...

Hey. Do you speak any other language than English? If so, you should check out about taking the DLAB(Defense Language Appitude Battery). Normally recruiters save it for people who get 80+ on their ASVAP, but I know a guy who got a 70 on his ASVAP but 120 on his DLAB since he could speak German, Spanish and English very well. Just a rough idea on the DLAB, if you score over 100, you're going to get a sign on bonus. This guy got 80,000 sign on bonus. Haha. That is if you want to be translating stuff and you're good at languages and listening to them.

Something to look into. I scored a 90 on my ASVAP so I thought I'd take a swing at it. Scored a 80 on the DLAB. Made me one sad panda. It was harder than hell.

Oh my god man my friend was dicking with me so bad... he's all like "yeah man... while your peeing in a cup hes gonna stick his finger in your ***... because i know you sailors like it like that".

lol.

Hes in the air force as well. He also joked and said "once you put that little cute sailor outfit on you better be prepared for a ***storm of comments from me"

again lol.

But yeah i know MEPS is going to be a horrible long day of duck walking nearly naked with a bunch of other dudes as well as taking blood -_-.

I too want stability in life and the ability to have a future with my fiance.

What was your asvab score and what did you sign up for? I know it depends HEAVILY on that because they take the guys with the higher scores first.

I'm nervous about waiting more than 2 months but either way i need to start running, eating better, and get used to drinking tons of water.

Negative on that, i know simple Japanese phrases and terms thanks to a few JP friends in this game. But i know if i even tried to mention that I'd get owned by the recruiter lol.

I scored a 90 and I'm signing up for military intelligence. Specifically Military intelligence analysis.

Yeah considering 99 is the highest you can get, that's really damn good and I'm amazed you have to wait so long. I know it depends on the openings too though. You could get a 99 but if there's no opening there's not much they can do.

I figure with IT and computers there are more chances for openings. Hell even ATC wouldn't be bad.

After the falling out with my parents I'm anxious to gtfo as soon as i can. 2 months roughly is perfect because i need SERIOUS work on my push ups and sit ups. I think i could run the mile right now though. But still preparing is key for me.

I want to stay a step ahead... you can see from the above i did a billion different types of research and got as much insight as i could.

This is going to be a crazy change for me, but one i think know i need.

Yeah. I was kind of upset at my score to be honest though. I have been out of school for 6 years and I didn't study for the ASVAP because I figure I'd do good. And I know 90 is good but if I hadn't just assumed I'd score so high, I could have study and done a lot better. Lol. Truth be told though the part that ruined me was the mechanic part. I had no idea that would be there and I'm also car HELP I AM TRAPPED IN 2006 PLEASE SEND A TIME MACHINE. There were questions and parts of cars I've never seen or knew existed. Lol

As for preparing for boot camp, I jog 2 miles four times a week. I figure if they make me run a mile or the mile and a half, my 2 mile conditioning will take me further than just conditioning a mile, ya know?

And have your wife/fiance help you with your meals. Ever since I was sworn in, she's been greatly involved with my diet. She also gets on my *** if I'm not out jogging. It's like I'm at boot camp except I'm not getting paid. Haha.

Based on your rules, rule 4 especially, it sounds like you've already made up your mind. You mentioned that working fast food is "beneath" you. The first 2-5 years of your military service(depending on your performance and how full your MOS is) you are going to find out exactly what "beneath" feels like.

The system the military uses is almost certainly necessary for the function it performs, but it means that someone who decided to join at 19 instead of 25 and has been in for a few years can make your life a living hell with a minimum of effort on their part. This isn't coming from a dishonorable discharge, either. I left the army as a staff sergeant after six years, part of which was stop-lossed.

I don't regret going into the military, its an excellent deal, but it's not for everyone. If it was pride that made you drop out of college and move out of your parent's house, that pride is something that will cause you a lot of heartache your first few years. Let go of it, or at least put it on hold for a while.

It's worth noting that if there is any way for you to finish college, you may be able to join as an officer, which is a career path with a much brighter future than the enlisted side.

There really isnt any 100% sure thing in life . I have a very good friend who Enlisted in the Army 8 months ago and she loves it . Now mind you , she was the never type you would think would be a Soldier or crave/enjoy the military life style . I too was considering Enlisting when i got divorced over 2 years ago , but when i get my Best friend (yea my BF is now my wife) Pregnant we discussed it and felt it wasnt the right choice for us . But like i said , A good friend joined up and she couldnt be happier . My cousin was in the Navy on a 4yr and he didnt re-enlist . You mention a Fiance and if you plan on getting married before you Ship out or got to boot camp you may want to talk mopre about it and make her understand that when you finish boot camp there can and will be periods of time where she may not see you for Months on end . SOme Tours can last 1 year or more . As youre 25 your option are fairly limitless as far as the Navy goes . And once youre in , you can apply for jobs and training you may not have qualified for initially . An Example of this would be NSW , Naval Special Warfare . While you may not have gotten an ASVAB score high enough to be a SeAL or SWCC , once your in you can apply for it . From talkin to my Friend and Cousin , it really seems you get out what you put in , like any career . If you can wake up not dreading goin to work , you'll be ok . if youre counting your days til your discharged i would try and get training in a field you like before leaving .

I wish you luck in your venture and am a bit jealous of your ability to do so , but i know if I personally was to enlist it would not only be Hard and trying on my wife but would break my son's heart .


GL i hope that helps a little .

That's a good idea on the jogging thing, And yeah i already told my fiance I'm going to need help in the eating/drinking department and to help me keep to it.

Luckily i'm perfect weight for my height right now (187 at 6'2''). I figure as i build a little muscle and lose fat I'll be a little less which is perfect.

If anyone else want's to add to the conversation or give decent thoughts please feel free to.

As stupid as this sounds support and discussion helps in every aspect and I'm sure even Zekky can agree that talking things out and getting ideas/comments helps.

Not always the case. Officers got more responsibilities than enlisted and unless you're planning on serving 20 years, imo, I couldn't see why you'd want to do your time as an officer in your 4-6 years. And some people don't want the responsibilities. From what I've heard from the military family, less fun on their side and if you're looking for fun, not the best for all.

And besides. You can do CLEPs while in the military and get a lot of college credits through that method. Pass the subjects you're good at.

One important thing. Just about every job is available. Don't let the career counselor tell you that a job is full. If it's the ONLY way to get you in, they'll put you in any job your score qualifies you for. I walked out of MEPS and waited for the bus to take me home before the career counselor came out and told me a slot magically opened up for me.

At the same time, if you go into a truly overfull or marginal jobs, they will have no qualms about giving you your job, sending you to school for it, then putting you in your first unit and sending you straight to the motor pool(or the navy equivalent) you have to strike a balance, i suppose.

go through it first. then tell me how it is. i had a little over six years to make the observations i made. i was in the army. the air force may be very different.

What i meant by beneath me is that i could disassemble six computers, scatter/mix the parts and reassemble them in less than 1 hour. I can also design fully functional flash websites.

Proof:
http://www.remnantlinkshell.com

I can do many things in my life that amaze most people and this doesn't even touch the iceberg tip on things i can do with IT work.

Yes... flipping burgers for 7.15$ an hour at 20 hours a week is beneath me period. It's not where i belong and I'm a better person than that entails. There is no quality of life in that.

I understand and agree that the military isn't for everyone. I also agree that the things i do in boot camp such as scrubbing the floor or toilet are not exactly stellar. But boot camp is a mind game and they do things to try and break you.

But it's part of the process.

And also to become an officer you have to have a bachelors degree. I am only close to my associates. Besides Officer Training isn't a cake walk either.

I understand all your points and i take the direct criticism with thanks. There will always be two ways to look at something and i value any outlook regardless.

I hope i addressed those properly.

Yeah. It has helped me a lot. After three weeks of my 2 mile job, I was able to get my mile run down to 5 minutes and 54 seconds. I'm just 20~ seconds short of my high school football mile run. Which pleases me. And if it helps me, I'm sure it can help you.

Oh god absolutely, man. I am constantly calling my dad and my brother on things. My dad is even helping me get down my saluting and my standing positions because I do not want to be the guy who could be the slowest learner or having the most difficulty. Also remember! Learn to not lock your knees. You'll hear that a lot. I find myself sometimes standing around and conditioning that part of me as well.

I'm making my observations from my father and my brother's experiences so far. And like my entire family is military. I've got marines, navy and air force people. Just no Army. So it may be different. Who knows. And I'm also planning on going career. I don't see any point in not completing 20 years if I'm doing 6 years. That's just 14 more years till I can retire with a pension and then get a federal job for another 10 years and end up retiring with two pensions.

And I want to become an officer myself so I'm going to go through the whole CLEP thing to get immediate college credit and work my way up to OTS. My recruiter and I are constantly talking about choices I can be making. He seen how driven I am and he wants me to go somewhere. He's also told me a lot of routes on not to take because he took them and it has held him back. I asked others to make sure he was just not feeding me stuff.

Yeah I'm driving myself insane with all the info I'm taking in and the requests or questions I've had.

I still google ***constantly and seek information.

I'm lucky to have a good friend still in the navy after 8 years who is a phone call or text away.

Plus my friend in the air force (even though he tried to push me into the air force still to this day) is supportive and wishing me luck.

And know what... All this talk makes me realize I forgot to get a hold of my recruiter yesterday since it was Wednesday. Oi. I hope this doesn't get me in trouble. XD

I too lucked out on my recruiter.

A ton of people and the discussion you see on the internet will tell you to watch out for recruiters as they lie, deceive, or try to tell you half-truth.

But in honesty i think that's more for high school kids and ignorant people. My recruiter was:

Daniel L. Willis II "Will"
CSI (SW), U.S. Navy
Navy Active / Reserve Recruiter
(614) 861-7902

And i would recommend this guy any time to anyone interested in the ohio or surrounding area.

He was very straightforward and honest... but some of the other guys in that office i wouldn't trust. I overheard a different guy talking to high school kids and man... the ***coming out of his mouth was like a sales pitch.

I lucked out. Plus he can see how serious i was anyways. I had an entire folder full of:

A) Birth Certificate
B) Social Security Card
C) High School Diploma
D) College Transcript
E) Every place i lived since age 16
F) Every place i worked since age 16
G) 4 Character References
H) Credit report from all three unions.
I) Deans list letters and PTK certifications.

My recruiter was like... "damn, now that's prepared"

LOL. You call to check in for spots opening up i take it?

You know, I've had a similar "relationship" with my recruiter. And know what I think it is? If the recruiter sees you're serious about enlisting, you've got your stuff all together and you're prepared for the leaping of the hoops, they're going to help you out. They're not going to BS you any because they see you're serious about enlisting. I like mine as well and I've taken a few of my friends to him who have thought about enlisting but didn't want to go to a *** head recruiter.
Well yes and no. When in the DEP, you're suppose to call every Wednesday to show you're still alive, haven't backed out, etc... And I take the chance to ask about openings and keep him updated with any information that is necessary. Like getting marry and needing to update my status information.

What i'm trying to tell you is that the military isn't going to care. Not one little bit. An NCO will put you to work and then take credit for what you've done, and you won't have any say in the matter. People who aren't nearly as intelligent or competent as you will be in charge of you, and they will tell you to do something that you know is incorrect, and you will have to say, roger, ph2, and do it.


BUT. If you stay in long enough, and make some rank, your talent will become apparent, and you will have the potential to go a long way. I'm not trying to say don't do it by any means. I'm saying don't let the first few years get you down, because things get better from there. Just remember in your first few years, a Soldier who has below average intelligence, is always on time, and does what he's told without thinking about it will become an NCO much, much faster than an extremely intelligent and competent Soldier in average physical condition who misses a few formations or argues with his superiors, even when it's right. hell, they punish you twice as bad if you turn out to be right >.>

Again, if you are as good as you say you are, and you stick it out past a first-term enlistment, you can go far. just remember, if you get discouraged, it gets better as you go along.

QFT

Couldn't have said it better myself.

You think the Air Force gives a damn I used to be assistant manager of a retail store for over a year? Hell no. They don't give two damns. I'm going to be an E3 and I'm going to be cleaning up trash in the mess hall. I'm going to have to pick up trash. Oh it will be glorious.

That's more like it... i figured the first year or two was going to suck but if i survive past it I'll make it just fine.

I can see what you meant now and thanks :D

lol yeah, not going to be a very glorious time but if you keep high spirits and joke quietly to yourself or someone nearby without getting in trouble then i think we'll be alright.

I'll probably be way too scared out of my mind during boot camp to care anyways honestly... whatever would pass the time faster.