Military?

[mrchosop]

I'm currently a high school student, and have always planned on going to business school or something of sort. I've been a whimp and a wuss until recently. I'm starting to become more athletic, not be afraid of pain, getting in good shape, etc.

A couple days ago I was looking at the Army's special forces out of sheer curiousity. After a while of looking at it i began to remember a few things from blessings I had received throughout my life:

1. I would be a speaker of many tongues. The men in special forces and even in the standard military positions often have to learn multiple languages.

2. I would be large in stature. This, of course, doesn't mean a lot, but the number of people who actually stay in good shape throughout their lives is very low. In the military however, not so much. It just slightly supports the idea.

3. That there would be many times in my life when my life was threatened. This is obviously the biggest one. My dad was inspired to say this in my baby blessing, but held it to himself since we were in sacrament meeting with many other people. I always assumed this would be because of my religion or business or something like that. I've even become a martial arts enthusiast partly because of this. I never thought that it could mean that i would be in the army.

Also, this whole thing just happened to pop into my head two days before memorial day, without me even thinking about memorial day at all.

So that's my recent realization. I'm scheduled to get my patriarchal blessing next week, so this is one of the things i am praying about.

I'm not stressing too much over it since I have years and years to decide (if i do, i won't join until at least after my mission, especially of i do special forces)

Just wondering what you all think.

[ztodd]

Y'know, those things could very likely happen on your mission as well. Of course I can't say whether you should go into the forces or not, but bless your soul for considering it. Keep your family in mind though... listen carefully to their feelings on the matter, as well as your Father in Heaven.

And perhaps, depending how far from graduation you are, you should try to not even worry about that much right now.

[farmer]

Go on a mission FIRST. Maturity will weigh heavily on whether or not you get selected for any high speed unit. You could be the fastest strongest dude there and get passed over because you did not yet have the maturity or life experience they are looking for.

If you go do NOT go through the the sfas program. Go 11B with airborne in your CONTRACT. You will be able to volunteer for Ranger at airborne school then IF you get your tab and feel you want more you can volunteer for the long tab.

If your looking for high speed low drag training this is the way to go. IMHO.

If you were a nerd and got straight A's then you should have no probs learning what they will want you to know.

Pain will be your friend.

[farmer]

One more thing. Go here Professional Soldiers ® - Home and read the forums. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes and ears wide open.

[hordak]

You don't join the service to be special forces, navy seals, tactp etc. You join to be in the military and if you are good enough you might have the chance to do one of those special assignments, however the washout rates are very high.

If you tell a recruiter you want to be special forces he or she will most likely give you the same answer, whether you are a black belt, star athlete, who weighs 250 lbs of pure muscle or a 95 lb chain smoker who's only athletic activity is going to the fridge while Madden 2006 is on pause. "Sure you can do it, your best bet is to take job X (job x being the most undermanned/ necessary, probably infantry).

Nothing wrong being in the military, i did it and my wife does it, and there is nothing wrong with having goals, but one must understand that whether or not the reach those goals they are still under contract. If you join be prepared to do the job you take to get in, and not just the one you hope to get.

[Wingnut]

1. I would be a speaker of many tongues. The men in special forces and even in the standard military positions often have to learn multiple languages.

Careful. This should be "could be" not "would be."

2. I would be large in stature. This, of course, doesn't mean a lot, but the number of people who actually stay in good shape throughout their lives is very low. In the military however, not so much. It just slightly supports the idea.

I'm not sure how to comment on this, except that I think it's a pretty stupid reason to enlist.

3. That there would be many times in my life when my life was threatened. This is obviously the biggest one. My dad was inspired to say this in my baby blessing, but held it to himself since we were in sacrament meeting with many other people. I always assumed this would be because of my religion or business or something like that. I've even become a martial arts enthusiast partly because of this. I never thought that it could mean that i would be in the army.

Speaking of stupid, it's pretty stupid to deliberately put yourself in harm's way because you think you're fulfilling some prophecy. And most people don't get all excited about having their life threatened.

If you want to become a career military man, there is a lot that you need to learn first and a lot of things to take into consideration besides what your figure will look like for the rest of your life.

• How do you deal with stress? Are you prepared to suffer from PTSD potentially for the rest of your life?
• What if the woman you love and marry doesn't deal well with distance, danger, and death? Will you be prepared to walk away from pension and other insurance benefits that you've accrued if she can't handle it?
• Are you comfortable with the idea of killing people? This is something you will have to do (based on what you said, it doesn't sound like you're looking for an office job).

Just a few things to consider.

[Guest JoshDwellington]

Hey OP,

first I'd say the military may be a good career path to follow.

But as you said, you're still considering the whole thing, and you're still in high school right ?

So, my advice would be to get in touch with friends/family who're in the know, and ask them the questions directly.

Second thing, as stated above, if you can serve a mission, do it first, you'll see things differently then.

My 2 cents :)

Peace

[Guest missingsomething]

Id say if you are worthy to serve a mission - serve the mission first. The military will STILL BE THERE.

Secondly, the one thing i have found about blessings, especially P blessings or ones meant for your "whole life" is that they have a way of forming around your decisions. You can accomplish those things no matter what you do in life.

SO use the spirit to guide your life. But one thought- dont go on a mission now?.... well thats something that you may regret the rest of your life because you can never go back to 19 and do it again. Not to mention - married life is very very very hard - and missionaries are promised blessings for serving... TrUST ME... get all the blessings you can get now!

[Dravin]

I think you should fast and pray about it.

[prospectmom]

My son joined when he was 17 before his senior year..... He joined the National Guard .... For our family it was the only way to pay for college. He is on his way to Iraq..... I still stand by my decision to support him and encourage him on this.... He has grown and matured beyond measure. My sons recrutier was the best, I still call him and the support I get from his recruitment office is amazing..... Think, research, pray , ponder, talk to your parents and bishop...... You will make the right decision for you.

[Wingnut]

A quote I saw this afternoon: “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” Arthur Ashe

[Maya]

My son joined when he was 17 before his senior year..... He joined the National Guard .... For our family it was the only way to pay for college. He is on his way to Iraq..... I still stand by my decision to support him and encourage him on this.... He has grown and matured beyond measure. My sons recrutier was the best, I still call him and the support I get from his recruitment office is amazing..... Think, research, pray , ponder, talk to your parents and bishop...... You will make the right decision for you.

My son wants in special forces (Norway, NATO)

recrutment office? suppost? We got neither. All boys are told to go to a check, the ones with some problems are not take to the service, others have to serve almost a year in the military. My older dont really want to go at all and my small one wnats ... in special forces, marin. He wants to get up at 3 am to do pushups in cold breeze and swim 2 miles before breakfast....

My oldest had to ask for postpoment as he is going on mision. They did nto really asnswer his question, they jsut sent a bunch of rules... as he is not A1, because of his flat feet he probably wont be called to service at all. But it was irritating as they did not answer.

[prospectmom]

So military is mandatory in Norway???? Since the military is voluntary we have recruitment offices everywhere........

[Maya]

Yes... mandatory. That word wont stick with me... but free will does... hmmm...

The bad thing here is that there are almost no LDS military. At leat there is NATO in Norway ... in Finland the military is a joke. I dont mean that they would be no good. They may well be the best in the world, as they actually wann the war against Russia in 2nd WW but was considered a looser, as they had an union with Germany. (Who burned whole north of Finland and Norway as they retreated.) Finland would NOT make a union wuith Russia that is for sure, they wanted to stay independent. Had they gone over to allies site they would be a part of Russia.

But considering a war in these days what could little Finland do against anyone anyway. I heard they tried to get in Nato, but I suppose Russia had not particularly liked that. I also heard that the Russian tanks were right behind the border ... the people living close boarder could hear them... at the time of Russian occupation of Tsekoslovakia.

[Churchmouse]

Go to www.military.com]Benefiting the US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard - Military.com where you can talk to people that are or have been in the military. Most branches have a wannabe forum just for that purpose. A recruiter's job is to get warm bodies and some will tell you anything to get you enlisted. Then reality sets in and you find yourself walking across a desert with a 50 pounds of equipment on your back. Nothing wrong with that, but know what you're getting into. The Marine recruiter told me about all the wonderful places I would see. He failed to mention the one I did see...Vietnam. All expenses paid.

Edited May 26, 2009 by Churchmouse

[Hemidakota]

I whole heartedly agree with Dravin in fasting and praying on what is the 'will' of the GOD for you. Seeing your have an answer, seek GOD for a confirmation via the Holy Ghost.

[pam]

Go to www.military.com]Benefiting the US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard - Military.com where you can talk to people that are or have been in the military. Most branches have a wannabe forum just for that purpose. A recruiter's job is to get warm bodies and some will tell you anything to get you enlisted. Then reality sets in and you find yourself walking across a desert with a 50 pounds of equipment on your back. Nothing wrong with that, but know what you're getting into. The Marine recruiter told me about all the wonderful places I would see. He failed to mention the one I did see...Vietnam. All expenses paid.

Another true story along this line. Don't get sucked into the promise that you will "see the world." I had a friend that joined the Navy. He became a Navy corpsman. This was in San Diego. Spent his entire 4 years at Balboa Hospital in San Diego which is where he had grown up. Never saw much outside of San Diego.

But I agree with what others have said. The military isn't for everyone. Pray about it and see if you get that confirmation this is the right choice for you.

[Churchmouse]

Another true story along this line. Don't get sucked into the promise that you will "see the world." I had a friend that joined the Navy. He became a Navy corpsman. This was in San Diego. Spent his entire 4 years at Balboa Hospital in San Diego which is where he had grown up. Never saw much outside of San Diego.

But I agree with what others have said. The military isn't for everyone. Pray about it and see if you get that confirmation this is the right choice for you.

That reminds me of a teacher at the Middle School. He joined the Navy during the Vietnam War so he wouldn't get drafted by the Army. Thought he would be safer on a ship. He scored high on the test, so they trained him as a corpsman. He ended up with the 1st Marine Division south of Danang for 13 months. He said "The first decision I made on my own and look where I ended up".

[prospectmom]

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Go to www.military.com]Benefiting the US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard - Military.com where you can talk to people that are or have been in the military. Most branches have a wannabe forum just for that purpose. A recruiter's job is to get warm bodies and some will tell you anything to get you enlisted. Then reality sets in and you find yourself walking across a desert with a 50 pounds of equipment on your back. Nothing wrong with that, but know what you're getting into. The Marine recruiter told me about all the wonderful places I would see. He failed to mention the one I did see...Vietnam. All expenses paid.

While I understand not all have good experiences with recruters or the military...... I have ... my son in law joined the Navy right out of high school and has seen alot of hte world and loves the Navy he will beable to retire warly if he chooses. He has been to Iraq twice and enjoyed his tour and is going back again.

My sons recruiter is awesome and has since recruited a lot of boys up here who had no direction.... I would recommend my recruiter to anyone he is a great guy.... I think it is sad not all get my great experience....

[Churchmouse]

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While I understand not all have good experiences with recruters or the military...... I have ... my son in law joined the Navy right out of high school and has seen alot of hte world and loves the Navy he will beable to retire warly if he chooses. He has been to Iraq twice and enjoyed his tour and is going back again.

My sons recruiter is awesome and has since recruited a lot of boys up here who had no direction.... I would recommend my recruiter to anyone he is a great guy.... I think it is sad not all get my great experience....

In all walks of life there are those that do their job well and those that don't. Unfortunately, we usually hear about those that don't. I'm sure there are plenty on good recruiters out there, but there are some horror stories also. Those are the ones we hear about.

My daughter was considering joining the Navy after high school. At the last minute she changed her mind and decided to go to nurse's school to become an RN. This recruiter started a rumor that the reason she changed her mind was because she was pregnant. He also told one boy she was a stripper. Neither was true and she is now an RN. I considered reporting him, but didn't. If I'd been ten years younger I would have invited him into the back ally. I figure a fifty year old former Marine boxer can whip a thirty year old swab jockey. Especially when defending their familes honor.

[Mahone]

I've had family members join the army... from what I've seen, it either makes you or destroys you. Unfortunately one person in my family is still suffering from the damage inflicted on him by the army. Not just by his peers either, but people who are supposed to be leaders. When he complained to superiors about the way he was being treated, he came home with a broken nose as a result.

I personally have never even considered joining the army. I know without even having to research it that it's not for me in any capacity there. I'm not very good at following orders without an valid explanation, something I'm still trying to overcome but I'm pretty sure they'd get pee'd off with me continually asking 'why?'. I'd just rather have all the facts and make my own decisions to an extent, or at least have the facts so I can see their reasoning behind decisions and if I disagee I usually say so. This probably isn't such a good trait in the army.

Edited May 28, 2009 by Mahone

[Hemidakota]

Concur...serving in the military, a member needs a foundation of bedrock vice sand in order to survive.

[rayhale]

I've had family members join the army... from what I've seen, it either makes you or destroys you. Unfortunately one person in my family is still suffering from the damage inflicted on him by the army. Not just by his peers either, but people who are supposed to be leaders. When he complained to superiors about the way he was being treated, he came home with a broken nose as a result.

I personally have never even considered joining the army. I know without even having to research it that it's not for me in any capacity there. I'm not very good at following orders without an valid explanation, something I'm still trying to overcome but I'm pretty sure they'd get pee'd off with me continually asking 'why?'. I'd just rather have all the facts and make my own decisions to an extent, or at least have the facts so I can see their reasoning behind decisions and if I disagee I usually say so. This probably isn't such a good trait in the army.

This is why I don’t care to join the military. I’ve heard several solders say that they don’t care if what they are fighting for is right or wrong, but fighting for the United States.

I think this type of thinking is wrong, I most definitely care what I am fighting for is right or wrong. The recruitment offices lie too, they will say anything to get new solders, they also target poor, ‘expendable’, people, with college grants, not explaining that if you sign up during peace time, that during war time you WILL fight, and kill other people. This happened with several missionaries, they signed up for National Guard and was forced to go home, since the military called them up to fight.

[Prodigal_Son]

I didn't read the other responses, so this might be a repeat, but...

Who you are and what the Lord intends for you to become are hardly worth bantering about on an online forum.

If you're asking about military opportunities, that's one thing. But if you're asking US to interpret revelation given to YOU, I'd say quit looking for the easy answer and go "weary the Lord with your prayers".

I don't mean to come across as rude. Just being frank.