Pseudo Enemy
New Member
Hello everyone,
I am a 24 year old male US citizen and I have recently come into a dilemma and I would like to receive some advice.
I graduated last december with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from a decent private college. Anyways, before I went off to college I really wanted to do Pararescue but elected to further my education, mainly because I had zero family support. Two years ago I decided that the lifestyle of a 9-5 cubicle farm wasn't for me (my business classes proved that).
So I found that there was a career field called Combat Rescue Officer which is essentially the officer version of Pararescue, so I started training for it. To cut to the chase, I hooked up with an officer recruiter, began the paper work and have been training my butt off for the physical test they give at the unit (It's an Air Guard Unit). I am close to maxing out the physical (in some areas I do) in pull ups, push ups, sit ups, and flutter kicks. My running and swimming times are always in need of improvement. Where things are absolutely horrible is on my AFOQT (Air Force Officers Qualifying Test) scores.
I just got them back and they are far from competitive and aren't good enough to get me commissioned. Unfortunately when the captain was going over my scantron he found two un-answered questions in two different sections which made my heart sink because if I did that then I potentially got every question after those two wrong throwing my whole test out the window. You can only take this test twice in a lifetime and at the soonest within 6 months from the first time the test was taken. I am getting very anxious and depressed at the thought of sitting around this city for another six months, not to mention I moved back into my dad's home and am making hardly any money at work at the moment. So I'm looking at this lifestyle for another six months, then IF I do better on the next test it's going to be around a year or so after that until my selection from the Unit (if even at all).
So as of right now, I'm feeling hopeless and just might make the plunge into the Army, assuming they except me as well. I know that the process involved is much shorter with the Army officer selection. I want to be in the field, particularly as advanced infantry. I'm confident that I'm physically and mentally prepared for the hardships of something like Rangers, but it's the unknown of even getting a selection into that. I could really use some advice and direction. Just feeling a bit down on my luck and really wanting to get out of here. It doesn't help that my girlfriend left me, my dog died, and I got a horrible test score to the most important test of my life all within 4 days of each other. I'm usually much more optimistic but it's just getting tiring feeling like a military poser. I thought about enlisting but then it defeats the purpose of going to college for a degree. I don't have a power trip agenda, but if I have good leadership skills and the degree to get me into a higher position then why not go for officer?
What do you all think I should do? Any other angle of thought is appreciated.
Also, to those of you who read this and have or are currently serving, I have to utmost respect for all that you have/do, thank you!
I am a 24 year old male US citizen and I have recently come into a dilemma and I would like to receive some advice.
I graduated last december with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from a decent private college. Anyways, before I went off to college I really wanted to do Pararescue but elected to further my education, mainly because I had zero family support. Two years ago I decided that the lifestyle of a 9-5 cubicle farm wasn't for me (my business classes proved that).
So I found that there was a career field called Combat Rescue Officer which is essentially the officer version of Pararescue, so I started training for it. To cut to the chase, I hooked up with an officer recruiter, began the paper work and have been training my butt off for the physical test they give at the unit (It's an Air Guard Unit). I am close to maxing out the physical (in some areas I do) in pull ups, push ups, sit ups, and flutter kicks. My running and swimming times are always in need of improvement. Where things are absolutely horrible is on my AFOQT (Air Force Officers Qualifying Test) scores.
I just got them back and they are far from competitive and aren't good enough to get me commissioned. Unfortunately when the captain was going over my scantron he found two un-answered questions in two different sections which made my heart sink because if I did that then I potentially got every question after those two wrong throwing my whole test out the window. You can only take this test twice in a lifetime and at the soonest within 6 months from the first time the test was taken. I am getting very anxious and depressed at the thought of sitting around this city for another six months, not to mention I moved back into my dad's home and am making hardly any money at work at the moment. So I'm looking at this lifestyle for another six months, then IF I do better on the next test it's going to be around a year or so after that until my selection from the Unit (if even at all).
So as of right now, I'm feeling hopeless and just might make the plunge into the Army, assuming they except me as well. I know that the process involved is much shorter with the Army officer selection. I want to be in the field, particularly as advanced infantry. I'm confident that I'm physically and mentally prepared for the hardships of something like Rangers, but it's the unknown of even getting a selection into that. I could really use some advice and direction. Just feeling a bit down on my luck and really wanting to get out of here. It doesn't help that my girlfriend left me, my dog died, and I got a horrible test score to the most important test of my life all within 4 days of each other. I'm usually much more optimistic but it's just getting tiring feeling like a military poser. I thought about enlisting but then it defeats the purpose of going to college for a degree. I don't have a power trip agenda, but if I have good leadership skills and the degree to get me into a higher position then why not go for officer?
What do you all think I should do? Any other angle of thought is appreciated.
Also, to those of you who read this and have or are currently serving, I have to utmost respect for all that you have/do, thank you!