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Ulath

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Hey guys. I happened upon this site looking for Jody calls to do durin PT at school and Im glad I found it. This is just what I have been looking for. I can actually ask people of all branches for their advice! Well Im going to go agead and state my situation.

Im a Jr in Highschool as of now. I dont wear glasses Im physically fit, I can do 88 sit ups in 2 minutes, I can do 40 pushups, and I can run 1.5 miles in about 13 minutes. Im about 6'' and I weigh 165. Im not worried about physical stuff because Im buffin up right now so Im sure those numbers will change in a few short weeks.

My friends think Im insane. I prefer to think Ive got a good outlook on life. I look to my morals and thoughts to make decisions. I basically want to be a tough but fair kind of guy.

Ever since I was little I was brought up to want to be a pilot. Well, to tell the truth I saw a show when I was little called the Swat Cats. Dont laugh lol. It was a cartoon but thats what got me interested. I planned on going to the Airforce Academy until earlier this year when I started doubting. I know I dont want a normal job like a lawyer, doctor, or scientist. I dont want to sell things or run a buisness. I want a different, exciting, job that I will enjoy. My stepfather does computer related stuff(cant tell ya) for the government but Im just not into it. Before he was in the AIrforce he did 2 years in Air Assault in the Army and said he doesnt want to sleep in the mud. I do. I dont want to sit at a desk all day. I know Im insane enough to love hiking around in full combat gear for days in the rain. I dont know.

I have the grades to do anything. I take gifted classes. I have an A average and I dont study. Maybe I should but ah well. My parents say Im stupid for wanting to waste my intelligence but I think they dont want me to get shot. I can understand that. As a pilot the odds of being shot down dimish by the day due to our enemies' technology being outdated. But the old days of excitement from dogfights and such are over. Nowadays the pilots fly so high no one sees them and they simply push a button. In the times of Fire and Forget missiles its just not exciting it would seem beyong the flying part.

I want to be a foot-soldier.I want to have the experience of being on the ground and dealing with the enemy first-hand. I want to test myself. I want to have to carry my supplies around. I want to help my country and I want to be able to tell people what I do with pride and honor. Sure being a pilot is cool and honorable and such but to me I consider the pilots up on a pedestal. They dont get their hands dirty but they get the glory. Im sure its hard to learn to fly and all, nothin against em, I simply want to take care of the protection of the country first-hand.

Im basically on a see-saw between two of the branches each with their own advantages and disadvantages. The first is the Army. I have only one reason for joining the army and that is to be a Green Beret, SF. I saw a show on the Military Channel the other day about what the GBs are doin in Iraq right now and that is covertly seizing weapon caches around Iraq. I know I would enjoy that job but Im not sure of the requirements to get in. The other is the Marines. It seems self evident I would belong in the Marines simple because I am insane. I know I belong in the Marines because I have that frenzy kind of personality. OOO RAH! Every Marine no matter what job they posess has the ability to be placed in a unit as a basic rifleman as well. My parents say they dont want me in the Marines because too many of them die. I told them we loose 100,000 poeple each year in car accidents and we've lost how many people from all branches in Iraqi Freedom, 2000? The shrug me off and say no.

Also, just to clear something up, on Military.com I dont see Green Berets or Delta Force under the Army Special Forces. I must just be ignorant. I guess maybe Green Berets are a special type of Ranger?

Thanks in advance for your help and opinions.
 
maybe i didnt read it right, but is your only question if the army GB's are apart of rangers? i saw no other questions in there :), but hey, welcome to the forums and if you have any questions feel free.
 
Well, you seem to have done your homework. You expressed an interest in flying, but you say you're turned off by the apparent lack of excitement due to modern technology. I think that is somewhat false, but here's an alternative that still gets you off the ground: Fly a helicopter. You seem to be fairly adept at studying things that interest you. Look into combat choppers, like the Army Apache. That might be excitement enough for you.

!Mod Edit: Not something you would actually know.

You have countless options, and you still have time to decide. Read everything you can get your hands on, talk to everyone who will listen and stick around here. There is a wealth of info from some very wise folks in these forums.

Good luck!
 
Greetings and welcome to forums, now as far as a career goes in the Military, just sit down and work out just what you want out this. Now unless you get a commission life can be hard and uncomfortable in the infantry ans even more so in combat conditions. Now flying, you will have a fairly comfortable time of it but it will take a lot of hard work to get there, life is what YOU make of it.
 
From what you describe as a preferred service, I suggest you go either Marines or Airborne Rangers. You'll get plenty of action and work off some energy. Give it another year of heavy thought. There is no completely safe service now. Welcome.
 
Thanks for the welcome guys. Ive reached a point in my life where I have happened upon profound thoughts. I no longer care about making as much money as possible and I dont really care how hard life gets. Ill face it as I must. Im trying to get through my life the best I can. Have lots of fun, find a meaning to my life, and do something many people dont get to do. Ive seen what other people's lives are like over the course of my own. The normal guy who goes to the office at 8 in the mornin and comes home at 6 to his wife and 2 kids with a house and a pool is fine and dandy. Except that's what everyone is doing. Sure if I met the right girl I might, just might want to settle down. Ive seen what love can do to men and it aint pretty most of the time lol. Im sure its got its ups and downs, not saying its bad, but I havent met that girl yet. I want to experience an above average life-style. I want to be tougher, stronger, and more adept both physically and mentally than the normal man. To be able to live life with a pristine knowledge of what to do and how you are going to do it is my goal. To do things the best you can and live life without regrets. I dont know if that makes sense or what but I didnt sleep very well last night and some ***hole at school gave me some kind of cold.

I think Im gonna go Army because they have Green Berets, Rangers, Delta Force, and Snipers. I would be happy to join any of those but specifically Id love to join Green Berets and/or Delta. I want people to respect me. I know my family and friends would be impressed if I came back after years in the service and I was on vacation and I told them I was Special Forces. Im rambling now lol. Remember, if this doesnt make sense its alright, Im sick and tired =D.
 
Ulath said:
I think Im gonna go Army because they have Green Berets, Rangers, Delta Force, and Snipers. I would be happy to join any of those but specifically Id love to join Green Berets and/or Delta. I want people to respect me. I know my family and friends would be impressed if I came back after years in the service and I was on vacation and I told them I was Special Forces. Im rambling now lol. Remember, if this doesnt make sense its alright, Im sick and tired =D.
Click to expand...

If you are joining to get repspect or impress people, you are joining for the wrong reasons, and you will fail - esp in Special Operations. There is little respect, and not much to impress others about it. The military is a hard and dirty job, Special Operations especially.

If you want people to respect you, earn it. You do not have to be a black super ninja to get it.

It sounds as if you have a lot of growing up to do before you should even think seriously about signing any military contract, esp one like 18X or 11X option 40.

If you want to be an SF soldier, then you better get your head right. You've got to want it for you, not because you want respect or because you want to impress others.

Also, Green Berets are hats, nothing more. Special Forces soldier (or SF soldier) is the correct term.

You may not like what I have to say, but it's reality.
 
I see, Ill try to get my head on straight. I have personally wanted to view life at is worst and toughest for some reason unknown to me. Maybe to better understand. I want to do it to test myself. Thanks for the advice and Im tryin to get my head on straight.
 
RnderSafe said:
Ulath said:
I think Im gonna go Army because they have Green Berets, Rangers, Delta Force, and Snipers. I would be happy to join any of those but specifically Id love to join Green Berets and/or Delta. I want people to respect me. I know my family and friends would be impressed if I came back after years in the service and I was on vacation and I told them I was Special Forces. Im rambling now lol. Remember, if this doesnt make sense its alright, Im sick and tired =D.
Click to expand...

If you are joining to get repspect or impress people, you are joining for the wrong reasons, and you will fail - esp in Special Operations. There is little respect, and not much to impress others about it. The military is a hard and dirty job, Special Operations especially.

If you want people to respect you, earn it. You do not have to be a black super ninja to get it.

It sounds as if you have a lot of growing up to do before you should even think seriously about signing any military contract, esp one like 18X or 11X option 40.

If you want to be an SF soldier, then you better get your head right. You've got to want it for you, not because you want respect or because you want to impress others.

Also, Green Berets are hats, nothing more. Special Forces soldier (or SF soldier) is the correct term.

You may not like what I have to say, but it's reality.
Click to expand...

Trust me, if you are in SF you really will not be out advertising it. Part of the training is learning how to maintain a low profile. It is not all the guts and glory and glamour as it is made out on the TV. It is many nights sitting in an LP/OP freezing your buns off dripping water off the brim of your cover because some intel agency says there is intel they need. It is hiking for 60 miles in, finding the location of a building, then hiking the 60 miles out. It is not fun, but it is rewarding in it's own right. Not much you will be able to brag about though.
 
Welcome to the forums and good luck with your military aspirations, once you get a handle on what you really want.
 
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