The Army????

Way back in high school, I scored very, very well on the ASVABS and passed my initial physical with flying colors. The Army offered me a slot in OCS and a free ride through college. I ended up turning it all down, because I didn't think I had the discipline to deal with it. That was my choice. I spent the next twenty years busting my ass to make other people rich, and have very little to show for it. I'm still busting my ass, only now I'm not making anyone rich. ;)

If I had taken them up on their offer (assuming I didn't wash out or get in bad trouble or get blown away), I'd be retiring this year as an officer with a great education and a pretty sweet benefits/pension package, at the ripe old age of 38.

I'm just sayin'.
 
Charlie Mike said:
hey... I had an ASVAB of 94 :p
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:eek: Dang!, I just gained a little more respect for you.

Also I kind of skimmed through this thread so sorry if these pros have already been mentioned.

1. G.I. Bill
2. 20 year retirement or 30 year retirement
3. great health insurance
4. you'll learn a lot about self discipline, integrity, and loyalty
5. you wont have to worry about being laid off
6. also if you have taken 4 or more years of college then you can be commission as an officer.

(My game plan is hopefully to earn a Army scholarship to get paid to go to college and then pay the Army back with service time, I already have qualifying ASVAB (Armed Serice Vocational Aptitude Battery) and ACT scores. So hopefully all I have to do is not screw up an interview)
 
Infantry gets some of the highest scores believe it or not.
 
They supply all of your clothes and give you a place to eat & sleep, & all you gotta do is shoot people.
 
hank dangle said:
hey guys I'm thinking of joining the army...What are the positive aspects of it???? thanks
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hwpaintballer said:
My game plan is hopefully to earn a Army scholarship to get paid to go to college and then pay the Army back with service time, I already have qualifying ASVAB (Armed Serice Vocational Aptitude Battery) and ACT scores. So hopefully all I have to do is not screw up an interview
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I'd highly recommend going in as an officer, having been an EM and NCO for my 6 years. Life will be much easier and you'll have a lot more opportunities. Although once I became and NCO, things did improve from being a low ranking EM. Good luck.
 
Things get better when you start putting rockers on those hard stripes ;)

Combat troops don't have the luxury of busting out the ole manual when they have a problem to solve.
 
Maybe my first post wasn't entirely true. The Army will change you. You will learn that you can accomplish almost anything if you want to badly enough. That can be a good thing or a bad thing. If you deploy and go into combat ... you can't unsee something once you have seen it. No amount of drugs and alcohol can change that (believe me I've tried). Still, I think the Army was a good thing for me. I needed to go to Iraq, I needed to see those things. I now have a much greater appreciation for life and liberty than ever before.
 
CharlieMike is right about the test scores for Infantry. I dug out my DA Form20 and couldn't find an ASVAB score, but my AFQT80 score was 98. Became 11C2P and was an FDC for a while.
 
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Nice to see another 11c.

When I was in Iraq, we only PMCS'd our tubes. Never had a mission on the gun. We were 11b for all intents and purposes. Said our HE was too effective :barf:

Wouldn't want us to actually win the war :confused:
 
You tube heads may be in trouble regarding a future career, the Army has developed a new guided 155mm round that will shoot high angle. It will actually steer out of battery, saw it on Weaponology.
 
Charlie Mike said:
Nice to see another 11c.

When I was in Iraq, we only PMCS'd our tubes. Never had a mission on the gun. We were 11b for all intents and purposes. Said our HE was too effective :barf:

Wouldn't want us to actually win the war :confused:
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I only worked in my PMOS for about a year until I got tired of all the floor buffing, painting, cleaning, etc. we did when not actually training or in the field. The CO asked if anyone knew how to type (this was back in the era of typewriters). After that I spent my time in Infantry Battalion and Brigade S-1s and S-3s editing officers reports, legal clerking, shuffling papers, and being a junior NCO for a Light Infantry S-3. Fun times. :D

My tour was in the lull after Vietnam and before Panama and Grenada. Heard similar complaints from the Vietnam vets I served with to what you're saying about Iraq.
 
Will Leavitt said:
You tube heads may be in trouble regarding a future career, the Army has developed a new guided 155mm round that will shoot high angle. It will actually steer out of battery, saw it on Weaponology.
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There is some amazing technology out there now. Computers versus the slide rules in my days.

Having that mortar fire power down at the Infantry Company and Battalion level will still be needed, though. Gives the local commander more flexibility and control before artillery can be called in or when its busy elsewhere. I could be wrong, though, its been 30 years. ;)
 
PG5768 said:
Having that mortar fire power down at the Infantry Company and Battalion level will still be needed, though.
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Yup, that's why God created the 60mm :D
 
I trained with the 81mm, would've liked the smaller 60 when I was still humping a baseplate or tube.
 
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Yeahhh I know... I know.

The last night in the field for Summer Camp in the Guard, our mortar platoon would shoot a Southern Cross... really cool

The Alabama Army National Guard is partnered with Romania in the NATO "Partnership for Peace" program. They brought some Arty officers over to watch our Artillery BN firing the Paladins. They were amazed at the size of the FDCs, apparently only Romanian officers are smart enough to do firing tables :D
 
The Paladin FDCs are fully computerized and housed in air conditioned trailers, aren't they? They can do some pretty amazing things with those guns.

After a little digging I found a picture of the plotting board in use back in the early '70s.
 

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DUDE!!!! I used to keep one of those inside my kevlar. Whiz Wheel ... one of those little spinners came in every box of 81mm.
 
Charlie Mike said:
DUDE!!!! I used to keep one of those inside my kevlar. Whiz Wheel ... one of those little spinners came in every box of 81mm.
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The '70s version was a little bigger, they covered my lap. The Whiz Wheels are used for back-up now, aren't they?
 
Roger that
 
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