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Cry Havok and let loose the dogs of the [Military Thread]
Posts
Just don't injure yourself. Seriously. That will do so much more harm than not having 100s.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
That's quite a bit of cardio. Like Veritas said: be careful. There would be nothing worse than preventing yourself from shipping out on time due to an injury.
I'd recommend that you replace some of that running with road marches so you can get used to carrying weight on your back. Not sure what road marches are like outside of Benning, but you'll probably want to be capable of carrying about 60-70 lbs or more while marching at a ~20min/mile pace.
Inquiring minds require this information (aka I shouldn't be this excited but I am.)
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
*holds breath*
I have never worn glasses, and I've never seen an optomotrist, but I know I will need glasses eventually. Cyber is a non-rated position. I'm too broke to see an optomotrist as well, but how does a new butter bars go seeing an optometrist to get eyeglasses? Someday I would like LASIK, but that's years from now.
My first year on active duty in DC, I was walking through my building doing something and I get stopped.
Random lady looking at my nametag "I know that name...where are you from?" She was maybe 60
Me: Uh, just north of Boston ma'am why do you ask?
Random lady: "I knew a John with your last name who worked in XX unit with me back in Tennessee in 1975."
Me: Holy crap, my Dad's name is John and he WAS there in 1975.
Turns out it was a lady my dad used to work with in his unit from back in the day. My last name isn't exactly uncommon, either.
When you inprocess your base, you'll stop by the medical clinic. Just ask where the optometry folks are at and ask to schedule yourself. Very simple.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
AFROTC. When I get the degree, one day later I'll commission. Right now half my class is holding their breaths, waiting for their EAD date, because depending on your AFSC, you are either needed right away or have to sit around unemployed for a month or six while your job availability opens up. All because of Congress.
This works on so many levels.
Buy my 40k shit.
And our detachment just added another 2 CSOs. Junior class now has 7. With 3 pilots. Heard last year the quota for CSOs was 50 people short. Seems rather significant. Handing them out like candy at my detachment now, it seems! Last week the Juniors got their rated slots, so five got CSO. The following week another junior and a senior asked for it and got them! Kind of crazy.
You know those people who are like "yeah I need to take some leave or else I lose it, ya know?"
No. I don't know.
Also, I hate you.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
You hate me for not being able to take leave for four years, or for finally getting something close to a good deal?
Touche.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
I won't argue that congress isn't inept, but don't blame them for the air forces inability to properly predict manning levels. When you have certain career fields that are 300% manned while others are at 30% (not an exaggeration) its not congresses fault.
Hmm. What about that scare when all my friends on scholarship didn't receive them because the AF had no money? That was frightening for them.
Congress is the new Bush! Find something you don't like, and make a game about blaming it on Congress!
It was more of a joke than anything. I know congress doesn't run the military, they just bitch at the people running at it and threaten to take away their allowance like a bunch of vagrant teenagers.
Buy my 40k shit.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
I'll spare everyone the long drawn out version, but if you're on a rotc scholarship and its been awarded already, that money is safe. If someone was claiming otherwise due to not passing the annual budget, I believe they were incorrect. If you're interested I'd be glad to discuss over PM, but it would significantly detail the thread.
Just like the President can bypass congress and deploy us without an official declaration of war?
It's all semantics with plenty of loopholes, if you want to get into it.
Buy my 40k shit.
The President is in our chain of command, and we can be deployed without war (humanitarian crisis).
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
It's extremely unlikely we'll ever see another declared war unless we change some of the powers the president currently has. So far as I know, there was no declaration of war on Iraq, and we managed to hang out there for quite some time.
XBL: Mega Spooky // 3DS: 3797-6276-7138
Like I said, TECHNICALLY we can be deployed without declaration of war. Because it wasn't a 'war'.
Such is the way of beaurocracy.
Buy my 40k shit.
I don't know about you guys, but I went to Iraq for the hearts and stayed for the minds.
Yeah, gotta love the kids who throw rocks at soldiers until they give them candy, when they run out of treats they throw more rocks.
Buy my 40k shit.
Good! Now do those 100's in two minutes. Because that's the time allotted for each exercise.
I'm looking at a possible 105 days of terminal leave, because 75+ is use or lose and my ETS is 4 days before the start of the fiscal year.
Direct your hate!
Currently joining the US Army, hopefully as a 35w (Linguist Recruit) to be transitioned into 35p (Cryptologic Linguist). I had been attempting to commission full-time as an OCS applicant, but within the past few months I was told that idea is a non-starter unless you are a rockstar candidate with 270+ PFT, a master's, tons of work experience, or some combination of all of that. My recruiter asked me to attempt to commission as a reserve officer but that doesn't help me much - after all is said and done I'd still be unemployed in an area with 20% unemployment (and more like 50% unemployment for people my age). So enlistment it is.
While they've told me I could probably drop an OCS packet once enlisted, I'm not banking on that at all, so I'm enlisting into an MOS that plays into my skills and also gives me some worthwhile training, while also helpfully being one of the few that still qualify for enlistment bonuses.
I'll caveat this by saying this is how the Air Force works, and it may differ for other branches.
The AF Academy and ROTC provide a relatively predictable number of commissioned officers every year. The Air Force knows* pretty solidly how many folks and into what career fields they'll send people almost a full year out.
OTS is the way they can fix something if they've jacked up their numbers. Have a lot of kids get out for some reason that year? Big OTS class. Have NOBODY get out that year, no OTS class.
We're "fiscally constrained" sure, but its comparatively cheap to send someone to OTS. It's less about money, at that point and more about the requirement. For example, there was no OTS in 2010 (I think, may have been 2009). I think Veritas was part of the class that got kicked back almost a full year.
*by "knows" I mean "should know". I dont think AFPC's predictions have ever come close to in line with reality.
Drop the packet for OCS, don't give up. Worst that happens is they say no. You can always go to OCS later in your career or get selected for green to gold to complete a bachelors or do a masters.
Hell, the recruiter could just be trying to dissuade you because linguists are hard to get. Also, same with Reserve/Guard. The Army forces people into the National Guard and Reserves because they just don't have people asking for it but slots need to be filled. If you chose to go Reserves, you can pick the branch you'll commissn to simply by finding a unit in need of a lieutenant and asking them to pick you up. You automatically get the branch they need, no competing nationally.
Yes, right now is a tough time to go OCS because ROTC churns out the majority of the force's officers and many programs are the largest they,ve been in years while the force is cutting down size. OCS to support the active force is minimal and you'll have to be competitive to get it, but it can still be done. The only sure fire way to guarantee Active service as an officer is I believe to go through West Point as the only ones who go Reserves through them ask for it (but not sure on that, they may force all west pointers to go active).
Regardless, drop the packet with your recruiter because it can only ever help you to apply for stuff.
All good info, but I wanted to add one piece...you were speaking for Army, correct? I believe the Army only selectively commissions Lt's from ROTC -> Active Duty, some go Guard/Reserves.
The Air Force (and I *think* Navy) ROTC programs all go active automatically.
Yes, Army you compete for Active service and your branch. To an extent, you also compete for duty station if you're asking for somewhere nice like Germany, Italy, Hawaii. OCS however is, to my knowledge, straight to Active unless you go through Guard OCS because then it becomes about funding.
Sorta, not really. Like Iceman said about the USAF, applies to the Army. They can predict roughly how many people they will gain in new Officers at least two years out based upon attendance at West Point and the number of contracted ROTC cadets. Promotion rate for junior officers is set, and slots available rarely change across the board. Based off that they can figure out how many OCS slots to offer to current and incoming Soldiers. Excess people don't get selected for Active service and enter the Guard or Reserve.
I watched two good friends of mine get lied to constantly in their recruiting stage and would've been pushed into jobs they didn't want if they hadn't been keeping me informed of what they were being told.
Buy my 40k shit.