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Joining the military / OCS
GaaForbi
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
This is a bit of a continuation / sequel to this thread. The tldr; for that thread is that I'm a floundering graduate student who doesn't much enjoy what I'm doing and am incurring pretty insane debts for the opportunity, and I am strongly considering dropping out.
To add a bit more context: I am studying for a professional degree at one of the top schools in the field and am somewhere between 2/3 and 3/4 complete. I am currently about $90k in debt, all in US federal student loans. To complete my degree will probably add another $40-50k. Due to the nature of the profession as well as circumstances unique to me, I have no real prospects after I graduate, and would likely have to attend at least another year of post-graduate education / certification to be able to use my degree in any meaningful way. That does not mean I'd actually have employment prospects, just that it would be legal for me to hold myself out for employment in the field.
One option that I have seen raised is the military one. Now, the military has never really occurred to me as an option. I am not from a military family / background. However, I have no moral complaint about the military or what it does. I am actually quite patriotic and have lived outside of the US for enough time (read: years) to know that I support it even after being confronted with reasons to reconsider that position.
More to the point, I owe my country a shitload of money, and I have no idea how I am going to realistically pay it off.
I'm kind of tired not knowing where I'm going in my life. I'm in my late 20s, single, and aimless. I now realize that I've gotten this far mostly on talent rather than motivation (if that makes any sense?). What I'm doing now is what's expected of me, and maybe at some point I wanted it for myself, but I'm less sure now.
So there's the military option. Make a difference and all that. I'll know where I'm going, and will have stabilized my situation at least. Of course, it's also the goddamned military. It's not a walk in the park, it can be dangerous, and not everyone gets into it for the right reasons.
My questions are:
-Is this an insanely bad idea? I know it's hard to tailor an answer without knowing me, I more just want to see if anyone has any personal experiences similar or relevant to my own.
-One option is joining as an officer through OCS. I'm currently looking at Army and Air Force, but the latter seems exceptionally difficult to get into through that route. Maybe all branches are? Does anybody have experience here, either?
I should also note that, again due to uniquely personal circumstances, I would not be able to be commissioned as a member of my profession. So no direct commissioning into JAG, medical, chaplain, or engineering stuff.
To add a bit more context: I am studying for a professional degree at one of the top schools in the field and am somewhere between 2/3 and 3/4 complete. I am currently about $90k in debt, all in US federal student loans. To complete my degree will probably add another $40-50k. Due to the nature of the profession as well as circumstances unique to me, I have no real prospects after I graduate, and would likely have to attend at least another year of post-graduate education / certification to be able to use my degree in any meaningful way. That does not mean I'd actually have employment prospects, just that it would be legal for me to hold myself out for employment in the field.
One option that I have seen raised is the military one. Now, the military has never really occurred to me as an option. I am not from a military family / background. However, I have no moral complaint about the military or what it does. I am actually quite patriotic and have lived outside of the US for enough time (read: years) to know that I support it even after being confronted with reasons to reconsider that position.
More to the point, I owe my country a shitload of money, and I have no idea how I am going to realistically pay it off.
I'm kind of tired not knowing where I'm going in my life. I'm in my late 20s, single, and aimless. I now realize that I've gotten this far mostly on talent rather than motivation (if that makes any sense?). What I'm doing now is what's expected of me, and maybe at some point I wanted it for myself, but I'm less sure now.
So there's the military option. Make a difference and all that. I'll know where I'm going, and will have stabilized my situation at least. Of course, it's also the goddamned military. It's not a walk in the park, it can be dangerous, and not everyone gets into it for the right reasons.
My questions are:
-Is this an insanely bad idea? I know it's hard to tailor an answer without knowing me, I more just want to see if anyone has any personal experiences similar or relevant to my own.
-One option is joining as an officer through OCS. I'm currently looking at Army and Air Force, but the latter seems exceptionally difficult to get into through that route. Maybe all branches are? Does anybody have experience here, either?
I should also note that, again due to uniquely personal circumstances, I would not be able to be commissioned as a member of my profession. So no direct commissioning into JAG, medical, chaplain, or engineering stuff.
GaaForbi on
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If Doctor/Lawyer etc. - you can probably get the military to pay for you to finish it in exchange for X years with them.
Anyways, to answer your questions:
The degree I'm pursuing may as well not exist if I don't finish it and further school (adding maybe another $100k to my debt). I'd rather not get too into that. Just believe me when I say it. I'm not doing poorly per se in my program, I just absolutely hate it and don't want to do it for a living.
It's not impossible to piece together my past now, obviously, but I'd rather not explain certain things on this forum, especially now. If you could confine your advice to the info I've given (at least on the specific topic of where I'm at in my degree) and not go into it if you already know some I'd appreciate it.
Anyway, Ultimanecat, your questions can only adequately be answered by a recruiter, so go talk to one. I don't know why you haven't already, you're not going to get shanghaied.
And I question why you think an alt is necessary for this topic.
...but at this point, I'm alright with a career. I've realized the things I enjoy are never going to make me money, so I'd rather have a stable income and know that my job actually means something. And, of course, the military has the bonus that it will help me pay down my loan immensely.
I am talking with recruiters. At this point they mostly are saying to apply and see what happens.
When you say I shouldn't worry, does that mean not to bother? I know my history bears out that I haven't lived my whole life in anticipation for a military career, and I'm prepared to address that - but if that honestly will hold me back then I could probably save myself the trouble of applying.
As for why I need an alt, I haven't told anybody personally about what I'm going through right now. I have friends and family who read these forums. Now I have to deal with the possibility of getting about ten phone calls asking me what the fuck is going on. But it's my fault, I screwed up, so we'll just push forward, I guess.
If I were you, I'd push on through and finish the degree and then put in for a commission. But, enlisting will also allow you to pay off your loans and there are programs to become an officer from an enlisted position if you have a degree. But as far as I know it's a more competitive field for getting into those.
If you decide to enlist, hit this thread up with questions about specific branches and jobs.
Actually thanks for pointing that out. I knew there was a military thread but I somehow lost track of it.
I'll go ahead and poke around and take my questions there unless anybody else wants to chime in on anything unique to me.
While it's embarrassing to be sure (mostly because this thread is strong evidence that I'm an idiot) it's probably better for me to leave it up. I may as well stand by my problems.