serious question... life changing

[ogre]

and i'm asking it on a forum because i don't have friends

due to the economy, the field for which i have training is not a viable financial option right now. i don't know when the economy will recover, or when i'll be able to get back into my field. even then, i'll probably have to move in order to find something decent. my wife is moving up at her job, on the cusp of management.

choice one: join the military, make decent money, learn how to work on helicopters and maybe get to shoot stuff. bottom line, earn enough to support my wife and start a family

choice two: continue working a job that i don't like, for less than i should be making, turn in my man card, let the wife get into management



now don't get me wrong, i want her to succeed, she enjoys her job (she's damn good at it too) but in the town we live in, i'll never be able to earn a living like i want to. what do i do? (leaning towards option 1, btw) i think a man should be able to support his family, and if he can't, he shouldn't have one.

 

[twotonevert]

Moved to Polls for housekeeping.

 

[Dino]

If you think you will make enough to support your wife as a junior enlisted guy you need to do more research.

 

[skydivr]

Talk to your wife and see how she feels.

 

[TonyMastodon]

i think this is something you and your wife should work out since we dont know her views on the military. And im sure if shes moving up like you said, she wouldn't wanna move.

 

[Dino]

and i'm asking it on a forum because i don't have friends

due to the economy, the field for which i have training is not a viable financial option right now. i don't know when the economy will recover, or when i'll be able to get back into my field. even then, i'll probably have to move in order to find something decent. my wife is moving up at her job, on the cusp of management.

choice one: join the military, make decent money, learn how to work on helicopters and maybe get to shoot stuff. bottom line, earn enough to support my wife and start a family

choice two: continue working a job that i don't like, for less than i should be making, turn in my man card, let the wife get into management



now don't get me wrong, i want her to succeed, she enjoys her job (she's damn good at it too) but in the town we live in, i'll never be able to earn a living like i want to. what do i do? (leaning towards option 1, btw) i think a man should be able to support his family, and if he can't, he shouldn't have one.

Also one thing to keep in mind, if you are someplace you get to "shoot stuff" chances are the guys you are shooting at feel the same way.

 

[ogre]

i'd be going in as a helo mechanic, it's a NON combat mos. i was kidding about the shooting, lol. and honestly, going in as an e3, i'd make more than i can around here, and moving up to be a warrant officer and fly helicopters, i'd make even more.

 

[afterhours]

you made the statement....

" i think a man should be able to support his family, and if he can't, he shouldn't have one. "

yet your wife works?

i think you should get more realistic with your ideals....

you are not supporting your family now, you and your wife are.

 

[Busa1166]

Nothing wrong with the wife working imo. stick it out an keep trying to find the job you want in the field you want jmo

Military...... you would be away from your family to much I think hats off to those who choose to serve

 

[djsin]

let the wife take care of buiss, you can find work wherever you have to..but the military wage may not be as good as what the wife wil bring in, and if its all about family I would think the kids would benifit alot more with a larger paycheck no matter who earned it...

 

[HT_USMC]

i'd be going in as a helo mechanic, it's a NON combat mos. i was kidding about the shooting, lol. and honestly, going in as an e3, i'd make more than i can around here, and moving up to be a warrant officer and fly helicopters, i'd make even more.

A "non-combat MOS" is all relative until you get into the war-zone. Then the combat is up to the enemy. One mortar attack makes your wife a widow on a day you get unlucky (heaven forbid). In other words, don't bank on it.

Going in as an E3 sounds like recruiter-speak to me. There aren't too many people that graduate from Boot Camp / Basic Training as an E3. The next problem you'll face is time in service requirements for a promotion to E4. You could end up being an E3 for two years or more depending on the branch of service. The pay differential between E1 and E3 is only a few hundred dollars a month with the same time in service.

Warrant Officer sounds great but again, it's not a guarantee. You have to shine above your peers to be select typically. This means remaining squared-away, keeping your military knowledge up, your MOS knowledge up, and normally a few college courses a year at a minimum. Once selected you need to complete your degree. This means that if you buckle down you'll be in whatever branch of service you're looking into at least 4.5 years before you are commissioned as a warrant officer - if you go as fast as possible, if you are selected, if you are physically fit, if you are mentally quick - all the while you run the risk of losing your wife in the process because you're so involved in trying to make it to warrant officer.

Flying helicopters... well that sounds like a combat MOS in today's day and age. But first there's the physical. Pass that and then comes the bookwork. Pass that comes the practical assessment. None of this is particularly easy.

... then you get deployed.


I'm not trying to talk you out of it but keep some reality mixed into the romance of it all. Please. You'll do you and your wife a huge favor if you think and plan accordingly.

Either way, I'm sure you'll make a great choice regardless of what that choice might be or where it might take you two!

 

[jdsbusa]

Decision should be made after talking long and hard w/ the wife. She may not feel the same as you and making such a decision may leave both of you going in opposite directions. Going in at E-3 you'll be scraping by and likely be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan soon - better make sure the wife is prepared to hold down the fort down solo while you're gone. If WO is your goal you'd probably be better off finishing your ed beforehand so you enter as a WO-1 rather than enlisted. The pay difference is dramatic. Best of luck but talk w/ the wife first! There's nothing wrong with her making more than you if she's supportive and doesn't feel you're not holding up your end as it seems you feel. GL bro!
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[busa-saga]

i totally understand your "i think a man should be able to support his family, and if he can't, he shouldn't have one". i call it pride. i dropped mine years ago and seems me and the wife work things out better.

 

[Dino]

A "non-combat MOS" is all relative until you get into the war-zone. Then the combat is up to the enemy. One mortar attack makes your wife a widow on a day you get unlucky (heaven forbid). In other words, don't bank on it.

Going in as an E3 sounds like recruiter-speak to me. There aren't too many people that graduate from Boot Camp / Basic Training as an E3. The next problem you'll face is time in service requirements for a promotion to E4. You could end up being an E3 for two years or more depending on the branch of service. The pay differential between E1 and E3 is only a few hundred dollars a month with the same time in service.

Warrant Officer sounds great but again, it's not a guarantee. You have to shine above your peers to be select typically. This means remaining squared-away, keeping your military knowledge up, your MOS knowledge up, and normally a few college courses a year at a minimum. Once selected you need to complete your degree. This means that if you buckle down you'll be in whatever branch of service you're looking into at least 4.5 years before you are commissioned as a warrant officer - if you go as fast as possible, if you are selected, if you are physically fit, if you are mentally quick - all the while you run the risk of losing your wife in the process because you're so involved in trying to make it to warrant officer.

Flying helicopters... well that sounds like a combat MOS in today's day and age. But first there's the physical. Pass that and then comes the bookwork. Pass that comes the practical assessment. None of this is particularly easy.

... then you get deployed.


I'm not trying to talk you out of it but keep some reality mixed into the romance of it all. Please. You'll do you and your wife a huge favor if you think and plan accordingly.

Either way, I'm sure you'll make a great choice regardless of what that choice might be or where it might take you two!

Thanks for reading my mind and putting it to words. Take what HT_USMC is saying to heart. There is a lot of truth to it.

That said, I commend you for considering the military I had a great time while I was in and I would not go back and change it. My oldest enlisted in the National Guard and is in ROTC so I strongly recommend the military. Just make sure your expectations are realistic.

 

[Liltroy]

A "non-combat MOS" is all relative until you get into the war-zone. Then the combat is up to the enemy. One mortar attack makes your wife a widow on a day you get unlucky (heaven forbid). In other words, don't bank on it.

Going in as an E3 sounds like recruiter-speak to me. There aren't too many people that graduate from Boot Camp / Basic Training as an E3. The next problem you'll face is time in service requirements for a promotion to E4. You could end up being an E3 for two years or more depending on the branch of service. The pay differential between E1 and E3 is only a few hundred dollars a month with the same time in service.

Warrant Officer sounds great but again, it's not a guarantee. You have to shine above your peers to be select typically. This means remaining squared-away, keeping your military knowledge up, your MOS knowledge up, and normally a few college courses a year at a minimum. Once selected you need to complete your degree. This means that if you buckle down you'll be in whatever branch of service you're looking into at least 4.5 years before you are commissioned as a warrant officer - if you go as fast as possible, if you are selected, if you are physically fit, if you are mentally quick - all the while you run the risk of losing your wife in the process because you're so involved in trying to make it to warrant officer.

Flying helicopters... well that sounds like a combat MOS in today's day and age. But first there's the physical. Pass that and then comes the bookwork. Pass that comes the practical assessment. None of this is particularly easy.

... then you get deployed.


I'm not trying to talk you out of it but keep some reality mixed into the romance of it all. Please. You'll do you and your wife a huge favor if you think and plan accordingly.

Either way, I'm sure you'll make a great choice regardless of what that choice might be or where it might take you two!

its not just recruiter talk. If you've got an associates degree, you'll go in as an e3(as I did). With a bachelor you go in as automatic e4. Bad news is that you've still got to spend your time in service to make the next rank so if you go in as an e3, you're going to be an e3 for a year and a half, at which time everyone that started with you as an e1 will be even with you. The only real head start your getting is on the pay. When I went in as an e3, with BAH and other "family oriented" extras, I was making about $2300 a month.not sure what the pay scale is now, but I'm sure its more than it was when I was in. Oh yea, and one more thing to consider, if you've ever had a felony charge(doesnt have to be a conviction...just a charge!) even one that was exsponged, you can kiss that warrent officer, or officer, or any rank above e5 goodbye! Thats how they screwed me! I wasnt even convicted! I was charged with aggravated assault on an officer when I was 22 years old which was a felony. The charge was dropped to a simple assault which was just a misdemeaner and was later exsponged off my record after my recruiter talked to the judge a few years later before I enlisted. Well, I was suppossed to be set to goto OCS to make 2nd LT and come to find out that even though I was never convicted of the felony, it would always be on my fbi record and I couldnt get security clearance...therefore I could never be and officer or anything above e5(e6 and above requires security clearance). Just something to be aware of. Hope that helps with your decision.

 

[trojan2k]

Joining the Military isn't an overnight decision. If your wife is doing well at work and is able to support, then I say take your time and weigh the options.
http://www.dfas.mil/militarypay/militarypaytables/2009MilitaryPayTables.pdf
This is the link with the Navy Pay. It should be close to the other branches.

 

[Mr Bogus]

and i'm asking it on a forum because i don't have friends

due to the economy, the field for which i have training is not a viable financial option right now. i don't know when the economy will recover, or when i'll be able to get back into my field. even then, i'll probably have to move in order to find something decent. my wife is moving up at her job, on the cusp of management.

choice one: join the military, make decent money, learn how to work on helicopters and maybe get to shoot stuff. bottom line, earn enough to support my wife and start a family

choice two: continue working a job that i don't like, for less than i should be making, turn in my man card, let the wife get into management



now don't get me wrong, i want her to succeed, she enjoys her job (she's damn good at it too) but in the town we live in, i'll never be able to earn a living like i want to. what do i do? (leaning towards option 1, btw) i think a man should be able to support his family, and if he can't, he shouldn't have one.

funny you should bring up the "Wifes Income" issue...

for the first time in history, women now earn more on the whole than men.. This was just reported last week some time.. Experts are pointing to lay-offs etc and the stability of health care jobs as prime contributors...

They also see no change in this trend any time soon so, I would not take it as a blow to your manhood or there are a lot of others going to be in the same boat..

I do ok and Karen makes close to double what I do a year... no harm, no foul in my book.... Just makes for a better standard of life..

Maybe you can find something you "want" to do? career changes are never easy but if you can find something you love, it might be fun..

Good luck... very tough thing to figure out...

 

[HT_USMC]

its not just recruiter talk. If you've got an associates degree, you'll go in as an e3(as I did). With a bachelor you go in as automatic e4. ...

I'm not saying it's not possible, I'm just saying it's not the "norm".

With an associates, you'd be better serving yourself (and your family) to finish out the last two years of school.

With a bachelor's degree, unless one just hates brass, why wouldn't the person in question just apply for OCS? I was enlisted and was all lined up for the mustang (warrant officer candidate) program before being injured - I always thought, and still think, that being a Marine Officer had to be the best career path in the world.

 

[head east busa]

Brother it's always darkest before dawn I've got some free time rolling up here very soon. I'll work on that other thing we talked about when I'm on vacation after next week. who knows it can only help. As for the military deal I would just hang in there a little longer and definitely talk to your wife first.

 

[Liltroy]

I'm not saying it's not possible, I'm just saying it's not the "norm".

With an associates, you'd be better serving yourself (and your family) to finish out the last two years of school.

With a bachelor's degree, unless one just hates brass, why wouldn't the person in question just apply for OCS? I was enlisted and was all lined up for the mustang (warrant officer candidate) program before being injured - I always thought, and still think, that being a Marine Officer had to be the best career path in the world.

I was suppossed to go to OCS. My previous post explains the rest. As far as being the norm, thats the recruiters #1 gimmick now days to get people that arleady have education....well, that and the previously incurred student loan repayment that I never saw.