Am I Crazy?

[Argyll_2347]

I want to jon the infantry as a career, but all my relatives are telling me to go to university.

I just tell them that my job won‘t require it, so I won‘t. My step-uncle went to RMC and is a retired Lt. Col, so he is trying to convince me above all.

I just don‘t want to be an officer. I want to be out in the field doing the real work because NCOs are the backbone of the Army.

My goal is to be in Recce and eventually become a high ranking NCO.

Am I crazy????

 

[Infanteer]

Go to University.
If you want, join a reserve unit till you finish university.
In todays Army, degree will be a great help for advancing you along the path to a high NCO position.
Also, if you decide to get out, you have all the more credentials in the civvie world.

 

[enfield]

I‘ve heard a number of sergeant majors encourage young troops to go to university and become an officer. You want to go career infantry? Great. What odes that leave you in 25 years? Damn few job skills, a meagre pension, still young nough for a second career but no options.
When your 40, the extra pay and benefits of an officer will mean a helluva lot more than yet another night in a trench.
Join the Militia to get your fill of being yelled yet, receiving cock, and doing useless repetitive jobs. (and some of the cool ****)
Biggest reason to go NCM is for the junior ranks parties....

 

[McG]

Get the university degree. It will give you an option to fall back on if the army turns out not to be for you, or an accident leaves you physically unable to do your job, or if the gov down-sizes the Infantry to hire more SHARP trainners.

 

[King]

It‘s my understanding that 20+ years as an infantry NCO would really beat the **** out of your body. You might actually want to use your knees after age 40.

 

[towhey]

My advice after 14 years in the infantry (officer) and 6 years in business:

Get a degree, now, if you can. It will only get harder and more expensive as time goes on. And, frankly, it doesn‘t matter what your degree is in, if it‘s going to be a BA. So what? So, pick a field that interests you and which you enjoy.

If you absolutely, positively, can‘t stand the thought of spending four more years in a classroom -- or really don‘t know what you want to study -- then join the army and promise yourself you‘ll finish the degree after your 3 year basic engagement. And, shake your head a little, because once you‘ve joined your going to spend the better part of the next three years in a classroom anyway! Only except for whiteboards, you‘ll be screwing your eyes sideways to read the dust left on a Korean War vintage chalk board!

But, definitely get a degree. Even as an infantry NCO it will help you qualify for the really good gigs. Everybody thinks being high-speed, low-drag, special ops is all about physical fitness. Ain‘t so. Sure, JTF-2 guys, USSF guys, SAS guys are fit -- but most aren‘t Olympic endurance athletes -- but they‘re mentally tough and intellectually switched on. A degree under your belt will make you a far more attractive candidate for that type of stuff than an extra three years in the trenches.

Remember: Your degree will not qualify you for any job. My regular airport limo driver has a masters degree in something or other. However, without a degree, your resume will likely not make it past the secretary.

Good luck!

 

[Garett]

A RCR section commander I had on RESO 1 this summer had an english degree, he was a smart guy. I won‘t bitch about him because he passed me on everything he ever assessd me on. He planned on CFR‘ing at some point (I think after 6B). He only got a degree because his dad made him. Since he has a degree and is a good soldier the brass would be nuts not to commission his *** .

My point is, give university a shot and if its not what you want to do then join the Reg Force. Try it for more then a year also, first year doesn‘t really give you a good impression of what university is. If I followed my plans which were made in first year univeristy (I hated it) I‘d probably be a Brit Para. Theres a Cpl in my pl. that tried that for 3 months and hes a university student now. He has some very interesting stories, they‘re not all they‘re cracked up to be.

So my advice is, join a reserve unit (and don‘t become one of the bags of ****), go to university and then make up your mind.

 

[ender]

Just because you have a degree doesn‘t mean you have to be an officer. My former section commander had a degree in civil engineering and was a MCpl.

I seriously suggest joining the reserves before going regs. It gives you a much better idea of what your‘re getting into.

You can also be in the Reserves conncurrently with being in University. That‘s what I‘m doing right now. It‘s actually ideal because you have the summers off to do courses.

If you go straight into the army out of high school your carreer options are going to be limited when you get out. It‘s also not bad to have some experience of independent life outside the military.

 

[JRMACDONALD]

HEY ARGYLL- go to school/university. I got grade 9 before/after 29 years in( infantry). Don‘t be a dummy! Education first, then fun!!!!!

 

[Mark Schiller]

Argyll_2347
Take it from me, Dad was a career soldier and my brother also. Dad always wanted us to futher our education so we would have a better life (life was really not so bad...got to travel a lot). A better education will help you in your goal with the service and another few years will not hold you back from getting to where you want to be. I have the utmost admiration for those who serve their country but I am sure my Dad and brother would advise you to get schooled first join up later. Good luck in your future.

 

[Argyll_2347]

Thanks everyone for the advice!

I will take all your replies into consideration. It‘s good to have the opinions of infantrymen.

If I have a college or university degree, do I have to be an officer?

 

[Jungle]

NO you do not have to be !!! BUT, if you do not want to do too much unit time, then do. Officers are platoon commanders for 2,(rarely 3) years, then sent to some admin posting somewhere. As an NCO, I have 18 years in, the first 17 of those in Infantry Battalions. I have seen countless officers come and go, but the NCO‘s are always around. I have been around the world (litterally) on training or ops, from parachuting in the high arctic to patrolling in East Timor. I do not have a university degree, and am not worried about my future. Consider your options, look at your priorities, then make a decision. If you are in doubt, then you should get the education... I never doubted.
Good luck, whatever you do !!!