The Subsim Veterans/Active Duty Thread

[Texas Red]

Originally Posted by ET2SN

Well, that's the other side of the coin. Don't sign up for a twenty year career that you're going to hate.

I don't know if its still available, but there was the "Two Years Minimums" enlistment. Two years from bootcamp to transition back to the civilian world.

For some folks it made a lot of sense. They did the minimum time to get the post-service bennies. Or some basic job experience. Or some really basic training for free (plus the crappy pay check).

If you're really serious, let me repeat this- Knock off the "I, I, I,..." stuff. Think instead of serving your country. You'll still meet people who understand that and will look out for you. Try to make that feeling genuine.

If you want to join just to impress someone in the family or to have something to talk about during Thanksgiving, please reconsider. Those people you want to impress won't be there at 2AM on a crappy duty day when the ship is due to pull out at 9 AM but the generators keep tripping off line. They won't be there when you're stuck on the surface in state 6 seas for the next 12 hours. They won't be there when the galley runs out of everything but canned ravioli, coffee, and stale ice cream cones and you're two weeks away from a dock.

If you do it, do it for YOU and do it for your country.

I wouldn't be getting into the Navy Cadet Corps if I wasn't serious about it and /or just want to have something to brag about when meeting ladies. I do want to serve my country to the fullest.

Quick question though:
What is the best advice you would give to someone like me who is new to the military?

[ET2SN]

Originally Posted by El Whacko

I wouldn't be getting into the Navy Cadet Corps if I wasn't serious about it and /or just want to have something to brag about when meeting ladies. I do want to serve my country to the fullest.

Quick question though:
What is the best advice you would give to someone like me who is new to the military?

Yikes, that's a big question and I don't write short posts.

The universal Rule # 1 is "Don't be a Dick". You'll be meeting a lot of new people who are kinda like you. Don't turn it into a competition. No one likes a stranger who's constantly getting in their face and business. One of the first things the military teaches you is that you all can be different but once you start to work together, you can move mountains before you break for lunch.

That brings up something that surprised me. We sell ourselves massively short. As individuals, we think we know our limits and capabilities. The military teaches you what they really are. Wait until you figure it out, its a real eye-opener.

There's no textbook guide to learning Leadership. You'll meet folks who are really bad at it and folks who really, really good at it. Learn from both. Watch how they act and talk.

Don't be a dummy with your money. At first, you'll barely earn enough to make it to the next paycheck but that will get better as time goes on. Start saving as soon as you can. The Navy has a great deal with Navy Federal Credit Union. You won't see much that's impressive at first, but give it time.
Defiantly DON'T start out in the hole with credit cards and loans. Military bases are famous for having clip joints and rip offs just outside the main gate. If you need some wheels that bad, pull some leave and go back home to buy it. Don't try to "have it all" right from the start. "Chief has a nice apartment downtown and I was thinking.." Yeah, Chief has also been on the job for 14 more years than you. I think Chief earns a little more. Don't fall into that trap. Live within your means. If that means living in the BOQ or BEQ and eating in the chow hall, suck it up.

Time moves weird when you're in uniform. Days can feel like weeks but years can go by in what feels like a month.

Cars (and even motorcycles) don't mix well with sea tours. Think about it, the Navy is paying you to log miles underway. You're going to be gone a lot.
Fortunately, the Navy will provide long term parking if you jump through enough hoops. Usually in a parking lot three feet from the ocean. This is great if you really like that rusty, rat rod patina and enjoy rebuilding your brakes. Its not so great on a car that's less than ten years old. There are exceptions, Norfolk and San Diego subase where you almost need a car, but for the most part parking on base is a pain in the ***. Its better to invest in a good bike (and an even better lock) or public transportation.

More than likely, you'll get to travel to other countries. See Rule # 1 again. You'll be seeing places and people you never planned for, don't screw it up.
If you wind up spending some time in another country, take the time to learn the culture and customs, try to pick up enough of the language to get by. Reading about Buddhism is one thing, sitting to talk about it over lunch with a Monk is another.

Hand in hand with Rule # 1, DON'T B****. Everyone has bad days. Griping constantly is not going to make you any friends. Think about it, you're in a group of peers who make the same money and do the same job. You think you're telling anyone something they don't know?? The food stinks, the weather stinks, the job stinks, my boss stinks, my paycheck stinks... On and on but there's never a plan to make it better. Speaking of..

Get ready to meet some of the best life-long friends you'll ever have. The military does that. Thirty years from now you'll still have friends that you'll bail out of the Pokey with no questions asked. Because you KNOW they have your back, no matter what. It sounds sappy but its true.

[3catcircus]

Originally Posted by ET2SN

Yikes, that's a big question and I don't write short posts.

The universal Rule # 1 is "Don't be a Dick". You'll be meeting a lot of new people who are kinda like you. Don't turn it into a competition. No one likes a stranger who's constantly getting in their face and business. One of the first things the military teaches you is that you all can be different but once you start to work together, you can move mountains before you break for lunch.

That brings up something that surprised me. We sell ourselves massively short. As individuals, we think we know our limits and capabilities. The military teaches you what they really are. Wait until you figure it out, its a real eye-opener.

There's no textbook guide to learning Leadership. You'll meet folks who are really bad at it and folks who really, really good at it. Learn from both. Watch how they act and talk.

Don't be a dummy with your money. At first, you'll barely earn enough to make it to the next paycheck but that will get better as time goes on. Start saving as soon as you can. The Navy has a great deal with Navy Federal Credit Union. You won't see much that's impressive at first, but give it time.
Defiantly DON'T start out in the hole with credit cards and loans. Military bases are famous for having clip joints and rip offs just outside the main gate. If you need some wheels that bad, pull some leave and go back home to buy it. Don't try to "have it all" right from the start. "Chief has a nice apartment downtown and I was thinking.." Yeah, Chief has also been on the job for 14 more years than you. I think Chief earns a little more. Don't fall into that trap. Live within your means. If that means living in the BOQ or BEQ and eating in the chow hall, suck it up.

Time moves weird when you're in uniform. Days can feel like weeks but years can go by in what feels like a month.

Cars (and even motorcycles) don't mix well with sea tours. Think about it, the Navy is paying you to log miles underway. You're going to be gone a lot.
Fortunately, the Navy will provide long term parking if you jump through enough hoops. Usually in a parking lot three feet from the ocean. This is great if you really like that rusty, rat rod patina and enjoy rebuilding your brakes. Its not so great on a car that's less than ten years old. There are exceptions, Norfolk and San Diego subase where you almost need a car, but for the most part parking on base is a pain in the ***. Its better to invest in a good bike (and an even better lock) or public transportation.

More than likely, you'll get to travel to other countries. See Rule # 1 again. You'll be seeing places and people you never planned for, don't screw it up.
If you wind up spending some time in another country, take the time to learn the culture and customs, try to pick up enough of the language to get by. Reading about Buddhism is one thing, sitting to talk about it over lunch with a Monk is another.

Hand in hand with Rule # 1, DON'T B****. Everyone has bad days. Griping constantly is not going to make you any friends. Think about it, you're in a group of peers who make the same money and do the same job. You think you're telling anyone something they don't know?? The food stinks, the weather stinks, the job stinks, my boss stinks, my paycheck stinks... On and on but there's never a plan to make it better. Speaking of..

Get ready to meet some of the best life-long friends you'll ever have. The military does that. Thirty years from now you'll still have friends that you'll bail out of the Pokey with no questions asked. Because you KNOW they have your back, no matter what. It sounds sappy but its true.

A couple of other things to consider (assuming you end up going enlisted)

If you enlist (and I advise against this if you have the option of getting commissioned out of college), get everything in writing and ensure you get a good A-school. Nothing is a bigger waste of your time than being Seaman Apprentice Non-Rate for your first sea duty because you'll spend that time being on the lowest rung once you get to the boat. Chipping and painting? You. Cranking for 3+ months at a time? You.

Get a decent A-School even if it means a longer enlistment. Electronics Technician, any nuclear rating, IT, Sonar Tech - they all have translatable skills when you get out. Even though I am not in the nuclear industry now, after I got out and got my degree, I was hired because the hiring manager was a former submarine officer and knew that the amount of time it would take me to get up to speed and be a contributor would be very short since, as a former nuke, he knew I would be able to quickly absorb vast amounts of complex information.

Being a nuke has financial advantages if you plan on reenlisting because of the large SRB, but the downside is it is a closed career path. You won't be getting shore duty as an admiral's aide in Sydney Australia or teaching seamanship at the Academy. Non-nuclear careers have lower SRB, but many more options for shore duty, and a wider array of sea duty options.

If you enlist, once you get to the boat, plan on being a hot runner - stay ahead of your quals to avoid having to come in on an off weekend to catch up your studies. Better to stick around after liberty on a Monday to get that additional checkout or two than have to water a few hours on Saturday...

Once you are in the duty section, one of the biggest things you can do to make the duty day go quicker is to volunteer to make a minimart run or pick up food orders for the rest of the duty section of they are ordering it rather than eating what the cooks are serving. As a non-qual, you can't support the watchbill, but you can support your duty section - and this will also make it easier to get your checkouts from guys who may otherwise be considered a hard checkout.

As to checkouts - your ability to understand everything about a particular system or evolution literally is life-and-death. If you don't know the trim and drain system, you might be the only guy in a compartment that is flooding and you won't be able to line up valves to start dewatering. So don't try and get anyone to skim your qual card. If you don't get the signature it means you don't know enough to save yourself or anyone else. Lookups are not intended to make it harder to get a signature - they are advanced levels of knowledge in disguise.

Study in your free time if you enlist out of high school. If you can get the taxpayers to foot the bill for you to get a college degree, it's worth the time. I don't know how much is available, but typically there is a tuition assistance program for distance learning - even while underway.

Lastly, although NAVY stands for Never Again Volunteer Yourself, if you are offered what seems like a pain in the butt (other than the aforementioned chipping and painting), it's probably an opportunity in disguise. You might ask for a boomer out of the west coast but if they offer a fast attack out of Guam, it might actually be better career-wise if you establish yourself as someone that detailers go to to fill difficult billets like Guam. My first boat was a 594 out of San Diego that PCSed to Pearl for decommissioning. At the end of decom I asked for a 637 out of San Diego. Instead I got a 688 in Pearl. That turned out great - I got to augment during an Eastpac and go to QA Inspector school and Electronics Technician Maintenance Supervisor school. Something I wouldn't have gotten if I were on a 637 out of San Diego. And towards the end of my time on my 2nd boat, we PCSed to the east coast to decommission - so I also ended up getting to swim in the panama canal...

As to seeing other countries - while the idea of drinking enough for a small town and chasing ladies of the evening in exotic ports of call sounds like fun for a young single guy, the days of being able to do that safely are long gone. Breathalyzers on the boat, drug-resistant STDs, and the internet all mean that bad behavior *will* haunt you. As dopey as it sounds, cultural things not partaken of will be a regret later in life. How often do you plan on climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge or Mt Fuji? Take those opportunities when they come because they will be few and far between. In homeport, don't spend your off time sleeping away the day or wasting money on consumer entertainment. Go and do things that are available and inexpensive where you are stationed - hiking, surfing, skiing, fishing, whatever. That's a lot more affordable and also stress-relieving than spending $70 on an Xbox game that you end up yelling at strangers while playing, or blowing $100/night every time you go out drinking.

I'll echo what was said - save every penny you can. I had a car when I went to nuclear prototype in Idaho - I needed it for that. After that, I sold my car before I got to the boat. Didn't need it, even in San Diego. Hawaii was even easier to get around via bus. I never had a car after prototype. If I could, I wouldn't own a car now...


Lastly - wherever you get stationed, there will be local establishments that serve adult beverages you may decide to frequent that attract a certain type of female (I suppose nowadays, males too) because they know soldiers, sailors, airmen also frequent them - and you may attract them even if not frequenting those establishments. There will be women who can smell that you are a single guy and they will be salivating and ready to fight over you like you are piece of meat. They may be single and childless, or they may have a (couple of) child(ren) of questionable sire with an ex-. She may seem really nice. She may seem very attracted to you. She may even tell you her tale of financial woe or confide in you that it was love at first time - whichever tale will seem to earn her a more sympathetic ear. For the love of your future's sake, run, don't walk, away. These are people who prey on young impressionable guys who have a steady income that they are looking to exploit for a life of ease. If you aren't careful to spot this (or take the advice of someone else on the boat who is older), you could find yourself "married" to this person who will happily look forward to the married BAQ/VHA money that she is now entitled to, even if you end up getting forcibly evicted from "your" apartment/house. Or you could be even more gullible and end up being financially responsible for children that aren't yours.

[Texas Red]

Originally Posted by ET2SN

Yikes, that's a big question and I don't write short posts.

The universal Rule # 1 is "Don't be a Dick". You'll be meeting a lot of new people who are kinda like you. Don't turn it into a competition. No one likes a stranger who's constantly getting in their face and business. One of the first things the military teaches you is that you all can be different but once you start to work together, you can move mountains before you break for lunch.

That brings up something that surprised me. We sell ourselves massively short. As individuals, we think we know our limits and capabilities. The military teaches you what they really are. Wait until you figure it out, its a real eye-opener.

There's no textbook guide to learning Leadership. You'll meet folks who are really bad at it and folks who really, really good at it. Learn from both. Watch how they act and talk.

Don't be a dummy with your money. At first, you'll barely earn enough to make it to the next paycheck but that will get better as time goes on. Start saving as soon as you can. The Navy has a great deal with Navy Federal Credit Union. You won't see much that's impressive at first, but give it time.
Defiantly DON'T start out in the hole with credit cards and loans. Military bases are famous for having clip joints and rip offs just outside the main gate. If you need some wheels that bad, pull some leave and go back home to buy it. Don't try to "have it all" right from the start. "Chief has a nice apartment downtown and I was thinking.." Yeah, Chief has also been on the job for 14 more years than you. I think Chief earns a little more. Don't fall into that trap. Live within your means. If that means living in the BOQ or BEQ and eating in the chow hall, suck it up.

Time moves weird when you're in uniform. Days can feel like weeks but years can go by in what feels like a month.

Cars (and even motorcycles) don't mix well with sea tours. Think about it, the Navy is paying you to log miles underway. You're going to be gone a lot.
Fortunately, the Navy will provide long term parking if you jump through enough hoops. Usually in a parking lot three feet from the ocean. This is great if you really like that rusty, rat rod patina and enjoy rebuilding your brakes. Its not so great on a car that's less than ten years old. There are exceptions, Norfolk and San Diego subase where you almost need a car, but for the most part parking on base is a pain in the ***. Its better to invest in a good bike (and an even better lock) or public transportation.

More than likely, you'll get to travel to other countries. See Rule # 1 again. You'll be seeing places and people you never planned for, don't screw it up.
If you wind up spending some time in another country, take the time to learn the culture and customs, try to pick up enough of the language to get by. Reading about Buddhism is one thing, sitting to talk about it over lunch with a Monk is another.

Hand in hand with Rule # 1, DON'T B****. Everyone has bad days. Griping constantly is not going to make you any friends. Think about it, you're in a group of peers who make the same money and do the same job. You think you're telling anyone something they don't know?? The food stinks, the weather stinks, the job stinks, my boss stinks, my paycheck stinks... On and on but there's never a plan to make it better. Speaking of..

Get ready to meet some of the best life-long friends you'll ever have. The military does that. Thirty years from now you'll still have friends that you'll bail out of the Pokey with no questions asked. Because you KNOW they have your back, no matter what. It sounds sappy but its true.

Great, I've already seen what happens when you break rule 1, and its not pretty. The CO's daughter is an instructor at our unit that is CONSTANTLY in everyone's business and being a dick, always yelling at people for the smallest things. She is going to Parris Island in June, and every cadet cannot wait for her to leave. She is hated by every cadet.
Recently though, I've been reading a lot of leadership books to try and improve myself. I have been sticking to books by John C. Maxwell, but I plan on moving on. Since I have awhile before I get too old to be in the Cadet Corps, I may be able to hit Chief by 17 if I stick to it and impress the higher ups.

Originally Posted by 3catcircus

A couple of other things to consider (assuming you end up going enlisted)

If you enlist (and I advise against this if you have the option of getting commissioned out of college), get everything in writing and ensure you get a good A-school. Nothing is a bigger waste of your time than being Seaman Apprentice Non-Rate for your first sea duty because you'll spend that time being on the lowest rung once you get to the boat. Chipping and painting? You. Cranking for 3+ months at a time? You.

Get a decent A-School even if it means a longer enlistment. Electronics Technician, any nuclear rating, IT, Sonar Tech - they all have translatable skills when you get out. Even though I am not in the nuclear industry now, after I got out and got my degree, I was hired because the hiring manager was a former submarine officer and knew that the amount of time it would take me to get up to speed and be a contributor would be very short since, as a former nuke, he knew I would be able to quickly absorb vast amounts of complex information.

Being a nuke has financial advantages if you plan on reenlisting because of the large SRB, but the downside is it is a closed career path. You won't be getting shore duty as an admiral's aide in Sydney Australia or teaching seamanship at the Academy. Non-nuclear careers have lower SRB, but many more options for shore duty, and a wider array of sea duty options.

If you enlist, once you get to the boat, plan on being a hot runner - stay ahead of your quals to avoid having to come in on an off weekend to catch up your studies. Better to stick around after liberty on a Monday to get that additional checkout or two than have to water a few hours on Saturday...

Once you are in the duty section, one of the biggest things you can do to make the duty day go quicker is to volunteer to make a minimart run or pick up food orders for the rest of the duty section of they are ordering it rather than eating what the cooks are serving. As a non-qual, you can't support the watchbill, but you can support your duty section - and this will also make it easier to get your checkouts from guys who may otherwise be considered a hard checkout.

As to checkouts - your ability to understand everything about a particular system or evolution literally is life-and-death. If you don't know the trim and drain system, you might be the only guy in a compartment that is flooding and you won't be able to line up valves to start dewatering. So don't try and get anyone to skim your qual card. If you don't get the signature it means you don't know enough to save yourself or anyone else. Lookups are not intended to make it harder to get a signature - they are advanced levels of knowledge in disguise.

Study in your free time if you enlist out of high school. If you can get the taxpayers to foot the bill for you to get a college degree, it's worth the time. I don't know how much is available, but typically there is a tuition assistance program for distance learning - even while underway.

Lastly, although NAVY stands for Never Again Volunteer Yourself, if you are offered what seems like a pain in the butt (other than the aforementioned chipping and painting), it's probably an opportunity in disguise. You might ask for a boomer out of the west coast but if they offer a fast attack out of Guam, it might actually be better career-wise if you establish yourself as someone that detailers go to to fill difficult billets like Guam. My first boat was a 594 out of San Diego that PCSed to Pearl for decommissioning. At the end of decom I asked for a 637 out of San Diego. Instead I got a 688 in Pearl. That turned out great - I got to augment during an Eastpac and go to QA Inspector school and Electronics Technician Maintenance Supervisor school. Something I wouldn't have gotten if I were on a 637 out of San Diego. And towards the end of my time on my 2nd boat, we PCSed to the east coast to decommission - so I also ended up getting to swim in the panama canal...

As to seeing other countries - while the idea of drinking enough for a small town and chasing ladies of the evening in exotic ports of call sounds like fun for a young single guy, the days of being able to do that safely are long gone. Breathalyzers on the boat, drug-resistant STDs, and the internet all mean that bad behavior *will* haunt you. As dopey as it sounds, cultural things not partaken of will be a regret later in life. How often do you plan on climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge or Mt Fuji? Take those opportunities when they come because they will be few and far between. In homeport, don't spend your off time sleeping away the day or wasting money on consumer entertainment. Go and do things that are available and inexpensive where you are stationed - hiking, surfing, skiing, fishing, whatever. That's a lot more affordable and also stress-relieving than spending $70 on an Xbox game that you end up yelling at strangers while playing, or blowing $100/night every time you go out drinking.

I'll echo what was said - save every penny you can. I had a car when I went to nuclear prototype in Idaho - I needed it for that. After that, I sold my car before I got to the boat. Didn't need it, even in San Diego. Hawaii was even easier to get around via bus. I never had a car after prototype. If I could, I wouldn't own a car now...


Lastly - wherever you get stationed, there will be local establishments that serve adult beverages you may decide to frequent that attract a certain type of female (I suppose nowadays, males too) because they know soldiers, sailors, airmen also frequent them - and you may attract them even if not frequenting those establishments. There will be women who can smell that you are a single guy and they will be salivating and ready to fight over you like you are piece of meat. They may be single and childless, or they may have a (couple of) child(ren) of questionable sire with an ex-. She may seem really nice. She may seem very attracted to you. She may even tell you her tale of financial woe or confide in you that it was love at first time - whichever tale will seem to earn her a more sympathetic ear. For the love of your future's sake, run, don't walk, away. These are people who prey on young impressionable guys who have a steady income that they are looking to exploit for a life of ease. If you aren't careful to spot this (or take the advice of someone else on the boat who is older), you could find yourself "married" to this person who will happily look forward to the married BAQ/VHA money that she is now entitled to, even if you end up getting forcibly evicted from "your" apartment/house. Or you could be even more gullible and end up being financially responsible for children that aren't yours.

Great, thanks for the advice. The women part hit me in the head and definitely knocked some sense into me. It kinda scares me tbh, but I should be able to handle it.

What was it like at Pearl Harbor? Was it nice and warm and beautiful as the pictures make it seem?

[ET2SN]

We should probably cover the basic differences between Enlisted and Officer.

Think of it this way (besides flight-related jobs), enlisted DO things. Officers OBSERVE. Another way to think of this, Officers are ADMIN and managers. If you see the manager of your local Walmart toting bags of fertilizer out to the parking lot or stocking the shelves, they're doing it wrong. Another way to look at it, my Nav on the Bremerton was a graduate of MIT and also had an EE degree. Both of us knew how neat the Inertial Nav system was. At one point I had to say "Nav, if I see you touching the buttons again I'll have to get a hammer and break your fingers" . The kicker was that we got along as well as an officer and petty officer could. Officers and enlisted can be friends, but they CANNOT be buddies because they can never be peers. Earlier, I called this "the glass wall".

One more submarine example- Pretty much, the only equipment an officer can operate are the handles on the periscope or a pencil sharpener. They aren't even supposed to raise and lower the scope, that's the job of the Aux Of The Watch. The prince can shoot the bird but the prince cannot pick it up and take it back to the castle.

Officers make a LOT more money and their on-boat duty rotations are more favorable but Officers are constantly in the cross hairs of the CO and XO.

This is kind of surprising, but while the enlisted crew belongs to the boat, officers belong to the Squadron. There is also a highly-defined social pecking order in the Ward Room and at the Squadron. There is a really good reason why OCS is also called "Knife and Fork School". Decorum is really important. Officers are also required to pay for their meals and berthing.

Earlier, I mentioned that I had the opportunity to go to OCS but I turned it down. I need to explain that I didn't do this because I was a Bad A** or because I hated officers or the Navy. I liked maintaining and tuning my gear and I REALLY enjoyed operating it. If I had gone to OCS, those days would be over. Also (a really BIG Also) I would have to take off my dolphins and put them on the wall. My submarine days would have been, effectively, over. One of the things that was murky was whether I might have been too old to go to the officer equivalent of NUC school (I was in my late 20's at the time) and I didn't want to take that risk.

So on one hand, I turned down a big pay raise for my goofy Gilligan hat. On the other, I knew I was effective at what I was doing and I enjoyed doing it vs going to an Admin job that I was pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy that would mostly likely be on a gray painted ship. There was no, single, "right" answer and I did think about it quite a bit.

[3catcircus]

Originally Posted by El Whacko

Great, thanks for the advice. The women part hit me in the head and definitely knocked some sense into me. It kinda scares me tbh, but I should be able to handle it.

What was it like at Pearl Harbor? Was it nice and warm and beautiful as the pictures make it seem?

Sooo... PH is a great place to vacation. If you like hiking, mountain biking, snorkeling, scuba, surfing, etc., you'd probably enjoy it.

But - Honolulu is like any other big city. Go a block or two off the touristy areas and it's got slums and poverty and the crime that comes with them like any big city.

Prices are higher (you're on an island) and there is only so far you can go. To get away, you'll have to hop a flight to one of the other islands where things are at a slower pace.

The other thing to be wary of in HI is you're a haole-boy. A lot of the locals resent non-natives, so you need to know which beaches are safer than others if you are interested in exploring the less touristy ones.

[Jeff-Groves]

You want a crazy ParaTroopers point of view?

I'd say you got great advise so far!
Wish I'd have had advise like that YEARS ago!

Here's my story.
I took the test when I was joining the Army.
I finished that test WAY ahead of all the others in the room.
Before anyone else turned in their papers? A couple of Officers came in and asked for me. They took me into a separate room and nearly begged me to NOT go Infantry but go Intelligence!
I was 22 years old and thought I knew what I wanted so turned it down.
40 years later and that decision was the WORST decision I have ever made in my life!
I could have still been a ParaTrooper. I could have still jumped into all the places I did. But I would have had a skill trade that would have taken me places that just learning how to kill people never did.

So I will say once you take that final entrance test?
Keep your mind and options open! You may get offered a better course then what you planned!

[derstosstrupp]

Was the same for me with the Marines. I tested relatively high on my ASVAB, and I had a recruiter at the time who was not infantry, and was strongly encouraging me to go into something, as he put it, more in line with my score. I wanted infantry badly, and so I persisted, and then thankfully my recruiter got replaced by a guy who was combat arms, a combat engineer, who said “all of my guys are going infantry!”. Problem solved!

That’s funny about that chick going to PI, she’ll get the tables turned around on her real quick there.

[ET2SN]

Originally Posted by El Whacko

What was it like at Pearl Harbor? Was it nice and warm and beautiful as the pictures make it seem?

Seventy eight degrees and sunny with an ocean breeze. Malka (mountain) showers in the early morning. Every freaking day of the year.
If its any help, I got to the point where I looked forward to Hurricane Season, at least the weather might change.

Its tough to complain about Pearl Harbor and Honolulu, but we can.

Leaving the base gets expensive very quickly. Living in Hawai'i is not cheap. Almost everything gets to the stores in a ship or an airplane.

Honolulu's economy is mostly based on tourism. That makes Honolulu expensive. Great restaurants with high bills. You get used to it. Be very careful when off-base. EVERYONE smokes Pot but you can't.
There are massive fields of pineapples on the island. Resist the temptation to just grab one. The Dole people don't like it (and they all carry Machetes).

Samoan dudes love to beat people up, its a hobby. They are also fiercely loyal friends once they've beaten you up enough. Its complicated..

To truly understand Hawai'i, go body surfing on the North shore in January. DON'T go alone. Body surfing in January is a lot like playing football where you wind at the bottom of a pig pile at the end of EVERY down. If you don't wind up with scrapes and bruises, you did it wrong.

There's a ton of history on base and on Ford Island. You'll still find damage from bullets and shells on the buildings from Dec. 7th. The Navy preserves it as a reminder to NEVER let your guard down. I found a bunch of cool stuff on Ford Island. The original sounding cannon for the harbor was still there and the launch ramp for the old China Clipper flights is right in the middle of the school complex (NAVSUBTRACINPAC?). Oh yeah, the rats on Ford Island are as large as medium sized dogs. Resist the temptation to make one a pet.

[Jeff-Groves]

The enlistment to the 82nd AirBorne probably saved my life.
I'd just went through a divorce, lost everything I had, and was at such a low point in my life I didn't care if I lived or died.
I don't think I had any respect for myself or others at that time.

The Army, and specifically, the AirBorne changed all that!
But it did require me to change me. Probably the hardest part.
One may think they know themselves really well.
Until you go into a Military environment for a prolonged time?
You don't know who you are or can become!

[ET2SN]

Originally Posted by 3catcircus

Sooo... PH is a great place to vacation. If you like hiking, mountain biking, snorkeling, scuba, surfing, etc., you'd probably enjoy it.

But - Honolulu is like any other big city. Go a block or two off the touristy areas and it's got slums and poverty and the crime that comes with them like any big city.

Prices are higher (you're on an island) and there is only so far you can go. To get away, you'll have to hop a flight to one of the other islands where things are at a slower pace.

The other thing to be wary of in HI is you're a haole-boy. A lot of the locals resent non-natives, so you need to know which beaches are safer than others if you are interested in exploring the less touristy ones.

Did you hear that they're shutting down Aloha Stadium and the parking lot?

How the heck are you supposed to buy tee shirts on a Saturday??

[ET2SN]

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

The enlistment to the 82nd AirBorne probably saved my life.
I'd just went through a divorce, lost everything I had, and was at such a low point in my life I didn't care if I lived or died.
I don't think I had any respect for myself or others at that time.

The Army, and specifically, the AirBorne changed all that!
But it did require me to change me. Probably the hardest part.
One may think they know themselves really well.
Until you go into a Military environment for a prolonged time?
You don't know who you are or can become!

That brings up a good point, you learn early on that you are no better or no worse than the guy in the next bunk.

[Jeff-Groves]

Well. It was not called 'Band of Brothers' for nothing.
One thing that drives all service members is not the fight itself.
It's the fact you fight for all your Brothers beside you.
And they will be your Brothers for life! You do your duty to see they get home.
Cost, even if it is your life, is not a factor.
I have a Tee Shirt I wear.
On the front it reads:
Vet-er-an
The back?
[Vet-er-an] -noun
1. Person who wrote a Blank Check Payable to United States of America for an amount up to and including ones life.

[3catcircus]

Originally Posted by ET2SN

Did you hear that they're shutting down Aloha Stadium and the parking lot?

How the heck are you supposed to buy tee shirts on a Saturday??

Wow - that is surprising. I spent a lot of time riding around there on my way to/from the Aiea Loop Trail to go mountain biking - the gate by the COMPACFLT boathouse let's out to Kam' Hwy right there so it was quite convenient... I also found out the hard way about the barriers on the Pearl Harbor bike trail riding through at high speed at dusk...

[ET2SN]

Ever make it up to the abandoned highway in the mountains north of Honolulu?

I really enjoyed hiking it but I had traded in my old mountain bike for an over-priced touring bike when I was in Japan and never got the chance to ride it.