GIS/GPS in the Military

[eagl]

 

It wasn't supposed to be either "good" or "comprehensive".  It's just some points that people don't talk about because it's uncomfortable to talk about these things, and a recruiter probably won't discuss them. 

[dirtdart]

Hey bud, I am currently serving on active duty as an engineer officer.  We own the geospatial stuff within the is army. If you want to talk to the guy in charge of geospatial training pm me your email and I will put you in touch with him. The facts for the army are:

1.  Enlisted: enter as a specialist and be a geospatial guy for a hitch and learn lots, get out with valid skills.

2.  Go as a warrant officer:  spend a career doing nothing but geospatial stuff.

3.  Go as an officer:  spend three to five years in twenty within that field. The way assignments work there are few billets for captains and lts that are in these fields. You would have to want to serve in the corps of engineers later on on your career.

Regardless the thing to keep in mind at your age is picking a profession that can grow with you as you mature. I joined the army out of jc and twenty years later have not looked back. Every new job is a bit different. Anyhow if you want to talk to the army guy on this shoot me an email.

[Maverick]

Eagle, spot on in several points you made. 

There are good officers and bad ones, just like there are good enlisted and bad ones. The presence or absence of brass on the uniform is no guaranty that the individual wearing it is worth a damn. A good Officer, especially a junior one, will listen to the NCO's input and then make a decision. Decisions are what they get paid for. It's a shame that so much is dumped on shoulders that are so young and inexperienced but that is the way of the world and has been since before the phalanx was invented.

My step son wanted a career in the navy but worked under a petty officer (NCO) who was a real jerk and wouldn't let his application for diver go forward. He got out on his first enlistment.

I had a combat vet (Nam) E-7 turn down a transfer with a promotion to stay in my Company as a Plt Sgt. That was one of the greatest compliments I ever received in the Army. My First Sgt. in that company is one of my best friends even todayas a retired Command Sgt Major. Another of my Plt Sgt's also made E9. On the other hand I don't have any contact with one of my Lt Plt Ldrs and don't think any of them stayed with the Army at all, but my last XO is now a full bull. My first XO I went through the channels I could to end his career because of the poisonous individual he was. I wasn't a great leader IMO but I am proud to have earned the respect of my NCO's.

[Stoney]

It wasn't supposed to be either "good" or "comprehensive".  It's just some points that people don't talk about because it's uncomfortable to talk about these things, and a recruiter probably won't discuss them. 

I know you're in a flying squadron environment, and that has its own nuances, but there should still be some basic interdependence in the relationships that exist between the leadership and the airmen.  I pretty much split my time between flying squadrons and ground units, and recognized the difference, but the core attitudes between enlisted and officer were nothing like what you described--my experience anyway.   

[shotgunneeley]

All very good posts guys, I appreciate the input.

Yeah, I'm juggling a lot of options of what I want to do after college. (God is probably having a good laugh at my plans and ideas for the future!)
   1.) I want to get an MBA, so I could turn around once I graduate and put another two years in school before I do anything with the military. Since I have a full paid academic scholarship, using the GI bill in order to get my Masters doesn't really affect me. Maybe by then conditions (i.e. the economy, budget cuts, job loss) will be more favorable than they are now.
   2.) Again, I'm not really looking for a career ("working my way up the chain") in the military and I'm not motivated by salary. The main factors that drive me to want to join is for the experience, patriotic pride and a sense of duty. I don't want to pass up this moment in my life and look back later on with regret. At the moment, I would truly rather be an enlisted man than an officer because I'm not planning on lasting more than four years (unless there is a need or emergency situation). I view our country's soldiers with pride and respect and I want to honor the sacrifices made by our defenders and protectors any way I can.
   3.) The Reserves/National Guard is also an option because I'm fortunate that I do have a job waiting for me when I get out of school. Right now, this is only a consideration once my 4-year enlistment period is up in order to stay active and updated to assist in a national emergency.

My dream job would be to work in the field providing GIS/GPS support in a way that gets me in an aircraft. I know GIS/GPS is used for navigation, coordination, and planning in the field and that's how I want to be involved. Oh, and I fully understand the potential risks to my health and wellbeing. I don't want to jinx myself so I'll leave it at that.

[dirtdart]

If you want to get into an aerial platform, move to remote sensing.....

[Stoney]

I want to get an MBA

One of my Lieutenants in Okinawa had an MBA from Kellogg of all places before he applied to OCS.  So, that certainly doesn't close any doors for you.  He's still in now, a Major.  I'd never thought he'd still be around, but he enjoys it, so...

[eagl]

One of the finest CMSgts I ever worked with had a PhD and 3 or 4 Masters degrees.  Early in an enlisted airman's career though, it can be tougher to do the extra schoolwork that it often is early in an officer's career.  We have a bunch of Lts working on their masters degrees and all of our enlisted troops that want to get promoted are working at the very least on their CCAF and many plan on getting a bachelors degree, but it seems like the junior enlisted troops are busting their butts learning their primary jobs and don't seem to have the time on or off duty for outside degrees until they have a few years in.  The Lts on the other hand are seeing the first signs of massive personnel shakeups, which is leading them to start advanced degrees almost immediately.

We just had our unit's first "normal" (ie. not being punished for something) lieutenant passed over for Captain...  None of us know why other than we were warned that this year, promotion to captain would be "competitive" for the first time in decades.  Well, a pretty good officer, pilot, and leader just got kicked hard in the nuts by the AF.  They put him through pilot training and he's in an important junior leadership position as a 1Lt, and he still got passed over.  Sucks, and the AF is probably going to lose a valuable and expensive asset when he goes to fly for the airlines or do some other decent civvy job 8-16 years earlier than is usual for someone with his training and abilities.

And of course, the AF will probably realize its mistake in a few years and offer him a fat check to come back on active duty because he'll be carrying a few million bucks in training out the door with him...

[Selino631]

basicly this boils down to.. go Warrent Officer. all WO's do is THERE job, nothing else, and they are the best at it.

[rogwar]

Wow a "normal" passed over for Captain. That usually is an automatic if you do your job good at that level. People will be looking for civilian jobs (if any available).

[Maverick]

Got to remember that the AF is a bit "Officer heavy" as they do the majority of the combat jobs (flying) for that branch compared to say the Army. Last time I was in DM AFB store in March I was looking at the AF Times and saw that there was a notice the AF was looking at a significant reduction in mid grade Officers. That means Cpt and Maj in the middle of their career. If you have been around a while like I have you can see the signs pointing to a serious RIF coming. Look to the services, all of them, dropping more numbers and still having to do more than ever before.

The incidence of PTSD problems is going to go up long before it goes down as we abuse those who choose to serve.

[Stoney]

we abuse those who choose to serve.

We don't abuse those who choose to serve, its just that that condition, in particular, is difficult to diagnose and treat.  That being said, regardless of any force reductions, the VA is better equipped than ever to assist those exiting the force.  They've opened tons of new clinics, have added doctors, etc.  I am a VA consumer myself, and have been pretty happy with them...

[dirtdart]

Everyone is downsizing. The is will have to decide make some policy decisions regarding our ability to fight a two front war. They have made a decision to cut the dod budget without first developing the foreign policy which would support a military operating at lower budget levels.

Regardless times will be tough and for the first time in ten years we will start flushing the turds from the military who have been allowed to stay in due to operational necessity. My MAJ board promoted 80% which is well on its way down to the traditional 60% of the old days.  (year before was 98%)

So Neely in short whatever job you find just make sure it is a profession. I would hate to have another job.

[Maverick]

We don't abuse those who choose to serve, its just that that condition, in particular, is difficult to diagnose and treat.  That being said, regardless of any force reductions, the VA is better equipped than ever to assist those exiting the force.  They've opened tons of new clinics, have added doctors, etc.  I am a VA consumer myself, and have been pretty happy with them...

The abuse is not the treatment for PTSD. I was referring to abuse by expecting too much from too few given the current load being carried by the smaller and soon to be even smaller force. Combat tours numbering upwards of 5+ for some full time military folks and more than 3 by Guard and Reserves.

[shotgunneeley]

UPDATE:

I graduated back in May with a B.S. in Forestry with a minor in the Geospatial Information System (GIS) field and am now working on a two year MBA program. Still single and no dependencies.

I took a big step the other day by going to see an officer recruiter for the Arkansas National Guard. He was very unbiased and I felt he laid out the pros/cons very well. I told him about my education background and how I wanted to get more advanced "hands on" training with any GIS/satelite imagery/mapping positions in the ANG. As an officer, he told me that the job would be much more generalized compared to an enlisted position and I'd have to be prepared to lead a platoon of men at whatever calling was needed. As an enlistee, the job would be much more specific compared to the officer position and I'd get the advanced "hands on" training that I wanted. He told me going "enlisted" I'd get the best of both worlds as I could get the 15 week advanced training after basic and if I ever decided to I could apply for OCS later. I really like this route as I would get to learn and apply something to the military as well as my day job. As I sit right now, I don't plan on making a full-time career out of the military and I'm not looking to build my resume for the job hunt. I understand that at any time I could get deployed, but hopefully I can get into a job field that uses this GIS mapping technology and does not serve a front-line combat role. I'm going to keep an eye on the possibility of the Air National Guard as well since they have jobs in this field and are less likely to get put in a hot zone. Next thing to do is to go talk to an "enlistment" recruiter.

The one potential health issue I've had that could derail everything is that I was diagnosed with May-Thurner Syndrome back in 2010 (where the Iliac artery overlaps and compresses the Iliac vein causing blood flow from the legs to be restricted. The build up in pressure developed vascular ulcers on my ankles that turned into a 6 year nightmare). I have two stints in the vein at the compression site in my abdomen and now the vascular ulcers are healed but still vulnerable. The officer recruiter I met is further looking into this and will email me later with a verdict.