Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: BlueJ1 on December 14, 2009, 01:24:37 AM
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3 years ago I got off the bus at Great Lakes and started my military career. In the past 3 years Ive driven across the states from San Diego to Norfolk. Been to Ireland, Germany, and a few other countries that end in stan. Spent 9 months in Afghanistan as a prison guard at the age of 20-21. Flown on all sorts of aircraft including Blackhawks, Seahawks, C-9s, C-17s, and C-130s. Owned my first car. Moved into my first apartment. Voted. Found my limit when it comes to alcohol. Got my first tattoo. Followed up by a few more. Having arguments with bums from Chicago, San Diego, and Virgina. Got chased by a giant spider that nearly poop myself. Been stabbed, shot at, mortared, and poop thrown on me. Wake up every morning and go into work and play with a multi million dollar aircraft. And made some amazing friends along the way that will always be as close as family.
Point being what the heck am I supposed to look forward to in the next 17 years of my career?
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if you are career military, i applaud you, and pity you.
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Get married, have kids, get divorced, get re-married, and in between all that.....have a few beers. :P
Seriously, enjoy it. After a while all you have left is death and taxes.
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Its an exciting time, to be young and in uniform. All that travel, adventure, meeting all kinds of new girls. New challenges...ect
I work a part time security detail at a major airport and am always impressed with the quality of the young people coming thru in uniform, or on their way to basic. You have to relish these times instead of counting down months. I played ball and studied my entire 4 years and did a lot of new things. From partying on an ancient Roman castle, to training across Europe, canoing down rapids, chasing Bear and deer in Montana. Course the Vietnam crowd was still around when I was in and they definitely knew how to have a good time.
Congrats on going career. The USN is a heckuva outfit. :salute
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Been to Ireland,
When were you in Ireland? I know a lot of US military transit through Shannon airport County Clare and some get out and about when the aircraft go tech. In my job as a Skydive pilot nearby. I hear and see a lot of airliners with 'Reach' callsigns going in and out of the airport. Always makes me think about what they're going to or coming from. (You get a lot of time to think while climbing a skydive flight.)
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Cherish those early years of your career. As you make the rank, your responsibilities will increase and your fun meter will decrease.
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Point being what the heck am I supposed to look forward to in the next 17 years of my career?
retirement. :D
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Point being what the heck am I supposed to look forward to in the next 17 years of my career?
If you get promoted, less "fun" and a little more money. Maybe find a nice girl to share your life with.
Other than that... I figure after age 27 life is one big downhill slide so you still have a little time left. Just don't get married and have a bunch of kids too early. And don't be "car poor" either... Plenty of really good used or inexpensive new cars out there to drive until your salary matches your vehicular appetite.
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retirement. :D
EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then you'll be young enough to really enjoy retirment...find a job doing some trivial BS and just enjoy the fact that IF your financially able to....tell ANY Job after your military career to F off when they make ya mad.
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EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then you'll be young enough to really enjoy retirment...find a job doing some trivial BS and just enjoy the fact that IF your financially able to....tell ANY Job after your military career to F off when they make ya mad.
I dream of that day. Being in the military is a love/hate relationship. But in the future when Im working a normal job I cant wait for my boss to make me mad. If anything I really wont be mad at all. Just having the option to tell him/her to have a nice day and walk out with a smile on my face is good enough for me.
cpxxx, you are correct. I cant remember but one of the two times I flew through Ireland was to Shannon. We landed very early in the morning. The biggest surprise to me being in my first country other then Canada. Was one of the airports it looked like something strait out of the 1980's. There was reddish orange shag carpet and burnt orange seats.
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:salute fellow warrior
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retirement. :D
while young enough to enjoy it .
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blueJ1
Was one of the airports it looked like something strait out of the 1980's. There was reddish orange shag carpet and burnt orange seats.
LOL Sounds like it alright, I would have thought more like the 1970s. In fact the whole area around the airport looks like something out of the 1970s Soviet Union. The place is in a timewarp only just kept open by US trooping flights. Don't judge the rest of the country on Shannon.
Enjoy your career in the military, my biggest regrets was never going full time in our military and being just too old to join the US military when I finally got the chance. My second biggest was quitting my reserve unit. When you've been through experiences like that, it gives you a new perspective on civvie life. How easy it is compared to what you've seen and done.
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BlueJ,
You will get out of your career what you decide you want out of it. In a manner of speaking most of the time your own attitude determines whether it sucks or not. If YOU decide it's a great life and move forward with that attitude you should have a great career even after gaining rank and responsibility. Having responsibility for some folks can also be the most rewarding time of your career while you are in a leadership position. You will simply make of it what you want. Best of luck in whichever way you decide to go.
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:salute Thank you for serving, and good on yah if you continue to serve, our country owes you a great debt
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Cherish those early years of your career. As you make the rank, your responsibilities will increase and your fun meter will decrease.
my brother must be the one exception... lol
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:aok Nice going BlueJ :) I'm thankful for all that you do!
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If you get promoted, less "fun" and a little more money. Maybe find a nice girl to share your life with.
Other than that... I figure after age 27 life is one big downhill slide so you still have a little time left. Just don't get married and have a bunch of kids too early. And don't be "car poor" either... Plenty of really good used or inexpensive new cars out there to drive until your salary matches your vehicular appetite.
Wise words.
If you want to go lifer, now is the time to decide. It is a short stint with a great payoff in the long run. The biggest regret I have is not staying in until retirement. Besides all the travel and experiences you will have, putting in until retirement is excellent financial security for you and your family.
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Thankyou all. No need for salutes and thanks tho. Im just like any of the rest of you. You all do your own part. I just do mine.
I have 2 years left on my contract and I know I'll be re-enlisting. Like some of you know we are paid less then minimum wage and sometimes its hard to understand why you sacrifice. Patriotic reasons aside I know I will stay in for the fact that is probably on of the best careers to have to support a family and get a education at the same time. Also, not to many other career fields let me fix components that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars starting at the age of 18 :devil. And the ladies like the uniform.
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If you are going to stay in get a usable degree and go officer. Do it up front instead of waiting 10 years and splitting you career.
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Wow, 3 years. Time does fly.
I remember when you were getting ready to get on the bus.
WTG!
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You notice how that 3 years seems like ..maybe a week if ya stretch it?
Some days 'in' lasted forever.
The years ..-shakes head- .. man they just fly by.
The pay always sucked, housing was second rate at best,
..but the team you are part of ..best guys in the world.
And now an then a real jerk .. makin rank on a jerk without him knowing
..yassir, payback *is* a perk!
When you get out, you will always have a yardstick to measure with.
Some civvy starts whinin about 'how tuff <insert anything here> is'
..and you just smile.
Tuff .. LOL .. as if.
I grew up in the USAF .. rare to find a friend like the guys I useda hang with.
Or a job that gives anywhere near the satisfaction.
Words to live by .. get a degree in something you enjoy doing and go officer ASAP.
Enlisted is fun, however, Officer is better dood.
Can Make Major standing on yer head :)
-GE
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If you are going to stay in get a usable degree and go officer. Do it up front instead of waiting 10 years and splitting you career.
My goal has always been to make chief. My long term goal is to make warrant. Warrants pull a lot of respect in the aviation community.
Grayeagle, your quote is the banner for all military service members.
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My goal has always been to make chief. My long term goal is to make warrant. Warrants pull a lot of respect in the aviation community.
Grayeagle, your quote is the banner for all military service members.
That chief (e9?) probably will take you 15-20 years to get. I recommend getting a degree and getting into O or W side of the house as soon as possible.
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That chief (e9?) probably will take you 15-20 years to get.
He means a Navy Chief (E-7). A Chief in the Navy receives much more respect and responsibility than comparable E-7's in other services.
As an example, in the Air Force, making E-7 is not treated as a transition as much as it is in the Navy. As a Chief Petty Officer your uniform changes, your responsibilities increase, you go through an "induction" process, and you represent the Chief community and much more. It is the single most goal in the Navy to achieve and held to high regards. You are the Backbone of the Navy as a CPO NCO.
I know of some that have made Chief (E-7) in as little as six years and as much as 15 years, Senior Chief (E-8) you can add 3 years, Master Chief (E-9) another 3. You are chosen amongst your peers through a selection board of CPO's according to your Merits in your career, Evals, Awards, Duties, etc.
They can only fill the billets that are available for that Rate, so not all that are selected to the Board for review are selected and you could go through this process several times before being selected to a CPO.
As a CPO, your job is to train your Sailors AND Officers appointed to you.
My goal has always been to make chief. My long term goal is to make warrant.
:aok
Signed:
GMC
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*shrugs* about the Officer stuff.
My husband was enlisted his whole military career. I never loved anyone more than those enlisted guys and gals ~ and all of their spouses. They're fantastic.
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You notice how that 3 years seems like ..maybe a week if ya stretch it?
Some days 'in' lasted forever.
The years ..-shakes head- .. man they just fly by.
Tell me about it. and the older you get the faster it goes.
Why just the other day I dropped my son off at Rutgers to start his freshman year.
He's a senior now.