Opinions needed on enlisting after college

SoCalRugger · #1 10-02-2005, 06:39 PM

Alright, time to turn to OOT for guidance, since I really have no idea how to look at this.

I'm 23. I'm a grad student working on my masters degree in mechanical engineering, this will be my last year. I'll get it in June 2006.

I'm thinking about enlisting in the Army after I'm done. It would be with either an Airborne contract or a Ranger contract, depending on what kind of PT scores I'm putting up by then (although I've got 9 months, so there's no reason why I shouldn't be maxing the scores by then). Either way, it would be Infantry and would have absolutely nothing to do with my degree.

So here's the question. Assume I don't re-enlist and only stay for 4 years. When I get out, I'll be 28 with a masters degree, but no relevant job experience for the past four years. How are companies (I'm thinking Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, other defense industry companies) going to view this when I look for a job? I guess one way would be that I've got the technical knowledge with the masters degree, and for the past 4 years I've gained leadership, a solid work ethic, and other qualities along those lines. Another way would be that I'm 28 and haven't done anything engineering related in 4 years, so obviously I've forgotten everything and they'll just go with a recent college grad.

Anybody have any ideas on how that might play out? I'm just trying to figure out if I'll be throwing away six years of school if I decide to enlist.

jakethebake · #2 10-02-2005, 06:40 PM

Why would you enlist? Why not go officer?

SoCalRugger · #3 10-02-2005, 06:47 PM

There's no guarantee as an officer that you'll make it to the 75th. You have to branch infantry as a 2LT, put in your time in another infantry position, and then when you're a 1LT, maybe you'll get a shot at the Rangers (that's a big maybe).

By enlisting, I can go in with an Opt. 40 contract, which guarantees me a shot at the Rangers. As long as I don't screw up and successfully complete Airborne and RIP, I'm guaranteed a slot in the regiment.

If I'm only planning on serving for a short time (4-6 years) and I want to be a Ranger, enlisted is the way to do it.

jakethebake · #4 10-02-2005, 06:51 PM

Rangers is a big maybe whatever way you go. One of the baddest guys I know (a seriously badass Recon Marine who got out, did a tour in the desert as a civilian contractor and is now training both Rangers and Seals as a civilian) got injured a week into Ranger school, lost his spot and that was it. He never got to go back. My point is that if becoming a Ranger is the only reason you're joining, you might be setting yourself up for a long disappointing hitch.

Bigdaddydvo · #5 10-02-2005, 06:53 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Rangers is a big maybe whatever way you go. One of the baddest guys I know (a seriously badass Recon Marine who got out, did a tour in the desert as a civilian contractor and is now training both Rangers and Seals as a civilian) got injured a week into Ranger school, lost his spot and that was it. He never got to go back. My point is that if becoming a Ranger is the only reason you're joining, you might be setting yourself up for a long disappointing hitch.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a fair statement.

SoCalRugger · #6 10-02-2005, 07:07 PM

I know it's not a guarantee. All it would take is one wrong landing in Airborne school to mess everything up. If I don't make it, then I'm sent world-wide to wherever the Army decides. I recognize that, and it would not keep me from trying. I'd rather give it a shot and not make it (and live with the consequences), than not even try just because it might backfire on me.

I wouldn't think about being an officer just for the better pay. If money was my primary concern, I wouldn't be considering this in the first place. I'd just go straight to work at 65-70K/year.

Basically, I feel that I should serve. To get the most out of the experience, it would mean enlisting with an Airborne/Opt. 40 contract. If that's set in stone, is it going to cost me a decent job when I get out?

The quotas Jimbo mentioned are interesting. I've got friends at both Northrop and Raytheon - I might have to ask them about that.

MonkeeMan · #7 10-02-2005, 10:32 PM

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All it would take is one wrong landing in Airborne school to mess everything up.

[/ QUOTE ]

No worries then. I saw a guy jump well after me in the stick and land way before me due to a couple of streamers, and he walked away from it after he came to. (He did walk right out of jump school too though [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img])

But as a draftee the only way I kept my sanity was knowing I didn't join that sorry [censored].

So I vote no.

Bigdaddydvo · #8 10-02-2005, 06:48 PM

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Why would you enlist? Why not go officer?

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You have a degree. Try go get an OCS contract. In fact, demand one. I'm a company commander and have sent half a dozen Soldiers of mine with degrees to OCS. There is not a better time in the the Army's history to get commissioned.

Plus officer pay is much, much better.

#9 10-02-2005, 07:10 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Why would you enlist? Why not go officer?

[/ QUOTE ]

You have a degree. Try go get an OCS contract. In fact, demand one. I'm a company commander and have sent half a dozen Soldiers of mine with degrees to OCS. There is not a better time in the the Army's history to get commissioned.

Plus officer pay is much, much better.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you want to be lazy and never do any real work, then yea, get commissioned. The pay differences between enlisted and officers is the biggest internal problem the military has.

Bigdaddydvo · #10 10-02-2005, 08:43 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Why would you enlist? Why not go officer?

[/ QUOTE ]

You have a degree. Try go get an OCS contract. In fact, demand one. I'm a company commander and have sent half a dozen Soldiers of mine with degrees to OCS. There is not a better time in the the Army's history to get commissioned.

Plus officer pay is much, much better.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you want to be lazy and never do any real work, then yea, get commissioned. The pay differences between enlisted and officers is the biggest internal problem the military has.

[/ QUOTE ]

The ignorance of your post astounds me. Feel free to argue at length about who works hardest in the military (I know me AND my NCOs are prone to put in long hours)

However, the difference in pay is because of the different levels of RESPONSIBILITY between officers and enlisted. Read AR 600-20...as a commander I'm responsible for everything that happens or fails to happen in my unit. You probably won't understand this until you've led a platoon in combat or commanded a company. Accordingly, I'll give your ill informed statement a pass.