Opinions needed on enlisting after college

[SoCalRugger]

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]

Why would you enlist? Why not go officer?

[edfurlong]

Why not be an engineer in the military?

[Jimbo]

I can think of nothing better on your resume than how many raghead terrorists you have offed in the past four years.

On a more serious note: Many defense contractors have quotas in their military related contracts to provide a certain percentage of employees that have military experience.

[TheBlueMonster]

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I'm just trying to figure out if I'll be throwing away six years of school if I decide to enlist

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also would you be throwing away your life if you decide to enlist in the infantry?....
Do you really wanna throw yourself right into the front lines? (though it's hard to figure out what consitutes the front lines in this conflict....)

[SoCalRugger]

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.

[Bigdaddydvo]

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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.

[jakethebake]

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]

[ 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]

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.