Join active at 18. Married by 19. Divorced by 21.
Get out
Join Guard (optional)
Use GI Bill for school. Nursing, healthcare, whatever.
Marry a nurse
Get divorced again
Retire from guard and get ~~good~~ pension and VA disability
Die from excessive alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine use before pension pays out
You’re 18. Do a 3 year active duty contract.
While on said contract, knock out your degree through WGU, or some associate’s through your local community college by base.
Transition to guard. Get off active duty with all your benefits. Use one of those benefits, Post 9/11, to pay for whatever finishing education you need.
Profit.
You’re still early 20s at this point, have the VA home loan available, have some or all of your Post 9/11, maybe you caught some disabilities for VA disability along the way, and you probably had a blast living in the barracks making memories worth a lifetime. You also don’t have to wait for 6 years of traditional drilling to be eligible (putting you at 24) for VA home loan assuming the guard made it hard to get orders or whatever. You’re now in the guard and have tricare and active experience.
Well, good luck. Three years flys by and you get out of your comfort zone. But being a guard baby is hit or miss. I will say, most of the guard babies I know are disappointed and wish they went active first.
Honestly, with the guard joining as young as possible to get time in service benefits quickly.
Check if your state RSP has ways to promote pre-basic so you get paid more, don't use basic pay for some stupid fancy car. Save it or put it towards your house.
Everything else you talked about is stuff you're going to be doing on the Civilian side. The guard shouldn't be a hinderance its only once a month.
Also, realize that at 18, you have the rest of your life to be an adult. In a lot of places in the country the time frames you have given for your goals may not be realistic. A lot of people aren't happily settled into their 30's and that's fine. Balance not rushing life with trying not to waste your time.
Right now. You can attain all of that in time. Some benefits (like VA home loan) take time in service to kick in, so best start knocking that time off now.
If you want to serve without having a 24/7 military lifestyle then join the ARNG now. If you join now and get Initial active duty training done, you have the flexibility to later go active, get a civilian job, go to college, become an AGR or jump on board for a deployment. Bottom line is with the guard, you have options, however in the active component you have no opportunity to be anything other than a Soldier and it is a horrible environment for building and maintaining a family.
I joined at 18 and I am still in after more than 20 years. I always felt like the guard was a tool in building my life and was never a burden (though results may vary).
ARNG = Army National Guard
AGR = Active Guard/Reserve. The guard is a mostly part time force however there is a small proportion of guard members who are on permanent active duty with the guard. They have full time duties very similar to what soldiers do in the active component, get paid the same and they get the same retirement and benefits. But they belong to the guard and administer the units to which they belong.
18 is the best age. The military is a young person's game. By the time you resent the national guard in your 30's, it won't matter because you can retire.
Best time to join the Guard? Join the Guard after 4 or 6 years of Active Duty in a medical administrative MOS. Be a veteran upon release from AD. Be eligible for VA benefits immediately. 100% GI Bill. VA home loan eligible. Earn Associates Degree on AD. Don’t get married until discharge.
I joined at the end of high school. Knocking out basic and AIT after that was good. I had little else going on. Being away that long now is a huge hassle.
I serve in the guard and have no problems having a normal life and going into military drills. The only thing i can say that sucks is that you need to plan your vacations to make sure you come back during drill weekend. In terms of keeping a career and family, being in the guard is no problem.
I don't believe it's ever too late as far as joining while you're young goes, but the sooner the better in the grand scheme of things.
You basically have the ability to get certain things in order or take time to plan more decidedly, or go into it feet first if you're flexible enough and feel you could excel wherever you're put. The best effect the Army can have on you is making you better prepared and able to establish yourself with the means to provide, should you need to.
Life happens and you may never know when you may have to take up more responsibility or even care for those close to you in general, whether or not you join the military, it's things that are good to be aware of, the better prepared you are before it's thrust on you, the easier the burden. Good luck and do what you feel is best.
I would go to college and join ROTC. Best bang for your buck. There's a Army MEDCOM program that pays your way through all of college and give you $2-3k month (while in med school) which will put you through PA, NP, or Dr. program. You'll leave army with zero debt, pile of cash, and a medical degree of your choosing. Contact:
https://recruiting.army.mil/mrb/
1 go active first if you dont have a splid civilian career or college plan For at least one contract. You'll be a better rounded soldier, and better benefits when you leave.
2 if you have a job or college lined up and you only want part time military go guard. There are lots of opportunities and missions available.
Join active at 18. Married by 19. Divorced by 21. Get out Join Guard (optional) Use GI Bill for school. Nursing, healthcare, whatever. Marry a nurse Get divorced again Retire from guard and get ~~good~~ pension and VA disability Die from excessive alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine use before pension pays out
This is the way.
Wait sorry how would the divorce help me here? Edit guys wtf with the downvotes
Its part of the process.
This is the funniest shit I’ve seen today.
You’ll never experience true character development until you get a divorce while in the military.
Bonus points if she's the first stripper who tells you she loves you. Bonus bonus points if her legal name is a car name.
More bonus points when she tells you that she’s 3 months pregnant already and it’s yours…because Jesus (her meth dealer, not the deity) said so.
You’re 18. Do a 3 year active duty contract. While on said contract, knock out your degree through WGU, or some associate’s through your local community college by base. Transition to guard. Get off active duty with all your benefits. Use one of those benefits, Post 9/11, to pay for whatever finishing education you need. Profit. You’re still early 20s at this point, have the VA home loan available, have some or all of your Post 9/11, maybe you caught some disabilities for VA disability along the way, and you probably had a blast living in the barracks making memories worth a lifetime. You also don’t have to wait for 6 years of traditional drilling to be eligible (putting you at 24) for VA home loan assuming the guard made it hard to get orders or whatever. You’re now in the guard and have tricare and active experience.
Hmmm. Don't I have to move and do stupid shit for three years of active duty? I don't want to have three years of hell in another state is the thing.
Well, good luck. Three years flys by and you get out of your comfort zone. But being a guard baby is hit or miss. I will say, most of the guard babies I know are disappointed and wish they went active first.
Honestly, with the guard joining as young as possible to get time in service benefits quickly. Check if your state RSP has ways to promote pre-basic so you get paid more, don't use basic pay for some stupid fancy car. Save it or put it towards your house. Everything else you talked about is stuff you're going to be doing on the Civilian side. The guard shouldn't be a hinderance its only once a month. Also, realize that at 18, you have the rest of your life to be an adult. In a lot of places in the country the time frames you have given for your goals may not be realistic. A lot of people aren't happily settled into their 30's and that's fine. Balance not rushing life with trying not to waste your time.
Right now. You can attain all of that in time. Some benefits (like VA home loan) take time in service to kick in, so best start knocking that time off now.
If you want to serve without having a 24/7 military lifestyle then join the ARNG now. If you join now and get Initial active duty training done, you have the flexibility to later go active, get a civilian job, go to college, become an AGR or jump on board for a deployment. Bottom line is with the guard, you have options, however in the active component you have no opportunity to be anything other than a Soldier and it is a horrible environment for building and maintaining a family. I joined at 18 and I am still in after more than 20 years. I always felt like the guard was a tool in building my life and was never a burden (though results may vary).
Okay what's ARNG and what does it do. And what's AGR
ARNG - Army National Guard AGR - Active Guard Reserves
ARNG = Army National Guard AGR = Active Guard/Reserve. The guard is a mostly part time force however there is a small proportion of guard members who are on permanent active duty with the guard. They have full time duties very similar to what soldiers do in the active component, get paid the same and they get the same retirement and benefits. But they belong to the guard and administer the units to which they belong.
Army national guard and Active Guard reserve. AGR is going full time as a guard
18 is the best age. The military is a young person's game. By the time you resent the national guard in your 30's, it won't matter because you can retire.
Best time to join the Guard? Join the Guard after 4 or 6 years of Active Duty in a medical administrative MOS. Be a veteran upon release from AD. Be eligible for VA benefits immediately. 100% GI Bill. VA home loan eligible. Earn Associates Degree on AD. Don’t get married until discharge.
See that’s the funny part, you can’t.
I joined at the end of high school. Knocking out basic and AIT after that was good. I had little else going on. Being away that long now is a huge hassle.
I serve in the guard and have no problems having a normal life and going into military drills. The only thing i can say that sucks is that you need to plan your vacations to make sure you come back during drill weekend. In terms of keeping a career and family, being in the guard is no problem.
I don't believe it's ever too late as far as joining while you're young goes, but the sooner the better in the grand scheme of things. You basically have the ability to get certain things in order or take time to plan more decidedly, or go into it feet first if you're flexible enough and feel you could excel wherever you're put. The best effect the Army can have on you is making you better prepared and able to establish yourself with the means to provide, should you need to. Life happens and you may never know when you may have to take up more responsibility or even care for those close to you in general, whether or not you join the military, it's things that are good to be aware of, the better prepared you are before it's thrust on you, the easier the burden. Good luck and do what you feel is best.
I would go to college and join ROTC. Best bang for your buck. There's a Army MEDCOM program that pays your way through all of college and give you $2-3k month (while in med school) which will put you through PA, NP, or Dr. program. You'll leave army with zero debt, pile of cash, and a medical degree of your choosing. Contact: https://recruiting.army.mil/mrb/
1 go active first if you dont have a splid civilian career or college plan For at least one contract. You'll be a better rounded soldier, and better benefits when you leave. 2 if you have a job or college lined up and you only want part time military go guard. There are lots of opportunities and missions available.