Been a while since I posted, so I might as well fill y’all in on some fun information about actually joining the Army.
When I decided to go and actually join the Army Reserve, I didn’t really know what to expect. Granted my father was in the army, but he was out long before I actually joined. All I knew was that I wanted to go into the Reserves, not the National Guard, and that I wanted to avoid missing my fall semester of school. So my recruiter, the aforementiond SFC Nyman, provided me with a list of all the MOS in Salt Lake City, Ogden, and other “nearby” areas. This list, which he admitted he wasn’t really supposed to show me, had the MOS, job description, length of training, and the various bonuses associated with each one, like the amount of the enlistment bonus ($3k, $5k, and $8k), the G.I. Bill Kicker amount ($100, $200, or $350) and the amount of Student Loan Repayment ($10k or $20k).
I immediately eliminated all of the “jobs” that I didn’t want to do, like cook, mechanic, chaplain assistant, and others like that. I then eliminated the jobs that wouldn’t meet my requirement of getting back for school in time for the fall, which included X-Ray Technician and its 54 weeks of training! I was left with around five choices or so, and chose from that list based on my above criteria. If I remember correctly, my choices were 71D (Legal Specialist), 75H (Human Resources), 74C? (Finance Specialist), 77Y (Supply Specialist), and 71L (Admin Specialist). All the required schools for these MOS were under 10 weeks long, so I assumed that after exactly 9 weeks of basic training and the required training, I would return just in time for fall semester, or at least very close to it. I was wrong on that one, but it wasn’t entirely my fault.
Anyway, I at this time was still considering becoming a lawyer for some reason, so I chose to become a Legal Specialist because it seemed the closest thing to being a lawyer in the Army. If I had known then what I know now, I probably would have chosen something else, but no big deal. Once I made this decision, it was off to the local Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) for all of the required processing. And that, my friends, is where my real Army story begins.
Until next time…
Robert Writes About... 
I had no idea there were so many job possibilities with the army. Chaplin assistant? Seriously?So, knowing what you know now, what would you have selected?
If I could do it all over again, I would have just joined right out of high school as a Cavalry Scout, did my four years, and went on my merry way. As for the Reserves, I don’t know what else I would have picked. I like my MOS, but I don’t like that I never get to do it in the Reserves.
Thats all! I want more! Being that the Army has crossed my mind every now and then…it’s good to hear it how it is…I still don’t think I am army…but man, the job security!
As much as I currently hate the Army right now, I think it ithas more to do with the fact that I work for one of the worst commands in the Army Reserve. I love the Army and would still encourage anyone to join that wants to. It is a great place to learn job skills and get in pretty decent shape. Granted, I didn’t really use my training to get a job in the field, but I also don’t really have a job in my degree field either. Jen, if you ever really want to talk about the Army, or any other military branch, feel free to give me a call.