Quote:
Originally Posted by Hootie
The push up and sit up part of the test looks like it would be a breeze, but the run would be an interesting challenge.
What kind of traveling opportunities are available to those who are enlisted? Will the recruits only be located in the US and not on base in another country? Also, what kind of offerings are there for people interested in vehicle maintenance?
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Yes, the run is definitely a challenge. When i shipped to Basic Training and completed the first "diagnostic APFT", i completed the 2 mile run in approx. 17:45 min. By the time i graduated, i was at a 13:10. You will get there, no doubt about it. And Basic Training is only as easy, or hard, as you make it.
Everything truly depends on what branch of service you decide to join...
ACTIVE DUTY:
Active recruits are sometimes given the opportunity to choose which duty station and/or schools they would like to go to. With a high enough ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) test score, your recruiter can justify in his/her paperwork that you are competent enough to be awarded the choice of school and duty station. You take a preliminary ASVAB test usually when you meet your recruiter. After the results, he/she can best judge what they can offer you. Let's say you impressed your recruiter and he/she gave you this option... You may be able to choose to serve your term in service abroad in Germany, Alaska, Puerto Rico or Italy, and may even be given the option to choose a specialty school of your choice such as Airborne, Air Assault, or Combat Medic school.
Even if you didn't score high, it does not necessarily mean you'll be stationed in the sticks of Missouri or Arkansas. Before graduation, you will be given your orders as to where you will be stationed for your time in service. There were some fellow soldiers that didn't get the option to choose a duty station, but were selected for Germany. Some got bad luck and were stationed at the same post where we trained lol.
Active soldiers' entire time in service will be met at their duty station, unless new orders are received from higher command. However, there are other military options when signing up that i would suggest anyone to consider... Such as doing a 3 on, 3 off, or vise versa. Meaning, The first 3 years will be Active duty, and the last 3 will be served in the National Guard back home where you live- or vise versa.
NATIONAL GUARD:
National Guard recruits will train part-time (one weekend/month, 2 weeks/year) at their local armory nearest to their home of residence. They will receive GI Bill (college funding) benefits and healthcare, as well as their respective bonus to enjoy once home from Basic Training and AIT (Advanced Individual Training, the school you chose for your military job).
RESERVISTS:
Reservists will train when necessary at their local armory nearest to their home of residence and will receive GI Bill benefits and healthcare.
There are many benefits to being a part of the "1%" (we call ourselves the 1% because if you add up all soldiers of every branch of military possible, even down to the Coast Guard, our total makes up less than 1% of the total US population today) such as military discounts everywhere, free "hop-on" flights, and the opportunity experience something very few are familiar with.
With your question about vehicle maintenance...
A close friend of mine is in my unit (currently deployed right now) and is a Mechanic. Or more officially, a 63B, Light Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic. He worked on his EVO 8 at home before joining, and likes to work on cars and projects in general. Now he works mostly on our HMMWVs. He said Mechanic school was boring because there was a lot of down time, and because of the class size, it was mostly powerpoints and visual aids, not much hands-on. But when he came into our unit shortly after i did, i was really impressed by how much he knew. He couldn't get his hands dirty enough lol. HMMWVs are very rugged vehicles and take some particular attention to maintain, but definitely enjoyable to work on.
There are several other fields of mechanic professions in the military. Like mechanics who work on small vehicles (lol small doesn't do the HMMWV justice), those that work on artillery mechanisms, vehicles made for construction purposes, and larger combat vehicles like the Abrams M1 tank or the Styrker. There's a specific mechanic needed for specific types of vehicles and machinery, so the options are almost limitless as to what kind of work you want to do related to vehicle mechanics.
I appreciate your questions! I hope i helped answering them!
