They sent a recruiter to my place of employment back when I was in retail. They asked me if I ever thought of joining the armed forces, and I gave them a polite but firm no.
So then they asked "are you happy with where your life is going?", trying to take advantage of me being a teenager stuck in retail.
Even if they werent asking you to throw your life away in some oil war to protect corporate interests, even if they weren't asking you to sell your morals away, they're aggressive assholes. So fuck them they're getting the treatment they deserve.
Had a recruiter stop by my desk about two years after I enlisted, and tried to pitch the navy to me.
I started laughing at him, then when he got all offended and mentioned me "working in a dead end job in the middle of nowhere" I shot back with "beats DYING in the middle of nowhere, where nobody above your CO will even bother reading the casualty report let alone care" , and that if the navy REALLY wanted me they should have returned my calls after I got a medical discharge for having emergency surgery in basic, then denying my reenlistment due to having a surgery in my adult life.
Of course at this point in my life, with the knowledge and ideals, I wouldn't touch the MIC with a 899.16cm pole.
Hey don't be dismissive of the pole! I have you know that there is a MIl-STD for the pole and only 3 companies are authorized providers for the pole. Do you know how much testing went into that pole? Plus the colonial who headed up the pole project is now working for the approved vendor in umm management of quality.
My high school made us take the ASVAB. I ended up with an 88, and it took threats of harassment charges to stop all 3 major branches from just showing up at my house unannounced.
They also straight up lied when trying to get me to join the reserves, saying I'd never be called to active duty. But, they had already been calling reserves to active duty in Afghanistan/Iraq. Idk why they thought I'd be dumb enough to believe them, considering they wanted me because of my test score.
I got something stupid like a 96 on the ASVAB and I just told the first air force guy I smoked a lot of weed and I never heard from any military again lmao
It was tempting when they offered me to go right into a program to become a satellite operator starting off making $125k/year immediately after boot camp... but I don't regret not taking that offer. Who knows what would have actually materialized, anyways. Probably would have been 6 years deep dreaming of hopefully seeing 6 figures one day while I end up managing logistics or something.
My high school made us take the ASVAB too. I filled in bubbles at random and got a 72. I graduated in 2004, so yeah I had recruiters contact me all the time despite the fact that I had no interest in going to Iraq.
I VERY NEARLY joined the Army when in my early 20s. What stopped me were two things:
You sign a contract that says you will do the job for a period but that they don't guarantee that the job is available and they can put you in any job they want. I realized I could be peeling potatoes for years.
I couldn't believe what complete assholes the people in the recruiting center were. You want me to join you? How about being nice?
I ran the hell away from there having done everything except take an oath.
Good, you called out the military and I think you're not the only one who did not fall for it. After all, the US military admit they are having recruitment crisis.
so for most enlisted folks, you have a choice of career paths: recruiting, or drill instructor. both are exceptionally stressful in different ways, but recruiting in this age has got to be the harder one. I'm not going to apologize for dickhead behavior and shitty recruiters, they are certainly out there, but for the most part I just feel bad because they will never meet their numbers in this economy and it often hurts their careers.
I don't feel bad if my local crack dealers don't sell as much crack as they wanted to, I don't feel bad if my local kidnappers fail to steal as many children as they'd hoped, and I don't feel bad for the local military recruiters not making their recruitment numbers.
It's not the wage. It's an enlistment bonus for shipping out to basic within a short time frame of enlisting. Meant to help fill vacancies in the Army.
Nobody wants to join the military because people are tired of going to fight strangers in foreign countries they have no beef with. We're figuring out that our military is actually more of a terrorist organization with veto power in NATO.
Plus you know, people are worried about the impending climate crisis and the future water wars more than the geopolitical dick swinging the military is used to enforce.
It is when you are in the military and housing, food, and healthcare are paid for. At that point all you REALLY need the 35K for is to buy a V6 Camaro (or Mustang).
bah, someone hasn't been on post in the last decade... it's all about 'dem chargers now. fucking chargers, as far as the eye can see..... oh look, there's one getting repo'd now, to later be resold to some e3 on a ridiculous loan! the majesty of nature!
That's the sign on bonus. The salary is around $22,000 a year starting. Abysmal, but you don't have to pay for much. Food, and housing and insurance is covered.
Army wouldn't be my choice, but my best friend did his 20 and out in the air force and climbed high enough in the ranks that he was making six figures. He got to retire at 38 with free Healthcare the rest of his life and gets like $60k a year and got to go to a lot of cool places (as well as shit ones, of course). AF or coast guard be about the only ones I'd consider.
Guy I worked with retired from the Navy as a captain and got whatever very generous pay came with that. Then used his veterans preference to get a job in my agency, did that for 20+ years, retired as a gs 14 so he gets that annuity plus his TSP savings plus social security in a few years. He's still barely 60, so he is working as a consultant. I'm guessing he's pulling down $200k with all the various incomes and maybe working 20 hours a week, and he's got the Healthcare and other benefits for life. People trash talk the military and government but if you work the system right it can be worthwhile. Hell, I wish I'd joined just so I could get USAA.
I knew a marine growing up. Fully into all things marine, vietname vet. Right around the time I turned 18 he told me to not go into the Marines, go into the Air Force, go into anything except the Marines.
Maybe he didn't like me, but I don't think that was the case.
There are so many predatory car dealers around every American base. All the sign say will finance E1 and up. (E1 is the lowest enlisted rank) They know once they get them to sign if the teenager tries to default they can contact their command and put a lien on their pay.
Depending on where this was and how long ago, this is pretty close to minimum wage in some us states. If they get paid as much to wear a duck costume, at no risk except their pride, why wouldn’t they?
While I was not one of those guys, there were a couple in my cohort who lived in the barracks, ate in the mess hall, didn't buy stereo systems on credit with 30% interest rates, and (most of all) didn't hang out in strip clubs every weekend. These guys ETSed after 3 years with a couple hundred thousand dollars in the bank.
The issue for most service persons is that there are sophisticated, established industries located mere miles off-base whose sole purpose is to seperate soldiers from their money. They're exceptionally good at it. Like, honestly terrifyingly good at it. Not like it's hard; most of these kids have zero experience managing money, are chronically horny, and desperate for any diversion from their jobs. Regardless, most who leave after short terms leave broke.
Like you say, with a little self control, it can be a pretty good deal. It's not just the salary; you get free room & board, if you want it, and that's a huge benefit.
I think it's a 35k signing bonus on top of the shitty military pay.
But there are benefits to military beyond pay. The free housing and Healthcare alone are worth more than a private's wages. Enough expenses are covered that 25k a year is actually pretty good for a single person with no education or experience. The retirement benefits and free college education are also very attractive. You have people retiring in their 30s and 40s making good money on top of whatever field they decide to pursue post-military.
I'm no supporter of the MIC, but joining the military can be a good economic and career decision for someone fresh out of high school without any direction.
Yes, free healthcare, GI Bill, free housing, retirement, there are definitely negative things, but there are a lot of upsides, even just doing it for one enlistment can be very beneficial
they'll bring back slave armies before they let the lack of volunteers actually hamper their efforts to use the military to establish american global dominion
I think starting salary in US military is closer to $50k now. I remember Trump promised (and one of the things he actually delivered) military pay raises and that's why he has much support with veterans.