Joining the army

**iaxa** · April 24th '06

well i have been thinking that i might join the army when i turn 18. but i dont no how to tell my parents cause my mum is like all against war and crap and i dont know how to tell her. can sum1 help me plz?

**~Wayne~** · April 24th '06

Tell her its just something you got to do, she can discourage you from going but cannot stop you

**iaxa** · April 24th '06

yeah, try tell that to an italian mother. Now that is just scary!

**~Wayne~** · April 24th '06

lol well she will come around to the idea, get her to talk to one of the army career advisors that may help

**iaxa** · April 24th '06

yeah. already tired that but i think that made her even more pissed.
dont no what to do cause i'm all confused if i should just give up my dream job of becoming a software engineer and just go straight off to the army when im of age .
can any one offer me sum advice about the army and what i would expect when i sign up as test wise???

**Patriot1776** · April 24th '06

Tell her that the army is more than just shooting a gun and killing. You can do plenty of jobs, such a medics, that save lives.

**iaxa** · April 24th '06

yeah if i was appling for one of thoose jobs i would ... i wanna go for marksman or rifleman and my mum said she would be okay with it if i wasnt gonna be on the front line.

**qwassymodo** · April 30th '06

Iaxa, the army is utilized for war and you want to join it, so forgive me if I am wrong when i say that you're pro-war. And it sounds to me that you're dream job is the way to go. I mean, you can no more win a war then you can win an earthquake.

**iaxa** · May 1st '06

no i'm not really... i try to avoid guns as much as i can really... but i think i might just join up for 4 years get my training to become a software engineer then ditch them when im aloud to... hehehe the army pays for our everything here housing, cars , training while your in there , food ect but u can only live in certain areas.

**Foo** · May 1st '06

Yes, I agree that your parents cant control your life once you have left school.
Im sure once they see how passionate you are, they will support it?

**zyclonix** · May 4th '06

Take it from a guy who's had numerous friends in the army.

The army is good at BSing. Hell, it's the government. What do you expect?

If you can't afford to pursue a college degree, there are always loans you can apply for. No matter how poor you are, money should not be a factor when it comes to your education.

The army loves to say they'll pay for your education, and they will, but the problem is that there's not enough time for it. They work you to the bones. I've had several friends get suckered in with the army's favorite line, "We'll pay for your education," but they got nothing accomplished there. Most of them dropped out due to severe illness and injuries.

Then again, you don't have to go to college and work in the army at the same time. You could always join the army for four years, and your education will be paid for once you're done. But remember that's four years you'll be spending in the army, and by the time you get out, you'll be 22 or 23 as a freshman in college while your colleagues will be immature 18-yr-olds.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from serving your country. I'm just telling you to think it out and make sure this is something you want to do. The army is serious business and a serious commitment. It's not like the glorified movies, where you mow down bad guys left and right. No. They make you stand post in dangerous locations, where kamikazi terrorists might attack when you least expect it. Most times, they plant bombs. Step in the wrong spot and BOOM. Goodbye right leg.

**Brianna.** · May 4th '06

Zyclone pretty much summed up everything I was going to say.

**iaxa** · May 5th '06

yeah *sighs*

but the i guess the only real reason why i wanna join up is because when i look at all my friends they have everything sorted out and they have the brains to get their dream jobs. but when i look at myself i just cant see me getting the O.P score i need to get the subject i want. i mean dont get me wrong i'm top of all the ict classes ... soo far. but i need to get the O.P of 3 which is really hard.
and the way i see it is that the only way i'm gonna get the course is to the join the army.

(for those of you who dont know O.P is like the end of year exams for yr 12.
O.P stands for overall position in Australia)

5kristen · May 11th '06

Tell her that its what you want, and you think its for the best. But i will tell you this. My finace went into the Air Force 4 months ago, and he honestly does not like it. You have to run 2 miles in under 11 Mintutes..and a whole bunch of other stuff.best of luck~

**iaxa** · May 12th '06

ty... i think i'm gonna join up.

**clueless** · May 12th '06

iaxa wrote:

ty... i think i'm gonna join up.

just out of interest, will you also be registering as a conscientious objector?

**iaxa** · May 13th '06

prob not why?

**clueless** · May 13th '06

iaxa wrote:

prob not why?

clueless wrote:

just out of interest, will you also be registering as a conscientious objector?

^__^

**gprime** · May 16th '06

You can do both in the UK? Either way, best of luck. Personally, I think its a very bad idea. Patriotism or plans for a military career are the only motivations for choosing such a path. And since neither appear to be major factors here, it is not advisable.