The Hook-Up (military enlistment content)

armywalaby · #1 02-20-2009, 02:31 AM

So as some of you may know, I'm getting out of the Army soon to return to civilian life. I've been calling financial institutions back home to try and get a bank loan to pay off some of my credit card debt, but nobody is approving me now given the current economic situation. So, I walked into the Reserve Component Career Counselors office today here at Camp Casey.

When I left, I walked out with this:

3 years in the Indiana National Guard
Promotion to Sergeant
$10,000 bonus
24 month stability (means they won't deploy me to the sandbox)
17 months knocked off of my initial 8 year commitment.

I'd say I got hooked up. I had to tell someone, so there you go.

**Pacman** · #2 02-20-2009, 02:54 AM

Good luck on your audition, soldier!

Baryonyx · #3 02-20-2009, 03:38 AM

Hopefully your career of blowing things up won't end here!

Toasted · #4 02-20-2009, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by armywalaby

So as some of you may know, I'm getting out of the Army soon to return to civilian life. I've been calling financial institutions back home to try and get a bank loan to pay off some of my credit card debt, but nobody is approving me now given the current economic situation. So, I walked into the Reserve Component Career Counselors office today here at Camp Casey.

When I left, I walked out with this:

3 years in the Indiana National Guard
Promotion to Sergeant
$10,000 bonus
24 month stability (means they won't deploy me to the sandbox)
17 months knocked off of my initial 8 year commitment.

I'd say I got hooked up. I had to tell someone, so there you go.

You looked after your country, your country should look after you. Looks like they're doing that. Congratulations

M@ddest_H@tter! · #5 02-20-2009, 06:43 AM

Thats a pretty good deal to me. Im thinking about cross-training to flight crew once my elistment is up. But I have to make it to Japan first....

katri · #6 02-20-2009, 06:54 AM

Cool stuff, you deserve it all for protecting your country. Should we call you SGT.Armywalaby now?

WRXbase · #7 02-20-2009, 06:57 AM

Thanks for your service, and grats on "picking up".

lousybassplayer · #8 02-20-2009, 08:25 AM

Sounds like a good deal to me. Is this your first re-up?

armywalaby · #9 02-20-2009, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katri

Cool stuff, you deserve it all for protecting your country. Should we call you SGT.Armywalaby now?

That's right. Now, drop.

Yes, it's my first re-up.

The Golden Boy · #10 02-20-2009, 09:39 AM

When I ETSed, I swore that was the last time I'd ever join the Army. 2 months later I was in the recruiters' office. I don't remember if I got a bonus or not, but I was stoked about going to Drill Sergeant School and getting my E-6 upon completion.

Funny thing about the Reserve back then- I was hearing about how 'hooah' they were. Coming from Airborne Infantry units- that whole Reserve thing was "low speed/high drag." Drill Sergeant School was no more difficult than PLDC- As with any unit, there's good soldiers and bad ones, but IME, in the Reserves- even among drill sergeants, the bad ones outnumbered the good ones 20:1.

I'd imagine it's a little more 'hooah' now, the career E-7s fudging their tape tests are probably pushed out now that there's a "real world" mission for AR and NG.

armywalaby · #11 02-20-2009, 09:42 AM

Well that's nice to hear. I was having bad daydreams about me getting there and saying stuff and everyone looking at me like I was in the process of sprouting an extra head out of my neck.

lousybassplayer · #12 02-20-2009, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by armywalaby

Yes, it's my first re-up.

BOOT!

Actually I'm only about 18 months into my 2nd. I'm still active but I work with reservists and they are a unique breed. I personally think the reserves need more guys that have done a full active hitch. This applies to all the services, IMO. Just helps the ones who have been reserve the whole time understand that you aren't just a Marine/Soldier once in a while.

lousybassplayer · #13 02-20-2009, 09:50 AM

Army contradition number 295: They don't have their own planes, but almost every Soldier is thrown out of one.

**Pacman** · #14 02-20-2009, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lousybassplayer

Army contradition number 295: They don't have their own planes, but almost every Soldier is thrown out of one.

In the Air Force, we call them "meat bombs".

TheDarkReaver · #15 02-20-2009, 06:37 PM

A Meat Bomb would be an awesome name for a sandwich.

lousybassplayer · #16 02-20-2009, 07:25 PM

Its funny, because in the Corps the jump wings are considered all high speed and jump school is a pain to get, but in the Army they have Airborne MPs! I mean, when was the last time a cop had to pull a HALO to stop two drunk Soldiers from fighting? NOthing against the Army ( My gandfather retired Colonel and was in 2, Korea and Nam), but it don't take a lot to get chucked out of a plane.

But be that as it may, you Air Force guys got nothing to say

Although climbing into the back of C-17 to leave that dump and seeing all those flyboys sure was pretty.

**Pacman** · #17 02-20-2009, 07:57 PM

lousy, you obviously don't know all of the missions that Army MPs do. A full half of their mission is base security. When I was in Iraq, I met a battalion of MPs who had lost over 90 of their members over the previous year.

And Air Force MPs (we call them Security Forces) are now pulling those very same duties, augmenting the Army, kicking down doors and getting hit by IEDs, too. Everybody is pulling their weight.

The Golden Boy · #18 02-20-2009, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pacman

In the Air Force, we call them "meat bombs".

"Dirt Dart"

armywalaby · #19 02-21-2009, 02:14 AM

Joe Dirt, anyone?

They call em boeing bombs.

M@ddest_H@tter! · #20 02-21-2009, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lousybassplayer

Its funny, because in the Corps the jump wings are considered all high speed and jump school is a pain to get, but in the Army they have Airborne MPs! I mean, when was the last time a cop had to pull a HALO to stop two drunk Soldiers from fighting? NOthing against the Army ( My gandfather retired Colonel and was in 2, Korea and Nam), but it don't take a lot to get chucked out of a plane.

But be that as it may, you Air Force guys got nothing to say

Although climbing into the back of C-17 to leave that dump and seeing all those flyboys sure was pretty.

Like PacMan said we are all pulling our weight. ( I'm Air Force)
When I was in Iraq (May-Oct 08) we flew over 200 Close Air support missions for the Corps and Army. We also dropped an ###load of bombs. We actually got the Meritorious Unit Service Award with Valor device. It was a good deployment. I got to meet several Army guys and they thanked us for keeping the jets in the air. ( and I thanked them for being on the ground, in the stink) While most people say we dont do to much to support the effort. Our sister services don't complain when our Falcons and Warthogs are screaming over head to drop Cluster bombs and precision munitions on insurgents that have them pinned down. All in all each service does they're job, and does it well. I read a quote somewhere that says "Every service member (regardless of branch) writes a check payable to the United States for the amount up to and including their life." ( its not verbatim but thats the general message.)