Shock and Awe

When I was in college a lot of my good guy friends were in the Army ROTC.  They were always talking up both the Army and the officer program. A couple of them, jokingly told me at the time, that maybe I should join the ROTC as well.  I gave it some serious thought because the benefits outweighed the negatives. But, in the end, I decided against it.

This year, after I decided to pursue a career in the military, I ran the idea by my Army buddies... now all officers. All of them advised me to go directly for the officer program and not to mess around with the enlisted side. They told me that I should have no problem getting in since I already have my bachelors degree. I did a lot of research and spoke with recruiters from each branch of service, then initially opted to try for the Air Force officer program. So, I conversed back and forth via email with the recruiter and got set  up to take the AFOQT (officer test)... and didn't get what I expected, nor were many jobs available to me. I explored my other options, spoke to more recruiters and was advised by a Navy officer recruiter to go regular enlisted for a couple of years, and to try again for officer in a couple years. Of course, when I told my buddies, they told me that I was getting a raw deal, so I verified it with the recruiter and conducted more research. I found out that the U.S. government is downsizing the military and that it is difficult to get into officer programs because of the limited amount of slots, also it is very competitive to try and go in as a civilian. So, I decided it was in my best interest to follow the advice of the Navy officer recruiter.  My buddies have their own opinions on the matter, but since I am going in at a different time than they did, I have different circumstances...as does the Navy.

No matter what my family and friends are there for me to support me in my endeavors, and offer guidance if I require it.