Reasons to Consider Joining the Army

There are several reasons to give the Army a once-over if you're on the prowl looking for a job, an adventure, or just a change of pace. The maximum age for enlistment has recently jumped from 35 to 42, which means another chance for those who dismissed the possibility based on their age - and the Army just may be the right choice for you!

ARMY JOBS
The training you receive in the military will help you for the rest of your life; the things you learn can be used in civilian jobs (which sometimes pay better than the Army) or used to advance your military career.

Your job in the Army is called your MOS (Military Occupational Specialty). There are more than 200 specific job titles to choose from in the Active Duty Army, and each is designated a special numerical and alphabetical code; for example, I'm a 74D with an L4 ASI (while it looks confusing, don't worry - you don't have to memorize any of it), which simply means I'm a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Operations Specialist with extra training in Biological weaponry.

Since that big description is so involved, I must have had a college degree in some branch of the sciences, right? Actually, no - going in, I had no idea what the difference was between a nerve agent and a blister agent, why fission was different than fusion, or how to properly clean up a chemical spill. The Army taught me everything I needed to know and transferred my military education to real, tangible college credits.

If you've always wanted to learn a new language, talk to a recruiter about becoming a linguist - the Army will send you to school for a year (or two) in California to learn to speak Chinese, Arabic, Korean - you name it! If you're an engineer, a writer, a photographer, or want to learn how to fly a multi-million dollar aircraft, the Army has a job for you; all you need to do is talk with a recruiter to determine all of your options.

ARMY GREEN
By green, I mean money. The Army is giving out huge enlistment bonuses, which means that you can get thousands of dollars just for signing on the dotted line! Different jobs get different bonus amounts, so talk with your recruiter about what you're eligible to receive for each MOS on your list. You won't get your bonus until you've successfully completed training, but in most cases your training will only last a few months.

On top of the signing bonus, you'll get paid on the 1st and 15th of each month - unless pay day is on a holiday or weekend; then you'll get it the last business day before. You know what's even better than just getting paid on a Friday? Most units in the Army celebrate "payday activities," which means that everyone goes home early on Friday of the week you get paid, just because Uncle Sam wants to give you a break.

When you're deployed, you don't pay any taxes. You get extra pay for just being in a combat zone, and if you've got a family at home you qualify for separation pay. All that money, tax-free... it's not uncommon for a Soldier to come home and have a huge stash of cash just waiting in a savings account!

You may also be eligible for miscellaneous extra pay when you're not deployed; if you have a family, you'll receive BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) and what we call "separate rats" - which is money the Army gives you for groceries. You can be really smart about it and find a place to rent that costs a lot less than what you get for BAH and pocket the rest of the dough! If you're stationed in a high-cost area, you'll also get COLA (Cost of Living Allowance), which is based on how much more that place costs to live than everywhere else.

COLLEGE CASH
The Army offers tuition assistance in the form of the Montgomery G.I. Bill. The amounts they give out are always changing, so it's best to talk to a recruiter to see what the most current figures are. It will cost you $100 a month (right out of your paycheck) for your first year of service; after that, you don't pay another dime and you're eligible for a significantly larger amount of money to pay for your college education. There's been recent talk of allowing family members to use your G.I. Bill, and recruiters will have the most up-to-date information on sharing your benefits with your dependents.

ARMY BENEFITS
Just like most other jobs, the Army offers benefits - but they far surpass most of what you'll find in the civilian job market.

The insurance that the Army gives it's members and their families is called TriCare. There's a lot less red tape involved with TriCare than there is with your typical health insurance. Military members can be seen by a physician at any time and for any reason (at absolutely no cost), and prescriptions are always free from the pharmacy on your post. Depending on the version of TriCare you choose for your family, there may be a small co-pay on visits and prescriptions, but they're always going to be covered.

The Army also offers free vision and dental care to all servicemembers; in fact, they really get after you to get your annual check-ups. Think about it: you'll never have to pay for a new pair of glasses or a filling while you're serving your time in the Army! These benefits are also available to family members for a small fee that comes right out of your paycheck (but it's optional).

LONG WEEKENDS AND VACATIONS
One of the most beautiful parts of Army service is the fact that they recognize that you work hard all week, so they cut you a break every now and then. Most GI's get every holiday off (depending on their job), and each month there's a reason to give Soldiers a 3- or 4-day weekend. On Schofield Barracks, where I'm stationed now, we get a 3-day weekend every time we make it 100 days without a fatal car crash involving a Soldier - there's even a sign at the gate telling us how many days it's been since the last one (we're up to 400 and some days right now).

As a Soldier, you'll earn 2.5 days of paid vacation time every month. We call it "leave," and you can use it whenever you need it (although it does have to be approved by your higher-ups). You can save it all up and take a month-long paid vacation every year, or use a little bit here and there - it's totally up to you.

RETIREMENT
If you choose to retire from military service, you can. Twenty years of service to your country nets you part of the pay you were getting while you were working each month - and the longer you serve, the more you get when you retire.

I'm not saying that a career in the Army is for everyone; in fact, it's only perfect for a small percentage of people - but if you think it doesn't sound all bad, give it a chance by talking to a recruiter. The worst that can happen is that you'll have a guy in uniform standing on your doorstep who's trying to convince you that you can't afford to miss this opportunity!