Enlisting right now, at this very moment, makes sense. Though I’m sure you’ll run into the type (or family) who’ll tell you that there’s never a good time to sign-up, it really is. The War on Terror is pretty much done. Granted, we still have soldiers in the Middle East preserving the peace. The President has made reassurances about the current war available to the general public in addresses several times. Each time stating that there was no war. 

To me, it all sounds more risque than it really is. Every soldier gets his feet wet in field experience, (handling arms, training, drilling, military protocol, etc.) but it’s not every soldier that ever has to face real combat. The majority of what a Reservist sees is barely anything past his desk. In my understanding, Active Duty soldiers have all the fun. They’re the ones being shipped to and from other countries and spend the time on the bases. I’ve even been told that the Army reserve is just for a bunch of pussies, but then again that could just be an instance of Branch Bias.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. The military benefits they promote themselves with really seem worthwhile. With these [promises] I feel as though I’m almost guaranteed a secure future. Yeah, I’ve noticed I’m a bit naive, and sometimes I ask too many questions, all the more useful to take advantage of a stupid young kid. I’ve actually spoken to two different recruiters, one call incoming and the other going out. [They were both women] The first was a textbook of answers, though I’m wondering if the second got annoyed at me talking. I really have no idea what to say about the phone call; whether to feel shut-down or satisfied (?). The second recruiter I spoke with was very blunt and straight-forward with me, almost rude….I came looking for information. What she told me was to the effect of ‘If you aren’t going to/ready to elist yourself, then there isn’t a point in us wasting both of our time.‘ 

(A military MOS)

Recently, just a few days ago, I was trying to do some independent research on the particular branch I was interesting in signing up to, the Army Reserve, and I came across an article titled Top 10 Lies (Some) Recruiters Tell* in which the author highlights how shysty recruiters end up meeting their quotas. Apparently sergeants don’t yell as much and recruiters help prospects lie to cover up illness and inadequacy that could get them arrested. Strange enough, I didn’t feel as though I was treated this way. It’s hard to explain; I felt like she wanted me be adamant about it before jumping head-first into it. Or she was just being stuck-up. 

I’ve had the realization that absolutely nothing is promised. People shove lies and encouragement down our faces and label these ’little white lies’ or what the Christians call ‘Hope-Healing’. Unfortunately, false promises can’t supply us with stable work and the necessary funds to cover the cost of living. The army can. This point in my life I have next to no direction or dependable options besides higher education. And even that isn’t reliable. I hate telling people the plans for my life, because often times that gives them an opportunity to ruin something that may have been great. But for the sake of the article, what the hell. I’ll try to squeeze this in before graduate school. After all, why the hell not? The best option for young adults is probably the military. I’m promised a job based on availability and several more options if my civilian life overlaps training. I can stay at home and do this. It’s a hell of a lot better than handing out resumes only to be let down time and time again. And in the event that I do end up being drafted to a war and have to experience death, then fine. I never liked this place anyway.

Additional Resources:

• Army Benefits
• Go David Strong on YouTube
• Top 10 Lies (some) Recruiters Tell

Other Articles Written By AdidasVanilla:

• Alcohol: The Social Drink
• Smuggling Fireworks Across the Border
• 5 Tips for Cramming for an Exam
• Self-Indulging: 5 Imported Chocolate Brands
• Teens and the Struggle for Work
• And More….

            Jake Riley was born in Charlottesville, Virginia and went to William County High school. He played QB for his high school football team and ran cross-country/track. His school had only about 400 students total so everybody knew everyone. Jake was an above average student in academics, he was fun-loving, had great leadership skills, and always followed orders. He was about 6 feet, 160 pounds and had short dark brown hair and brown eyes. His mother died when he was a kid so he grew up with his dad; he lived on a farm and learned to grow his own food and him and his friends would always go hunting in the mountains.

            He joined the National Guard Reserve to get money to go to his local community college and help out his dad. He took leadership classes in college for about a year. Jake was always a good leader; he could get along with everybody naturally and he always could think outside of the box. Jake always had a plan, but if something went wrong he was ready to adjust. He was consistently alert, always observing something or someone.

            When his dad passed away, he enrolled into the military. When he joined the Reserve, he did so with some of his close friends who also played football for their high school team; resulting in them being placed in the same in the same squad. Jake was designated leader of his squad mates: Ryan, Kenny Prat, and Dusty. Ryan was the kind of guy who thought he was all that, he was not very bright when it came to tactics. Kenny was the brawny one, however, when he was told to do something he always complained. Finally, Dusty was the quiet one, he followed any given orders and his job was to communicate with other squadrons during a mission.

            The first book in the series, Chosen Evil, is when Jake Riley is getting his sniper certification at the National Guard Base in Texas. Mexico suffers a coup and Jake is flown in to help evacuate the United States Embassy. Upon his arrival, an artillery strikes the embassy stranding him in Mexican soil. He must befriend a group of Mexicans rebels to help him escape the newly formed Socialist Mexico. This book demonstrates Jake’s abilities to work with complete strangers and put all his trust into them.

            While growing up, Jake Riley learned skills that will eventually help him with his military abilities. Playing quarterback helped him think strategically during pressuring situations and living near the mountains helped him endure varied weather conditions. His ability to follow and give orders developed him into an obedient leader. Throughout the series, Jake Riley will demonstrate how to handle dangerous situations even when you are shorthanded using skills he learned growing up in a small town.

There were 52 shootings in 3 days!  The funny thing about it is that the Police Chief that was running the Police department there in Chicago, has been hired to run the police department of New Haven, CT.  I hope that the Chief does a better job running New Haven then he did Chicago, only time will tell.

My question is it the fault of the Police department for the gangs being in control or the Politicians that are running the city?

Nevertheless, something needs to be done and if the governor needs to call out the national guard so be it.   Nobody will argue that something definitely is wrong when they have to consider calling out the national guard that go into harms way around the world to secure other countries, to be placed on the streets of Chicago to put down gangs.

They also report that the hospitalsare running over with gun shot victims.  Why doesn’t this get more coverage then it does?  Is that the politicians don’t want us to know how out of control some of our cities are around the country.  The media should be all over this, but instead we are more focused on who is sleeping with who in Hollywood.

Things like this and the current immigration issue going on in Arizona, and the oil spill in the Gulf should be getting a lot more attention then they are.

“I drink.” Laughter escapes as he continues his assessment of a weekend. “School’s good… I’ve heard that correctional officers get good pay and I think it’d be alright in a federal prison. It’d never get boring.” Mike explains in reference to his ITT Technology education path that is designed to prepare him for a position in Criminal Justice. ITT Technology is an accredited school and aside from the community colleges available in the local area, among the cheapest routes to obtain a two year degree at just under $15,000 a year for tuition. Given a $30,000 program at the conservatively topped out interest rate for student loans paid over ten years that equals a monthly payment of four-hundred thirty-two dollars paying over two thirds of the principle in interest. This type of expectation to be placed on a student with aspirations of attaining a home and building a family is burdensome enough to topple even the strongest willed men and women. “We now find large numbers of college graduates who can only find employment in jobs that call for no real academic background. Their pay is not high, but they have college debts to pay off. At the same time, there are high-paying trades that have trouble finding new trainees,” stated George Leff, the Vice President for Research at the John W. Pope Center for Higher Education Policy in Raleigh, North Carolina in the November 20th, 2006 edition of US News and World Report. Another view in the same edition from Paul Serbo, a concerned citizen states, “When are you going to take a good, hard look at why the price keeps going up? I suspect the answer is bloated staffs (take a look at any university’s public-affairs staff), zero cost controls, and teachers paid not to teach,” which is a sentiment many parents and would-be-students have taken to avoid the road of college. Unfortunately, the sad truth is that college education is simply that expensive regardless of the reason. A promising alternative is enlisting as a soldier.

VA Bills, medical, dental and life insurance, paid amenities, paid lodging, forced physical fitness for the greater good and the ability to choose a military career in virtually any field is the only option that is left to graduate High School students who do not have the money for college yet have aspirations to live in even an apartment and be able to pay for the rising cost of living. Sgt. Maynard with the US Marine Corps put it simply, “there are McDonalds’ in Iraq… Marines are just normal people who wake up earlier and do a lot more,” during his recruitment pitch. Considering the thousands of dollars available at low interest rates through the government loans available to vets plus lifetime benefits such as a governmentally issued retirement, it is a wonder that college students have a place to call their own at all. What will college students need to do to secure their future? Figure out a way to entertain hundreds of thousands of retired soldiers who’ve sat comfortably in the seat that had been promised provided academics were upheld along with a courteous attitude.

Anyways i think really that ill end up being correctional officer but I have to do all that GED crack (no not cocaine) crack like Irish crack and not like any other crack where sun don’t shine! I feel that it will be a task for me in new country and ill always be seen as new and also a MICK (thank bob at wall mart!) trying to get along with people who don’t really understand me or my culture. At least my wife understands me.

No matter what I join ill have to end up doing the GED although i have got results from one of the best educated countries in the world. I think people figure were a third world country hmmm we are now 2nd richest country the world according to economist figures.

Wherever i go i want to make the best for family whether is serving the community, serving the country, working for a corporation, or an eBay millionaire! From potatoes to gold (it’s the same thing I guess but one of them you can eat!).

Extreme Makeover Home Edition is known for its tear jerking episodes by building beautiful new homes and giving incredibly generous gifts to deserving families. Their choices of recipients are those that are in dire need of help, like: families with handicapped or sick children; families that are poverty stricken; families with single parents; families that give back to their community; and families that have been victims of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina.

Oprah’s new show, The Big Give, has also stepped up by engaging ten volunteers to compete by giving to the same types of families. In the first three weeks, the contestants have done an incredible job of acquiring generous gifts and financial assistance to families who need it.

The one type of family that these shows have not forgotten, are U.S. military families. On many occasions Extreme Makeover has helped families of the armed forces who were struggling to make ends meet. A few months ago, Ty Pennington led his team to help a brave former Marine, who was injured in the line of duty. A few weeks ago, they built a new home for a National Guardsman who is still stationed in Iraq. He left to serve our country leaving everything behind including his wife, children, a home under construction and unpaid bills.

During the first two weeks of Oprah’s show, each episode featured at least one military family. In the first show a soldier arrived home after serving our country with no job and no home. He received a place to live and financial help. In the second week, one contestant helped a soldier who returned home injured and without benefits or health insurance, by giving him cash and a party. Hopefully there are more big gives like these still to come.

It is incredibly moving to see troops, who need help, receive well-deserved financial support. Every day soldiers leave their families, laying their lives on the line, to protect and defend our freedoms. While they are gone many of the families are back home struggling to make ends meet while living in substandard conditions with very little money. Some soldiers then return home to situations like: no home, no job, no money and no means to support their family. Scenarios like these are unfathomable and incomprehensible. I cannot think of more deserving families to give beautiful homes and gifts too. We cannot forget our troops and their loved ones that are in need.

Support for our military seems to be greater than it ever has, especially compared to the Viet Nam War. In the past few years, especially since 9/11 and the beginning of the Iraq War, there have been wonderful tributes expressed through beautiful, heart wrenching emails. These certainly need to keep going. All of our soldiers need to know we are behind them.

Unfortunately, in some situations, this is not enough. It seems as though too many military families are forgotten and neglected when they need help. Compared to other noteworthy causes, military families are not considered a very high priority. This is wrong.

I am by no means minimizing the other recipients that television shows and charities give to, especially those victimized by natural disasters or who have sick children. But, when soldiers leave their families behind, with very little financial stability and no decent housing, something needs to be done. And when they return to even less: no job, no benefits, no decent housing, and no money, those that are able to need to step up and help. We simply cannot forget about our troops in need. Quite honestly, I just cannot grasp how they are allowed to come home to those conditions in the first place. It is appalling.

There has been a lot of media hype and publicity surrounding famous entertainers who travel the world donating their time and money to families and children of third world countries. I think these charities and contributions are absolutely necessary and surely need to carry on. The pain and suffering that goes on in these places is unimaginable, especially when it comes to children. Charity like this portrays our freedom and generosity. It indicates how giving of a nation we truly are.

However, my message is this, do not forget our own. Do not forget that we are able to travel all over the world helping those in need because our military keeps us free. As Toby Keith’s song, American Soldier tells us, “Freedom don’t come free.”

So, when those who are in a position to give, are in a giving mood, don’t forget about our military families who are left behind for months at a time, or those that are left behind forever because their loved ones were killed in the line of duty. We need to take care of our own as well as others.

For those that want to admonish this plea because they feel the wars we are involved in are wrong and unjust, remember this. You do not have to support the war, but it is our civic duty and responsibility to support our military and their families. To further paraphrase Toby Keith’s song, we sleep in peace because they are out there protecting us.

I think we underestimate how many men, women and children of our military actually need our help. If we take a step back and think about it, we probably know and have been touched by more military people than we realize. As of April 2007 we had over 1.4 million soldiers on active duty and another 1.4 million in the reserves. This should give you some idea of the magnitude of this civilian call to arms. Remember, just because the military friends and family you know don’t need help, it doesn’t mean others don’t.

I am not rich. I do not have tons of money to give. But, I do have a voice and an ability to write. Plain and simple, something more needs to be done for our men and women of military service who need help, especially by those out there who are able.

I was asked a while back who my heroes were. My reply was this. Any man or woman, who puts their life on the line every day to protect our freedoms, is a hero; especially those who sacrifice everything they have without fanfare or complaints. So, every time I watch a show that gives to men and women of our military I am seeing my heroes being justly rewarded and honored.

The bottom line is, let’s make sure we do not forget about our men, women and families of the military. They give to us every day of their lives. The least we can do is give something back when they need it.

To all of my friends and family who have ever served or continue to serve in the military; to those soldiers I have met in my travels, and to those I do not know, this is for you. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do. You are all our true heroes. You are why we can sleep in peace tonight. God Bless you!

Below is a list of my family and friends of the U.S. Armed Forces. I’m sure there are many more who I have forgotten or just do not know about. I have tremendous respect for all of them, and they need to know they are appreciated and that they helped inspire this article:

Nicholas Brancaccio (Great Uncle): Army – WWII (D-Day Normandy Beach) & Korean War

Art Lallas (Friend): Navy (1952 to 1954) – Korean War

Babe Cimino (Uncle): Navy (1959 to 1961)

Paul DeCillis (Uncle): Army (1969 to 1970) – Viet Nam War

Bill Stach (Friend): Army (1968 to 1973) – Viet Nam War; Army Reserves 1976 to 1997

Tommy Cimino (Cousin): Navy (1985 to 1989)

Mark Lallas (Friend): Navy & Navy Reserves (1990-1994) – Gulf War

Lee Jacquart (Friend): Army Reserves (1989-1995) – Gulf War

Robert Jacquart (Friend): Marines (1991 to 1995) – Gulf War

Glen Hall (Brother-in-law): Marine Reserves (1993 to 1999)- Gulf War

Zachary Louis Edelstein (Friend): Marines (Jan. 2007 to present) – Currently stationed in Habbiniyah, Iraq

An Army recruiter will always tell you that you can go to school for free. But they never tell you that while on active duty, you will never have time. There is a broad spectrum of free education opportunities out there that hardly anyone knows about. Here are a few.

Army Reserves and National Guard

While in the Reserves or Guard, you are able to go to school full time. All that is required is that you attend Basic Training and an AIT. AIT is a school that will teach you an Army trade so that you can function in the unit that you are assigned. After completing your training, you will be required to attend a drill once a month and a two week AT (Annual Training) once a year. While on the AT you will be paid full active duty pay and your current employer cannot punish you for being away on military orders. Lawfully they will have to hold your position and wages until you return.

The National Guard is run by the state. Therefore, the education benefits will vary from state to state. An example of this is the Montana National Guard only pays part of your tuition, where as Minnesota pays all of it. So you will want to do some research on what your state would be willing to pay.

Because the Army Reserves are run by the federal government, education policies stay the same no matter where you are at. While in the Reserves, you are a part-time soldier just like in the Guard, but you will have different benefits. Tuition is completely free and there is extra money involved for full time students. Therefore the Army Reserves will actually pay you to get an education.

Green to Gold

The US Army offers a program known as Green to Gold. It is a program that works hand in hand with ROTC at Universities. For instance, if you wanted to attend a certain college to obtain a specific degree, then this program would work well for you. All it requires is a GPA (grade point average) of 2.5 or higher, (see specific college ROTC as they may vary from college to college) that you enlist in the Army, stay physically fit and attend some leadership courses. This program was designed to help bring in more officers, to teach them leadership while in school as well as ensuring that they get the education that they want. While in school you will be collecting a monthly stipend to offset living conditions as well as extra drill pay and will have the title of cadet.

Green to Gold does not limit you to any degree plan. If you want to be a nurse, the Army will pay for it. If you want to be a doctor or even a lawyer, the Army will pay for it. There are also many bonuses available upon completion of your degree. So if you want to get a degree in liberal arts, the Army will pay for it!

The main thing to remember is that you will have to pay the Army back, not in dollars but in service. It is usually a four year obligation, in which you will have to be on active duty. Do not fret though. There are more benefits involved. Officers get paid very well and also get good living arrangements. Plus there is no replacing the on the job training. Once you complete your obligation, you will know how to function in your field and will be able to put on your résumé that you are a Veteran of the US Army. See if the competition can compete with that.

Green to Gold (Reserves)

Same song, different verse. The Reserves program is the same thing as active duty except that you will have to fulfill your obligation in the Reserves rather than on active duty. Meaning you can chose to live where you want, instead having your location chosen for you.

How to Find Out More

The first step is to choose the school you will want to attend before calling a recruiter. This gives you the power, the power of choice. Once you have chosen that school, see if they have an Army ROTC program. If they do, contact the ROTC department first and they will get you squared away. Then find a unit in the area you would like to drill with and sign up. It’s all too easy, you just never knew about it.

Student Loan Repayment

Let’s flip the script for a second. What if I already have a degree, can the Army offer me anything? Why certainly. The National Guard, Reserves and Regular Army all offer student loan repayment. Meaning if you have already obtained a degree and have the bills stacked up on you from student loans, the Army will pay them off. In return you will do a minimum four year obligation.

More Information

For more information, go to www.goarmy.com or call your local recruiting station and ask about other education opportunities that the Army can offer.

(This article is not in any way sponsored by the US Army, Army Reserves or the National Guard. All information provided is strictly from the Authors research.)

Ever since this war started I have been told ” I think you are doing a great job, thank you for everything and God bless you.” Which made me feel good about the choice of the military was smart. Now do not get me wrong there are those people who are not so nice, they call me things like “baby killer” and “murderer” and I have been spit upon as well. When people call me names or say things bad toward George W. Bush I just look at them with a smile and say, ” I thank you for your opinion but please remember that I am out there fighting for you and the right to speak your mind. If it was not for the military we would not be able to speak our minds without chance of going to jail or even worse getting killed for it. ”

As I sit here writing this I start to think about the men and women that are over there fighting and some dying for the United States of America and my heart starts to feel heavy with sadness, Why? Well I will tell you, I know that people not in the military speaking against the war makes me think why are we over there dying for the people who do not care weather or not we have the freedom to live the way we choose. Then I look at my family, my wife and our two one year old twins and then the sadness turns to gratefulness. Yes I do feel sad for them dying but I know in my heart they are not doing it in vain.

In closing I thank the men over there for their love for the country and the dedication for freedom. God bless them all and bless the families of fallen soldiers.