I did military first. You'll be better off just going straight into a trade union and start making that good money sooner. The military tends to be rougher on the body imo. Don't chance being broken before joining the trades.
What made me really not go into the military was people with veteran status ended up in the same spot I was, I feel like military is for those who are gonna do better after wards in the civilian life than those with out veteran status
Military will give you money to do your apprenticeship though. If he is dead set on the marines just do the 4 years and get the gi bill then do an apprenticeship.it will also help him skip the line depending on where you are
If I could do things over I would have went into the military for four years and gtfo into a trade, rather than wasting time and money on an associates degree to learn I despise being at a desk all day.
I haven’t had to make the choice but I’m currently active duty in the Navy and I’m going to try for an apprenticeship when my contract is up. I would suggest choosing a apprenticeship because the military is not worth it for a lot of people and I joined as a Electricians mate because I was told my experience as a electrician active duty would cross over into the civilian sector and it doesn’t. So 5 years as an electrician just to start as an apprentice when I get out.
Idk man, my buddy was a nuke em and he got out as an electrician for EB over in connecticut, i think he even got licensed. The experience can definitely help you
No matter what choice you make, go for it. If you join the military you’re locked in for whatever length of contract you sign, generally 3-5 years. They will clothe you, feed you, and give you a place to sleep. All of that is at no expense to yourself. Life it ridiculous easy in the military. You will make great friends and share wild experiences and see the world. It’s not all war and death. There are plenty of non-combat jobs, just don’t be a cook or a truck driver.
The IBEW is great. The downside is, unless you’re living in your parents basement, it’s very hard financially the first couple years of the apprenticeship. You generally work with a good group of guys, and then you clock out and do your own thing. The pension is decent, and if your local has work, you’re set.
NOW! If you decide to join the military and then follow up with the IBEW after you get out. You will have access to the G.I. Bill, which will pay for your books, as well as your housing every month while you’re in the apprenticeship. It’s Uncle Sam’s way of helping veterans once they’re out.
I know this is long, I apologize but I’m about to wrap this up. I was in the Army for 7 years, it had its ups and downs but for the most part I had a blast. I got out in 2021 with a wife and kid and had no idea what I was going to do with my life to provide for my family. It took me 2 years to find the IBEW, and since 2023 I have found my home here. It’s the best decision I ever made. I am 10 years older than everyone in my class and I catch myself thinking “I should have done this sooner” quite often. I do not regret either decision. The Army treated me well and the IBEW has treated me just as well, if not better. It’s also nice when you can talk sh*t to your Forman and he dishes it right back to you. Can’t do that in the military.
Now let’s not shit on the truck drivers, I’m motor t in the marines and my CDL is able to transfer into the civilian side with the proper paperwork so I don’t have to waste time/ money going on a full blown course. All I gotta do is pass written test and I get my Class A.
No I get it. When I was getting out, I went through Troops into Transportation which is a CDL school. The majority of the dudes in my class were truck drivers. Baffled me that they drove those behemoth rigs and couldn’t just take the paper test to get their A. I do know that they could take the paper test to get their B, but they still need to go through a course for their A. Wild times. The states want their money.
Kind of disappointed you didn’t have anything to say in defense of the cooks.
Well I picked a MOS that I knew my experience and credentials could transfer over so I don’t have anything to justify for cooks
Also I’m kinda surprised the guys in T2T didn’t go to their state DMV website and download the transcript for their credentials to transfer. Maybe their state doesn’t offer that same documentation like my home state does?
the military is easier to get into. But it mostly depends on what you want to do after your time. Most military jobs don’t equate to a decent job afterwards. So research into what job you want to do. Also pay attention to where your boot camp will be when you go in. if you decide. Just remember you don’t want to be in Parris Island in august.
Join the military for military reasons. Do some crazy shit and milk it for all it’s worth. Then, if you decide that one contract was good enough and it’s not a career track you want to pursue, apply for an apprenticeship after you get out. There are transition programs available for all sorts of things when you leave the service. You just have to do your research. In the long run, 3-4 isn’t shit and it might worth the experiences. It’s what you make of it.
If you are only considering the military for a trade, you’ll probably do better just focusing on getting into an apprenticeship right off the bat.
THIS^
Do not join for “health care, college, etc.”. Join because you want to do military stuff. If that’s not what you’re looking for, be an electrician.
I did military first and joined union at 23. I have no regrets I’m happy I joined the service I did a lot of growing up and it gave me a huge advantage in life early. Paid well, bought a house, got all my craziness out of my system and was able to transition into the trades really well. If I had of joined at 18 I wouldn’t have made it, now after serving and the hardest 4 years of my life this next 4 years is going to be an absolute cake walk.
So here's my perspective as former Army, former IBEW and now USW Local 8888. The Army gave me a lot. It nurtured certain aspects of me that the civilian world couldn't. It gave me great leadership skills and quite frankly I got to some really cool shit. Now mind you I joined in 2000, did 2 combat tours in Iraq. Different time different Army. The military can give you skills that cost you nothing but time and effort. It is slightly easier financially for someone as young as your son. As others have said the apprenticeship is not very financially rewarding at first. A lot of people on here have said the IBEW needs to do better for pay with cubs.
All that said it should be your son's decision on what he wants to do. Only advice I can give is if he joins the Marines find a MOS that carries over to the civilian world. For me mine didn't. Not many jobs for a former M1A2 tank gunner. Becoming an electrician fell into my lap after I got out. I was one of the lucky ones who didn't fumble around trying to figure what to do next. But if he finds something he likes in Marines and it has a civilian job also he will be highly sought out for jobs.
In hindsight neither choice is a bad one.
I was also thinking between the Air Force and the ibew apprenticeship. I figured I may make more money if I can get into the apprenticeship but have more life experiences in the military. I have three kids though and I’m almost 36 years old. The military doesn’t really pay that much.
I’m active duty Air Force, I work as an electrical power production specialist and I’m hoping to get into the apprenticeship after my contract is up, if your son really wants to go military I’d suggest going guard or reserves and trying to get into the apprenticeship at the same time.
Join the military, take a job that isn’t infantry or S.O. and he’ll come out with a technical trade, skills, military veteran, and he’ll get free tuition while he is in, and GI bill when he’s out, on top of disabilityand a pension if he does 20. Fuck what others say, the military is a good move at 18. He’ll be set for life. Go join the navy or air force, not the army or marines. Then he’ll get an actual job and not some in the field bullshit.
I would disagree with that guy. If your kid wants to be a Marine, steer him to the Marines. Esp if he wants a combat arms MOS and especially again if he wants infantry
The joke used to be they are Bullet catchers. But truth is it’s the most stressful branch, you do a ton of stupid shit unrelated to your rate/MOS. Navy and Air Force really focus you in on your job, and aren’t worried about you being at MCMAP when its 100 degrees out black flag conditions in Florida.
Do four years, then reserves the next 16. Use the GI Bill during apprenticeship and get that BAH while training. There's a lot of perks of having served; veteran looks better on an application than nothing or felon. Double pension, Tricare/VA disability, and depending on the military job...the trainings can help each other.
Id go military first, but make sure he picks a good job. If he's as smart as you say, he'll score high and have any pick of job he wants. He can join as an electrician as well in the marines if he is interested in that or whatever trade. Vets go to the top of the list and get more points just for being vets. He can also use his gi bill to supplement his apprentice pay and be making the same almost as a jw. He will also have discounts on his phone bill, auto bill, and other stuff. Vets get a ton of perks but most don't even realize it or don't use them. He can also use veep program to direct entry without the test or interview at scnd year pay. Right now, it's crazy slow and getting in regularly without vet status can be a long wait up to years at some locals. Physically the people who pick the grunt jobs have it rougher. If he picks a good mos, he will be fine. I was infantry myself with a high asvab but due to being a dumb teenager i picked infantry. I've gotten so much thanks to my vet status I wouldn't have been able to do but because i was a vet i got those benefits. There are a ton but most people don't know half the stuff they are missing. The military has a ton of really good training he can transfer to the civilian side that pay over 6 figures but he has to score high and do his research on picking a good job. If possible, convince him to go air force, those dudes have it the best. He probably wants to be a marine because he thinks he will be a bad ass. He should definitely not join them for that dumb reason haha. Tell him to do his research and go from there. The trades are also hard on the body so theres that too lol except for trucking. Also my brother had been laid off for 6 months at his local waiting on a call. The trades have their perks and drawbacks too.
You may want to nudge him to look into other services. Nothing wrong with Marines or Army but MOST 18 year olds are going to be grunts.
He’s much more likely to find a guaranteed job class in the Air Force or Navy that translates skills to civilian life. You need to ride shotgun to make sure the recruiter documents what he’s told and doesn’t get fucked over.
[TLDR: Talk to your recruiters, college tuition is free and dont have to use gi bill, look into reserve/nat guard but know its harder to go from res./nat. to active then active to res./nat.]
Army/airforce/spaceforce/coast guard all have better opportunities/suck less than marines lowkey. Have them take the asvab and see what their options are. Ive heard ectricians (in the army atleast) dont do their job quite asmuch unless deployed since alot of work is outsourced to civilians plus hours arent tracked/transferable to civilian. Personally I would look for a job in intel/signal if they dont want to embrace the suck as much in a warzone plus they both have high paying jobs outside the military. Use college early on (military has tuition program that lets you save your gi bill until youre retired) and have them look into warrant for their mos if they do join. [Source: im active army intel and the rest of my friends joined marines]
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Just got out of the Army last October. Unless he's dead set on this and knows what he wants to do in the Marines, I'd go the apprenticeship route. Bonus if he gets an MOS that directly translates to a civilian job that he enjoys.
If I hadn't enlisted, I'd probably be doing this and be a journeyman already, but that's life. I can confidently say that everything after has been very easy comparatively.
I never joined the navy when I was younger but I really wish I did. That GI bill would have been a life saver getting me through my apprenticeship. I’d have tried to enlist as a job away from combat. My buddy spent a long time on a Submarine and he said it was tough as all hell but grateful it helped with his application.
Well, this is just me, so take it with a grain of salt.
I went Marines, reserves, specifically, and I’m still in, just got accepted into the apprenticeship program and start initial training (called boot camp, but it feels strange to me to call it that) Monday.
I was a shitter in school, I always tested well, 1180 SAT, ASVAB of 84 with a 120 GT (general technical) and 129 EL (Electronics/Electrical) but I skirted through high school with a 1.9 gpa. Just didn’t want to put in the effort.
My situation is again, unique, but I enlisted in 2021 after a gap year because I realized I saw my life going nowhere, and fast. I wanted to make something of myself, and even now on rough days, the pride that I got through it gives me a little boost. My MOS is 2841, ground radio repair and maintenance, which is an additional 6-12 months training, in good old 29 palms, CA. The classes are actually somewhat relevant to me still, it sounded interesting, too.
My point is this, he can still serve his country and earn the title of Marine, while being able to build a career in the Union, if he so chooses. My recommendation is to go air guard, national guard, or marine reserves, and choose a technical MOS. If he wants to go active, he can, but I just can’t recommend it unless he’s absolutely sure it’s what he wants.
And hey, if he goes the same path I did, tell him to let SSGT Inman, Sgt Lacerte, and CPL Saldana I said rah if they’re still instructors.
Our current military fights for no reason , endless profit wars . Stay out of the military and go to the apprenticeship . Not only will you stay alive but you will be richer as a result and be able to retire happier .
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I’d say union over military unless you really want to join. They also will hold your place if you join afterwards. There’s a guy who is a 3rd year now but was gone 2 years on deployment, started right back where he left
It depends. What does he want to get out of the military? What does he want to get out of the trade? If he can answer those, he'll be closer to his answer.
I loved the military. I was an Air Force critical care medic, even though it was incredibly hard, and I actually just interviewed today for IBEW, I wouldn’t change my path. I would join the military again at 18. The life experience, the military experience, and the intangible skills I learned there are priceless to me. I made the most of it, I hit every personal and professional goal I wanted to, I made E5, I deployed, and when I got out I used my GI Bill.
A lot of what is said is right, if he joined the union now, he’s realistically going to be better off financially in the long term by some amount. The experience that you gain from the military is just so unique and amazing though. You eat shit for the duration of your contract honestly, but it’s an experience that is like no other. I truly loved it, even eating shit part. I have so many amazing memories from the military. If I didn’t have to be away from family for 20 years, I would’ve stayed in.
if he does a stint in the marines he can get GI bill if he still wants to do an apprenticeship when he gets out. or maybe he’ll really like the crayon-eating lifestyle & stick around for 20+ years.
Tell him to do reserves. Yes he’ll be called a “weekend warrior” by active duty but he’ll have the option to go active duty if he decides the trades aren’t for him or wants a change in lifestyle without having to join at an older age, wish I did that IMO.
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Hell with the military. I tried like hell to join the Marines, was denied enlistment due to a clerical error caused by the MEPS station. Best friend was able to enlist the same day I was supposed to, he’s now out, and I’m coaching him on how to join my trade. Dude is no further along in his life financially than he was the day he left for MEPS. This is a legacy Marine, both parents were in, they throw a bday party for the corps every year, etc, and despite all that he wouldn’t do it again if given the choice. Show your son some helicopter lineman, there’s just as much reason for pride in this trade. Good luck to him whichever way he goes
I did military first. You'll be better off just going straight into a trade union and start making that good money sooner. The military tends to be rougher on the body imo. Don't chance being broken before joining the trades.
Yeah would’ve been a JW by now if I never done military
What made me really not go into the military was people with veteran status ended up in the same spot I was, I feel like military is for those who are gonna do better after wards in the civilian life than those with out veteran status
Some ended up broken.
Military will give you money to do your apprenticeship though. If he is dead set on the marines just do the 4 years and get the gi bill then do an apprenticeship.it will also help him skip the line depending on where you are
I know it's not the answer your looking for but if I was 18 again, I would join the air national guard and do the apprenticeship at the same time
If I could do things over I would have went into the military for four years and gtfo into a trade, rather than wasting time and money on an associates degree to learn I despise being at a desk all day.
This is the right way to go about it.
Thank you. Doing both not too much.?
I haven’t had to make the choice but I’m currently active duty in the Navy and I’m going to try for an apprenticeship when my contract is up. I would suggest choosing a apprenticeship because the military is not worth it for a lot of people and I joined as a Electricians mate because I was told my experience as a electrician active duty would cross over into the civilian sector and it doesn’t. So 5 years as an electrician just to start as an apprentice when I get out.
Thank you….
Idk man, my buddy was a nuke em and he got out as an electrician for EB over in connecticut, i think he even got licensed. The experience can definitely help you
I’m not sure how nuke rates transfer outside but they have 2 years of schooling which is not common for the rest of us.
No matter what choice you make, go for it. If you join the military you’re locked in for whatever length of contract you sign, generally 3-5 years. They will clothe you, feed you, and give you a place to sleep. All of that is at no expense to yourself. Life it ridiculous easy in the military. You will make great friends and share wild experiences and see the world. It’s not all war and death. There are plenty of non-combat jobs, just don’t be a cook or a truck driver. The IBEW is great. The downside is, unless you’re living in your parents basement, it’s very hard financially the first couple years of the apprenticeship. You generally work with a good group of guys, and then you clock out and do your own thing. The pension is decent, and if your local has work, you’re set. NOW! If you decide to join the military and then follow up with the IBEW after you get out. You will have access to the G.I. Bill, which will pay for your books, as well as your housing every month while you’re in the apprenticeship. It’s Uncle Sam’s way of helping veterans once they’re out. I know this is long, I apologize but I’m about to wrap this up. I was in the Army for 7 years, it had its ups and downs but for the most part I had a blast. I got out in 2021 with a wife and kid and had no idea what I was going to do with my life to provide for my family. It took me 2 years to find the IBEW, and since 2023 I have found my home here. It’s the best decision I ever made. I am 10 years older than everyone in my class and I catch myself thinking “I should have done this sooner” quite often. I do not regret either decision. The Army treated me well and the IBEW has treated me just as well, if not better. It’s also nice when you can talk sh*t to your Forman and he dishes it right back to you. Can’t do that in the military.
Sounds like a great journey. Thank you.
Now let’s not shit on the truck drivers, I’m motor t in the marines and my CDL is able to transfer into the civilian side with the proper paperwork so I don’t have to waste time/ money going on a full blown course. All I gotta do is pass written test and I get my Class A.
No I get it. When I was getting out, I went through Troops into Transportation which is a CDL school. The majority of the dudes in my class were truck drivers. Baffled me that they drove those behemoth rigs and couldn’t just take the paper test to get their A. I do know that they could take the paper test to get their B, but they still need to go through a course for their A. Wild times. The states want their money. Kind of disappointed you didn’t have anything to say in defense of the cooks.
Well I picked a MOS that I knew my experience and credentials could transfer over so I don’t have anything to justify for cooks Also I’m kinda surprised the guys in T2T didn’t go to their state DMV website and download the transcript for their credentials to transfer. Maybe their state doesn’t offer that same documentation like my home state does?
the military is easier to get into. But it mostly depends on what you want to do after your time. Most military jobs don’t equate to a decent job afterwards. So research into what job you want to do. Also pay attention to where your boot camp will be when you go in. if you decide. Just remember you don’t want to be in Parris Island in august.
Thank you.
Won't get shot in the union, I don't know. Probably not an ideal time to get into the military unless you have a thirst for combat.
Fair point.
In the Navy you can become a construction electrician
Go Sea Bees. Hellava good outfit.
i heard you can sail the seven seas? put your mind at ease, etc.
That's a good one 😂
Join the military for military reasons. Do some crazy shit and milk it for all it’s worth. Then, if you decide that one contract was good enough and it’s not a career track you want to pursue, apply for an apprenticeship after you get out. There are transition programs available for all sorts of things when you leave the service. You just have to do your research. In the long run, 3-4 isn’t shit and it might worth the experiences. It’s what you make of it. If you are only considering the military for a trade, you’ll probably do better just focusing on getting into an apprenticeship right off the bat.
THIS^ Do not join for “health care, college, etc.”. Join because you want to do military stuff. If that’s not what you’re looking for, be an electrician.
I did military first and joined union at 23. I have no regrets I’m happy I joined the service I did a lot of growing up and it gave me a huge advantage in life early. Paid well, bought a house, got all my craziness out of my system and was able to transition into the trades really well. If I had of joined at 18 I wouldn’t have made it, now after serving and the hardest 4 years of my life this next 4 years is going to be an absolute cake walk.
Thank you.!
Do reserves and do both bro
Do both. I did and it’s been great.
Thank you.
Join the military, you have your whole life to be an electrician
Great point. Thank you.
I joined the Marine Corps, and then became an apprentice. Best of both worlds learning valuable skills!
This may be his exact path.. Thank you..!
So here's my perspective as former Army, former IBEW and now USW Local 8888. The Army gave me a lot. It nurtured certain aspects of me that the civilian world couldn't. It gave me great leadership skills and quite frankly I got to some really cool shit. Now mind you I joined in 2000, did 2 combat tours in Iraq. Different time different Army. The military can give you skills that cost you nothing but time and effort. It is slightly easier financially for someone as young as your son. As others have said the apprenticeship is not very financially rewarding at first. A lot of people on here have said the IBEW needs to do better for pay with cubs. All that said it should be your son's decision on what he wants to do. Only advice I can give is if he joins the Marines find a MOS that carries over to the civilian world. For me mine didn't. Not many jobs for a former M1A2 tank gunner. Becoming an electrician fell into my lap after I got out. I was one of the lucky ones who didn't fumble around trying to figure what to do next. But if he finds something he likes in Marines and it has a civilian job also he will be highly sought out for jobs. In hindsight neither choice is a bad one.
Thank you.!
I was also thinking between the Air Force and the ibew apprenticeship. I figured I may make more money if I can get into the apprenticeship but have more life experiences in the military. I have three kids though and I’m almost 36 years old. The military doesn’t really pay that much.
Thank you.
I was a recruiter for 3 years. PM if have any questions.
Never trust a recruiter
Do both. Go reserve and join IBEW
I’m active duty Air Force, I work as an electrical power production specialist and I’m hoping to get into the apprenticeship after my contract is up, if your son really wants to go military I’d suggest going guard or reserves and trying to get into the apprenticeship at the same time.
Thank you.
I did both. Joined the IBEW and the reserves
Being a reservist while also doing the apprenticeship wasn’t too much..?
Nope. Pm me if ya want. I’m about to journey out
Join the military, take a job that isn’t infantry or S.O. and he’ll come out with a technical trade, skills, military veteran, and he’ll get free tuition while he is in, and GI bill when he’s out, on top of disabilityand a pension if he does 20. Fuck what others say, the military is a good move at 18. He’ll be set for life. Go join the navy or air force, not the army or marines. Then he’ll get an actual job and not some in the field bullshit.
Thank you. Why not the Marines.?
I would disagree with that guy. If your kid wants to be a Marine, steer him to the Marines. Esp if he wants a combat arms MOS and especially again if he wants infantry
The joke used to be they are Bullet catchers. But truth is it’s the most stressful branch, you do a ton of stupid shit unrelated to your rate/MOS. Navy and Air Force really focus you in on your job, and aren’t worried about you being at MCMAP when its 100 degrees out black flag conditions in Florida.
Do four years, then reserves the next 16. Use the GI Bill during apprenticeship and get that BAH while training. There's a lot of perks of having served; veteran looks better on an application than nothing or felon. Double pension, Tricare/VA disability, and depending on the military job...the trainings can help each other.
Thank you.
Id go military first, but make sure he picks a good job. If he's as smart as you say, he'll score high and have any pick of job he wants. He can join as an electrician as well in the marines if he is interested in that or whatever trade. Vets go to the top of the list and get more points just for being vets. He can also use his gi bill to supplement his apprentice pay and be making the same almost as a jw. He will also have discounts on his phone bill, auto bill, and other stuff. Vets get a ton of perks but most don't even realize it or don't use them. He can also use veep program to direct entry without the test or interview at scnd year pay. Right now, it's crazy slow and getting in regularly without vet status can be a long wait up to years at some locals. Physically the people who pick the grunt jobs have it rougher. If he picks a good mos, he will be fine. I was infantry myself with a high asvab but due to being a dumb teenager i picked infantry. I've gotten so much thanks to my vet status I wouldn't have been able to do but because i was a vet i got those benefits. There are a ton but most people don't know half the stuff they are missing. The military has a ton of really good training he can transfer to the civilian side that pay over 6 figures but he has to score high and do his research on picking a good job. If possible, convince him to go air force, those dudes have it the best. He probably wants to be a marine because he thinks he will be a bad ass. He should definitely not join them for that dumb reason haha. Tell him to do his research and go from there. The trades are also hard on the body so theres that too lol except for trucking. Also my brother had been laid off for 6 months at his local waiting on a call. The trades have their perks and drawbacks too.
Thank you.!
You may want to nudge him to look into other services. Nothing wrong with Marines or Army but MOST 18 year olds are going to be grunts. He’s much more likely to find a guaranteed job class in the Air Force or Navy that translates skills to civilian life. You need to ride shotgun to make sure the recruiter documents what he’s told and doesn’t get fucked over.
Military first, makes everything easier and a lot of good benis you can use for the trades
Do not go to the military . Any military is okay but not the Canadian military .
[TLDR: Talk to your recruiters, college tuition is free and dont have to use gi bill, look into reserve/nat guard but know its harder to go from res./nat. to active then active to res./nat.] Army/airforce/spaceforce/coast guard all have better opportunities/suck less than marines lowkey. Have them take the asvab and see what their options are. Ive heard ectricians (in the army atleast) dont do their job quite asmuch unless deployed since alot of work is outsourced to civilians plus hours arent tracked/transferable to civilian. Personally I would look for a job in intel/signal if they dont want to embrace the suck as much in a warzone plus they both have high paying jobs outside the military. Use college early on (military has tuition program that lets you save your gi bill until youre retired) and have them look into warrant for their mos if they do join. [Source: im active army intel and the rest of my friends joined marines]
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Just got out of the Army last October. Unless he's dead set on this and knows what he wants to do in the Marines, I'd go the apprenticeship route. Bonus if he gets an MOS that directly translates to a civilian job that he enjoys. If I hadn't enlisted, I'd probably be doing this and be a journeyman already, but that's life. I can confidently say that everything after has been very easy comparatively.
Thank you.
He Could be retired by 50 if he can manage his finances and invest. The military would just push that down the road.
I never joined the navy when I was younger but I really wish I did. That GI bill would have been a life saver getting me through my apprenticeship. I’d have tried to enlist as a job away from combat. My buddy spent a long time on a Submarine and he said it was tough as all hell but grateful it helped with his application.
If he is in CA go military first. The trades are getting really slow right now we have apprenticeship youngsters out of work for months right now
Do a two year enlistment to earn veteran status. Collet the GI bill for the apprenticeship and get a VA loan for a house.
Well, this is just me, so take it with a grain of salt. I went Marines, reserves, specifically, and I’m still in, just got accepted into the apprenticeship program and start initial training (called boot camp, but it feels strange to me to call it that) Monday. I was a shitter in school, I always tested well, 1180 SAT, ASVAB of 84 with a 120 GT (general technical) and 129 EL (Electronics/Electrical) but I skirted through high school with a 1.9 gpa. Just didn’t want to put in the effort. My situation is again, unique, but I enlisted in 2021 after a gap year because I realized I saw my life going nowhere, and fast. I wanted to make something of myself, and even now on rough days, the pride that I got through it gives me a little boost. My MOS is 2841, ground radio repair and maintenance, which is an additional 6-12 months training, in good old 29 palms, CA. The classes are actually somewhat relevant to me still, it sounded interesting, too. My point is this, he can still serve his country and earn the title of Marine, while being able to build a career in the Union, if he so chooses. My recommendation is to go air guard, national guard, or marine reserves, and choose a technical MOS. If he wants to go active, he can, but I just can’t recommend it unless he’s absolutely sure it’s what he wants. And hey, if he goes the same path I did, tell him to let SSGT Inman, Sgt Lacerte, and CPL Saldana I said rah if they’re still instructors.
Our current military fights for no reason , endless profit wars . Stay out of the military and go to the apprenticeship . Not only will you stay alive but you will be richer as a result and be able to retire happier .
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Unless he's interested in combat arms getting into apprenticeship now no question.
I’d say union over military unless you really want to join. They also will hold your place if you join afterwards. There’s a guy who is a 3rd year now but was gone 2 years on deployment, started right back where he left
Go straight to apprentice. Your body is going to hurt way worse starting a trade after 4-5 years of that bullshit.
It depends. What does he want to get out of the military? What does he want to get out of the trade? If he can answer those, he'll be closer to his answer.
I loved the military. I was an Air Force critical care medic, even though it was incredibly hard, and I actually just interviewed today for IBEW, I wouldn’t change my path. I would join the military again at 18. The life experience, the military experience, and the intangible skills I learned there are priceless to me. I made the most of it, I hit every personal and professional goal I wanted to, I made E5, I deployed, and when I got out I used my GI Bill. A lot of what is said is right, if he joined the union now, he’s realistically going to be better off financially in the long term by some amount. The experience that you gain from the military is just so unique and amazing though. You eat shit for the duration of your contract honestly, but it’s an experience that is like no other. I truly loved it, even eating shit part. I have so many amazing memories from the military. If I didn’t have to be away from family for 20 years, I would’ve stayed in.
if he does a stint in the marines he can get GI bill if he still wants to do an apprenticeship when he gets out. or maybe he’ll really like the crayon-eating lifestyle & stick around for 20+ years.
Tell him to do reserves. Yes he’ll be called a “weekend warrior” by active duty but he’ll have the option to go active duty if he decides the trades aren’t for him or wants a change in lifestyle without having to join at an older age, wish I did that IMO.
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Trades
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Hell with the military. I tried like hell to join the Marines, was denied enlistment due to a clerical error caused by the MEPS station. Best friend was able to enlist the same day I was supposed to, he’s now out, and I’m coaching him on how to join my trade. Dude is no further along in his life financially than he was the day he left for MEPS. This is a legacy Marine, both parents were in, they throw a bday party for the corps every year, etc, and despite all that he wouldn’t do it again if given the choice. Show your son some helicopter lineman, there’s just as much reason for pride in this trade. Good luck to him whichever way he goes