stint in the service?

[dkl1986]

im currently testing for a number of different depts in ca, plus the nypd, and i'm doing fairly well in the preliminary stages (e.g. scored pretty high on the written, passed an oral board, starting two backgrounds). however, my concern is my employment history. this is not a post where i'm going to elaborate on my employment history, or what i have/don't have going for me, but rather something i'm thinking about.

if i don't get accepted to one of the depts i'm applying for, i'm considering enlisting, possibly ocs, in the usn. i'm a super-senior in college (5th and final year) and will be graduating in may 2009. for the most part, i have a squeaky clean record (haven't touched pot in over 5 years, rarely drink, never arrested). from what i've read on here, a good record of serving with an honorable discharge may make up for something lacking in the employment history area.

some final thoughts... i've always considered the service. there's never been a huge tradition in my family of seving, though one of my grandpas was a wwii vet for the us, another a wwii vet for the phillipines, and a step-grandpa (rip) who served as an mmc in the usn. being a cop is something i've wanted to do since i was 17 (now 22). i figure, if it's something i seriously want, it's worth the wait. plus, i can finally go forward with something i've always had an itch to do, joining the service.

any thoughts on this?

[manahmanah]

I will give you my standard reply for this type of question. If you are going to serve in the armed forces, no matter what branch, do it out of your desire to serve, not to help you in some other aspect of your life.

People who join "for the college money" or "to learn a skill" tend to be very unhappy with their often short military careers and end up doing something stupid while in, or otherwise regretting it when they wind up in a hot LZ in 130 degree heat because they tend to forget that the individual service member's job is to kill America's enemies.

With that being said, if you do have the desire to serve, I think you should. I was a Marine for 8 years. It was the best and worst years of my life, but I would not change a thing about it. To this day, there is not a single day I do NOT reminisce about my time in The Corps. The intangibles the armed forces give you can not be gained in any other walk of life. If I were you, I would go in as an officer since you are almost done college.

Best of luck to you.

[dkl1986]

thanks for the words of wisdom. i've actually considered the service before i ever thought seriously about being a cop. i do agree that if one were to join the service, or anything for that matter, it should be done because one had a strong central desire, not something small like the financial rewards of whatnot.

i'll keep your words under advisement. thanks again for the response!

[H.R. Cufnstuf]

There is no such thing as a stint in the military in my own opinion. You either do well and realize it's more beneficial to stay in or do poorly and end up getting out, getting kicked out, etc. and have essentially wasted four years of your life where you could be doing something more productive.

A few years ago I was just like you, figured a few years in the military would help develop me professionally and would be a decent job for the time being. Here I am now with nearly six years obligated service (you'll be asked to extend to take new assignments, at least in the Navy), making nearly $50k/year, and a $25,000 re-enlistment bonus being waived in my face. I would be a fool not to stay in at this point.

[dkl1986]

maybe stint is the wrong choise of words. i understand it's a committment... a HUGE committment, so it's why i'm taking my time to decide what would be best to do. but it does sound interesting and something i am definately considering.

thanks for the input!

[Kyle G]

There is no such thing as a stint in the military in my own opinion. You either do well and realize it's more beneficial to stay in or do poorly and end up getting out, getting kicked out, etc. and have essentially wasted four years of your life where you could be doing something more productive.

Completely false. I did 4 years. Received all EP's on my evals. 2 Nams. And made it from E-1 to E-5 in a little over 3 years. I did extremely well, however I got out to pursue a career in LE. Just because you do well doesn't mean that it is more beneficial to stay in. And everyone who gets out isn't a sh*itbag. That lifestyle isn't for everyone.

[Stub]

any thoughts on this?

Join the military. You will experience things your peers can only read about or watch on TV. Serving in the military opens doors, broadens horizons, and generally, returns a better product to society.

Your experience, training and development will better prepare you for a future career in law enforcement.

[mcsap]

There is no such thing as a stint in the military in my own opinion. You either do well and realize it's more beneficial to stay in or do poorly and end up getting out, getting kicked out, etc. and have essentially wasted four years of your life where you could be doing something more productive.

A few years ago I was just like you, figured a few years in the military would help develop me professionally and would be a decent job for the time being. Here I am now with nearly six years obligated service (you'll be asked to extend to take new assignments, at least in the Navy), making nearly $50k/year, and a $25,000 re-enlistment bonus being waived in my face. I would be a fool not to stay in at this point.

I went in the USAF at age 17 ( Security Police) I didnt want to be the head french fry maker but didn't want to go to college either. SO I consider my going in as one of the best things I have ever done. I consider the next best thing the fact that I got out.

I served honorably, learned ( matured ) a lot but had no desire to make a career out of it. They got their moneys worth out of me and I them. I made buck Sgt , got good evals and could certainly have re-enlisted but I did not do poorly nor did I waste four years of my life.

I stayed out of trouble , saw the WORLD for free and travelled alll over this country. It was a great experience and it helped me get the job I have to day but it was not a career choice for me. ( and many ,many others who have done the same)