purpled_out_tC

I didn't read the whole thig yet, but I'm in the Navy and for us you can come in as an E-3 if you have a certain amount of college credits, so the E-4 thing isn't surprising for the Army considering how they need people. Also, in the Navy depending on your field you can get automatic E-5, for instance a nuke gets E-5 after time in grade and auto E-4 when finished with boot camp or their first school (don't remember which).

To me the automatic E-5 doesn't sound like BS because the Army Intel people get automatic E-5--but I don't know after how long, probably after time in grade. But if it's true then they obviously need people in that field. Then again I'm not Army, so idk for sure.

Whatever rank you go in with and come out of school with really doesn't matter to an extend. If you respect the lower ranks, people that have been there and have the experience that's the key. It's the people that come in with the rank and think they know everything, so the lower rank can't teach them anything b/c the higher person has their head up there ***. Or when you report to any new command and try a run shop from the gate; listen to those that have been there. Rank, IMO--again to an extend, tells DFAS how much you should be getting paid. Just b/c you have a certain rank doesn't mean you should be running the show. Granted yeah you're expected to have leadership abilities and yada yada, but when it all boils down we're still human and can't know everything. I've have bad Chiefs (E-7s) and above, bad First Class POs (E-6) that have been in for e respectable amount of time; didn't promote quickly--but they sucked at being a good all around leader. Pretty much what I'm saying is: being a good leader doesn't mean time in or the rank; it's all in the person.

The Air Force to me has a different take on rank than the other services, imo. They advance the slowest so yeah their airmen have more time to develop leadership and job skills. But tht mean everyone else is less proficent in their respective service b/c there is a faster advancement rate.

End Rant, lol, I didn't expect to type that much.

purpled_out_tC

After serving two 6month deployments with Marines and sharing the same schoolhouse with Marines; I have to speak on this. Your statment depends on what field they're are in. Meet a Marine in the Intel field then come back to me. They're some of the smartest people in the military. This coming from someone that doesn't favor the Marines, as they generally talk bad about the Navy and think they're the best since sliced bread--so my opinion is far from bias. The Intel ones are a different though, the grunts are typically the ones that give the Marines a bad name (not to say all grunts are stupid or stuck on themselves).

and the wall comparsion, that's in how they're trained. I wouldn't want to be in the battlefield with a Marine that was verbally calling to someone to halt. They shoot first, ask questions later.

djfooboo

I've never been in a car club before, what exactly do you do? If I have to put one of those giant stickers on my car you can definitely count me out. Those things are humongous.

nuke

Nukes get E-4 after completion of A-school. And E-5 by either star reenlisting
for 2 years or taking the test for it like every one else.

RusWolf

iTrader: (3)

One thing purpled said is very close to what the guy from the offuce said, the ppl at my assigned duty station most likely will NOT be in private rank..

xFistsClenchedx

I know it's how they're trained. I consider it a part of the Marines mentality though. I think I admitted earlier that I was generalizing. Im pretty sure most of the Marines I saw were infantry of some kind or MPs. Any intel people I met were Army.

Let me do another example of the difference between the Air Force and the Marines. At some point, an Army Captain who worked at CENTCOM decided he would ignore the security forces telling him that he has to walk around and go through an entry control point and he just climbed the fence to get in more quickly. The Air Force security forces guys ran after him and tackled him. He was taken to General Franks and General Franks made him do laps around the base in the middle of a Florida summer in full MOP gear and carrying something like an M60 in his hands. General Franks (an Army 4 star General at the time) asked why he wasn't shot. If the Marines had been guarding that area, the Army Captain would have been killed just because he was late for work or something and wanted to get there quicker by jumping the fence. I also had an opportunity where I could have shot one of the coalition guys because he drove through an entry control point without showing ID. Fortunately, I took a second to think about whether I should fire or not because the guy hit his brakes about 20 yards past me and hit reverse apologizing. He was just knew to the base and didn't know the procedures. So I could have killed that guy if I hadn't thought about what I was doing. I know that you can't do that in the battlefield but I was at US Central Command.

Higgy

Its a small banner sticker that goes across the top of your windshield. It isnt necessary either. You dont have to put it on. If you want more info you can shoot me a pm and ill give you my number to call.

Nick06tC

Congrats on orders to Yokota!!!

I am stationed in Guam now. I have been stationed in Germany and Itay as well. Did one assignment for 2 yeas in Virginia, HATED IT.

Overseas is so much better than stateside. You will love the COLA as well!!!

purpled_out_tC

LOL, I haven't met many people that like VA, esp. if you were in southern VA.

RusWolf

iTrader: (3)

can you guys enlighten me why dont you like VA ?

i think i would love to be stationed in VA not too far from NY and plus i can seel Capitals play and Ovechkin

java09

VA is military everywhere.. it sucks.. go over seas you wont regret it.

RusWolf

iTrader: (3)

well ofcourse if i get an assignment to go over seas i will obviously go lol.. would not mind to be in Moscow with american embassy, lol.. ( dereams dreams dreams )

Nick06tC

It might be good for the single guy/girl who loves to go party get drunk and just waste away. But it offers nothing else. I lived in newport news (yeah a block from where Alan Iverson did his gang banging days, I had a cop killed in front of my house. Multiple break ins int he area. Drive bys. We even had an airman shoot and kill someone outside the gate!!!! The area is horrible and offers very little.
Location is decent because you can go up to DC, but traffic sucks.
I can make the best of just about anything, and did do stuff in VA. But with bases out there like Germany, Italy Japan...etc....VA is definetely not the place to be.

qrymson

Hey all. I'm completely sorry for what i said. I was having a really bad day and was self-medicating once again. My bad mix made me all fukt up and i was just reliving old times, and missing old friends. I'm normally just a mellow low-key kind of guy when I'm right in the head. Forgive me for this. I didn't mean it. Most of my buddies are still serving and I wish I was there next to them. It can make someone feel kind of sh1tty, you know? From what I've learned over my time is that anyone who serves has made the ultimate choice. The courageous choice to willingly sacrifice their life for their country. Well I don't want to go on sounding like more of an a$$ I guess. Good luck on your career, man.

Higgy

I was stationed at Ft. Eustis for my AIT right there at Newport News. Pretty slummy place. At least it was close to Busch Gardens!

Nick06tC

Ft Eustis was bad. We use to go up there if we needed a new ID card, because their wait was less. That place is pretty run down.

Oh yeah Busch Gardens was fun, and free tickets for military people!!!!

purpled_out_tC

I don't like it b/c it's a state that has a law against EVERYTHING!! And the place here I was temporarily assigned, Dam Neck/VA Beach, the people were still caught in the 60s. A white classmate and I (black female) would always go to lunch together. We had absolutely nothing going on between us. We were the only single people in the class who weren't stationed in South VA, so everyone else always went home to eat. The galley (chow hall was not good was so ever, though we ate there on occasion). Anyway we were just eating lunch--in uniform a 1 mile from the base and people would stare at us like we were completely nuts. I noticed the stares but couldn't put together why, until 2 Marines (one black, the other white) mentioned it in theclass that followed the one that I had met the white guy. I'm from San Diego, CA so to see people walking around with someone of a another race is very common.

It doesn't help that where I was temporaily assigned absolutely sucked if you didn't have a car. Great place to save money though, if you don't take a cab places.

The military being everywhere I don't really mind. 1. b/c I grew up with it (San Diego is a big Navy spot). We didn't stay in military housing but friends off my parents did and a lot of kids I went to school have father that were in the Navy. 2. Military can build a great community, when you have the right people; families looking out for one another when deployments go down, the loss of a military member, etc.

RusWolf

iTrader: (3)

Hello everyone !!!

I'm back now ! Graduated on December 17th !
Very ____ing happy that ____ is done ! ____ing people are retards, whole bunch of mother____ers that should not be there !!!

My AIT will be in Texas on GoodFellow AFB !
anyone stationed there ?

java09

congrats and welcome to the family.

purpled_out_tC

x2.

i've heard GF is in the middle of no where, like most air bases. butttt, you being army on a AF base; if it's up to AF standards you'll be living it up compared to if you were on an Army base (post).