I'm looking for some advice from the military members here.
Let me start with a little background so you know where I'm coming from. I'm a 27 year old aerospace engineer. I feel old just saying that. I swear I was 18 just the other day.
Anyway, I've got a good job at a great company. I've got no complaints. The pay is lower-than-average but I like what I do. I'm only an hour and a half from my home town, friends, and family. But, I'm getting a little cooped up and I feel it may be time for a new adventure. When I think about the future I don't get excited about the thought of being an old man and telling stories about my days in the office with a calculator and femap. Nor do I look forward to waking up still in the same town ten years from now. I need some adventure, I want to travel, I want to do something memorable and big.
A large part of the reason I chose to pursue engineering after high school was because it is unanimously ranked as the most difficult four year degree available (I was also told that it payed well and I was a good fit). I've always liked to challenge myself so I went for it. I wanted a good challenge and to prove to myself that I could earn the most difficult 4 year degree there is. As I stated earlier, I earned the degree and landed an awesome job designing carbon fiber jets and airplanes. I enjoy engineering and the everyday challenges I meet. However, I think I am ready to move on. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do and there is a great sense of pride and accomplishment that goes along with the title and the work. But I feel like there is more out there that I can do. I want to do it.
That's what has got me thinking about the military. I realize I may be a little older than the average recruit, but I don't think it's too late. Naturally I looked for the most difficult and challenging way to get my foot in the door. I've been basically obsessed with the SEALs for a while now. As strange as it sounds, BUD/S sounds like a blast to me. That's not to say I think it's easy. I'm not an idiot. I just like to have big goals. I realize that prep, BUD/S and SQT are an unrealistic goals at my age, and for 80% of the people that attempt it. I've watched the full Class 234 documentary a couple times and read everything I could find. Plus, it seems unlikely that Id be able to meet the swimming requirement before the age cutoff anyway.
That being said, I want to do something big with my life, and the bigger the challenge the better. I'm attracted to two very different military roles. The first is a pilot, in any branch. Preferably in the jets, but I know thats not entirely up to me. The second is a sniper, preferrably in the Marines. Now, I know what you're thinking, I probably sound like a 17 year old looking to be a superhero picking roles based off of action movies I've seen. But those are two things that I've been passionate about my whole life. I've been hunting and shooting rifles since before I was strong enough to hold them up on my own. I would consider myself to be much better than the average when it comes to shooting. Obviously I've got a thing for airplanes, and being paid to fly would be a great day in my book.
Sorry for the long rant. But for you military guys, what is the preferred route to either of these roles? I've searched online with mixed results and varying opinions. I assume there is no "for sure" route to either one. I'd like to do both if I could, to be honest. However, once one becomes and officer to get into flight school, sniper school goes out the window. What are the pros and cons of being a pilot or sniper in each of the branches?
Any advice, stories, or suggestions?
Let me start with a little background so you know where I'm coming from. I'm a 27 year old aerospace engineer. I feel old just saying that. I swear I was 18 just the other day.
Anyway, I've got a good job at a great company. I've got no complaints. The pay is lower-than-average but I like what I do. I'm only an hour and a half from my home town, friends, and family. But, I'm getting a little cooped up and I feel it may be time for a new adventure. When I think about the future I don't get excited about the thought of being an old man and telling stories about my days in the office with a calculator and femap. Nor do I look forward to waking up still in the same town ten years from now. I need some adventure, I want to travel, I want to do something memorable and big.
A large part of the reason I chose to pursue engineering after high school was because it is unanimously ranked as the most difficult four year degree available (I was also told that it payed well and I was a good fit). I've always liked to challenge myself so I went for it. I wanted a good challenge and to prove to myself that I could earn the most difficult 4 year degree there is. As I stated earlier, I earned the degree and landed an awesome job designing carbon fiber jets and airplanes. I enjoy engineering and the everyday challenges I meet. However, I think I am ready to move on. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do and there is a great sense of pride and accomplishment that goes along with the title and the work. But I feel like there is more out there that I can do. I want to do it.
That's what has got me thinking about the military. I realize I may be a little older than the average recruit, but I don't think it's too late. Naturally I looked for the most difficult and challenging way to get my foot in the door. I've been basically obsessed with the SEALs for a while now. As strange as it sounds, BUD/S sounds like a blast to me. That's not to say I think it's easy. I'm not an idiot. I just like to have big goals. I realize that prep, BUD/S and SQT are an unrealistic goals at my age, and for 80% of the people that attempt it. I've watched the full Class 234 documentary a couple times and read everything I could find. Plus, it seems unlikely that Id be able to meet the swimming requirement before the age cutoff anyway.
That being said, I want to do something big with my life, and the bigger the challenge the better. I'm attracted to two very different military roles. The first is a pilot, in any branch. Preferably in the jets, but I know thats not entirely up to me. The second is a sniper, preferrably in the Marines. Now, I know what you're thinking, I probably sound like a 17 year old looking to be a superhero picking roles based off of action movies I've seen. But those are two things that I've been passionate about my whole life. I've been hunting and shooting rifles since before I was strong enough to hold them up on my own. I would consider myself to be much better than the average when it comes to shooting. Obviously I've got a thing for airplanes, and being paid to fly would be a great day in my book.
Sorry for the long rant. But for you military guys, what is the preferred route to either of these roles? I've searched online with mixed results and varying opinions. I assume there is no "for sure" route to either one. I'd like to do both if I could, to be honest. However, once one becomes and officer to get into flight school, sniper school goes out the window. What are the pros and cons of being a pilot or sniper in each of the branches?
Any advice, stories, or suggestions?
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