My little brother is trying to join the military. I did four years active duty Air Force and I really liked it. I only got out and went Guard so I could settle down here in SLC with my wife. She has a Masters and a great job, so I wasn't about to make her follow an enlisted guy around. Now I have a great full-time job with the Utah ANG and have roots here. Joining was the best decision I've ever made. I'm trying to help my brother get his life on track by joining. That being said, I only have first hand knowledge of the AF, so that's the direction I've tried to push him. But maybe he should consider other branches as well. Here's a little about him.
He is one of those "late bloomers." That's best case scenario too, I think. He's 26, lives with our dad in El Paso, has very little stable work experience, and pretty much just plays video games all the time. I think he's had two jobs that he stayed with for more than a few months. He has no formal education. He's the type of kid that will not take initiative to get up and do something, but if you ask him to he immediately says "sure thing" and gets right up and does it. It's just that he needs to be told first.
I don't want to see him still living with our dad at age 30, still having done nothing with his life. The family coddles him and enables him to do nothing. I'm the only one who is straight up with him and calls him on his crap. He REALLY wants to join. He's been working with an Air Force recruiter down there for about a year. He was pretty overweight when he started talking to the recruiter. He was about 6'0" and 275 lbs. The recruiter told him that he needed to get down to 208 lbs. to get in. To my disbelief, he actually busted his ass and got down below his goal weight. He's been at the goal weight for three months now and the recruiter seems to be just giving him the run-around. Maybe he doesn't like his personality. Maybe he thinks he's lazy (he is). But I saw recruits worse than my brother turn their lives around in the Air Force. I want the same for him and he wants it.
I'd say there's a good chance he's one of those kids the military could make a man out of and he could finally start a career. But there's also a chance he won't make it through basic. There are some people you just don't know about until they try.
This AF recruiter for some reason is not on top of trying to get my brother in, so I'm wondering if he should think about talking to other branches. I will say that I know a lot of guys that have been army, and every single one of them is either out doing nothing now or crossed over to the AF. I don't know anyone in the Navy currently.
Anyone in the Army/Navy that can share your thoughts, opinions, and experiences with the branch you serve?
He is one of those "late bloomers." That's best case scenario too, I think. He's 26, lives with our dad in El Paso, has very little stable work experience, and pretty much just plays video games all the time. I think he's had two jobs that he stayed with for more than a few months. He has no formal education. He's the type of kid that will not take initiative to get up and do something, but if you ask him to he immediately says "sure thing" and gets right up and does it. It's just that he needs to be told first.
I don't want to see him still living with our dad at age 30, still having done nothing with his life. The family coddles him and enables him to do nothing. I'm the only one who is straight up with him and calls him on his crap. He REALLY wants to join. He's been working with an Air Force recruiter down there for about a year. He was pretty overweight when he started talking to the recruiter. He was about 6'0" and 275 lbs. The recruiter told him that he needed to get down to 208 lbs. to get in. To my disbelief, he actually busted his ass and got down below his goal weight. He's been at the goal weight for three months now and the recruiter seems to be just giving him the run-around. Maybe he doesn't like his personality. Maybe he thinks he's lazy (he is). But I saw recruits worse than my brother turn their lives around in the Air Force. I want the same for him and he wants it.
I'd say there's a good chance he's one of those kids the military could make a man out of and he could finally start a career. But there's also a chance he won't make it through basic. There are some people you just don't know about until they try.
This AF recruiter for some reason is not on top of trying to get my brother in, so I'm wondering if he should think about talking to other branches. I will say that I know a lot of guys that have been army, and every single one of them is either out doing nothing now or crossed over to the AF. I don't know anyone in the Navy currently.
Anyone in the Army/Navy that can share your thoughts, opinions, and experiences with the branch you serve?