re: okay, consensus: life coach me! by laner

April 22, 2008 12:19 PM

voting has closed for this question

dear internet,

at a crossroads and need some opinions.

background: i am in the us army. i dont really hate it, i actually dont mind it, i like deployments, i love my job, it takes me away from my husband which is a bummer, but im not quite ready to get out because there are a few things left to set myself up for the future. ive been in for five years.

i got two (kinda three) options:

1) reenlist for four more years to go to school for arabic. its a year and a half long school, and i wouldnt be able to leave right away so i would end up after the school with not quite two years remaining. i would not have an option of where they would send me then, but the most likely places are two places i DO NOT want to go. my husband would join me for the school, but would not follow me to the follow-on assignment. unlikely that i would be able to influence the follow-on to something that isn't total crap. oh yeah, and they might try to make me extend if they dont think i have "enough" time for another unit after the school, so they would force me to add more time.

2) reenlist for three more years to get a year long deployment this fall to somewhere in the land of fun, sun, and occasional jihad (remember: i like deployments because i love my job). once i got back i would have just a year and a few months to mill about and yell at privates and then i could get out with a good job skill along with practical application of that skill from the deployment. i wouldnt have to move out of this country, but the husband wouldnt come out here for anything longer than a month or so to visit during the year after that deployment.

3) get the hell out in september.

results 23 votes

1) learn a language, then try and beg your way into a decent assignment (4 votes)
 17%
2) you know you like deployment, its a shorter gig, you get all you want except the hubby every night (3 votes)
 13%
3) run away, dummy! while you still can! (15 votes)
 65%
something else that i'm not seeing? questions, perhaps? (1 vote)
 4%
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comments

  • Yuri says:

    I have met a couple of professional soldiers and ex-professional soldiers. The ones who were ex- were considering going back, the ones who still serve have tried to get away. It is obvious to everyone around them that getting out is harder the longer you leave it. Get out while you can, and my best wishes for a happy 'retirement'!
    Otherwise you might end up asking the career question in 10 years time, at which point they'll have conditioned you so nicely that you'll only be asking to keep us entertained :0)

    Apr 22, 2008 06:17 PM
  • consectari says:

    I'd say get out while you can. If you're not going to be a lifer, then why take any chances?

    Then again, I'm paranoid. I've got two cousins in the Sandpit (as they call it), one for his third tour, and I just want everyone home, even strangers on the Internet.

    Apr 24, 2008 09:58 PM
  • sheepofages says:

    Are you in fact certain you don't want to be a lifer?

    Apr 25, 2008 12:26 AM
  • laner says:

    sigh... after much pondering, i opted to take option 2. naturally, as soon as i did offers started peeking through the woodwork for opportunities on the outside, but i do still think i am making the right move. i wont be a military lifer, at least not army enlisted, but probably somewhere in the government so the time (8 years by the end) will roll over into pension. im getting 17,000 dollars (chump change when taxed and converted to the euro!) and the deployment as well as a class or two, so that should be worth it for not too much longer... i hope... but thanks everyone!

    Apr 26, 2008 06:25 AM
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