The United States Army is chalked full of happy men and woman from all across America and other countries and hundreds are enlisting everyday. It�s no secret as to why they are so excited about joining, mainly because it�s an excellent opportunity that wouldn�t otherwise be possible for them if they didn�t join. For individuals considering joining the ranks, a deep commitment is always required in order to enlist. A willingness to leave old lifestyles behind, a desire to becoming the best that you possibly can both mentally and physically, the ability to adapt and learn how to become a soldier and the desire to become a team player in the finest Army in the world. If you are one of these people then you will appreciate this article, because it outlines the journey you will be taking throughout the pre and post enlistment process.
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The process starts by contacting an Army recruiter and telling them that you are interested in knowing more information. The recruiter you contact will always be happy to schedule an in home or office appointment to discuss your goals, the pre-qualifications, enlistment options, Army benefits and any other questions and concerns you or your family may have. Recruiter stations are located in just about every town in the United States which makes it very convenient for those interested in joining.
If you are happy with the initial information the recruiter presented to you and the recruiter has determined that you would be a good candidate to go further with the process, you will then be scheduled at your convenience, to take an ASVAB test. The ASVAB test abbreviation stands for Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Test. Test results determine whether or not one qualifies for military service, and if so, what jobs they qualify for. You can find in depth information about the ASVAB test on Wikipedia. Locations for taking the ASVAB depends on where your geographical location is within the United States or abroad, but your recruiter will tell you where you will be taking it.
After successful completion of the ASVAB, and if you have obtained acceptable scores to enter the Army, you then will be scheduled to go to your most local MEPS to start a series steps to start processing. The acronym MEPS stands for The United States Military Entrances Processing Station and there are 65 of them located throughout the United States. At the MEPS you will be going through a series screening; to include, health screenings like vision, blood pressure, blood work, hearing, height and weight, urinalysis, breathalyzer and for woman a pregnancy test. You will also go through a moral/background exam to insure you do not have anything in your past that will disqualify you for service. After successful completion of all mentioned steps and you qualify to go further or are deemed fit for duty, you will then be presented with available career training. Careers will be presented to you according to the scores you achieved on the ASVAB test. All careers presented will b e explained to you to help making your decision easier. The Army has over 200 career training opportunities, from computer technician to animal care specialist, so it is very important that you ask for information on all occupations that you are interested in before going to the MEPS station to insure your experience and the decision you make is that much easier. After you have made your decision, you will also meet with a service counselor to negotiate and sign your service enlistment contracts and swear an entrance oath.
After successful completion of all of the above stated prerequisites, it won�t be long until you you�re off to basic combat training or BCT. Basic Combat Training is a live in, seven days a week, 24 hour a day program designed to mould you into a soldier. It�s a step by step training that will teach you everything from A-Z to becoming a knowledgeable, disciplined and fit asset for your service to your country. The training is hard for most and it will test you physically and emotionally, but it does build your confidence and self esteem with everything you go through. One can expect getting yelled at by your drill instructor everyday (never take this personal, it�s all part of the training), get out of bed very early, go to bed very late, clean, clean, clean, march everyday with and with a rucksack on your back, learn facing movements (drill and ceremony) with and without your personal weapon, sing, yes sing cadence songs while marching and running, qualify with your perso nal assigned weapon, complete combat related task both individually and using the buddy system, do a lot of push up�s, do a lot running and lots, lots more. A word of advice before you go, if you are not the most fit person in the world or need to loose some weight before you go to BCT, contact your recruiter. He or she will be more than happy to give you a plan and help you work on improving your over all fitness and decrease weight before you set off to BCT. BCT is generally 8 to 10 weeks long and sometimes depending on the job specialty you�ve signed up for, it can last up to 15 weeks or more.
After graduation from BCT you will then proceed directly to Advanced Individual Training or AIT. This is where you will be in school learning the job you have chosen to do in the Army. This is also a 7 day a week, 24 hour a day, live in environment, but it is slightly more relaxed, just slightly however. You will be living in a barracks setting just like where you were living in BCT and everything you learned there will apply here, like cleanliness and orderly living. Your day will typically start before the sun comes up, doing physical fitness training or P.T. This is vital to your performance in AIT and will become a big part of your life while you serve. You will march with your class to go eat 3 times a day and you march to and from class each day. AIT classes vary in time needed to train you; it all depends on the technicality of the job skill you signed up for. You will know how long training will last and where you will be going to complete your training by your rec ruiter before you go to BCT.
Your decision to becoming a soldier in the United States Army is a valuable one. For many people it has broken chains of poverty that plague families and will make everyone willing to accept the challenge a viable and marketable asset to society. The benefits are vast and great, and in my opinion and others, the sense of accomplishment and being part of a team of warriors engaged, so other�s can live free is all worth going through.
This article is presented by me, Staff Sergeant William C. Barron (freeopp), a retired Transportation Corps veteran of the United States Army. I would like to dedicate this article to those who make the great choice to serve, to those still serving and most of all to those who have given their lives, by making the ultimate sacrifice, so everyone can live in freedom.
I would like to close by presenting you with a quote form my retirement plaque by George L. Skypeck:
�I was that which others did not want to be. I went where others feared to go, and did what others failed to do. I asked nothing from those who gave nothing and reluctantly accepted the thoughts of eternal loneliness�should I fail. I have seen the face of terror: felt the stinging cold of fear: and enjoyed the sweet taste of a moments love. I have cried, pained, and hoped�but most of all, I have lived times others say were best forgotten. At least someday I will be able to say that I was proud of what I was�a soldier.�
Soldiers! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your service! Hooah!
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