FA+
Shop
Life Decision...
11 years ago
The following journal may or may not be crazy to you. Enjoi~
As some of you may know, and the rest of you probably assume, I'm currently enrolled in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. That is a 4-year program through college to become an officer in the United States Air Force after said years with sufficient GPA, performance, and of course a Bachelor Degree.
Of course it's not as simple as that. The Air Force isn't going to commission every last person that goes into the program. With how shit the economy is going, the Air Force is hiring less and less people to be officers. I can count the amount of fourth-year cadets on my hands, and even those ones aren't all going to be selected even though they beyond exceed all requirements. However they are contracted nonetheless after they complete Field Training after your second year (which maybe around 30% of the cadets make, the others are forced to drop). So basically, the Air Force has to do something with them even if they don't want them to be officers, so they get forced to enlist and do whatever poop duty for the contract's length.
Me, I want to have the best chance of having a job after I'm done with college. I've always wanted to join the military and raise high up, but with the direction of the economy chances are slim to be an officer. Beyond that, if I'd stay in ROTC then potential employers would be repelled because the path looks like I'd be going into the Air Force after college, so if that doesn't work I'd be royally screwed.
In addition, I'm not too crazy about becoming an officer anymore. I wanted to explore this opportunity, but it's just too slim of an opportunity, and it doesn't fit me. Yes, I'm very dominant and I can and will lead, but I'm not the kind of person that wants to separate myself from everyone else to be regarded as higher. Those of you that know my fursona, he is more than capable of being a god of this world and more, but he has no interest in being a god and despises being worshiped. That's how I am. I don't want someone to suck my dick just to get things out of me, nor do I want to be regarded as higher over everyone. Yes I do want to be respected as a leader though as I am capable, but I am just like everyone else. I'd prefer to earn my respect and positions, to be brought up to the positions for my capabilities. I will NOT hold myself to a higher standard because someone forces me to. I have my own personal standards, and so does everyone else. You do not write my life, I write my life.
Another thing that is really turning me off to the military in general is the fact that I wanted to join to protect the people of my country, not to go to Iraq just because they have oil and is close enough to where we kinda maybe saw a terrorist so people won't question it too much. Ever questioned why we went to Iraq when we knew Bin Laden was in Afghanistan? Yes going abroad to fuck up factions like ISIL is something I agree with, but not terrorizing a country because we're jealous of their oil.
If I will have anything to do with the military, I will join either the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard; or if I cannot secure a job after college I will enlist. Other than that, I'm pretty set on withdrawing from ROTC. If anyone opposes this decision, please speak up. I am looking for advice. I'm also asking irl friends and family.
Of course it's not as simple as that. The Air Force isn't going to commission every last person that goes into the program. With how shit the economy is going, the Air Force is hiring less and less people to be officers. I can count the amount of fourth-year cadets on my hands, and even those ones aren't all going to be selected even though they beyond exceed all requirements. However they are contracted nonetheless after they complete Field Training after your second year (which maybe around 30% of the cadets make, the others are forced to drop). So basically, the Air Force has to do something with them even if they don't want them to be officers, so they get forced to enlist and do whatever poop duty for the contract's length.
Me, I want to have the best chance of having a job after I'm done with college. I've always wanted to join the military and raise high up, but with the direction of the economy chances are slim to be an officer. Beyond that, if I'd stay in ROTC then potential employers would be repelled because the path looks like I'd be going into the Air Force after college, so if that doesn't work I'd be royally screwed.
In addition, I'm not too crazy about becoming an officer anymore. I wanted to explore this opportunity, but it's just too slim of an opportunity, and it doesn't fit me. Yes, I'm very dominant and I can and will lead, but I'm not the kind of person that wants to separate myself from everyone else to be regarded as higher. Those of you that know my fursona, he is more than capable of being a god of this world and more, but he has no interest in being a god and despises being worshiped. That's how I am. I don't want someone to suck my dick just to get things out of me, nor do I want to be regarded as higher over everyone. Yes I do want to be respected as a leader though as I am capable, but I am just like everyone else. I'd prefer to earn my respect and positions, to be brought up to the positions for my capabilities. I will NOT hold myself to a higher standard because someone forces me to. I have my own personal standards, and so does everyone else. You do not write my life, I write my life.
Another thing that is really turning me off to the military in general is the fact that I wanted to join to protect the people of my country, not to go to Iraq just because they have oil and is close enough to where we kinda maybe saw a terrorist so people won't question it too much. Ever questioned why we went to Iraq when we knew Bin Laden was in Afghanistan? Yes going abroad to fuck up factions like ISIL is something I agree with, but not terrorizing a country because we're jealous of their oil.
If I will have anything to do with the military, I will join either the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard; or if I cannot secure a job after college I will enlist. Other than that, I'm pretty set on withdrawing from ROTC. If anyone opposes this decision, please speak up. I am looking for advice. I'm also asking irl friends and family.
What I just said is the greatest thing you've read in the past however
long it took you to read that journal. 
I, myself, had the option of attending the ROTC Program and I would have done so had I been less stubborn and more interested in "going the road alone" through college. I was in a state of continual financial duress and in the end I made it through, but at high cost. Two years later, I could not find employment of any kind with a Humanities degree. Employment will be difficult no matter which path you choose, and it is an unfortunate fact: our military isn't the only market to lose a great number of jobs of late.
Now, however, I have enlisted in the United States Navy, following in a long line of family tradition of being military men and women, dating as far back as the Dark Ages. While such a thing is unimportant to your case, I must stress that there is no shame in serving the military, even if sometimes its actions are questionable -no matter what work you do, your tax dollars and your efforts support what the sovereign state we all serve chooses to do -invading another country whether for oil or for justice is a bill we all pay, soldier or not. It is less a factor to a servant of the armed forces and more a factor for us all.
If you wish to join a branch of the military still (yes, here it comes), I do recommend the Navy for a variety of reasons, including the lack of exposure to ground warfare (unless you're medical), the increased rate of advancement opportunity, and there is less of a division between officers and enlisted men in a sense of aloofness. True, they say the sea is a fickle mistress, but so is the call of duty no matter where or who you serve. And the Navy's motto differs from the rest: "Mission First, Sailors Always."
The financial reasoning for choosing the Navy is also that they are not suffering personnel cuts at this time nor should they be in the near future: they already did their draw down about four years prior and budget cuts now come in the form of equipment adjustments rather than employee termination. In short: the slots are out there to get, and while they may not be easy to obtain, they still exist which is more than can be said of the Air Force currently.
I can't tell you what to do, and I would never want to, but I can tell you that your election to try the military path was certainly a good one, and I would recommend you stick to it -although perhaps with a different branch, one that can give you a better chance at employment post-graduation.
I rambled a little more than I wanted to, but I hope somewhere in there I said something useful. You can always note me or whatnot if you want to discuss it further with me.
I will most likely end up just joining the (Air?) National Guard in the next few years is all. ROTC isn't for me, especially the added stress it gives me in college when I'm already a BSEE major.