Your teen says they are leaning toward the military…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. We aren’t poor. They have other options.

Showing your ignorance. For a lot of students with many options, this is their first option. Many billionaires spent time in the military and used the skills they were taught once they left the military to make it big.

They aren’t wrong. You are correct for previous generations. But the military is no longer a popular choice for teens with good grades and enough money for other opportunities. There are exceptions, but they are the minority

It depends on what you live, I suspect. I work in a high school where our top performing students often aim for service academies. (Wealthy area, too.)

Service academies are not the same as enlisting in the marines. Kids with options are unlikely to do that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. We aren’t poor. They have other options.

Showing your ignorance. For a lot of students with many options, this is their first option. Many billionaires spent time in the military and used the skills they were taught once they left the military to make it big.

They aren’t wrong. You are correct for previous generations. But the military is no longer a popular choice for teens with good grades and enough money for other opportunities. There are exceptions, but they are the minority

It depends on what you live, I suspect. I work in a high school where our top performing students often aim for service academies. (Wealthy area, too.)

Service academies are not the same as enlisting in the marines. Kids with options are unlikely to do that

The PP said “the military,” which would include ROTC, academies, and becoming an officer. I was responding to the statement that teenagers aren’t interested in military service in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. We aren’t poor. They have other options.

Showing your ignorance. For a lot of students with many options, this is their first option. Many billionaires spent time in the military and used the skills they were taught once they left the military to make it big.

They aren’t wrong. You are correct for previous generations. But the military is no longer a popular choice for teens with good grades and enough money for other opportunities. There are exceptions, but they are the minority

It depends on what you live, I suspect. I work in a high school where our top performing students often aim for service academies. (Wealthy area, too.)

Service academies are not the same as enlisting in the marines. Kids with options are unlikely to do that

The PP said “the military,” which would include ROTC, academies, and becoming an officer. I was responding to the statement that teenagers aren’t interested in military service in general.

Ok…and in general, they are not. There isn’t nearly the same appeal as there was 20+ yrs ago

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you react as a parent today when your kid says they are thinking of joining either the Marines or the military.

I'm an Air Force veteran (officer), ROTC grad, and served for several years in the early 2000s and then got out to go to law school. A flat no for my DD, at least right now. Look, sexual harassment and assault is still an enormous problem. We'll see where it is in a decade, after the culture has finally adapted to having sexual assault prosecution decisions taken away from commanders. But even then, rejoining civilian life after the military is very very difficult and military service does not prepare you for the civilian workforce, no matter what the sales pitch says. Most people are not as lucky as I have been to get to a good law school and become a federal attorney.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you react as a parent today when your kid says they are thinking of joining either the Marines or the military.

I'm an Air Force veteran (officer), ROTC grad, and served for several years in the early 2000s and then got out to go to law school. A flat no for my DD, at least right now. Look, sexual harassment and assault is still an enormous problem. We'll see where it is in a decade, after the culture has finally adapted to having sexual assault prosecution decisions taken away from commanders. But even then, rejoining civilian life after the military is very very difficult and military service does not prepare you for the civilian workforce, no matter what the sales pitch says. Most people are not as lucky as I have been to get to a good law school and become a federal attorney.

Why doesn't it prepare you? If you had a boy also would you feel differently?

[Anonymous]

Awesome!!

[Anonymous]

If their rationale is solid, it’s a lot better than going to a private college that costs $80k a year and major in philosophy. Yes, there is a middle ground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you react as a parent today when your kid says they are thinking of joining either the Marines or the military.

I'm an Air Force veteran (officer), ROTC grad, and served for several years in the early 2000s and then got out to go to law school. A flat no for my DD, at least right now. Look, sexual harassment and assault is still an enormous problem. We'll see where it is in a decade, after the culture has finally adapted to having sexual assault prosecution decisions taken away from commanders. But even then, rejoining civilian life after the military is very very difficult and military service does not prepare you for the civilian workforce, no matter what the sales pitch says. Most people are not as lucky as I have been to get to a good law school and become a federal attorney.

I've heard so many people say this! I work at a law firm and one of the guys who works in the mail room was telling me he was in the Navy and or Marines (I can't recall which) and they trained him in telecommunications, but when he got out in civilian life he found what he'd been taught was completely outdated and useless. He worked as a security guard for a while and then wanted to work indoors and not have to wear a uniform, which is how he found his way to our mail room. He said all the security guards he knew were ex-military and couldn't get jobs in what they'd trained for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally unacceptable. I'd tell them to lean in another direction, and quick. (People here disagree, I don't care, we've already had this argument and we won't change each others' minds.)

+1. If he/she is 18, I can’t stop them, but we will pay for absolutely nothing related to this, including coming off our insurance (otherwise can stay on until 26 if needed).

They will have TriCare in the military, so don't need yours.

Oh yeah, we all know how great military health insurance is.

Obviously you are meaning to give shade, but for the pediatric specialists that were absolutely terrible in Virginia (cough, cough) Walter Reed was fantastic. Much, much better care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Totally unacceptable. I'd tell them to lean in another direction, and quick. (People here disagree, I don't care, we've already had this argument and we won't change each others' minds.)

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you react as a parent today when your kid says they are thinking of joining either the Marines or the military.

I'm an Air Force veteran (officer), ROTC grad, and served for several years in the early 2000s and then got out to go to law school. A flat no for my DD, at least right now. Look, sexual harassment and assault is still an enormous problem. We'll see where it is in a decade, after the culture has finally adapted to having sexual assault prosecution decisions taken away from commanders. But even then, rejoining civilian life after the military is very very difficult and military service does not prepare you for the civilian workforce, no matter what the sales pitch says. Most people are not as lucky as I have been to get to a good law school and become a federal attorney.

I've heard so many people say this! I work at a law firm and one of the guys who works in the mail room was telling me he was in the Navy and or Marines (I can't recall which) and they trained him in telecommunications, but when he got out in civilian life he found what he'd been taught was completely outdated and useless. He worked as a security guard for a while and then wanted to work indoors and not have to wear a uniform, which is how he found his way to our mail room. He said all the security guards he knew were ex-military and couldn't get jobs in what they'd trained for.

Maybe for enlisted…

But I was an officer and all the friends I served with (also officers) had zero problems finding good careers once out, even if there isn’t an exact skill set comparable, the leadership training alone is a huge bonus to any companies. Plus we all have college degrees in various fields. Also, are so many military careers that do directly translate: anything medical, dental, physical therapy, OT, law, HR, PR, aviation, supply chain

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you react as a parent today when your kid says they are thinking of joining either the Marines or the military.

Wonderful, it's a great career and they can easily jump into a government or government contracting job afterwards. There is a massively huge network of people that will help them when they're done.

[Anonymous]

I would tell them to go in after college with a highly specific degree. One of my friends joined after undergrad and had the Navy pay for his medical degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you react as a parent today when your kid says they are thinking of joining either the Marines or the military.

I'm an Air Force veteran (officer), ROTC grad, and served for several years in the early 2000s and then got out to go to law school. A flat no for my DD, at least right now. Look, sexual harassment and assault is still an enormous problem. We'll see where it is in a decade, after the culture has finally adapted to having sexual assault prosecution decisions taken away from commanders. But even then, rejoining civilian life after the military is very very difficult and military service does not prepare you for the civilian workforce, no matter what the sales pitch says. Most people are not as lucky as I have been to get to a good law school and become a federal attorney.

I've heard so many people say this! I work at a law firm and one of the guys who works in the mail room was telling me he was in the Navy and or Marines (I can't recall which) and they trained him in telecommunications, but when he got out in civilian life he found what he'd been taught was completely outdated and useless. He worked as a security guard for a while and then wanted to work indoors and not have to wear a uniform, which is how he found his way to our mail room. He said all the security guards he knew were ex-military and couldn't get jobs in what they'd trained for.

Maybe for enlisted…

But I was an officer and all the friends I served with (also officers) had zero problems finding good careers once out, even if there isn’t an exact skill set comparable, the leadership training alone is a huge bonus to any companies. Plus we all have college degrees in various fields. Also, are so many military careers that do directly translate: anything medical, dental, physical therapy, OT, law, HR, PR, aviation, supply chain

I find that hard to believe. As a former officer myself, I know that most former officers either wind up being billed out as contractors for federal contracts. Or they wind up in retail (Amazon warehouse, Wal-Mart, etc.) Not many people consider those *good* careers, compared to what one could do if they didn't spend their early careers in the military.

And by the way, the leadership training being a bonus to companies -- not many view it that way. Many view military leadership as more rigid, less colloborative, less creative than what one creating a start-up in your teens and 20s. Not agreeing, just saying that's the reality. There's a lot of bromides we military folk tell ourselves to make ourselves feel good, but it's just not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you react as a parent today when your kid says they are thinking of joining either the Marines or the military.

I'm an Air Force veteran (officer), ROTC grad, and served for several years in the early 2000s and then got out to go to law school. A flat no for my DD, at least right now. Look, sexual harassment and assault is still an enormous problem. We'll see where it is in a decade, after the culture has finally adapted to having sexual assault prosecution decisions taken away from commanders. But even then, rejoining civilian life after the military is very very difficult and military service does not prepare you for the civilian workforce, no matter what the sales pitch says. Most people are not as lucky as I have been to get to a good law school and become a federal attorney.

Enlisted spouse. The military can prepare you depending on your career field. My spouse had no issue getting a job after he retired. But, he got a marketable degree before he retired. The officers and others push degrees but they don't teach that you need a degree that leads to a career when you leave or retire. That is the issue. Hate to tell you, that many are doing as well as you or better, even enlisted.

Harassment and assault is everywhere.