Anonymous
Post 04/22/2025 09:53     Subject: High School to armed services?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Enlisting at 18, without any college, is probably the least financially sound option there is. The pay is low, housing is awful, and chances are good your DC is going to blow their paycheck on a sports car and/or hasty marriage.


The pay is low, but you also have zero expenses. Food, housing, and healthcare are all covered, most states waive state income tax. So long as you don’t do anything dumb like the sports car or shotgun wedding, it’s an excellent financial decision. You can save nearly all your earnings AND get college paid for.


Most states don't waive the income tax, just a few. College is not fully paid for always. And, you get a BAH which doesn't really cover everything and the health care is terrible and if they refer you off base you spend a fortune in co-pays, deductibles, etc. And, its very difficult to get appointments.


https://www.military.com/money/personal-finance/state-tax-information.html

I counted 31 states that do not tax military income. Some with some stipulations that are easy to meet (working outside of the state, etc).
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2025 07:39     Subject: High School to armed services?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Enlisting at 18, without any college, is probably the least financially sound option there is. The pay is low, housing is awful, and chances are good your DC is going to blow their paycheck on a sports car and/or hasty marriage.


The pay is low, but you also have zero expenses. Food, housing, and healthcare are all covered, most states waive state income tax. So long as you don’t do anything dumb like the sports car or shotgun wedding, it’s an excellent financial decision. You can save nearly all your earnings AND get college paid for.


Most states don't waive the income tax, just a few. College is not fully paid for always. And, you get a BAH which doesn't really cover everything and the health care is terrible and if they refer you off base you spend a fortune in co-pays, deductibles, etc. And, its very difficult to get appointments.


My friend did ROTC and was an officer. He spent some time stationed in Florida and was able to claim to be a Florida resident for the rest of his military career, even when he wasn't spending any time there. As a result, he was able to avoid income taxes. I don't know the exact rules around this.

I have a lot of respect and appreciation for those who serve. But I hate the narrative that they are all these great patriots. A lot of those who enlist are doing so for lack of anything better to do, not for love of country. In my HS we had a few who enlisted each year and for most of them it was either enlist or stock shelves at the grocery store. Or kids who really needed discipline in their lives because they had screwed around too much. It is great that the military is there to provide opportunities and structure. But for many, it is basically a socialist jobs program.
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2025 06:23     Subject: High School to armed services?
Why anyone would want their kid to enter the military with the current administration in power is beyond me. My kid won’t be cannon fodder for a lunatic.
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2025 03:33     Subject: High School to armed services?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why? My husband did it. No way I’d encourage my child. Pay is low and often enlisted are not treated well. My husband did not get his degree till close to retirement as it took many years to do while working. Jobs don’t align with outside world so without a degree the job experience for work is not helpful. We worked hard to save for a state school to make sure our kid has a different path.


I don't quite know why, but a relative who had the Marines pay for his college and then he served as an officer was adamant that he would never have his own kid just enlist, nor advise anyone to just enlist if college is the goal.


Worked out OK for the current vice president.

In addition to getting the GI Bill to pay for degrees after leaving active duty, there are huge opportunities for earning college credits and degrees while on active duty, with the government paying for most of it.


Do you realize how hard it is to get a degree active duty? You move every few years, you are working full time, sometimes odd hours or more than full time, and it doesn't cover everything.
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2025 03:31     Subject: High School to armed services?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Enlisting at 18, without any college, is probably the least financially sound option there is. The pay is low, housing is awful, and chances are good your DC is going to blow their paycheck on a sports car and/or hasty marriage.


The pay is low, but you also have zero expenses. Food, housing, and healthcare are all covered, most states waive state income tax. So long as you don’t do anything dumb like the sports car or shotgun wedding, it’s an excellent financial decision. You can save nearly all your earnings AND get college paid for.


Most states don't waive the income tax, just a few. College is not fully paid for always. And, you get a BAH which doesn't really cover everything and the health care is terrible and if they refer you off base you spend a fortune in co-pays, deductibles, etc. And, its very difficult to get appointments.


Oh, and health care goes by status, so if you are Enlisted, you get the last of everything. They even ask you at every appointment.
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2025 03:31     Subject: High School to armed services?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Enlisting at 18, without any college, is probably the least financially sound option there is. The pay is low, housing is awful, and chances are good your DC is going to blow their paycheck on a sports car and/or hasty marriage.


The pay is low, but you also have zero expenses. Food, housing, and healthcare are all covered, most states waive state income tax. So long as you don’t do anything dumb like the sports car or shotgun wedding, it’s an excellent financial decision. You can save nearly all your earnings AND get college paid for.


Most states don't waive the income tax, just a few. College is not fully paid for always. And, you get a BAH which doesn't really cover everything and the health care is terrible and if they refer you off base you spend a fortune in co-pays, deductibles, etc. And, its very difficult to get appointments.
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2025 03:27     Subject: High School to armed services?
Anonymous wrote:I think it could/would be great and would encourage it. I disagree that he has to “really want to be in the military.” That isnt true. You don’t know what you don’t know. He only has to be agreeable enough to commit 4 years. Then he can walk away. You can do anything for 4 yrs. There are valuable lessons to learn in the military; team work/collaboration, leadership, work ethic. No one teaches these things as well as the military. As for college, so long as he doesn’t do anything stupid like get married or make a baby while enlisted, he has a lot of options. There’s what’s called the Green to Gold program. He can apply while still serving on active duty, after the first 2 yrs, for a college scholarship through ROTC. If selected, he will transition to a full time student on a college campus, while still receiving active duty pay and benefits. Then commission as an officer when he gets his degree. This is perfect for the student that isn’t ready for college right out of high school, yet doesn’t want to spend several years as an enlisted solider either.

I did the traditional 4 yr ROTC scholarship (and active duty following) in college and knew these Green to Gold students. I never thought I’d go into the military either, and anyone that finds out I ever served is totally shocked. I joined ROTC halfway through my freshman year in college when my financial situation drastically changed and it was the only way I could figure out how I could possibly pay for school in full. I loved my time in the military and truly believe they have something everyone can benefit from.
Read about Ana Basaldua Ruiz and Vanessa Guillén

https://thewarhorse.org/fort-hood-commander-punished-after-reporting-sexual-harasser/
Anonymous
Post 04/21/2025 18:38     Subject: High School to armed services?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think it could/would be great and would encourage it. I disagree that he has to “really want to be in the military.” That isnt true. You don’t know what you don’t know. He only has to be agreeable enough to commit 4 years. Then he can walk away. You can do anything for 4 yrs. There are valuable lessons to learn in the military; team work/collaboration, leadership, work ethic. No one teaches these things as well as the military. As for college, so long as he doesn’t do anything stupid like get married or make a baby while enlisted, he has a lot of options. There’s what’s called the Green to Gold program. He can apply while still serving on active duty, after the first 2 yrs, for a college scholarship through ROTC. If selected, he will transition to a full time student on a college campus, while still receiving active duty pay and benefits. Then commission as an officer when he gets his degree. This is perfect for the student that isn’t ready for college right out of high school, yet doesn’t want to spend several years as an enlisted solider either.

I did the traditional 4 yr ROTC scholarship (and active duty following) in college and knew these Green to Gold students. I never thought I’d go into the military either, and anyone that finds out I ever served is totally shocked. I joined ROTC halfway through my freshman year in college when my financial situation drastically changed and it was the only way I could figure out how I could possibly pay for school in full. I loved my time in the military and truly believe they have something everyone can benefit from.


Thx for the thoughtful response! I didn’t know about the Green to Gold program and will look.

To the loons who over-reacted with psychotic notes about forcing in a kid who didn’t want to go, that is obviously NOT what I am asking about. Asking about how the idea was introduced without the stigma of not going to college straight when all your friends are.

Clearly it was not obvious because many of us thought you were trying to make a kid join the military when he didn’t want to go.


Please explain how a parent can “make” an adult child join the military? Hint, you can’t. It’s pretty clear that OP was meaning encouraging it when maybe it wasn’t their idea or they are hesitant about what they want to do in general. The one joining has to be the one that reads the contracts, takes the exams, fills out the mountain of paperwork, signs their name on many documents, goes to see the specified dr, dentist, etc.
Anonymous
Post 04/21/2025 17:47     Subject: High School to armed services?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think it could/would be great and would encourage it. I disagree that he has to “really want to be in the military.” That isnt true. You don’t know what you don’t know. He only has to be agreeable enough to commit 4 years. Then he can walk away. You can do anything for 4 yrs. There are valuable lessons to learn in the military; team work/collaboration, leadership, work ethic. No one teaches these things as well as the military. As for college, so long as he doesn’t do anything stupid like get married or make a baby while enlisted, he has a lot of options. There’s what’s called the Green to Gold program. He can apply while still serving on active duty, after the first 2 yrs, for a college scholarship through ROTC. If selected, he will transition to a full time student on a college campus, while still receiving active duty pay and benefits. Then commission as an officer when he gets his degree. This is perfect for the student that isn’t ready for college right out of high school, yet doesn’t want to spend several years as an enlisted solider either.

I did the traditional 4 yr ROTC scholarship (and active duty following) in college and knew these Green to Gold students. I never thought I’d go into the military either, and anyone that finds out I ever served is totally shocked. I joined ROTC halfway through my freshman year in college when my financial situation drastically changed and it was the only way I could figure out how I could possibly pay for school in full. I loved my time in the military and truly believe they have something everyone can benefit from.


Thx for the thoughtful response! I didn’t know about the Green to Gold program and will look.

To the loons who over-reacted with psychotic notes about forcing in a kid who didn’t want to go, that is obviously NOT what I am asking about. Asking about how the idea was introduced without the stigma of not going to college straight when all your friends are.

Clearly it was not obvious because many of us thought you were trying to make a kid join the military when he didn’t want to go.
Anonymous
Post 04/21/2025 17:44     Subject: High School to armed services?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don’t think the military is a good choice for anyone resistant to going into the military. It would be a miserable experience for anyone who didn’t want to be doing it.


It’s good for getting away from parents like this.

So…get away from a person who is a bad parent because they want to force their kid into military service by…enlisting in the military?
Anonymous
Post 04/21/2025 16:12     Subject: High School to armed services?
Friend’s youngest sibling did it, by choice. Got married a couple months later, after a whirlwind military courtship, so now part of a dual military couple. The family was not initially happy about the marriage (it was very fast and they weren’t invited).
Anonymous
Post 04/21/2025 15:38     Subject: High School to armed services?
Anonymous wrote:Enlisting at 18, without any college, is probably the least financially sound option there is. The pay is low, housing is awful, and chances are good your DC is going to blow their paycheck on a sports car and/or hasty marriage.


The pay is low, but you also have zero expenses. Food, housing, and healthcare are all covered, most states waive state income tax. So long as you don’t do anything dumb like the sports car or shotgun wedding, it’s an excellent financial decision. You can save nearly all your earnings AND get college paid for.
Anonymous
Post 04/21/2025 15:32     Subject: High School to armed services?
Enlisting at 18, without any college, is probably the least financially sound option there is. The pay is low, housing is awful, and chances are good your DC is going to blow their paycheck on a sports car and/or hasty marriage.
Anonymous
Post 04/21/2025 15:21     Subject: High School to armed services?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think it could/would be great and would encourage it. I disagree that he has to “really want to be in the military.” That isnt true. You don’t know what you don’t know. He only has to be agreeable enough to commit 4 years. Then he can walk away. You can do anything for 4 yrs. There are valuable lessons to learn in the military; team work/collaboration, leadership, work ethic. No one teaches these things as well as the military. As for college, so long as he doesn’t do anything stupid like get married or make a baby while enlisted, he has a lot of options. There’s what’s called the Green to Gold program. He can apply while still serving on active duty, after the first 2 yrs, for a college scholarship through ROTC. If selected, he will transition to a full time student on a college campus, while still receiving active duty pay and benefits. Then commission as an officer when he gets his degree. This is perfect for the student that isn’t ready for college right out of high school, yet doesn’t want to spend several years as an enlisted solider either.

I did the traditional 4 yr ROTC scholarship (and active duty following) in college and knew these Green to Gold students. I never thought I’d go into the military either, and anyone that finds out I ever served is totally shocked. I joined ROTC halfway through my freshman year in college when my financial situation drastically changed and it was the only way I could figure out how I could possibly pay for school in full. I loved my time in the military and truly believe they have something everyone can benefit from.


Thx for the thoughtful response! I didn’t know about the Green to Gold program and will look.

To the loons who over-reacted with psychotic notes about forcing in a kid who didn’t want to go, that is obviously NOT what I am asking about. Asking about how the idea was introduced without the stigma of not going to college straight when all your friends are.


No one responded with "psychotic notes." If you're concerned that not going straight to college will be the hard sell, not the armed forces, then discuss that -- raise your concerns about going straight to college, ask him if he has those concerns, discuss all the possible ways to address those concerns (joining the military is one way, but presumably not the only way).
Anonymous
Post 04/21/2025 15:14     Subject: High School to armed services?
Another option might be going to school full time but also enlisting in the reserves or national guard. Especially in the national guard there are tuition assistance programs to help with undergrad and then he/she could use the GI Bill for grad school (I know thinking a few steps a head). If all goes well, they graduate after four years plus a good-looking resume for applying for grad school or getting a full-time job.