National Guard (more specifically, Texas)...have your husbands or sons paid for college this way?

[ThelmaLou]

We had a recruiter visit our home this afternoon. One of my boys is interested in joining to get college paid for. He knows he'll almost certainly be deployed during his 8 year commitment. Sounds like he'll get most of his tuition and fees covered (but not his room and board). He wants to attend Texas A&M. If he joined the Corps of Cadets/ROTC, they would cover almost all costs, but he'd have to be enlisted as active military for 6 years post graduation. 

 

I guess the scenarios are: 1. Get less of college paid for up front, but have a shorter commitment in the long run. 2. Get almost all of college paid for, but you belong to the military for a longer time.

 

Any experience, warnings, cautions, advice would all be welcome. What should we be considering? Its such a young age to make such a weighty decision. What things should he understand before even consider Texas Army National Guard? 

 

I'd like to hear both the good and the bad. Even it you're not from Texas. Thanks!

 

 

 

 

[MercyA]

You said all advice would be welcome, so I really encourage you and your son to watch the documentary The Ground Truth before making any decisions.  It consists almost entirely of interviews with former members of the military who describe their recruitment, training, and service.  It's good to get a different perspective than you will get from recruiters. 

[Mrs Mungo]

My husband attended a military academy for high school and junior college. He was commissioned with his AA, then served as a 2LT in the NG while finishing his four year degree. He was placed on active duty after finishing his four year degree. He has been deployed multiple times.

 

Assuming your son finished his degree, he wouldn't be enlisted, he would have an active duty service obligation as an officer. This isn't a nitpick, it is a really huge difference in the types of options you are given at various points in your career. You incur more ADSO for moving, going to military schools, etc. Did you talk to a regular recruiter or an officer recruiter?

 

Things he should understand:

 

The military is in a drawdown phase. Not all ROTC graduates will receive officer billets on active duty. Many will be put in the NG or on Inactive Ready Reserve with a shorter stint on active duty. If he *wants* to serve on active duty, then he needs to find ways to make himself more competitive.

 

He might *not* be deployed. This is a letdown to some people. The needs of the army and the function of the military constantly change.

 

Sometimes you have a lot of options and sometimes you don't. The needs of the army will always come first.

[Mrs Mungo]

One thing about recruiters?

 

It has been my experience that people often misinterpret what recruiters tell them due to a language barrier in military vs. civilian lingo.

[Catwoman]

At his age, your ds may not fully comprehend how long an 8 year commitment really is. It's a very long time, particularly when a kid is only 18 years old -- and if he doesn't like it, he can't just quit and go do something else. 

 

The one thing I have heard from families whose kids went a similar route to the one your ds is considering is that it's very important to get every last promise and every last detail in writing before committing to anything. Apparently, some recruiters make some pretty impressive promises, and the reality doesn't always match those promises, so you really need to get written confirmation.

 

Sorry if I sound negative -- it's probably pretty clear to you that I don't come from a military family and that my ds has no interest in the military, either, so my opinions may be worthless to you. I just thought I'd post an outside perspective. Feel free to ignore me!  :)

[SeaConquest]

As an Army veteran, who financed college in part through her service, I would gently point out that it isn't just fathers and sons who pay for college this way.

[Mrs Mungo]

The one thing I have heard from families whose kids went a similar route to the one your ds is considering is that it's very important to get every last promise and every last detail in writing before committing to anything. Apparently, some recruiters make some pretty impressive promises, and the reality doesn't always match those promises, so you really need to get written confirmation.

Just for general information purposes: *none* of this will apply when it comes to ROTC. Signing up for an ROTC scholarship (or to be an officer) is nothing like enlisting. The contracts are completely different. Enlisted personnel have some control over their choice of MOS (Military Occupational Speciality), duty station, rank, etc. Junior officers receive no such promises. The military wants officers to have a degree, but it is often irrelevant to the branch they might eventually be assigned to (with the exception of some STEM degree students).

 

The military will give the officers whatever training they will need. The military will ask for people's top five choices, but we know lots of people who were put in branches that weren't on their list at all. Where you go to Officer Basic Course will be entirely dependent upon the branch you are placed in. There aren't as many openings as there are for enlisted personnel, so once you graduate OBC, you will go where the military needs you to go based upon open jobs. Once you've had some success and have some senior officers who like you, then you'll be able to angle for jobs and/or have a little more control. But, the amount of control you have will always be limited.

[Mrs Mungo]

As an Army veteran, who financed college in part through her service, I would gently point out that it isn't just fathers and sons who pay for college this way.

Some of my best friends are the spouses of female officers. :)

[TXMomof4]

My dh was in the TX Nat. Guard from 2001 - 2009. As far as paying for school, I don't have a ton of info to share, however, be prepared. The TXARNG deploys a LOT. Dh took the long route to commission, 18 mo of weekends instead of the 14 week course. After he received his commission in 2004, he was gone most of the next 5 years. Between TDY training and 2 deployments we only saw him a few months at a time. I know deployments are drawing down, but if there is a need, TX will volunteer their troops every time.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Timely thread. My 20 yo is considering this. Thnx

[KungFuPanda]

Dp

[KungFuPanda]

As an Army veteran, who financed college in part through her service, I would gently point out that it isn't just fathers and sons who pay for college this way.

Ditto! DLI was my real "college experience."

[SeaConquest]

Ditto! DLI was my real "college experience."

DLI graduate as well. Russian basic class 0492. Geez, I can't believe I remember that.

[Lanny]

Get it in writing, and read, very slowly, what is written, and understand that there are many loopholes for the military to get out of what is promised. When I was young (20th century), I was contemplating joining the Regular Army and going into the ASA (Army Security Agency).  They had "guarantees" at that time, but also they had numerous ways to get out of their guarantees.  *EVERYTHING* depends on what the military needs of the person.

 

What killed my interest in joining the Regular Army was the day when I went to the center where they gave the written tests and the physical examination.  At that time, I had extreme Myopia and wore very thick eyeglasses. When I finished, a man told me that I was "fully qualified to be in the Paratroopers".  My thought was, "What would happen to me, if I jumped out of an airplane and lost my eyeglasses?"  I had NO interest in being a Paratrooper.    My wife and DD enjoy it when I tell that story.  :-)

 

Does the Texas Air National Guard have a program like that?  I joined the Air National Guard...

 

Much GL to your DS on this decision!

[TXMomof4]

If it were my child, and he really wanted to have his college paid for this way I would say to enlist and get the GI Bill benefits.  He can go to school while he's in the NG - if they don't deploy he could even attend full time.  The time commitment in general would really be one weekend a month and two weeks during the summer after he attends basic training/AIT.  If he wants to make it a career - then consider the ROTC route.  If he gets through college with the GI Bill and still enjoys his Army work, he could always apply to OCS.  Dh was enlisted for almost 2 years before the OCS spot opened up - he feels like that time really has served him well.  He's actually experienced life as an enlisted soldier and it gives him a little bit different perspective as an officer now. 

[An Unexpected Party]

My father said the best thing he ever did was talk to more than one recruiter, in more than one branch of service. 

 

Also find out what benefits toward education your child would continue to get if he was to be discharged due to illness or injury. My nephew thought he had everything down in writing, but that's where his plans got derailed.

[ThelmaLou]

Wow, this has been food for thought, for sure. Does anyone out there have an experience where your thoughts and impressions going in turned out to be reality? I'm mostly hearing warnings and misgivings right now. 

[SemiSweet]

I enlisted and served four years, got out due to some medical issues and have used my GI Bill to fund my education. The new GI Bill is quite amazing and can fully fund a bachelors degree. I also took quite a few classes while I was active duty and got two AA/AS during that time. I don't know much about the guard but I have never regretted my service, and my husband is still active duty and plans to remain that way. With the drawdown though there aren't a lot of options for jobs in the active duty world, they are getting rid of many people right now through early retirement and forced separations, which means that deployments for those remaining and for guard/reserve members could increase. Good luck!

[Mrs Mungo]

Wow, this has been food for thought, for sure. Does anyone out there have an experience where your thoughts and impressions going in turned out to be reality? I'm mostly hearing warnings and misgivings right now.

I didn't mean to imply that it was bad. It has been a great life for us and a great career for dh. It is what he always wanted to do. He makes a good salary, all of our medial needs are paid for, etc. We were able to live in Germany for five years and we will have spent 5-6 years in Hawaii by the time we leave here. There is good and bad in nearly any choice.

 

My main goal above was only to emphasize that signing up to be an officer is completely different than enlisting. Most people don't understand what a huge difference it is.

[SeaConquest]

Thelma,

 

The Army changed my life in fundamentally good ways. Everything that my recruiter told me was true. I was not the type of girl to go into the Army. I was a cheerleader, in Southern California, who hates to camp, and had a merit scholarship to USC. The only reason he targeted me was because he asked my college counselor at the high school if she knew anyone with an affinity for languages. I had been to the USSR on a Cold War exchange program when I was 15, and came back wanting to study Russian and International Relations.

 

The recruiter showed up one day asked me if I wanted to learn 4 years of college level Russian in one year. My interest was piqued, and 2 days after high school graduation I found myself Private Benjamin incarnate in Army Basic Training, Fort Jackson, SC.

 

When I finally did start college 1.5 years later, I was a totally different person -- with a discipline and focus previously unknown to me. I graduated early, with a double major, Phi Beta Kappa, from a top 10 liberal arts college. I had job offers in competitive industries like investment banking and management consulting, and two years later, I was admitted to Stanford Law School.

 

The fact that I was a woman in Special Operations was my hook. I can honestly thank the military for all of it. It is the largest alumni network in the world and has given me credibility with CEOs and a comparative advantage for admissions, jobs, scholarships, etc. Please do not be put off by horror stories; just keep your eyes open.

[TXMomof4]

My dh loves his job. He did give up a really great civilian job to serve active duty full time. I enjoy parts of it. Parts of it I could do without. I wouldn't hesitate to encourage my kids to join if they were truly interested. I have 2 that are thinking about it. One of my girls just wants to make sure she marries someone in the army do she can see more of the world.