Does anyone enjoy being an Army officer?

Cory Paul — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 15:50:47 -0400

I've read numerous posts and discussions about how miserable and overworked they are, how bad the bases are, the frequent deployments, bad family life, etc. Just looking for a bit more insight... how true is this? Is it really that bad? With the AF being so selective, if I dont get accepted into OTS I was looking into WOFT or an army commission but I would like a bit more info. Thanks

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Aug 31 at 2018 4:00 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 16:00:22 -0400

Cory Paul Nope, we all hate it and stay just to spite the Army....kidding. It's kind of a dichotomy. We revel in the suck. The actual suck is magnified and compounded so smaller and smaller things stick in your craw. This happens in any organization, civilian or military. Officers tend to be articulate and candid. The choices: change what you can change, deal with what you can't, or drop your paperwork. In truth most officers derive great satisfaction (not gleeful happy nirvana, satisfaction) from what we do.

I personally enjoyed my career. There were certainly things I could have done without, other things I wish I could bottle and enjoy forever. The sum result varies by individual. What bothers people varies. You work long hours, but good people make or break a unitor assignment. Some installations are better than others, but one man's trash is another man's treasure. Some of the "worst" places were my best, most rewarding, and most fun assignments. Deploying...I came on AD in 1994. I did not deploy until 2003. Korea is not deploying....I did that in 1998. So almost 10 years without a deployment. Then I was deployed three times in the next ten. Some deploy more then others. Just is. Your family life is largely up to you. Yes you are separated sometimes. But I'll tell you a secret, my first civilian job after the Army....same hours, just didn't deploy. Maybe it's Stockholm Syndrome but I miss it.

What are some particulars that you have questions about?

@maj mike carter sorry I edited...

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2018 5:10 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 17:10:47 -0400

I enjoyed the Army so much I forgot to get out.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 31 at 2018 5:33 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 17:33:31 -0400

As a commder I liked to set the culture. Sometimes the extra duties like OIC of Ft Hood Single Soldiers' Day, rail loading a BCT, and Funeral Detail OIC will add stress to the career. Working for a toxic boss can be infinitely difficult.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Aug 31 at 2018 8:44 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 20:44:19 -0400

Your question is phrased in a quite unusual way, that caught my attention...here's the thing, OK? Enjoyment has zero to do with it, zip, mada, goose egg...that's true, regardless of which service one goes into. I was Army ROTC, then USAF OTS before it was move to Maxwell, when it was at Lack land. I never got to deploy, of been on the volunteer list for Gulf War One, however, I became too ill to go, though I was sent an appreciation letter for being on the volunteer list. That being said, enjoyment is the single last thing you should, to my way of thinking, have on your mind. I hadn't been prior enlisted...had I been, God knows, I'd have adjusted far more readily, so to answer you, there are certain things all of us here would need to know, way beyond what you explained thus far, OK? Ha you had any exposure, Civil Air Patrol (CAP), JROTC, Navy Sea Cadet, I'm assuming you're nonprior, at least that was the impression I got, so if you were tell us that, and which service, if so, and for how long, what MOS, AFSC, or Navy rate. Next, exactly how much college have you had, assocs, Bach, grades, GPA, STEM coursework exact titles, work exposure, length or duration, level, type, and if so, what field, if beyond part time stuff as an undergrad. Next, do you have any research interests? Have you published at all? Any grad school? Or grad school motivations? See, you need to understand a few realities, if you haven't heard ten...the days of someone going in with an assocs or Bach, and stqyin at that level, to do a full 20-30 yr apcareer are long gone...fromday one is n active as warrant or commissioned, you're expected to go for more...I was virtappy ja!!nered, incessantly, day in, day out, to do masters coursework, directly related to what I was doing, so don't even think about trying to do something and have your service pay for it, in my view, if it:s unrelated t your field...next, you're gonna have to do P!E, not just in your svc, but also in other svcs, for broader exposure...and, here's another realistic clue in to svc reality as warrant or commissioned...the whole little world of so capped "additional duties'. You need to keep a running diary of app your day to day tasks, not just to stay organized, but also to help your raters with your periodic evaps...I had to, trust me, you would also...next, I had many crazy things I had to do, Company Grade Officers Council (CGOC), getting tasked by the air base group where I was to do a recommend on an airman who'd had a truck damaged he was using, o found in his favor, as it was due to snow and ice, however, I mention that to illustrate the point...spending a day with the base commander once...doin briefings for IG eval...staying in the office tipl 3 AM God only knows how often, long, grueling TDY trips for work...hopping flights for a permissive TDU t attend a conference...being under civil servants as opposed to only active duty, and more than once getting screamed at, as I'd been denied the chance to go for mainframe training I'd wanted that !might've helped me with my work...being assigned to two groups in the totally wrong environment from what I'd wanted, I wanted the clinical side, and went lime stupidly by mistake, with zero chance to change it...getting reamed out and screamed at by senior civil servants and my unit CO, am O-6 just selected for O-8 though he hadn't pinned on get when I sat with him for a whole hour...you're a public servam, whose actions are to be above reproach at all times, no different than am elected official, and God knows it took !e a long, long time to even vaguely know how to learn to function in the role, I assure you...so trust me, you might have interest, you might have intellectual stimulation, however, you'll also have exhaustion, fatigue, aggravation, and frequent heartache, often morning, noon, and night...I'm not saying tat to dissuade you, I'm saying tat to try to educate you...do a really thorough detailed biosketch, tje more you send in, the more all of us can suggest...hobbies, imterestsz reading, sports, martial arts if any, what flight exposure you've had thus far if any, what svcs you've looked at already...you're dome with tour work when you're done, and till then, you're not done, trust !e, of you go warrant or commissioned, I don't care which service, those are the very real realities, welcome to the world, OK? So, as I said, enjoyment? No...aggravation to serve the country, yeah, beaucoup and then some...I saw many wonderful, fascinating things...I also saw !such heartache and aggravation, which is why I'm total perm disabled now...I'm glad I did it, truly, however, the knowledge I gained, while real, was all too often bight at a very, very high price, in terms of taxing emotions, and a toll on one:s psycje day to day...so trust !e, as I'd said, enjoyment has little, I assure you, to do with it...service !eams exactly what it says...read a warrant or commission, get the actual text and read it...the wordong means, quite literally, exactly what it says, I assure you...if you'd care to chat further, I'm Jere, however, elaborate as I'd said, so all of is can help you by being able to suggest more, based on your specific background, OK? I hope that was all of at least some you, and that I didn't dissuade you, I merely wanted to try to disabuse you of what I got tje impression was a misconception, along with volunteer duty on weekends, charity drives, and God knows what else I was tasked t do, incl the base winter carnival exhibit every year...trust !EZ what specific MOS, AFSC, or rate you have doesn't even remotely cover what you're expected to REALLY do, honest, I'd be most eager to hear more, no rush, whenever you'd have time to send more, OK?

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Aug 31 at 2018 8:45 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 20:45:19 -0400

http://www.ocsfoumdation.org

Look through this as well, and also look at USCG flight, as well as the NOAA Commissioned Corps flight program as well, OK?

www.ocsfoumdation.org

Response by MAJ Javier Rivera made Sep 1 at 2018 6:36 AM

MAJ Javier Rivera — Sat, 01 Sep 2018 06:36:47 -0400

I don’t know! I joined form 3 years, stay a little bit longer, then got a commission and somewhere along the way retired after 27 years. Guess I enjoyed the suck! Like everything you’ll get good and not so good times. It’s all about making the best out of it.