Should I try and go Airborne?

Italy with the 173rd and Alaska with 4/25 are OCONUS, while the 82nd is a good possibility, so are the other 2.

Being your young and ambitious, you should attempt it. As for units being more relaxed than Kuwait, find that hard to believe. Depends on what unit you get with, FORSCOM units have a high optempo.

YES.

Well I'm probably not the best one to ask. Because on my second Jump I had an entanglement with another Jumper. Witch when General Westmoreland came to see me. He said it was a one in a million for the accident to happen. And also one in a million to live through it. But as far as the 1st Jump went. It was very exciting and fun. And the first time I ever rode an airplane was 2 days before my 2 jumps coming back from leave to Jump school. I stayed from Nov 29 1977 to May 5 1978 in Martin Army Hospital ward B6. But if I were you. I would go for it. Jump School was nothing compared to Basic and Infantry School. You have 3 weeks. 1st is ground week. Where you learn Plf's. Parachute Landing falls. And jump from 34 foot towers. Then the 3ed week is where you have to get in your 5 jumps to earn your wings. If I were you. I would go for it. The way I looked at it. Was if you want to go to any special forces you have to be Jump qualified. And if I wasn't going Special Forces. I probably wouldn't. Another thing about Jump School is your there with all branches of service. Because that's the only Jump School for all branches of service. But good luck with whatever you decide to do. And be careful. That's what the Hazardous Duty pay is for. Hope it's more than $55.00 extra a Month.

PFC: Don't worry about your health at this point. You're still young and your muscles still have more endurable capabilities than you probably know right now. I enlisted age 17 in 1980 and went to Jump School; then Korea; to Bragg and then Campbell for Air assault School; back to Bragg; then Germany. I was stationed with the 2nd ID-- 82nd--101st--3rd SF Group(TDY)--24th ID and cross-trained with a lot of different units, some Special Ops units; partly because I was 11B then 11C and Air Assault and Airborne qualified but mainly because of the mental and physical challenges I was faced with and had to overcome, not because of competition or envy of my peers but, because of my own self-confidence and pushing myself past the limitations of the mind. So it's worth the shot for you to go and some duty stations are not as relaxed as you've been told however, that was when I was in, in the 1980s and 1990s thus, I'm sure a lot has changed since I've been out but, believe in yourself and challenge yourself for Jump School and GO!!! You can go farther once you complete Jump School because regardless how much advice I or any other Paratrooper may/may not give you; IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOU and YOU only!!!! You will do just fine...

You should do it. It will make units otherwise unavailable open to you. And as others have said it helps with promotion. Airborne status pushed me over the points needed to make sergeant.

Yes and if you don’t right out of basic, you need to try later.

Hello, I would have definitely went Airborne if I had the opportunity when I served. One thing I would say is to make sure you document any injuries you sustain while at Ft. Brag. What I mean by document is go to the doctor so you have evidence of your injuries in your medical records. One day we all must leave the service and when we do we want to be properly compensated for our injuries.

Go Airborne. Listen to your heart. If it’s something you want to do... don’t over think it, just do it. In you’re later years it’s a lot more gratifying to say “I did that” rather than “I wish I would have done that.”

I spent a good number of years falling out of planes for the Army and even with all of the 'afteraffects' I would not change a thing. Having some ups and downs like all careers in the military, the primary force behind your success or failure is you...bottom line. Whether in an Airborne unit or some backwater leg outfit, you are what is going to make the time worthwhile. That all that said, go Airborne. If you manage to go to Bragg you have some interesting choices. Starting with the 82nd Division, lots of places need a quality 25-dude to keep the networks running. That will likely be a BCT. Time well spent, hard work, high expectations. If you can start off with a PCS to Bragg, try to find a way to get into the 112th Sig. Supporting Special Operations is a whole different realm. You will deploy...alot. Consider that. You will also work cutting edge technology, TTP, and work with the best communicators in the business. Time in the 112th will also open up some doors that few get to walk through: Joint Communications Unit (JSOC JCU); selection to the Comm Squadron with 1st SFOD-D; JCSE and of course working in the Ranger Regiment (Benning, Lewis, Savannah GA). At Bragg there is also working with Special Forces Groups (Campbell and Lewis as well), SF Command and US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). At Campbell there is also the 160thSOAR who will open your eyes to a whole different realm in comms.
There are many regular units out there that also have high standards and expectations and being in an Airborne or SOF unit does NOT guarantee faster promotion. It DOES seem to guarantee more opportunities to excel, get better and more schooling/training, and have a different perspective in which to serve. In the end, after a long and rewarding career you get to look back, hammer some beers with some ol' farts like me who walk with a little limp and can still do 50 pushups in a minute (with lots of Motrin)