To new junior enlisted with less than 3 yrs on, what are you enjoying about your service & what would you change?

When I transferred to shore duty, my division was just a handful of guys, 3 or 4 if I remember correctly. Our job was to ensure the watchstanders the ships were sending out to guard the pier were properly trained and qualified to stand the watch and to respond to any incidents on the piers. A few months in they ramped up the security on base and our division grew to around 60. We were putting one of our own guys on every pier to oversee the ships watch standers. Those of us that were already there trained in everyone, then were put back into the watch rotation. All of this happened within one eval period. I'd always had must promote or early promote evals up to this point (over 5 years) and I thought I was a shoe in for another. When evals came out there was no mention of all the training is given or the fact that I was one of the people assigned to the "special" pier with heightened security protocol, both of which I'd put in my best sheet. On the ship, brown nosing didn't carry much weight, performance was what mattered the most. On shore duty it was an entirely different story. The EP's and MP's went to the guys that sucked up the most. Fortunately, I went TAD to the Coast Guard for a newly formed joint command, and got to spend the rest of my time at that command there.

SSG (Join to see) Thats the way it used to be but the new Army has changed that.

Cpl Ryan Berry - most MOS are not direct combat, of course there’s NCOs who can’t lead troops in combat, I was one if them. I wasn’t in the 03 field.

What would you do in combat if your leaders were killed? NEVER wait for someone to hold your hand. Research, seek answers on your own. Take the lead! That void in direction and lack of knowledge should be filled with "can do aggressiveness" and a will to seek the knowledge on your own, then share this knowledge with your others... THIS integrity will be noticed be others in leadership and the rewards will come from your will to excel when your leadership structure is gone...

Both have pros and cons, it just depends on what you want to do. Having done both I can tell you I've observed a lot of "the grass is greener" mentality as I saw guys who were AD who were envious that their ARNG and USAR counterparts could go home after drill and AT.

I myself was a guardsman as well. I wish I had went active. (Went Guard because my brother who served 21 years thought it would be a better suit for me) My unit which I will leave unnamed was far too undisciplined. I think that the guard should train as if we were active. Battle drills every drill weekend no matter the MOS. You never know when you're going downrange and well, I'd rather have someone with muscle memory backing me up rather than someone who works at rent-a-car 5 days out of the week. With that being said, I'm glad I'm out but I do miss my brothers and sisters in uniform.

Sometimes life happens. My nephew didn't join until late 20's (or early 30's). I think it was a good thing as it gave him time to perhaps build some coping skills that he might not have had in his late teens.

MSG (Join to see) - I will agree, and experienced that after my time in the Corps, while applying as a fire fighter. I thought 35 was too old, and was corrected by the FD. Wanted guys with some maturity. Look back now at my very young age while in the Corps, and maybe I could have not made some of the young foolish mistakes. However, that young crazy in me saved my life also, lol. Semper FI