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my 16 yr old son will be a Jr in HS this September. His wants to get his Eagle by May 2018 so he can sign up for a split training, Go to BCT next summer between jr & sr yr & then graduate HS & then AIT.
He wants to be a 68W. He wants to help save soldiers lives but he does not want to be in a clinic. He's always wanted to be a solider but recently focused on being a medic. What MOS do you suggest
He originally wanted to be 11B. But the more he thought about it the more he said he wanted to be a medic. But he had concerns. He is a very very...linear boy. But he is also very religious. He said he thought he would be good at being a medic but he had concerns about "Fighting against Gods will" He felt that if someone might die in combat its gods will. I explained that sometimes Gods will is that they live - and he uses the soldiers and medics as his hands. From that point on he wanted to be a medic. Now he isnt overbearing in his beliefs - he just believes in an active and present God. He wants to serve.
Also as a 16 yr old boy he finds himself wondering what sort of man he is. He wants to be tested. Thus the desire to be in combat I think. His grandfather was a combat vetern from vietnam and I think that drives his thinking. I know this will change as he matures - he is only 16...and 16 year old boys think they are immortal.
But if he wants to be 68W - I want to get him the paramedic test materials now and help him start studying. Its sort of how I roll... My eldest was nagged constantly to practice for asvab and DLAB etc and ended up getting top scores. I know once they enlist its out of my hands...so I just want them as prepared as possible for life. (I know...Im a total helicopter mom but its the only way I know to prepare to let go is prepare them for the flight).
He wants to be a 68W. He wants to help save soldiers lives but he does not want to be in a clinic. He's always wanted to be a solider but recently focused on being a medic. What MOS do you suggest
He originally wanted to be 11B. But the more he thought about it the more he said he wanted to be a medic. But he had concerns. He is a very very...linear boy. But he is also very religious. He said he thought he would be good at being a medic but he had concerns about "Fighting against Gods will" He felt that if someone might die in combat its gods will. I explained that sometimes Gods will is that they live - and he uses the soldiers and medics as his hands. From that point on he wanted to be a medic. Now he isnt overbearing in his beliefs - he just believes in an active and present God. He wants to serve.
Also as a 16 yr old boy he finds himself wondering what sort of man he is. He wants to be tested. Thus the desire to be in combat I think. His grandfather was a combat vetern from vietnam and I think that drives his thinking. I know this will change as he matures - he is only 16...and 16 year old boys think they are immortal.
But if he wants to be 68W - I want to get him the paramedic test materials now and help him start studying. Its sort of how I roll... My eldest was nagged constantly to practice for asvab and DLAB etc and ended up getting top scores. I know once they enlist its out of my hands...so I just want them as prepared as possible for life. (I know...Im a total helicopter mom but its the only way I know to prepare to let go is prepare them for the flight).
Posted in these groups: 
MOS
68W: Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
What Would You Do
Combat Arms
Military Career
MOS 68W: Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic) What Would You Do Combat Arms Military Career
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 95
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Davida D I was in the Army for 14 years, but if he really likes school, my best recommendation is for him to get in Air force they have the best schools and no field duty's. there are some good medical school in all branches, Fort hood is one I know, but have him investigate, but don't let him believe its easy getting in, he must first pass basic training, his ASVAB scores have to qualify him. he must qualify as a Soldier first, finish his schooling, Tell him to speak to Soldiers who are already in, and don't believe everything the recruiter tells him, the promises the recruiter tells him, don't count for anything unless it's in his contract. And personally the kids I give advice to, I always tell them to ask for overseas duty. you dont want to do duty in the US. have them see the world at military expense. He can drive anywhere in the US on his own.
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Tell him to join the Air Force and become Para-Rescue. All rescue, tons of medical training, better living conditions than the Army (unless you are deployed to a Army base).
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If he joins as a 68W, it's very likely he'll end up working in a clinic, but there's really nothing wrong with that. We need good medics in clinics. To be honest, every kid starts out wanting to enlist as combat arms, but the Army needs just as many talented Soldiers in all sorts of fields. Plus, if he is thinking about eventually leaving the Army, it would be a good idea to choose a job which can lead to further opportunities in the civilian world. Before I joined, I entertained ideas about combat arms as well, but I ended up loving my job (15W - UAS operator) and it ignited in me a love for aviation which I continue to have today. BTW, tell him to keep his chin up and earn that Eagle! As an Eagle Scout myself, I can truly say I never regret the hard work it entailed.
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I have three sons.
1 eagle who has enlisted as 35T (18)
1 life working on eagle who wants to be 68W (16)
1 star scout working on life (13)
In our house, no eagle, no drivers license...
1 eagle who has enlisted as 35T (18)
1 life working on eagle who wants to be 68W (16)
1 star scout working on life (13)
In our house, no eagle, no drivers license...
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You should have a talk with your son and see what his future goals are beyond the military. Too many guys plan for the moment or the immediate future and not for several years down the line. I made this mistake when I was cycling down the list of MOS's with my recruiter, looking for one that sounded the coolest. Had I actually spent some time considering if my current MOS would compliment my other goals, then I would have opted for a different job. As a matter of fact, I probably wouldn't have even picked the Army.
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That's great that he wants to be a medic. There are some things he should know. He won't likely be fighting. Medics get put in literally every unit in the the army. He could end up in a line unit, a support unit or even a hospital. Even in a line platoon he probably won't do any fighting. We try our best to keep the doc out of the fight because if he goes down the platoon is in trouble. In many respects it can be the worst job in the platoon. He will likely be there when one of his brothers die. He needs to develop trust from everyone including the platoon sergeant who's likely been in for 12-20+ years. He has to monitor his guys health every day as people get sick in tight quarters. He has to go on every mission because most units only get one doc per platoon. And he could spend a large portion of his career in the line and then be sent to a hospital or vis versa. Being the doc is a great thing for your son to strive for, but make sure he knows what that entails.
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Thank you for your response. We will continue to discuss. Its possible his brother will help him decide better than I since his brother is going through BCT in Aug. By time Boy #2 is ready to enlist - his brother will have 2 years in the Army and can help guide him.
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19K Armor Crewman, Best job I ever had!! :)
But seriously, God bless the medics and corpsmen. It's a great thing to want to save lives.
But seriously, God bless the medics and corpsmen. It's a great thing to want to save lives.
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Find where his strengths and passions lie. As an 11B, I can tell you very few people have the mentality for it going into BCT/AIT. Much of that mentality to "close with and destroy" is pounded into our heads (not always literally.) Some people do not have the warrior mindset, and that is okay. There are plenty of other jobs in the Army that need filling.
If he has a natural knack for medicine, there is nothing wrong with being a 68W. Also as an 11B, I served with tons of medics. After AIT they did much of the basic soldier tasks along with us as long as it didn't interfere with their medic training. He is still only 16, he has a couple more years to discover what he wants his MOS to be.
Minor side note. In my opinion, being a medic is probably one of the best jobs to have in the Army if you don't plan on making it a career. It gives you a much better foot in the door for civilian career prospects after the Army.
If he has a natural knack for medicine, there is nothing wrong with being a 68W. Also as an 11B, I served with tons of medics. After AIT they did much of the basic soldier tasks along with us as long as it didn't interfere with their medic training. He is still only 16, he has a couple more years to discover what he wants his MOS to be.
Minor side note. In my opinion, being a medic is probably one of the best jobs to have in the Army if you don't plan on making it a career. It gives you a much better foot in the door for civilian career prospects after the Army.
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