So guess who's sittin' at MEPS?

This guy. I reserved my job, 13F-U.S. Army fire support specialist. It was the only combat job, but it is airborne- which is cool. I have to come back tomorrow because I couldn't provide a sample of... well, let's just say I've bought a few Mountain Dews for next time. Everything else is good though. Now: a year of high school and the Future Soldier Program.

Good choice. I can tell you A LOT about how your life would be in AIT and what to expect. When do you leave for BCT and where?

Thanks-it wasn't my first choice, but after looking into it, it's way better than anything I was looking into before. I am leaving next July and I will be at Ft. Sill. I think I might try to go to Sapper training in the future as well, since 13F is the only non-engineer MOS that can attend. My two years of JROTC help a bit too.

Get in great shape now and when you get to AIT they'll ask for volunteers on who wants to go to pre-ranger. If you pass that PT test, they'll send you to RASP and since you have airborne in your contract you have a high chance of getting it. Start running fast and far now. Try to get 5 miles in under 40 minutes (yes I am serious). Just run. You'll hate BCT coz it's boring and a joke then you might like AIT. You will ruck everywhere. Last time I was in AIT the 13Fs had their rucks EVERYWHERE they go and they walked pretty much everywhere.

Leave the idea of Sapper school. You're field artillery, they won't send you. You have a year of DEP man, work now at getting really fit and when you're fit get even more fit. And primarily from now on til you get out of the Army, STAY OUT OF TROUBLE, not even a speeding ticket, they'll let go of you that fast if you get in even the slightest trouble. The rest you'll learn in BCT and AIT. One of my closer friends in the Army is a 13F and he says it's a fun MOS.

And since you're 13 series I'll give you a hard time for picking the wrong Field Artillery MOS. Of course I'm a 13B so we're the ones that run the show. You just point the gun for me.

Yeah. I felt..not in shape when I took the physical. I'm not fat, just not to skinny or muscular.

I'll pick up a ruck soon, for my 'Nam impression mostly, but it might be good to practice some ruck runs before I go. I run sometimes but definitely not enough. I'll be running in the snow when I move this October. I'm not really looking forward to PT in 4ft of snow back home in Alaska.

Aww... Well, Ranger school does sound better. Sapper school was just a thought - not too important. Oh, and I can't really get into trouble. Never done anything stupid, and I don't have a car or licence - or a life. I shall now make fitness my life!

I don't think my family will be too happy when they find out my future MOS. They really didn't want me in a combat job. My mom even refused to drive me to the recruiters office to go to MEPS.

And hey, a gun always misses if it doesn't have any sights...and you can't see what you're shooting at...
When I went to the Career Center in Newnan, on of the SGTs. said "Fire Support Specialist? WTF is up with these kids these days?" I suppose he wasn't a fan either.

Question: how many Coast Guard did you have when you processed? We had three, which apparently is a ton.

good thing im not the only one who is piss shy lol, you should have hit the water fountain in the other room. did the little chinese man call you professor lol????

Hippie wrote:Yeah. I felt..not in shape when I took the physical. I'm not fat, just not to skinny or muscular.

I'll pick up a ruck soon, for my 'Nam impression mostly, but it might be good to practice some ruck runs before I go. I run sometimes but definitely not enough. I'll be running in the snow when I move this October. I'm not really looking forward to PT in 4ft of snow back home in Alaska.

Aww... Well, Ranger school does sound better. Sapper school was just a thought - not too important. Oh, and I can't really get into trouble. Never done anything stupid, and I don't have a car or licence - or a life. I shall now make fitness my life!

I don't think my family will be too happy when they find out my future MOS. They really didn't want me in a combat job. My mom even refused to drive me to the recruiters office to go to MEPS.

And hey, a gun always misses if it doesn't have any sights...and you can't see what you're shooting at...
When I went to the Career Center in Newnan, on of the SGTs. said "Fire Support Specialist? WTF is up with these kids these days?" I suppose he wasn't a fan either.

Question: how many Coast Guard did you have when you processed? We had three, which apparently is a ton.

lol back when i went we had 1 coast guard guy us 3 marine applicants 20 army and navy and no airforce.

MSG Ridgeway wrote:good thing im not the only one who is piss shy lol, you should have hit the water fountain in the other room. did the little chinese man call you professor lol????

I did drink! I drank constantly for two hours! Of course after I said "I'll come back tomorrow" I took the most glorious leak ever.

You have a year to work it out. I had like 4 months to prepare and I was out of shape. Honestly though you really won't be doing that much high speed stuff, you'll see what I'm talking about when you get to your first duty station.

My family wasn't a fan either when they found out I lied and joined the Army instead of the Air Force and that I signed up for a combat MOS. They're proud of me now though. They've accepted it.

It's a love/hate relationship in the 13 series world. We 13Bs hate 13Ds because they can't get their stuff straight and we can't shoot efficiently if they're not doing their jobs right. That is why it gets nasty when a 13B comes across a 13D. And 13Fs are probably the unwanted little brother because 11Bs/11Cs can do your job and mostly when we shoot on field problems it's usually a 13B out there on the front spotting for us anyway. And sometimes we don't even need 13Fs to spot for us since everything's electronic now (especially for Paladin guys). You'll get it when you get to AIT and your first unit. It's all tough love.

We had 0 Coast Guard, 0 Navy, 0 Air Force and all Army and Marines. A bulk of the Army guys I went with were National Guard too.

If your a 13F you can pretty much forget about calling in the 155s. Your going to be calling in the 120's and the 60s most likely.

Also, most of the fisters I know are pretty cool guys. My favorite group of guys besides the combat medics.

Our fisters are cool too. And yea I get what you mean with Combat Medics. They have some weird twisted sense of humor.

Things did not turn out as planned. My eyesight was to crappy for 13F so I went 11X - Infantry. I also got Airborne approved, and I will try Ranger School since it is in my contract now. My father swore my group in - he definitely didn't do it by the books, but he was proud, which was a relief. He understood my reasons for wanting Infantry.

My mother on the other-hand is royally P.O.ed. She wouldn't listen at all. She say's she refuses to help me and she doesn't support me. She was yelling and screaming and after I left - apparently she threw a few of our unopened wine bottles at my father who was jut trying to calm her down. I firmly believe that being chewed out by a Drill Sergeant would be more a pleasant experience than facing my mother and telling her my MOS. All in all, a pretty crappy day. I was terrified through the swear-in ceremony because I would have to face her in less than an hour - I had been shaking and fidgeting the entire time.

Now I just have to stay out of trouble until 9 July, 2013 and I should be good to go.

Oh boy. Not really a chewing by a DS over at Benning would not be more pleasant than facing your family. My mom learned to accept it as time passed by and by the time I graduated AIT she supported me all the way. That's just the way your parents would be because you're their kid and you're about to go to one of the most dangerous jobs to have in the military.

Have fun at Benning

Will do. She's calmed down a bit.

You have fun at Sand Hill and with the 198th/197th.