Military instead of College? For a girl?

[yesdnil]

I enlisted in the Army with my choice of MOS after graduating college. You'd be surprised how many *enlisted* military are actually college graduates who didn't want to go the officer route for whatever reason. That said, if she's wanting to become a doctor, which is far different than a medic (a job more like an EMT), college should definitely be the priority. ROTC is always a good option. The Army also has a program where they will pay for medical school in exchange for a few years of your service as a doctor.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I worked at a VA Hospital right out of nursing school. I loved caring for Veterans. (And as in the latest article, I considered it a privilege.) My father was a WWII Veteran and was active in the VA, DAV, etc. He'd even been a patient at the hospital where I worked. Additionally, my son is considering military service when he graduates from college, so we've looked at a lot of information and talked to a lot of people. (ROTC would've been an option for him but he chose to play an NCAA sport instead.) Everyone says to get everything in writing if you have certain things you want to do.

Just throwing this out there for consideration. Becoming a doctor is a long, complicated process even without being in the military. It's four years of college, then four years of medical school, then three years of residency and often an additional year for a fellowship. Twelve years. The hours are long and the work is really difficult. Burn out rate is high. And it doesn't come cheaply. Most are saddled with loans; in this case there may be no loans, but there is a big commitment to service time.

I had a friend in nursing school who went through one of the VA Scholarship programs to pay for nursing school. She was a single mom and she saw no other way to pay for it. In exchange for four years of paid tuition, she had to commit to four years of working at a VA hospital; we worked together. Sounds easy, right? Not even really in the military. Well, for her, it wasn't. She wound up with a nervous breakdown because it wasn't a good fit for her at all, and she couldn't get out of it. (Well, I think maybe she could've, but she would've owed a lot of money that she didn't have.) I understood how she felt because I myself had to leave the job after a year, unfortunatley, because there wasn't enough help. (Very long story but that's all I'll say about that here.) Point being that these types of commitments can't be taken lightly. Being obligated changes the dynamic from something you want to do to something you have to do.

See if your daughter is interested in becoming a nurse. Nurses and doctors are in the same environment and get to experience a lot of the same things, albeit from a different focus, but as a team working together. It is a rewarding career in itself, and is easier to achieve. (Not easy, perse, but easier than becoming a doctor.) Nurses serving in the military or working at the VA I believe have to have a BSN, so four years of school. (And she could go higher if she wanted to.) She could still do any of the things mentioned here in this thread - ROTC, joining after graduation as an officer, doing the VA scholarship (link below) or even joining the Reserves. I have a nurse friend in the Navy Reserves (actually I know a lot) and it can be a lot of fun. The nurses work their shifts every third weekend (and I think two or three weeks in the summer) on a naval base in a great area and after work they head out together for a night on the town. The Navy paid off some of her school loans as she joined several years after graduating college.

Feel free to PM me if your DD wants any information about nursing as a career. My DD is in nursing school now so even though it's been a long time out for me, I'm seeing what today's nurses' training requires. (And I'm impressed!) The biggest thing to understand about nurses, and this has always been true thoughout my career too, is that nurses aren't just "handmaidens to doctors" (as still seems to be portrayed sometimes on TV); nurses have their own body of knowledge, their own body of research and have their own focus to patient care. Nurses are educated and licensed to treat a person's response to their illness, and that in itself can be quite challenging and rewarding. Nurses also generally work a set work schedule with a finite number of hours and so are able to have a good amount of time to have a life outside of their work.

Here is the link for the VA Scholarship: https://www.vacareers.va.gov/why-choose-va/education-support.asp

 

[DLgal]

My husband has been in the USMC for almost 20 years now. I think joining the service is a wonderful way to get a great education, paid for. My husband enlisted at 17 right out of high school, went to boot camp, and then immediately went reserve status because he was starting at a university in the fall. For his freshman year, he had to do the "one weekend a month" reserve drill back home (an hour away, so no big deal). Then, he applied for an ROTC scholarship for the financial benefits, because he knew he wanted to be an officer anyway (don't ask me why his original recruiter didn't tell him about this option...)

He graduated on time after 4 years and commissioned upon graduation, then started his officer and specialty training (1 year total).

I have 2 uncles who became doctors (and oncologist and an opthamologist) via the Air Force. One passed away but the other reached General rank during his career.

If your daughter wants to be a doctor, I would recommend any of the services, but she may want to look up the locations of the major bases with hospitals, in each branch, because that is where she will end up spending her career (she'll move every 3-4 years on average, as a doctor). The Air Force and Army bases tend to be in the middle of nowhere. Navy and Marine bases are generally on the coasts, which is nice.

She should definitely start on the pre med path in undergrad and do the ROTC scholarship. The payback amount is equal to the number of years of schooling paid for, but as a doctor, the good thing is she won't be doing combat type stuff. It's generally a safe job, considering. Doctors in the Military get paid additional allowances over and above their rank base pay. Her school will be 100% paid for (books, housing, meals, everything). During her undergrad, she will receive a monthly living allowance (a few hundred a month) as well. She will be able to work part time if she chooses, to earn more money (my husband did this all 4 years).

Once she is in the medical school, she will be a commissioned officer and will receive a full salary and benefits, including housing and subsistence allowances, based on rank. She can do her undergrad, get commissioned, and do her 4 year payback immediately if she wants, just to see if the Military life is for her. Then, she can apply to the medical school program, do her schooling for that, and then only owe a year for every year of schooling. Since her time in a military medical school is considered active duty time, she will then graduate medical school with 8 years of service under her belt. The benefit to this is breaking up the active duty and school time a bit, allowing her to make sure she wants this life for 8-12 years, and having a higher pay grade during medical school.

The main drawbacks are limited slots for these programs, and extreme competition.

She could also enlist right out of high school to pursue being a Navy Corpsman or an Army/Air Force medic. This is more similar to a nursing type job, and will require immediate deployment upon completion of the basic course. She could be put on a ship (Navy or Air Force), be sent to a combat zone, or be sent to a base anywhere in the world. An enlistment brings with it a 4 year commitment, but no further. If she does 4 years, she will be eligible for the GI Bill and the Post 9/11 GI Bill and can use that for college (she could go onto a BSN program, or do a pre med major and go onto medical school). The GI bill will pay for undergrad and the Post 9/11 GI bill can be used for her graduate level degree programs for up to 36 months in length. Many schools also offer something called the Yellow Ribbon scholarship, where they will cover tuition and fees in excess of the Post 9/11 GI bill maximums. This is a great thing.

You both have lots to research and think about, but I highly recommend going this route. Having school paid for (and being paid to GO to school) is a HUGE perk of the military. Also, having a guaranteed job with job security, free healthcare, and all the other benefits make this life worth the sacrifices. Sure, you don't get to live where you want and you have to deal with deployments, sometimes to dangerous places, and it can be very tough both physically and mentally, so it's not to be taken lightly. However, if your daughter is feeling a calling towards this path at this young age, well, that's a powerful thing and it seems like she should follow her heart. It is very honorable to want to serve a cause larger than yourself.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Female Navy veteran here...enlisted at 20 years old, in for 10 years and I separated about 2 years ago. I was an IT (radio/computers). Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or ask here. I 100% loved my time in and would do it all again in a heartbeat.

So, for the Navy, she can enlist as a Hospital Corpsman, or she can choose the college first option and be commissioned as an officer for Doctor or Nurse or Dentist. ROTC is a great option for that route. If she chooses to enlist, there are also options to become commissioned as an officer later on in her career. Medical personnel (enlisted or officer) can be stationed pretty much anywhere in the Navy, from shore station overseas, on a ship, or Corpsman can be embedded with Marine units. I can ask around to some of my friends and see if they have any more advice.

Has she taken the ASVAB? I understand some high schools offer the test.

She has not taken the ASVAB - DS18 did not take this in HS, so I am assuming it is voluntary. I can have DD ask her counselor about it.

I will ask DD if she has any questions, but I know one thing she was nervous about is the physical aspects - she has been in sports/physical activities all her life and is in decent physical shape (5'8", about 140 lbs, plays lacrosse and competitive cheer, and is thinking about joining track this spring if it doesn't interfere with LAX) but she has visions of being screamed at to do 1000 pushups at 2am. She has always liked the coaches and teachers that pushed her to do her best and not cut corners, so I think she would be OK with the physical and metal rigors, but you never know!

I worked at a VA Hospital right out of nursing school. I loved caring for Veterans. (And as in the latest article, I considered it a privilege.) My father was a WWII Veteran and was active in the VA, DAV, etc. He'd even been a patient at the hospital where I worked. Additionally, my son is considering military service when he graduates from college, so we've looked at a lot of information and talked to a lot of people. (ROTC would've been an option for him but he chose to play an NCAA sport instead.) Everyone says to get everything in writing if you have certain things you want to do.

Just throwing this out there for consideration. Becoming a doctor is a long, complicated process even without being in the military. It's four years of college, then four years of medical school, then three years of residency and often an additional year for a fellowship. Twelve years. The hours are long and the work is really difficult. Burn out rate is high. And it doesn't come cheaply. Most are saddled with loans; in this case there may be no loans, but there is a big commitment to service time.

I had a friend in nursing school who went through one of the VA Scholarship programs to pay for nursing school. She was a single mom and she saw no other way to pay for it. In exchange for four years of paid tuition, she had to commit to four years of working at a VA hospital; we worked together. Sounds easy, right? Not even really in the military. Well, for her, it wasn't. She wound up with a nervous breakdown because it wasn't a good fit for her at all, and she couldn't get out of it. (Well, I think maybe she could've, but she would've owed a lot of money that she didn't have.) I understood how she felt because I myself had to leave the job after a year, unfortunatley, because there wasn't enough help. (Very long story but that's all I'll say about that here.) Point being that these types of commitments can't be taken lightly. Being obligated changes the dynamic from something you want to do to something you have to do.

See if your daughter is interested in becoming a nurse. Nurses and doctors are in the same environment and get to experience a lot of the same things, albeit from a different focus, but as a team working together. It is a rewarding career in itself, and is easier to achieve. (Not easy, perse, but easier than becoming a doctor.) Nurses serving in the military or working at the VA I believe have to have a BSN, so four years of school. (And she could go higher if she wanted to.) She could still do any of the things mentioned here in this thread - ROTC, joining after graduation as an officer, doing the VA scholarship (link below) or even joining the Reserves. I have a nurse friend in the Navy Reserves (actually I know a lot) and it can be a lot of fun. The nurses work their shifts every third weekend (and I think two or three weeks in the summer) on a naval base in a great area and after work they head out together for a night on the town. The Navy paid off some of her school loans as she joined several years after graduating college.

Feel free to PM me if your DD wants any information about nursing as a career. My DD is in nursing school now so even though it's been a long time out for me, I'm seeing what today's nurses' training requires. (And I'm impressed!) The biggest thing to understand about nurses, and this has always been true thoughout my career too, is that nurses aren't just "handmaidens to doctors" (as still seems to be portrayed sometimes on TV); nurses have their own body of knowledge, their own body of research and have their own focus to patient care. Nurses are educated and licensed to treat a person's response to their illness, and that in itself can be quite challenging and rewarding. Nurses also generally work a set work schedule with a finite number of hours and so are able to have a good amount of time to have a life outside of their work.

Here is the link for the VA Scholarship: https://www.vacareers.va.gov/why-choose-va/education-support.asp

Thank you for all of this information! I really appreciate everything you wrote.

DD is not your typical girl lol. She is not motherly or particularly nurturing...at this point she claims she doesn't see herself having kids and doesn't want to get married. I'm sure at some point in her life she will change her mind, but that's what she says right now.

We were walking out of the grocery store over the weekend and there were two adorable little boys in front of us playing around. I smiled at them and waved and made funny faces with them while DD looked straight ahead and ignored them. This is how our conversation went (IRL, it wasn't as cold as it sounds in text lol...she did crack a smile or two)

Me: You know, little kids are cute and you can smile and engage with them once in a while
DD: I hate kids. They are so annoying (typical teenage response to anything I say these days)
Me: So, I guess you don't want to be a pediatrician then?
DD: I want my patients to be unconscious
Me: Oh, so you want to be a surgeon?
DD: No, not really (then she got serious) Actually, I really want to be a doctor either in the Navy or as a civilian so I can take care of soldiers who are hurt in war zones.
Me: Really? Wow. OK, if that's really what you want to do, let's look into it and find out how to make it happen. In the meantime, your job is to keep your grades high and stay involved.

If she was to become a nurse, I might be inclined to feel a little scared for her patients lol She is a great kid and it's not like she has psychological issues or anything lol, she is just not the most empathetic or prone to being very dramatic or emotional. Honestly, my boys have more sensitivity than she does. I'd truly be more worried about THEM burning themselves out before I would worry about her. She was the kid who loved the tough teachers and felt uncomfortable around the warm and fuzzy ones - same with coaches. She got along with her toughest coaches through the years and worked harder for them than anyone. She was annoyed by the sweet, kind ones haha, and wished they would have pushed her team a little more. But I will definitely have her look at the nursing option and see if it's something she might want to consider.

I have a friend whose daughter is at Johns Hopkins University right now as a sophomore, and she is going for her PA degree for the exact reasons you listed above - she loves the medical field and helping people, but knows she wants a family some day and doesn't feel as though she wants to devote her entire life to becoming/being a doctor. It's so great that she realized this and carved a path for herself that will make her well-rounded and happy.

 

[DLgal]

Your daughter sounds like the perfect fit for the military! LOL...It's no place for overly sensitive or nurturing, motherly personalities. These types of women tend to join and either get emotionally overwhelmed or married and pregnant and get out.

Tell her not to worry about the physical stuff. She will be fine with her sports background. The fitness standards for women are very easily attainable/maintainable. But, if she is REALLY worried about it, the Air Force is the way to go. Their physical fitness standards are quite low. She can look these standards up online if she wants. But, IMO, even in the Marine Corps (the toughest branch, physically), I think the female standards are not that hard to meet. The hardest part will be boot camp, but they have stopped hazing recruits these days and it's mostly a mental game to weed people out. She seems tough and if she thrives on tough people in charge, she will fly through boot camp and officer basic school.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

I agree completely with @DLgal's post above. Coming as someone who also appreciated the tough teachers and wanted to be challenged, I think she will thrive in the military.

Concerning the physical requirements, with her active background, she likely won't have any trouble with it. The Marine Corps Physical Fitness and Combat Fitness Tests are the most rigorous of all branches, and that was easily the most worrisome aspect to me as I've always been uncoordinated and not particularly athletic. True story: Before I enlisted, I went for a 1.5 mi run with my recruiter as that was part of our Initial Fitness Test in Boot Camp. I couldn't keep up, he left me behind and had to come back for me in his car. He was actually concerned about sending me to Boot Camp and me failing the run. Well, I went to Boot Camp a few days later, passed that run, and ended up passing our 3 mi requurement with a couple mins to spare by the end of Boot Camp. Boot Camp really does a great job of building you up both mentally and physically, and given that your DD seems to like the coaches who challenge her, even if she were struggling physically, I think the Drill Instructors would really help her to rise to the challenge. Honestly one of the greatest takeaways that I (and so many other vets that I know) came away from Boot Camp with was proving to ourselves that we could do things we never thought we could do.

One thing I do think is really important to point it though is that even if she becomes a Navy doctor, there's no guarantee that she's going to be working solely on servicemen/women injured in combat. Depending on her medical specialty and where they Navy has available spots for Doctors, she may end up treating a lot of servicemen/women who have not deployed, or even their family members. Not that there's anything wrong with any of that, I just want her to understand that being a military doctor, she will likely not just be treating combat wounds. I only say this because I've had numerous friends be a little disappointed with their time in service because they thought they'd be doing more than what they did do, more deployments, more combat oriented things, etc. Not everyone ends up doing what they dreamed they would be doing. Everyone absolutely still plays an important role in helping to make our military as great as it is, but I'd hate for her to go in with an expectation of what life will be like and be disappointed if it's not as she pictured. I hope that makes sense.

 

[bcla]

One thing I do think is really important to point it though is that even if she becomes a Navy doctor, there's no guarantee that she's going to be working solely on servicemen/women injured in combat. Depending on her medical specialty and where they Navy has available spots for Doctors, she may end up treating a lot of servicemen/women who have not deployed, or even their family members. Not that there's anything wrong with any of that, I just want her to understand that being a military doctor, she will likely not just be treating combat wounds. I only say this because I've had numerous friends be a little disappointed with their time in service because they thought they'd be doing more than what they did do, more deployments, more combat oriented things, etc. Not everyone ends up doing what they dreamed they would be doing. Everyone absolutely still plays an important role in helping to make our military as great as it is, but I'd hate for her to go in with an expectation of what life will be like and be disappointed if it's not as she pictured. I hope that makes sense.

It's kind of sad, but I've heard of military doctors serving rotations in civilians hospitals that had a lot of gang violence cases. University of Southern California/Los Angeles County Medical Center has had Army and Navy doctors working there to get experience treating gunshot and stab wounds.

https://abc7.com/health/navy-doctors-get-hand-on-training-at-lac+usc-medical-center/998986/
The LAC+USC Medical Center emergency department sees about 4,500 trauma cases a year, making it one of the busiest trauma centers in the nation.

The U.S. Navy sends hundreds of people to the medical center every year because the real-life emergencies help the military prepare for the battlefield.

Inside the old County General ER, a mass casualty simulation almost feels like the real thing to hospital Corpsman Alexander Ploth.

"It can be pretty high pressure," Ploth said.

The next stop? Treating live patients in LAC+USC's emergency department.

"They get hands-on patients for stab wounds, gunshot wounds, motor vehicle accidents," Ploth said. "You can't pretend. You really have to get hands on."

"There are few places out there where the Navy can get this kind of experience without being in a combat environment," said Cmdr. Mike Kearns, director of the Navy Trauma Training Center.

https://news.usc.edu/11331/LAC-USC-Teams-Up-With-Army-Medical-Unit/
ON SOME WEEKENDS, the patients brought to the LAC+USC Medical Center with gunshot wounds, broken bones from automobile or motorcycle accidents or appendicitis may think they’re on the set of a famous TV show.

In one operating room, everyone except the surgeon is dressed in military fatigues. In fact, all are trained medical personnel – and members of the U.S. Army Reserve in training.

These soldiers haven’t had to march very far. They are part of the 349th General Hospital, headquartered down the street at the Hazard Park U.S. Army Reserve Center at San Pablo Street and Zonal Avenue. Skilled doctors, nurses, anesthetists and pharmacists, many of them with USC connections, fulfill reservist duties at the 349th, one of the largest hospitals in the Army Reserves.​

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

It's kind of sad, but I've heard of military doctors serving rotations in civilians hospitals that had a lot of gang violence cases. University of Southern California/Los Angeles County Medical Center has had Army and Navy doctors working there to get experience treating gunshot and stab wounds.

https://abc7.com/health/navy-doctors-get-hand-on-training-at-lac+usc-medical-center/998986/
The LAC+USC Medical Center emergency department sees about 4,500 trauma cases a year, making it one of the busiest trauma centers in the nation.

The U.S. Navy sends hundreds of people to the medical center every year because the real-life emergencies help the military prepare for the battlefield.

Inside the old County General ER, a mass casualty simulation almost feels like the real thing to hospital Corpsman Alexander Ploth.

"It can be pretty high pressure," Ploth said.

The next stop? Treating live patients in LAC+USC's emergency department.

"They get hands-on patients for stab wounds, gunshot wounds, motor vehicle accidents," Ploth said. "You can't pretend. You really have to get hands on."

"There are few places out there where the Navy can get this kind of experience without being in a combat environment," said Cmdr. Mike Kearns, director of the Navy Trauma Training Center.

https://news.usc.edu/11331/LAC-USC-Teams-Up-With-Army-Medical-Unit/
ON SOME WEEKENDS, the patients brought to the LAC+USC Medical Center with gunshot wounds, broken bones from automobile or motorcycle accidents or appendicitis may think they’re on the set of a famous TV show.

In one operating room, everyone except the surgeon is dressed in military fatigues. In fact, all are trained medical personnel – and members of the U.S. Army Reserve in training.

These soldiers haven’t had to march very far. They are part of the 349th General Hospital, headquartered down the street at the Hazard Park U.S. Army Reserve Center at San Pablo Street and Zonal Avenue. Skilled doctors, nurses, anesthetists and pharmacists, many of them with USC connections, fulfill reservist duties at the 349th, one of the largest hospitals in the Army Reserves.​

I had not heard of that, but it is very interesting. I can see how it could be beneficial in providing some real trauma experience before a deployment. Boot camp and schools provide a lot of simulations, but it's totally not the same as being in an environment where you have to think quickly. Unless you go to combat and deal with that stuff first-hand, it's hard to really get that kind of experience working state-side in a military hospital.

 

[bcla]

I had not heard of that, but it is very interesting. I can see how it could be beneficial in providing some real trauma experience before a deployment. Boot camp and schools provide a lot of simulations, but it's totally not the same as being in an environment where you have to think quickly. Unless you go to combat and deal with that stuff first-hand, it's hard to really get that kind of experience working state-side in a military hospital.

Obviously a civilian hospital setting dealing with occasional gunshot and stabbing cases isn't going to be like battlefields where it might end up being "meatball surgery" triaging and treating waves of casualties. Also - vehicle crashes are pretty common combat injuries, so working at a trauma center could provide valuable experience. I heard one other way they're handling this is that military hospitals are often equipped to take in civilian patients.

https://www.army.mil/article/73617/tripler_receives_low_level_trauma_strives_for_excellence_in_care

However, we haven't really dealt with a lot of full scale wars in a while. I hope it stays that way.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Why does the gender matter?

 

[ReneeA]

It's kind of sad, but I've heard of military doctors serving rotations in civilians hospitals that had a lot of gang violence cases. University of Southern California/Los Angeles County Medical Center has had Army and Navy doctors working there to get experience treating gunshot and stab wounds.

https://abc7.com/health/navy-doctors-get-hand-on-training-at-lac+usc-medical-center/998986/
The LAC+USC Medical Center emergency department sees about 4,500 trauma cases a year, making it one of the busiest trauma centers in the nation.

The U.S. Navy sends hundreds of people to the medical center every year because the real-life emergencies help the military prepare for the battlefield.

Inside the old County General ER, a mass casualty simulation almost feels like the real thing to hospital Corpsman Alexander Ploth.

"It can be pretty high pressure," Ploth said.

The next stop? Treating live patients in LAC+USC's emergency department.

"They get hands-on patients for stab wounds, gunshot wounds, motor vehicle accidents," Ploth said. "You can't pretend. You really have to get hands on."

"There are few places out there where the Navy can get this kind of experience without being in a combat environment," said Cmdr. Mike Kearns, director of the Navy Trauma Training Center.

https://news.usc.edu/11331/LAC-USC-Teams-Up-With-Army-Medical-Unit/
ON SOME WEEKENDS, the patients brought to the LAC+USC Medical Center with gunshot wounds, broken bones from automobile or motorcycle accidents or appendicitis may think they’re on the set of a famous TV show.

In one operating room, everyone except the surgeon is dressed in military fatigues. In fact, all are trained medical personnel – and members of the U.S. Army Reserve in training.

These soldiers haven’t had to march very far. They are part of the 349th General Hospital, headquartered down the street at the Hazard Park U.S. Army Reserve Center at San Pablo Street and Zonal Avenue. Skilled doctors, nurses, anesthetists and pharmacists, many of them with USC connections, fulfill reservist duties at the 349th, one of the largest hospitals in the Army Reserves.​

This I can attest to. I worked bedside as a SICU RN in the most violent Detroit ZIP code and our 2 trauma surgeons were Iraq War vets who performed "surgery in the sand" before "surgery in the D".

 

[Lilacs4Me]

I agree completely with @DLgal's post above. Coming as someone who also appreciated the tough teachers and wanted to be challenged, I think she will thrive in the military.

Concerning the physical requirements, with her active background, she likely won't have any trouble with it. The Marine Corps Physical Fitness and Combat Fitness Tests are the most rigorous of all branches, and that was easily the most worrisome aspect to me as I've always been uncoordinated and not particularly athletic. True story: Before I enlisted, I went for a 1.5 mi run with my recruiter as that was part of our Initial Fitness Test in Boot Camp. I couldn't keep up, he left me behind and had to come back for me in his car. He was actually concerned about sending me to Boot Camp and me failing the run. Well, I went to Boot Camp a few days later, passed that run, and ended up passing our 3 mi requurement with a couple mins to spare by the end of Boot Camp. Boot Camp really does a great job of building you up both mentally and physically, and given that your DD seems to like the coaches who challenge her, even if she were struggling physically, I think the Drill Instructors would really help her to rise to the challenge. Honestly one of the greatest takeaways that I (and so many other vets that I know) came away from Boot Camp with was proving to ourselves that we could do things we never thought we could do.

One thing I do think is really important to point it though is that even if she becomes a Navy doctor, there's no guarantee that she's going to be working solely on servicemen/women injured in combat. Depending on her medical specialty and where they Navy has available spots for Doctors, she may end up treating a lot of servicemen/women who have not deployed, or even their family members. Not that there's anything wrong with any of that, I just want her to understand that being a military doctor, she will likely not just be treating combat wounds. I only say this because I've had numerous friends be a little disappointed with their time in service because they thought they'd be doing more than what they did do, more deployments, more combat oriented things, etc. Not everyone ends up doing what they dreamed they would be doing. Everyone absolutely still plays an important role in helping to make our military as great as it is, but I'd hate for her to go in with an expectation of what life will be like and be disappointed if it's not as she pictured. I hope that makes sense.

Thanks!

And yes, of course! She is 14, talking in an overview perspective. And I'm pretty sure she understands that if there is no war (an ideal situation, right!!), there are no combat wounds to tend to and she will be doing something else, or even if there is one, she could or could not be stationed anywhere near there. I think she is grounded enough to realize that fact, while at the same time dreaming of being "needed" enough to be able to help in combat if the need arises.

Kind of like idealistically wanting to become a famous rock star or actor, or the lawyer who gets the high-profile win, or the young firefighter that thinks he will save 50 people in a burning building, or whatever....teens always have lofty dreams and goals, but are generally smart enough to figure out that real-life is much more mundane. And my uncle, through 32 years of service, was never once sent to a war zone - even during both Gulf Wars, 9/11, etc. You are so right with your caution, because you just never know when and where a soldier will be needed. When I think of her snotty teen moments, I think of how hilarious it would be if she joined the Navy, became a doctor, then was stationed on a base where all she did all day were well-child checks for bratty kids. That'll teach her to talk back to her mom!

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Why does the gender matter?

I'm assuming you are questioning my title.

It doesn't in the least, at least not in regard to whether a girl should or shouldn't join since that wasn't the question. It DOES matter because there are many more men that take this route and I was hoping that by signifying the thread was about a girl, it might help garner some responses from women who have contemplated or have enlisted themselves.

But I am assuming that since you commented, it piqued your interest enough to at least click on it and take a look!

Any thoughts or experiences from your point of view?

 

[Lilacs4Me]

This I can attest to. I worked bedside as a SICU RN in the most violent Detroit ZIP code and our 2 trauma surgeons were Iraq War vets who performed "surgery in the sand" before "surgery in the D".

I grew up in Detroit (the safe side in the 80's that now also looks like a combat zone ) and it's pretty much all scary now!

We now live in the Chicago suburbs, so yes, if DD really wanted to tend to the "combat zone injuries" as a career, she does't even have to join the military, she can just take the L towards downtown haha, or go back home for a visit.

So sad....I feel bad even joking about it!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Any thoughts or experiences from your point of view?

Neither of my children have joined the military. One of my son's good friend enlisted in the Marines but I think for the reserves to help with his college payments. I'm not entirely sure. One of my daughter's friends enlisted and got into one of the Marine bands. He served his active duty and is currently in the Marine Reserve Band in New Orleans. I have several in-laws who were active duty in the Navy, but that was in the 80's

It certainly worked out for most of them.

 

[bcla]

Neither of my children have joined the military. One of my son's good friend enlisted in the Marines but I think for the reserves to help with his college payments. I'm not entirely sure. One of my daughter's friends enlisted and got into one of the Marine bands. He served his active duty and is currently in the Marine Reserve Band in New Orleans. I have several in-laws who were active duty in the Navy, but that was in the 80's

It certainly worked out for most of them.

We got all sorts of kids entering the military, or at least trying. I remember quite a few talked about it, although I never followed up on it. And I'm talking about my classmates in college-track classes. I know of quite a few who never aspired towards college, but joined the military immediately upon graduating from high school.

One odd case was a girl who got an appointment for the US Air Force Academy. However, she couldn't pass the entrance requirements (grades were adequate) because she couldn't manage a single pull-up, and she was given two testing opportunities. I knew a few who seemed to be ready for college immediately, but chose to enlist in the military for GI Bill benefits. I knew one classmate who was originally from Vietnam. His younger sister was in the same year (he was a bit behind) and headed straight for college. He could have been to, but he chose to enlist in the US Army. The oddest case I recall was a classmate who thought that she could get an associate's degree at a community college, enter the Air Force for Officer Candidate School, and then finish with a bachelor's degree on GI Bill benefits. It's my understanding that very few officers these days don't have a four year college degree, and even many entering with a four-year degree aren't even offered OCS, although they might enter as an E-3.

 

[manning]

Here's another option: attend Annapolis Naval Academy where the tuition is free.

Air Force Academy and West Point. There will be a military obligation. I think 5 years.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

I grew up in Detroit (the safe side in the 80's that now also looks like a combat zone ) and it's pretty much all scary now!

We now live in the Chicago suburbs, so yes, if DD really wanted to tend to the "combat zone injuries" as a career, she does't even have to join the military, she can just take the L towards downtown haha, or go back home for a visit.

So sad....I feel bad even joking about it!

That made me laugh. That's the kind of humor DH and his brother have. We live about an hour from Detroit. They both grew up in a small town in Illinois and his brother currently lives in a small town down South and has never really been to a place with crime and violence the way Detroit and Chicago have. DH and his brother were both Marines too, but DH never went on what he calls a "real" deployment, whereas his brother went to the sand several times, was artillery, and a Drill Instructor for a while. The two of them have a running joke where DH will tell his brother that if he comes to visit, we are going to take him through Detroit to see how *tough* he really is (they're Marines so it's said with a bit stronger of words than is appropriate here). Meanwhile, his brother fires back that at least then DH might finally see some real action.

 

[Kitty 34]

Our youngest DS joined the Air Force in 2011 and got an awesome education to become an ATC which after separating from the AF last Oct (or whatever you call it) now lands planes at an airport in Ohio. His brothers have loans galore but not the youngest. Girl or guy.......I just don't think gender matters that much with the military but I guess I could be wrong.

 

[LovesTimone]

A good friend of mine went the Navy route. She did ROTC in high school and loved it, and did college courses in 11th and 12 th grade. Spent the summer in college summer classes and the next year getting as many college credits as she could, and did make some time and hung out at the beach with us. She has been and lived all over the world and ended up a trauma nurse then took more classes to become a nurse practitioner, She had in 30 years when she left the military, she stayed in the reserves.

Wishing your daughter the best in whatever she decides...