Thinking of Joining the Military? V2 - General

Any tips on the gas chamber everyone goes through?

Inhale as much as you can... jk It sucks ass. Can't really prevent it from sucking.

dont puke on your instructors

[QUOTE=Zerokateo;37779522]Any tips on the gas chamber everyone goes through?[/QUOTE] i completely forgot what thread i was in and i was very confused tip #1 and by far the most important [B][U]NEVER FUCKING SHAVE THE MORNING OF[/U][/B]

Don't they make you shave?

they make you but unless the DS is probably watching over you in the bathrooms you could probably get away with it also i will keep not shaving in mind when its my time for the gas

Preview The gas chamber sucks ass, but there are far worst thing. I almsot didn't go through the chamber because I had sprained my ankle a day or 2 prior. It doesn't seem like it at the time, but most of what the chamber does is all psycological. If you're calm, it won't be as bad. Its when people start to freak out that they suck in too much gas from breathing so hard and it usually ends up shitty for them. (aka having to go through 2 or 3 times.) The best way to describe it choking on a chunk of fish + having the intense urge to cough and throw up all at the same time. Also add into the heat of the day at your basic training (Ft Benning for me) and the feeling of being slowly lit on fire. It sounds bad but trust me, you'll survive and you'll remember every second of it till the day you die. :rock: Also: Posting from Dead Kennedys concert in albuquerque. :suicide:

[QUOTE=Savyetski79;37780053]Preview The gas chamber sucks ass, but there are far worst thing. I almsot didn't go through the chamber because I had sprained my ankle a day or 2 prior. It doesn't seem like it at the time, but most of what the chamber does is all psycological. If you're calm, it won't be as bad. Its when people start to freak out that they suck in too much gas from breathing so hard and it usually ends up shitty for them. (aka having to go through 2 or 3 times.) The best way to describe it choking on a chunk of fish + having the intense urge to cough and throw up all at the same time. Also add into the heat of the day at your basic training (Ft Benning for me) and the feeling of being slowly lit on fire. It sounds bad but trust me, you'll survive and you'll remember every second of it till the day you die. :rock: Also: Posting from Dead Kennedys concert in albuquerque. :suicide:[/QUOTE] The way you worded that makes the gas chamber seem worse than it is. The gas chamber sucks, especially if you end up getting it/forced to get it in your lungs and eyes. But it's whatever; you do it, you deal with it, you're done with it. The people that fail are the people that freak the fuck out over something that is very temporary. Like anything else, you do it and move on.

[QUOTE=UncleJimmema;37780263]The way you worded that makes the gas chamber seem worse than it is. The gas chamber sucks, especially if you end up getting it/forced to get it in your lungs and eyes. But it's whatever; you do it, you deal with it, you're done with it. The people that fail are the people that freak the fuck out over something that is very temporary. Like anything else, you do it and move on.[/QUOTE] That's just how it felt to me lol. Your experience may differ.

[QUOTE=Savyetski79;37780053]Preview The gas chamber sucks ass, but there are far worst thing. I almsot didn't go through the chamber because I had sprained my ankle a day or 2 prior. It doesn't seem like it at the time, but most of what the chamber does is all psycological. If you're calm, it won't be as bad. Its when people start to freak out that they suck in too much gas from breathing so hard and it usually ends up shitty for them. (aka having to go through 2 or 3 times.) The best way to describe it choking on a chunk of fish + having the intense urge to cough and throw up all at the same time. Also add into the heat of the day at your basic training (Ft Benning for me) and the feeling of being slowly lit on fire. It sounds bad but trust me, you'll survive and you'll remember every second of it till the day you die. :rock: Also: Posting from Dead Kennedys concert in albuquerque. :suicide:[/QUOTE] So, say Australia's average summer day (40C, 105F) would be pretty shit?

[QUOTE=Zerokateo;37779522]Any tips on the gas chamber everyone goes through?[/QUOTE] Well CS is activated by moisture, so what I did to prepare was use as much of the hand sanitizer they gave us as possible to dry out my hands in the weeks preceding the gas chamber, that way my hands didn't burn. Then I tightened up the sleeves on my ACUs and went in. It feels different to different people, I had one buddy stroll out of the chamber as if he had just gone on a walk through the park and another puking like his stomach was burning his insides. For me, it wasn't too bad, just burned the inside of my lungs. I could feel the shape and size of my lungs from the pain. Just don't panic.

[QUOTE=Savyetski79;37777227]I just got out of the Army. I was an Infantryman with 1st Bct, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Ky. Any questions about Army Infantry life or the 101st, I'd probably be the guy to go to since the last guy with 1st Bct on this thread got banned (EuroFanBmw). An old group photo of me and my squad from a 2 week field exercise at Fort Knox, Ky. [IMG]http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p173/Russianblood/fortknox_zps0579194b.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] do you feel like a tougher, more capable individual for your experience (particularly for being in the infantry)? the main appeal of the army for me is toughening myself, so i'm not as emotionally/physically soft as i am now. does this sound like a realistic outcome?

Is there actually a real, appreciable difference in the "toughness" of Army and Marine infantry or other equivalents?

It might make you tougher...or if you're too weak your unit will smoke and haze you for being weak and different and intelligent and you'll find out who you really are. The Army doesn't have the same affect on everyone..the fact of the matter is that the military isn't this big perfect place like people invision it. If you want to find out just how much bullshit you can tolerate before you quit, break or die, join the infantry.

This isn't about me. I'm not considering enlisting. I plan on joining as an officer, with Naval Aviation being my first choice, then tank officer, maybe something else after that. I'm just curious. [editline]24th September 2012[/editline] Oh that's responding to the other guy too.

Between Marine Infantry and regular Army infantry units like 3rd ID and 4th ID I'd say yes. Between MI units and the Army's better Infantry units like the 82nd and 101st id say in some cases the 101st are just as squared away when it comes to SOP's and in field/theatre discipline. I know as a private if you weren't squared away in even the littlest things like always having a notepad and pen or having all your tie downs perfect , you'd get the shit smoked and ridiculed out of you for anywhere from 15 minutes to 2-3 hours if your team leader was really pissed at you. That being said, I was never a Marine or too great of an infantryman so everything I've said is 50% experience/50% educated guess and should only be taken as an oppinion, NOT fact.

Were you deployed?

[QUOTE=Apache249;37781833]Were you deployed?[/QUOTE] If we was in for 3 years I'd have said that's probably the case.

[QUOTE=WubWubWompWomp;37781920]If we was in for 3 years I'd have said that's probably the case.[/QUOTE] That is what I assumed. I was wondering where, and that is how I chose to ask.

[QUOTE=Apache249;37781833]Were you deployed?[/QUOTE] Unfortunatly no...I trained constantly while I was in for deployment but my company didn't make the list. I was only inn for a year.

[QUOTE=Apache249;37781320]Is there actually a real, appreciable difference in the "toughness" of Army and Marine infantry or other equivalents?[/QUOTE] That question is just asking to start a shit storm lol

Hey Savyetski, I am currently in the 101st CAB, deployed. 2-17 Cav. Never seen someone else from Campbell on here, other than one person. Sorry to hear that Currahee sucked so much. I am livin the aviation life.

Apparently SEALs and SFOD-D get to have beards when not deployed. +1 awesomeness.

[QUOTE=WubWubWompWomp;37782912]Apparently SEALs and SFOD-D get to have beards when not deployed. +1 awesomeness.[/QUOTE] mostly because being clean cut in general is a dead giveaway of miltary.

[QUOTE=WastedJamacan;37783101]mostly because being clean cut in general is a dead giveaway of miltary.[/QUOTE] I spoke to a 2CDO (Aussie SOF) yesterday, he was pretty jealous.

Just wondering, here we do our service for 6-12 months which is just training in case of invasion and after that we just go on with our daily life (or sign up for peacekeeping or officer training) but in America, don't you sign up for like 5-10 years? Not sure on how many years but I hear its pretty long but doesn't that fuck up your life when you still have to go to university and get a job, etc? What do you do after the military in the US?

In America, I beilieve in the army you have to do a minimum of 2 years along with the navy ( might be wrong ) but with the Marines you have to do 4 years.

[QUOTE=Robbi;37784917]Just wondering, here we do our service for 6-12 months which is just training in case of invasion and after that we just go on with our daily life (or sign up for peacekeeping or officer training) but in America, don't you sign up for like 5-10 years? Not sure on how many years but I hear its pretty long but doesn't that fuck up your life when you still have to go to university and get a job, etc? What do you do after the military in the US?[/QUOTE] Nowadays 4-6 year contracts are the most common. The Army is getting extremely picky due to the looming cuts in numbers. Pretty much the minimum time is 4 years. Mine was six years due to my highly technical job. Six years active is the limit for initial contracts. Everyone technically signs for eight years. I signed for six, with two years inactive reserve. Basically inactive reserve is that you are basically a civilian, but if world war 3 happens they can recall you to duty. It doesn't mess up your life, you still go to college in the military. It is encouraged, in fact. I still keep in contact with all of my friends back in my home state. Now, after the military, you can do whatever you want. Your job in the military can have an effect on what you do, though. Since I am a helicopter maintainer, I am eligible to take the A&P license test after three years of doing my job. This license will enable me to work for the big aerospace companies and make a fat salary. Of course, I aspire to be a warrant officer and fly, so once I achieve that I could sign on with some charter company, or just simply privately own a helicopter and enjoy myself. You are by no means limited when you leave the service.

[QUOTE=SKEEA;37785422]Nowadays 4-6 year contracts are the most common. The Army is getting extremely picky due to the looming cuts in numbers. Pretty much the minimum time is 4 years. Mine was six years due to my highly technical job. Six years active is the limit for initial contracts. Everyone technically signs for eight years. I signed for six, with two years inactive reserve. Basically inactive reserve is that you are basically a civilian, but if world war 3 happens they can recall you to duty. It doesn't mess up your life, you still go to college in the military. It is encouraged, in fact. I still keep in contact with all of my friends back in my home state. Now, after the military, you can do whatever you want. Your job in the military can have an effect on what you do, though. Since I am a helicopter maintainer, I am eligible to take the A&P license test after three years of doing my job. This license will enable me to work for the big aerospace companies and make a fat salary. Of course, I aspire to be a warrant officer and fly, so once I achieve that I could sign on with some charter company, or just simply privately own a helicopter and enjoy myself. You are by no means limited when you leave the service.[/QUOTE] Yes I get reserves, every male of my country is a reserve troop but what I mean like for example your average soldier in the Marines or army they do their training, do their tours and this can take up to 6 years? Yeah? So do you just put your life on hold for those 6 years and then come home and continue your education/work or can you study while in the army or what? I'm just wondering. 6 years seems a bit long to give away for a thing that won't necessarily improve your career. I see how this helps you though, since those skills can also be applied in civilian use but just wondering for the more basic soldats.

[QUOTE=Robbi;37785691]Yes I get reserves, every male of my country is a reserve troop but what I mean like for example your average soldier in the Marines or army they do their training, do their tours and this can take up to 6 years? Yeah? So do you just put your life on hold for those 6 years and then come home and continue your education/work or can you study while in the army or what? I'm just wondering. 6 years seems a bit long to give away for a thing that won't necessarily improve your career. I see how this helps you though, since those skills can also be applied in civilian use but just wondering for the more basic soldats.[/QUOTE] You don't put your life on hold. It is not like you are deployed for all of those six years. You live life normally as a Solider when you are in garrison. I was living it up while I was in the states. Also, you seem to have missed where I said that you can go to college in the military, and that it is highly encouraged, and paid for. As for what to do when you get out; If you were, say, infantry, working security is always a good bet, but you can do other things as well if you kept up with your education. Seriously, you can do anything when you get out. Also, you have a possibility of getting stationed near to where your old life was, though doubtful. Your family moves with you, if you have one of your own. Also, your time in service is only as long as is stated on your contract. It can take up to six years, certainly, but infantry sign for four. If you don't re-up, then that is it.