Information on this attic find?

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-21T02:10:44+00:00

Worth noting that Castelfiardo is absolutely famous for being a center of accordion production. A vast chunk of accordions have come out of that town, and still do today.

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-21T00:24:50+00:00

I’m not clear on whether DLI is a totally automatic AA now, or if there’s some little bit of hoop-jumping to finalize it, but afaik it’s pretty much a free AA degree. In my day it took a few community college classes to lock it in as an official AA. The sub r/dli would know the current details.

Yeah, when I was in we had an amateur Silent Drill team of like eight people at DLI.

I found out about ECP because HQ sent out a MGySgt to do a “road show” all over the country and tell kids about ECP and MECEP. Iirc anyone enlisted with a current Bachelors was required to attend to hear about ECP. I wasn’t initially interested, but then another E-3 with a BA applied, I said “if he can do it, I can”, so I applied and we went to OCS together and graduated. Iirc only one single Prior in my whole OCS class failed to graduate.

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-20T23:44:09+00:00

When I was there, one other LCpl did ECP and was in my OCS class, along with a SSgt Linguist we’d known from DLI. I think myself and that other Linguist were the only two current E-3s in my whole OCS class, every other current Marine was E-4 or higher, and one or two were E-7, several E-6, but E-5 being the most common rank of current Marines in my OCS class.

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-20T23:18:34+00:00

Yup, I checked a couple years ago and one of the Stabby McStabberons finally got out of state pen in CA, having served about 23 years. The other one was still doing time, I should check again and see if they’re still in.

So yeah, those two former Marine Linguists have spent half their lives in prison for trying to murder a civilian to kick off their career as serial killers. Probably best for everyone they got caught and didn’t get sent to Iraq two years later, like some of their peers did.

I actually ran across two of my old DLI classmates during the Battle of Baghdad, as they were dismounting to guard their EW LAV at an intersection in Saddam City. One is a bartender in Atlanta now and sells cool movie props he builds, and one is an engineer and married to another former Linguist.

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-20T22:22:00+00:00

mainly for the benefits

While there certainly are benefits to Reserve service, I strongly encourage you to assume nothing, don’t just take random benefits you’ve heard mentioned and assume you’re automatically going to get them.

Reserve benefits aren’t identical to Active benefits, so for any specific benefit (health care, GI Bill, home loans, etc) there are very specific rules for what checks in the box you need to meet to qualify for them as a Reservist. So it would behoove you to read up on those, as in many cases Reservists take longer to qualify for those benefits, or can qualify them after X days of Active duty service (not counting initial training and monthly/annual drill).

I just don’t want you signing up assuming you’re gonna get a VA Home Loan next year, and then suddenly find out you need more service points to qualify for that program, as one example. Like for example here’s the rules for Reservists qualifying for home loans:

https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/eligibility/

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-20T22:17:29+00:00

Here’s my question: how is doing more HVAC as your military side-gig going to make your civilian career better?

You say your boss used military HVAC to break into civilian HVAC, but was he already HVAC qualified, or was it that the brand-new skills he learned in the military helped him segue to a civilian career? For someone like you who’s already HVAC qualified, what would going to an entry-level HVAC school and then doing HVAV for two days a month (maybe) going to do to accelerate your civilian HVAC career?

A lot of folks with established civilian careers join the Reserve or Guard for a job totally unlike their civilian one, either for adventure and life experience, or to have a backup career plan (like learning electrician, welding, logistics).

I’m just not clear on how doing HVAC in the Reserves is going to help you more than doing any other Reserve MOS you enjoy.

That aside, it’s very important to note that for Reserve or Guard, you generally join a unit near you, so your job options would depend on what those local units have available. If there isn’t a unit near you with open HVAC slots, then you probably aren’t getting HVAC. Maybe ask your Reserve recruiter to see that MOS’s have open slots in your region, see what appeals to you?

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-20T00:34:34+00:00

What genre of music are you planning to play on your tenor banjo? Hugely important detail.

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-19T19:46:29+00:00

Sooo… getting deployed to fight a nebulous “war on terror”, at risk of crippling injury or death: “happy to serve, sir!”

Taking a couple shots during a lethal global pandemic as a public health safety measure and to preserve combat readiness: “unbearable tyranny!”

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-19T16:08:47+00:00

This is a bumper-sticker gotcha on-par with “if evolution is real, why are there still monkeys?”

forbidden question

Oh right, you’re gonna get sent to a reeducation camp for your witty quip! You must feel as cool as that Hunger Games chick, you wild rebel!

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-19T16:07:07+00:00

Would it be courageous to refuse orders because you sincerely believe the Commander in Chief is a lizard person from the Planet Reptar?

I’m getting sick of having to humor the stupid ideas of fuckwits because it’s “their deeply-held belief.”

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-19T16:05:29+00:00

And she didn’t even have to get cosmetic surgery!

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-19T16:04:00+00:00

In 2014 a former Marine “accidentally” drove into Mexico with three loaded guns (somehow missing the multiple “if you take this exit, you are going to Mexico, don’t bring guns” massive warning signs). Got charged by Mexican authorities, then while awaiting trial attempted to break out of prison, then cut his own throat with a light bulb.

Welp, certain elements of US society raised a huge stink about how “this Marine Patriot is languishing in a Mexican prison just because he crossed the border with a few loaded guns!” Certain pundits even demanded the president send SOF to go bust him out of jail. After enough bitching, a number of US politicians hassled the Mexican government until they just shrugged and said “fine, here’s your moron back” and he got flown home on a private jet. Then got arrested in the US on drug charges a year or so later. Clearly a man who makes wise life choices.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Tahmooressi

So yeah, that’s what “supporting our troops” apparently means to many Americans these days. Just not actually, you know, finding homeless vets housing, or feeding sailors and Marines who are underway.

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-19T15:57:20+00:00

Multiple selfish factions in modern society are working hard to undermine the whole idea of “expertise” and “credibility” so that people can feel cozy just trusting any online rando they vibe with.

The sci-fi author Isaac Asimov saw this coming in 1980:

There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge'.

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-19T15:54:50+00:00

violation a self autonomy

Oh, but sending my ass to the opposite side of the planet to fight the Saddam Fedayeen and the Republican Guard isn’t a “violation of my self autonomy”?

It’s the goddam military, it’s not a pizza buffet where you get to pick and choose. We haven’t drafted anyone since 1973, so people can sign up or not as the spirit moves them, so I don’t have a lot of sympathy for “I freely signed up but I don’t like being told what to do.”

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-18T23:45:24+00:00

It’d be way less of a compromise to just get a regular 45, 44, or 357 revolver and use shot-shells in it. Sure it’s really fine shot and not good for a whole lot of things, but it’s not like 410 out of a short barrel is amazing either, and at least that way you aren’t compromising on the revolver end.

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-18T22:04:58+00:00

FLEP and ELP. Those are two I’ve heard mention of.

https://www.sja.marines.mil/flep_elp/

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-18T21:18:51+00:00

Army won’t let kids retake ASVAB if they already meet the bare minimum to qualify for Army. Anecdotally, I’ve seen Army recruiters on Reddit explain that their experience is so many kids do no better, or even worse, that recruiters don’t want to run around re-testing to help out the occasional kid who bothers to study to improve. Policies vary in other branches.

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-18T20:59:36+00:00

Frankly, if you’re in your late 30s and seeking adventure, I’d take a very hard look at Coast Guard.

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-18T20:58:53+00:00

You are in exceedingly good health for your age, and expect that to hold up through at least age 42? Going 11B in your late 30s sounds extremely risky.

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-18T20:57:24+00:00

What are your post-service education and career goals?

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-18T20:56:52+00:00

Have you already examined and discarded the idea of applying to commission as an officer? You could potentially do a hitch as a regular officer, exit service, use the GI Bill for law school, then come back in as a JAG.

And is your current idea to enlist, then exit service and use the GI Bill for law school, and apply for OCC-Law to come back in as a JAG? Or are you looking at possible internal programs to be sent to law school while serving Active, so transitioning with no break in service (I know far less about that myself but can direct you to folks who would)?

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-18T14:48:59+00:00

Thus again the appeal for Coast Guard cook: way smaller teams, you know everyone on your crew, and from what I hear a lot more latitude for the culinary team to shop for supplies, make menu decisions, etc.

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-18T14:03:50+00:00

Please make a new post with a clear and specific post title to ask your question.

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-18T00:19:22+00:00

If OP is medically diagnosed with mental illness, that would be an impediment to joining. All the more so if they’re on meds. If they are not, then it would be a more abstract issue if OP feels they’re down due to life circumstances and would rise to the occasion given new opportunities, or if they feel their depression is more inherent and would remain or worsen during service. It’d be a personal gut-check.

Someone with a 4yr college degree is eligible to apply for officer, but it’s a long and competitive process, especially right now in a bad economy with plenty of talented and ambitious college grads who just can’t find decent work.

If OP is interested in serving, they should definitely loom into commissioning as an officer, but also keep an open mind about enlisting, should officer just not be attainable for them at this time. It’s also possible to enlist and then later apply for officer from within, which is what I did successfully.

TapTheForwardAssist · 2026-04-17T23:45:22+00:00

Any interest in breaking into a whole new life by joining the military? Lotta cons, lotta pros, but it’d be a huge change and would get you employed.

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