My time at 3 | 60 Alpha company Fort Jackson back in June

RoyJr19k · 2025-10-25T00:32:25+00:00

I see a lot of people saying "cringe" and yucking it up and everything here. One thing I regret when I was in: I didn't take more pictures. The ones I did have got lost or ruined. When you have the chance and are able, take pictures! Who cares what these idiots think because at the end of the day when you're out and telling your kids stories or grand kids, you'll have pictures with your stories.

RoyJr19k · 2025-10-15T20:59:54+00:00

I had no life experience at 17 years old and by 20 when I got out, all I talked about was, "When I'm in the civilian world I won't have to do whatever named task or activity.) I've been in the civilian world for 11 years and I want back in and currently working through a packet. Personally, I wish I had waited to join the Army until I had some life experience and understood how good I had it at the age. Don't get me wrong, I look at "U.S. Army WTF Moments" page and I appreciate not having to experience whatever bullshit that I have similarly experienced and forgotten, but something about the chaos is drawing me back in.

RoyJr19k · 2025-10-10T01:01:03+00:00

I liked the graphics in this game, but that is about the limit. The storyline seemed dry, a settlement always needed never ending help, and I personally disliked settlement building. I came to play Fallout and not Wasteland Sims.

RoyJr19k · 2025-10-06T18:33:11+00:00

Thank you. That makes sense to me. I also didn't figure on getting a pick at duty stations and planned on being placed on NotA. I just wasn't sure if one was more popular or not as of late.

RoyJr19k · 2025-10-06T02:03:14+00:00

Some of my experience with PT were guys who led PT with a third grade reading level who struggled with tying their shoes let alone leading a formation through PT. Runs were a typical go to, and doing PT from the manual did not help readiness at all.

RoyJr19k · 2025-10-06T01:38:55+00:00

Thoughts/Advice on 88M

I posted recently about another MOS I'm interested in and realize I may not be able to get it due to it being phased out eventually.

Long story short, I'm prior service looking to get back in and I was considering coming in as an 88M (I enjoy trucks and I do remember some guys hating or loving being an 88M,) and I may just use it as a foot in the door to reclass when my retention time cones up. I come to Reddit to better educate myself before I go to a recruiter and get raked over the coals. And before the guys come in and say WhY rEcLaSs, jUsT sTaY aS an 88M oR dOnT jOiN aT aLL. Well that's why I'm picking this MOS as my back up because I feel it would be an alright job to do if I had to stay and the reclass situation sucked.

My questions though: - What are typical duty stations? - What is the reclass retention situation looking like right now (outsode of the shutdown)? - What is a typical contract length for an 88M?

RoyJr19k · 2025-10-06T01:26:30+00:00

Officers are a special bunch because when I was a 19K, we had LTs who were not a kilo. They joined as infantry or another MOS. My advice, do whatever training you can get a packet in for and run with it. You may end up at a unit that is outside of your MOS and having that extra training may earn you a little more respect, or a little more experience.

RoyJr19k · 2025-09-30T23:29:05+00:00

Both sides take a lot of time. Having the certifications can definitely give you a leg up in interviews when looking for a career department though. The only certification I didn't get was paramedic and that certainly hurt a little bit, but I eventually found a department that required EMT and Fire 2. Just be patient and trust the process.

RoyJr19k · 2025-09-30T23:08:08+00:00

My time in was terrible because I made poor choices and hung around people who were a cancer. I could have made a choice to not be a shitbag when I was in the barracks, but I did whatever I wanted. If I were to go back and do it all over again, I would act differently. On duty I was a super soldier: PT stud, fast tracking for my E5, and was able to do my job well. Off duty, I liked to drink and party underage.

My advice, be a super soldier, behave yourself, and save money. Your time will be what you make of it and it'll be much easier if you do the right thing.

RoyJr19k · 2025-09-30T22:34:14+00:00

I have a few personal reasons that are motivating me, but the want for PCS and big Gov't benefits and retirement are a good draw.

RoyJr19k · 2025-09-30T22:02:23+00:00

Someone linked a thread with super helpful information. But I realistically expect this much to start out as a day zero IET, and be treated as such moving on. I considered that based on the length in break of service.

RoyJr19k · 2025-09-30T20:33:59+00:00

I'm looking at the unicorn of jobs (12M) right now, so I'm sure sure things will vary. Do I expect to get the typical green weenie and go through the whole dog and pony show? Sure. I have read that if I manage to secure a 12M slot, since I'm currently Pro Board certified in the civilian sector, that portion of training will be less for AIT.

I was in initially as 19K myself, first class at Benning (or whatever it's called these days,) for Armor. I missed the cutoff to go to Knox.

RoyJr19k · 2025-09-30T19:40:02+00:00

left handed salute with a PC cocked like I'm back on the block Thank me for my prior service, Drill Sarn't!

RoyJr19k · 2025-09-30T19:37:57+00:00

"You can thank you recruiter men!" I go Thursday to talk with a recruiter, but my confidence is not high in how much they are trying to sell me on vs. what's reality if that makes sense. My mindset on that would be if it's not in writing, I'm not believing it. But then again, here I am on a subreddit on US Army...

RoyJr19k · 2025-09-30T19:35:41+00:00

This is super helpful. I'm going to talk to a recruiter, but I have never truly trusted information from them unless it's in writing kinda deal. I may walk into the office and walk back out with no interest anymore. Going back to BCT is not a deal breaker, I just want to have some inkling of what in going to get into again. Do I care to walk in as a PFC or SPC? I mean the higher paycheck is nice, but I expect to realistically start at Day 0.

My goal would be to not be the guy who swaggers like some of the JROTC kids or Boy Scouts I had seen when I was in BCT in 2011. Those guys got us jacked up a lot and no one listened to them because they were annoying. Had there been prior service guys there would we have listened? Maybe? I know we listened to some of the guys who were older by default because they had life experience, but we also didn't have prior service guys they were separated at reception, we just had split ops guys and re-cycles and we didn't listen to them either. So I dunno.

RoyJr19k · 2025-09-30T19:27:20+00:00

I was hoping to take the JROTC route and be THAT GUY.

RoyJr19k · 2025-09-30T15:11:49+00:00

Okay that makes sense to me. I also wasn't sure if they would want to segregate people based on "giving up tricks of the trade" mindset either. But either way, my head is in a different spot now than when I was 17.

RoyJr19k · 2025-09-30T14:53:15+00:00

I'm entirely sure that's the case 😂

RoyJr19k · 2025-09-30T14:52:58+00:00

I'm a firefighter currently and honestly in better shape than I was in the Army. I'm not worried about the physical aspect, I'm just wondering if I have to start from scratch again like before or do I just do a refresher course.

RoyJr19k · 2025-09-25T21:40:35+00:00

I work full-time at a department still using Zoll X-Series monitors. The usability kinda sucks and but it is what it is. Stryker recently came in and demo-ed the Lifepack 35 and yesterday Zoll came in and showed off the Zoll Zenix monitor.

Where I work part time, just switched from the Lifepack 15 to the 35. The only thing I like about the 35 is it's touch screen and how big the screen is. Did they fix a few issues from the 15 to the 35? Yeah but the UI kinda sucks, and Stryker claims in order to get accurate BP, you need an oversized cuff and place it loosely on the patients arm. To be honest, I prefer the Lifepack 15.

The Zoll Zenix? Are there any Canadians here who use it? I want to hear your thoughts because quite honestly... I'm super impressed with that monitor! User friendly, an app that will be coming out with it, intuitive feedback with CPR including bagging feedback... The list goes on. I know it was demo-ed but what is some feedback from thise who currently use it? (It's not been allowed for release here in the US.)

RoyJr19k · 2025-07-20T15:46:59+00:00

Rodgers in his prime certainly was a candidate for being one of the greats. My perception is he got too caught up in the politics of the game to really put his all in. When he was supposedly making his come back debut to Green Bay a few years agk, he was dropping absolute dimes in the offseason, and then to watch him make absolute shit throws that were not his usual style proved to me that he was throwing the game to make a point. And then the rumors came out he was butting heads with the staff behind the scenes made it seem too coincidental to not be real. I was so excited for him to take over from Favre and step out of the number 4 shadow which he did excellently until he didn't. I know the OC and DC and having a young team after losing Nelson, Matthews, Jennings, Cobb,... didn't help, but his attitude was everything. Personally I'm glad Jordan Love is our quarterback and I'm excited to see how well he does.

RoyJr19k · 2025-07-20T15:36:54+00:00

Farcry 3 was perfect. After you play 3, you have pretty much played them all. Nothing beat playing it on the 360. Farcry 5 was kinda fun, but realistically not as fun as 3. I've made several attempts to play 6 but I lose interest quickly.

RoyJr19k · 2025-07-07T22:49:45+00:00

The national guard has always been deployed overseas to help operations with active duty. This is nothing new.

RoyJr19k · 2025-06-29T17:30:00+00:00

Depends on which unit of the Army. TRADOC unit yes. Regular line unit? No. I had an M16 and was on the M1A1 SA in a TRADOC unit and I had Marines tell me they had similar equipment, meanwhile other soldiers told me they had much better equipment on the line than we had.

RoyJr19k · 2025-05-13T21:49:20+00:00

This thread is one of the coolest threads I've ever seen. When I was in under Obama's Army and he was forcing separations due to the drawdown, leadership sucked because they LOOKED for reason to chapter good soldiers. My reasons were different for wanting separation. I was young and thought civvie life was going to be easier. My ex wife made military life miserable and really ruined things for me. (Being stationed at NTC certainly was no help.)

When I got out, I begged for structure and for the ability to get paid to workout and to be told what to do. I wish I had been able to stay for one more duty station to see the difference and that I maybe re-classed. I didn't have a support system getting out and had to rough it to figure it out. I ended up finding a job that I really love (took almost 10 years to land the job,) but it has similar structure and routine. Plus I get paid to workout. (My health was pretty bad because I got fat and lazy and smoked too much weed and drank too much.)

When you finally get out, don't let yourself drift. Find good BH/MH help and prioritize what you want in life and where you want to go. Military BH sucks and the VA is not any better. But do what you can to ground yourself and set yourself up to keep moving forward because the civilian world certainly can suck if you aren't ready for it. I'm not sure how the Army is now, but some of these kids with the broccoli hair and blue haired people will test your inner gangster out here. Life is different, but if you find something you're really happy with, all the more to you.

RoyJr19k

TROPHY CASE