Advice about serving in the Armed Forces (split from Fuel Lube)

[Brad Brady]

Thanks for th e replies fellas.
I'll attempt lubricating and replace the O rings if that doesn't work.
Will WD 40 do any harm to the O rings or other components?

I started to say that WD 40 is nothing but fish oil....You can use it as a condiment on your breakfast toast if you want , it won't hurt anything...It is a good fix-it all...I use it on the shaft of the primer, run a couple of pumps.... and usually all is well.
Then Patrick came in the office and told me he wants to join the Coast Guard.... I lost the last post I was writing. Most of you guys are of the military persuasion. He can't join the Army or the Marines because he has a steel rod running down his right leg. I'm not very military prone... after all, Mr. Nixon dropped the draft 28 days before my 18 Th birthday...and I have never had a draft card. And I thank God and Mr. Nixon for that every day... Any thoughts on how to handle Pat?....He Wants to make something out of his life, which I appreciate...... Brad

[voorheesh]

A friend of mine had a son who tried to join the Coast Guard and didn't make the cut because the standards and competition were so high. He went on and made a success in another endeavor and you have to respect him for trying and then moving on to plan B when he had to. I would support anyone trying to serve his or her country and wish Pat the best in whatever he tries to do. Hopefully his condition that you mentioned won't hold him back.

[jrenwick]

In 1967 I was healthy, 1-A, and facing the certainty of being drafted. I joined the Navy instead, and signed for six years because they offered me advanced training in one of three electronics specialties. I chose to become a computer technician, did well in school, and loved the work. It gave me a career that I am now happily retired from. My father was pretty shocked when I signed up for six, but I've always thought it was the smartest thing I ever did. (I once told a friend that I'd spent six years in the Navy to avoid the draft, and he said that as a draft dodger, I was an underachiever. )

I don't know what the Coast Guard has for technical specialties, but there's probably something there that could lead to a civilian career. Retirement after 20 or so years in the service can also set a person up comfortably.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Gee Brad WD40 to serving in the Coast Guard. Pat must have thrown you for a loop.

Like you Brad I missed the draft by just a few months but had to register anyway. At that point in my life I hadn't given going to Vietnam a thought. If it happened it happened if not it didn't. But my father had served in the Army Reserves for 20 years by the time I'd graduated from high school in '74 and I was exposed to it. I decided it was something I wanted to do and it had nothing to do with learning a trade or a career because I still wasn't thinking really about much more than were my next tank of gas for my car was coming from. I was proud of my dad and his service and wanted to do what he did.

Of course my father was in a position to give me first hand advice about what to expect and what not to expect. He didn't sugar coat it but said he was always glad it was a path he took so I new it wasn't all that bad. Besides he always took his golf clubs when he left for his two week summer camp.

So after twenty years in the Army Reserves myself the advice I gave my son-in-law when he asked which is the same advice I give everyone, is time spent in any of the Armed Forces can be very very rewarding. I can't think of a single person who served and didn't learn something about themselves and life that they use everyday. It is not all fun n games in fact there will be hours on hour of boredom and seemingly stupid activity. And of course one might end up making the ultimate sacrifice.

If this is the direction someone thinks they want to take I encourage them to educate themselves as to all the possibilities and what to expect that is not from the recruiter. A recruiter has an important job and they are serving our country and for that they have my respect but bottom line is to them Pat is a number. They have to meet a quota. They will try to steer Pat into areas they know they have the highest rate of success getting Pat in and that my not be exactly what Pat might want. For example getting into the Army flight program can be extremely hard and the chances of not meeting the grade for one reason or another is high. Recruiters know that and many of them guide recruits instead to be a mechanic then trying to go to flight school later. Makes sense to the recruit but the advice is not necessarily the best advice for the recruit but intended to the recruiter land another number for that quota.

Pat needs to talk to regular people in or recently out of the Coast Guard. Try to find people who did what he actually wants to do. That is how you get the real story. Visit a Coast Guard station and ask starting with the guy at the gate.

So here I am using many of the skills I learned in the Army daily at work and home. Flying a helicopter for a living was the furthest from my mind when I started. It wasn't a free ride. I worked hard and made sacrifices and had some luck and I made my on luck. Serving is what you make of it. For some the life isn't what they want for ever and that is OK, for others it becomes a pretty good career.

[Brad Brady]

Thanks for your replies guys, I'll make sure Pat See's you' r Ideas on how to think about the military.

Yea Bruce, Pat realy though me for a loop. You have to understand Patrick...He does every thing at full throttle. So when he bust into the shop office to tell me his newest plans, I kinda lost track of what I was doing. I appreciate ALL! who have served. In fact my brother and I are the only missing links since the Civil War. I know that the military can be a boon for the right person. A buddy of mine joined the Navy right out of High School. He then joined the Marines, Army, And finally the Air Force. He retired from the military, at, I Think 44 or 45, and now is a consultant for the pentagon .....Brad

[blueldr]

Old Uncle Sam is, in my opinion, a good guy to work for. I started with him in 1942 and after two periods of enlisted and two periods of commissioned service
he sent me home in 1964, retired after 22 years. Hell, I'd of been there yet if he had let me stay. Claimed he needed space for new guys. He used to have a lot of fun old airplanes that belched, farted and smoked like hell when you started them up. It sure was fun. He never used to pay a lot, but the chow was usually pretty good, and payday was really regular. He hasn't missed me on the last day of the month since 1942. There is a lot to be said for that in these times. It makes it a lot easier to get to sleep every night.

[Claude172TD]

Brad,
Twenty years ago this coming April, I left home for USAF Basic Military Training. Since then I have transferred from the Active Duty to the Air National Guard to the Air Force Reserve. I have earned associate and bachelor's degrees, a ME Commercial Pilots License and become a Commissioned Officer, all courtesy of Uncle Sam. Today I am a professional pilot, military aircraft commander and proud owner of a 1956 C-172 taildragger (170C). I have learned to fix, fly and finally own my own airplane. I never expected to go this far with it when I enlisted in 1989 but I am not done yet.

Military service is certainly not for everyone, but it is an avenue for ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results. It is an opportunity to serve our country and earn benefits that are unparalleled in corporate America. It is well known that the Air Force and Coast Guard offer the highest quality of life among all the branches of service. Although I am partial to the Air Force and grateful for the opportunities it has provided, the USCG is a fine institution and would be an excellent choice. I know a handful of Coasties and they are all top notch people.

As a parent, I will be very proud if my daughters ever come to me with the same idea. Good luck and Godspeed.

Claude

[Hawkeyenfo]

Well, after 18.5 years of AD Navy flying E-2 Hawkeyes, I have to say it's been a great ride!! The opportunities which service brings to a young person are without a doubt, life enhancing. As for the rod in his leg, I would be up front with the recruiters and then, ask about a waiver! We, the military, can generally waive most anything.....how do you think some of us "old guys" stick around after an accident or injury.

I have a few Coastie friends and, while they usually do not deploy overseas (don't tell the Coastie guys in the Arabian Gulf on patrol right now), their job of protecting our coastlines from illegal aliens, drucg trafficking and smuggling, not to mention saving lives on the rivers and waters throughout the US and it's territories) is difficult, challenging and awesome!! They conduct real-world , life saving/threatening missions each and everyday. It would be a great starting point for him....and, let's not forget, he can also work any of the Enlisted-to-Officer programs they, or the other services have to offer as well.

I say, make sure he knows the benefits and detractors, honestly assesses his desires and then.....give him all the support and love you can. You'll be one proud father!!

[db99577]

Congratulations to your son and you.
Coast Guard has some good folks and locations in Alaska. This is my long-winded perspective as a contractor (my military time was spent in the 82nd).
I’ve spent long projects, +/- two months, at several CG locations.
Kodiak ISC (main base) – Excellent place to live and get stationed. Can’t beat the location for outdoor fun and hunting/fishing. CG people are the same as other services at “in town” bases, as long as getting along is the norm. Did I mention the non-stop hunting and fishing?
Tok– My favorite location of all the military/federal "bases" I’ve worked. While the people of Tok are good hearted (I left my liver there), the CG guard crew is excellent. There seems to be a mutual effort to get along, do good work, and then get outdoors quick. Worked there several times, and believe there’s a conspiracy to send good leadership to this spot. With a snowmachine, a new guy can learn trapping in the perfect location. The worthwhile trapping education does cost a few beers and/or coffees.
Attu Loran Station – Complete opposite of Tok. CG leadership at headquarters should be fired for sending nothing but ill-equipped and ill-trained chiefs to the island. I really felt sorry for the young kids stationed there; good leadership can make a difference during hard times. There’s good history on the island. While we read up on the history beforehand, unfortunately we walked and discovered all that in three days. Sure not enough to last for a two year stint (as of 2000). A highlight of one trip was the recovery of a P-38 in 1998, and afterwards during our work on Elmendorf, we watched it’s rebuild process at Cope Thunder hangar.
Cordova – Another good location with good town and CG folks. Lots of good fishing in Cordova area. The hunting is also good. The flying there is the best during good weather.
Cape Narrow Loran Station – It’s on a secluded and beautiful side of Kodiak. If you knew where you were getting stationed, it could be better than Tok.
Also been to other CG locations, Port Clarence Loran Station, but didn’t spend enough time w/CG to learn the area or get a “vibe” from the town or CG people.
Unfortunately, the Loran stations are in the news and may go away (at the Federal Gov’s pace tho). If he’s into the great outdoors, may be a place to get stationed until then.
Dwayne

[Kyle]

Brad,

My current assignment in the Coast Guard Reserve is as the Reserve Command Master Chief for the First Coast Guard District - which serves ME/Canadian boarder down to Sandy Hook NJ and as far west as lake Ontario. Within that area are approximately 1100 of the 8100 folks who serve in the CG Reserve as a whole.

Please send me a PM and I would be happy to exchange info in order to speak with your son. I have loved this service for the 26 years I've been in, and will absolutely HATE the day - 30 JAN 2014, that I have to leave...

Regards,

Kyle