The US Army

A summarized journey

 

By Justin Dragos

Why did I join?

  • Wanted to be a developer
  • Came from a very poor family
  • College money
    • GI Bill
    • Illinois Veteran's Grant
  • Needed discipline / motivation

When did I join?

  • My senior year of high school
  • I enlisted on August 7th, 2001
  • I shipped out to basic training August 7th, 2002
  • Any important events that happened in this time frame?

Could you join?

  • Must be a US citizen or resident
  • 17-34 years old
  • Finished high school
  • Have no more than 2 dependants
  • Take a vocational placement test (ASVAB)
  • Pass a medical exam

Enlisted

Enlisted personnel are the individual contributors of the military. They do the technical jobs, the patrols, and the fighting (for the most part). Their primary goal is to carry out plans set by the officer core.

Officer

Officers are the management branch of the military. They develop strategy, make personnel decisions, and are the directly responsibile decision makers in the chain of command.

What jobs can you do?

  • Infantryman
  • Radar operator
  • Communications (networking)
  • Programmer
  • Surface to air missile-launcher
  • Truck driver
  • Supply chain manager
  • Medic (Nurse)
  • Doctor

How do you join?

  • Go to a recruiting station (usually in a mall)
  • Make an appointment to go to MEPS
  • Pass your medical exam
  • Choose a job*
  • Sign away your life

How do you choose a job?

A job counselor talks to you at MEPS and shows you the jobs you qualify for based on the results of your ASVAB test. You get maybe an hour to review and pick. Jobs descriptions are usually 30-40 pages long and often contain completely different descriptions.

  • The Army doesn't care about your job
  • The recruiters don't care what you want
  • They have seats that need filled and quotas to meet
  • Both will actively lie to your about the job you choose

What did I do?

14J - Air Defense C4I TOC operator

Enlistment Contract

  • A first enlistment is generally 3-5 years active duty
  • No enlistment is less than 8 total years
  • You cannot end your contract early, only the Army can
    • (You legally cannot quit your job)
  • The military is required by law to honor your contract**
  • This is your only chance to negotiate for anything, outside of the exact wording of this contract the Army will do whatever it wants with you

Shipping Out

  • Show up at MEPS
  • Get handed a plane ticket to where your basic training
  • You are informed that now failing to be where you are supposed to be is a federal crime.
  • At this point you are officially subject to the UCMJ

Uniform Code of Military Justice

  • Everything is potentially punishable by imprisonment or death
    • The military hadn't carried out a death sentence in modern history, usually reserved for treason
    • In practice, most minor infractions are punished by loss of pay, rank, or confinement to quarters
  • Being convicted by any judge or jury under UCMJ is a felony**
    • Most infractions are settled out of court (this is important later on)
1

Basic Training (10 weeks)

  • Lots of physical labor
    • Pushups / Situps / Running
    • "Smoking"
    • Ruck Marching
  • Shooting practice
  • No free time at all
  • Goal pass PT test, follow orders
1

AIT (40 weeks)

  • Regular class schedule
  • 1 hour of free time per night
  • 2 hours on weekend days
  • Completely run by drill sergeants
  • No electronics of any kind allowed
  • Lots of boredom
  • Lots of cleaning
1

First Duty Station

Larson Barracks, Kitzigen Germany

  • Day to Day
    • 5:30 am - 7 am workout
    • 9:00 am - 5:00 pm work hours
  • Mostly cleaning and servicing vehicles
  • Weekends generally off (but you can't leave)
  • Once a month or so have 24 hour duty
  • Twice a year longer field exercises

Doesn't Seem So Bad

But... there is a catch

You are required to follow the lawful orders of anyone that is a higher rank than you.

 

So what does that actually mean?

Lawful Orders?

  • Show up where I tell you when I tell you
  • Stand in a corner for an hour
  • Empty out your entire apartment onto the street
  • Run 6 miles
  • Do 1000 push ups
  • Hold hands and skip around
  • Don't drink alcohol
  • Rob a store
  • Buy a raffle ticket that I'm selling
  • Marry someone
  • Get divorced
  • Don't buy a truck
  • Kill someone

Punishment

  • Generally handled by unit commanders
  • Loss of rank and pay (1/2 pay for up to 3 months)
  • Confinement to quarters (rarely used)
  • Bread & water (deprecated)

 

You can always request a trial, but if you are convicted you are a felon.

Structure of a Unit

Your Leader is Your Life

Your first line leader has control over every aspect of your life on and off duty. They are also responsible for your conduct on and off duty.


  • If you get arrested: your leader is in trouble
  • If you don't pay your bills: your leader is in trouble
  • If you don't show up to work:  your leader is in trouble
  • If you fail a drug test: your leader is in trouble
 

Deployment 1

Tikrit Iraq

  • 12 months
  • Stop loss
  • Your job no longer matters
  • Endless guard duty 12 on 12 off
  • 1 days off a quarter
  • Two weeks of leave once per deployment
  • Incredible and soul-crushing boredom
  • Constant mortars
  • Stayed in a palace complex
  • First time I ever drove a car
 
 

My Workstation

Me @ 19

Deployment 2

All Over Iraq

  • 18 months
  • Convoy escort missions (most dangerous job)
  • Usually 1 day off per round trip to the north
  • Up to 36 hours on the road at once
  • Attacked 40+ times
  • Constant mortars
  • I got married while on leave
 

Deployment 2 Phots

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3rGy9ovXfJ87kzZw5

Questions?

Topic Follow ups?

  • Names
  • Have I killed anyone?
  • Divorce rate
  • How you get promoted
  • Is it exciting to shoot really big guns?
  • Was I injured?
  • PTSD
  • Acronyms
  • War Stories
  • Was anyone I served with killed?
 
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