Hey /o/, sorry if you get this a lot, but I was wondering if you guys could help me out with some advice.
I can't really afford college, so I'll be enlisting in the US Army as a wheeled vehicle/Abrams tank mechanic to learn knowledge of the trade and what-not. I plan on getting a job as some kind of mechanic after my contract is up, and if any of you work in a mechanic shop or anything related, if you could answer a few questions for me I would be grateful.
> How long have you been in the trade?
> How much do you make?
> Do you have any advice for getting into the trade and doing well in the long term?
> If what i'm doing is really stupid, are there any better paths?
Thanks in advance for any help, and here is a picture of my favorite car for no reason
>>15309152
shameless self bump
from someone who was enlisted, you're gonna fucking hate it
you've made a terrible mistake
>>15309152
Regardless, retiring from the army means you have the pension, the ability to shop at the PX, but importantly, you have that free medical care. In the future america, services like that are going to rocket up to very high values as the medical system figures out how to game Obamacare.
>>15310882
Misery loves company, you are preventing that company.
Fuck you.
>>15309152
Do something else m8
Seriously
I'm currently enlisted as an aircraft mechanic and I hate it.
Want to have a great time, see some cool shit, get paid a bunch of money, and not be treated like shit? Do not join the Army, go talk to the Air Force about a flight crew position like loadmaster or boom operator. I regret not doing that myself.
>>15311855
>do 20 years in the army for the benefits
Yea youll only be 38 with the body of a 57 year old. Fuck that.
>>15311902
Helicopter mechanic. Fuckin loved it. Then again maybe its becuse i enjoy the shit out of turning wrenches. Didnt and wont do vehicle mechanic shit. No money to be made unless you do this or go here or look for that. I fix valves for powerplants makin 32 an hour. Im good.
I'm an electro/optical ordnance repairer with the Marines. I diagnose sights and line replaceable units on the 25mm turret and the tow turret working very closely with the mechanics because electro/optical/mechanical/hydraulic are all interrelated. The mechs hate their lives, us electrical guys hate our lives. I wouldn't recommend it. The only good times I've had in this MOS is when they've loaned me out to fill in as a extra body somewhere else like with the mortrarman, the scouts, the rifleman, and the military police. If I do reenlist I'm late moving to one of those MOS.
OP just do 4 years as an 11b then use your GI bill to go to tech course while working part time at a tire shop or something. Join the real army don't jew yourself. Besides most stuff you work on won't be serviceable at your echelon of maintenence, or will still be under warranty. So your mechanical skills will consist of removing an entire assembly and shipping it off then putting in an entire assembly. That's the equivalent of "oh my engine is bad? Brb swapping whole engine". Doesn't quite work in the real world
I hear Air Force maintenance hates their lives, and that's for ground vehicles as well as aircraft. I would advise against it OP, you'll probably hate cars when you get out. Look into something with more civilian marketability and more money, then you can get that dream car.
t. Can't talk about my job
But also
t. Currently still enlisted so can't buy dream car
>Fixing tanks for Israel
>>15310882
Yeah being enlisted sucks, but there are benefits. Plus you can drink away the misery like me and so many others do.
>>15312005
Holy shit! Small world. That was my MOS too. Aberdeen or Virginia? I'm going to get guess Virginia.
>>15309152
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9oFqDoV22Q
Nobody can really afford college except for the top 10%. Don't feel bad. Keep your head down, apply yourself, get lucky and you might come out OK.
>>15311937
Do you work for Crane?
Just curious...
That's who has the contract at my plant.
>>15312411
Virginia, I went to the school in October 2013. Pretty big coincidence running into u here considering there's only like 200 of us in the while marine corps
