I’m in my reenlistment window. This means my unit’s retention NCO is obligated to let me know what the Army can do for me should I choose to stay in. The Army has made a fairly attractive offer, should I want to stay in my MOS. This is in spite of the Army’s decision to begin downsizing as Operation Enduring Freedom comes to a close. This is also in spite of the fact that I am a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Soldier.
While discussing my future plans I keep finding myself totally blown away by the sheer number of people who are exiting the Army with absolutely zero plan for their future.
If your dream is to be a cop, you’re golden.
However:
Many Soldiers seem legitimately shocked to find that the skills garnered in killing and/or protecting, both by force, indigenous peoples in Third World countries is not directly transferable to a high paying job in the civilian world.
A great many seem to have the preposterous assumption that just because they’ve served in the armed forces, they’re somehow capable of, and entitled to, run a multinational corporation.
It appears that many young Soldiers who are exiting the Army fully expect that a job with pay that is either commensurate to, or exceeds their current wage will fall into their lap, when they possess essentially zero skills. Despite what ACAP purports, your experiences in the Army do not automagically endow you with great leadership ability. The Army leads its subordinates, in large part, by force, with zero diplomacy. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with this, as it’s consistent with the mission statement of the Army. However, this method of leadership will not suffice in a corporate setting, especially if you don’t already understand the nuances of management.
Again, if you want to be a cop, you’re golden. ACAP can make that happen.
Obviously I’m proud to have served in the greatest army in the world. However I’m not keen on remaining in a garrison army when my skills and training have been geared specifically towards a more austere environment.
I don’t plan on staying in when it finally comes time to ETS but if I don’t have a solid plan I’ll probably reenlist -___-