The Military option - I can't find anything else

[Chardius]

I have a lot of bad Ideas about how to live my life as well as to pay for it. This is one of the worse things I might do to myself just to get by in this really shitty economy as a recent college graduate. Let me first justify the "just get by" part. There is NOTHING for recent college grads, it just doesn't exist. I'm 24, almost 25, and I have been searching, and searching, for 2 years for something stable for employment since I graduated in April 2008. Best I found was a job in San Francisco that did not pay enough for me to live in the Bay Area. My rent was 50% of my monthly income, had I been able to pay my student loans they would have been the remaining 65%....wait....

ANYWAYS, joining the military needs to be a serious option in my search for something to do with my degree. Here is what a little research gives me as to what I can do:

- Enter into officer training with my BA.
-....not much else above joining as an enlisted.

So anyway, why am I posting this here?

Don't Ask Don't Tell is on its way out. Hopefully. Add that to my above sentiment and hey, here is a gay guy thinking about joining what is a homophobic institution in an administrative capacity. I'm only thinking Air Force or maybe Navy here, certainly not something like the Army or Marines. Sorry I just don't think I could serve very well in those arms of the military. Has anyone else here faced such a predicament? What have reactions from family been like? The cold reality is that I need a way to survive in today's world, however I can do that needs to be an option. I'm putting a LOT of my personal feelings on the military aside to even consider this, but if you put my back against the wall and make me choose between this and being destitute, I won't choose rags over functioning.

I really just need some place to talk this possibility out with people who aren't going to just dismiss it as something I wouldn't/couldn't/shouldn't do because i'm gay/a nerd/too compassionate/ what have you.

I will probably at the very least talk to a recruiter.

PS other info:

I'm a Michigan born Philosophy/Anthropology graduate of GVSU. I'm the son of union ford workers, one of which is an Air Force veteran from the motor pool. Very working class mentality of "do what gets the job done" upbringing. I have had friends in the military but all I can get from them is that they can't tell me much because they went in under very different circumstances.

EDIT:
Correcting very obvious spelling errors from 4:30 am insomnia brought on by very crappy prospects for my future.

 

[rareboy]

You can either be a happy pig or an unhappy philosopher.

Pursue the course that allows you to follow your dream.

Unfortunately, a BA in anthropology and philosophy isn't going to get you very far. It is just an entry level degree for a Master's. And even then, philosophy and anthropology begs for a Doctorate.

It would do kids a lot of good to check what their degree is likely to get them as a job while they are in school, or to talk to their career counsellors about their prospects.

Now, any education is good education and you need to look at where you can apply it.

Absolutely talk to a recruiter.

You live in a nation addicted to war, whose economy is largely reliant on the military industrial complex. There is no doubt that they will be interested.

As a student of philosophy though, you seem anything but philosophical about your situation. You see this as expedient and necessary; I see it as an opportunity to apply what you've learned in school so far.

 

[evanrick]

i wouldnt join the military, let me talk you out of it.

 

[Chardius]

You can either be a happy pig or an unhappy philosopher.

Pursue the course that allows you to follow your dream.

Unfortunately, a BA in anthropology and philosophy isn't going to get you very far. It is just an entry level degree for a Master's. And even then, philosophy and anthropology begs for a Doctorate.

It would do kids a lot of good to check what their degree is likely to get them as a job while they are in school, or to talk to their career counsellors about their prospects.

Now, any education is good education and you need to look at where you can apply it.

Absolutely talk to a recruiter.

You live in a nation addicted to war, whose economy is largely reliant on the military industrial complex. There is no doubt that they will be interested.

As a student of philosophy though, you seem anything but philosophical about your situation. You see this as expedient and necessary; I see it as an opportunity to apply what you've learned in school so far.

Oddly enough, when the economy is doing better, Anthro and Philosophy degrees can get you places. In states without teaching certificate requirements, i'm ready to go for teaching high school civics, american history, and social studies. Philosophy is seen as a good degree for entry level para-legals, depends on the law firm there. Advertising companies are interested in both of them for various reasons. The degree in understanding other cultures (anthro) combined with a degree in discourse (philosophy) makes me incredible for things like human resources, mediation, and public relations. If I had gotten into volunteering in politics earlier I might have the connections to pursue a political career, at least in the backdrop. There are a lot of what ifs and maybes.

My point here was to gather perspectives from others who may or may not have gone through similar situations; military life, being gay in the military, or others who have gone through bumpy periods after graduation or job loss. I'm also pretty pragmatic and utilitarian in my philosophy, if something isn't doing what I want it to I stop and do something else. Being a professor is still the long term goal. What I need though is something to pay down the student loans, survive the rest of my 20s and hopefully save up enough to cover my initial foray into grad school, however long that takes. As long as those qualities are fulfilled, I don't know if I can turn down an opportunity.

 

[rareboy]

makes me incredible for things like human resources, mediation, and public relations. If I had gotten into volunteering in politics earlier I might have the connections to pursue a political career, at least in the backdrop.

So how do you see these goals being accomplished in the military? This is what you need to discuss with the recruiter.

 

[josher]

The only thing I would suggest, should you choose to enlist, is navy rather than air force

The navy is well aware that many sailors are gay. (I used to live in an area with a large naval population.) I suspect they'll make the easiest transition, when and if DADT is repealed.

The air force, from what I"m told is much straighter and more homophobic.

 

[DafyddGeraint]

The situation is much the same in the U.K. I've graduated with two degrees from a pretty decent university but there are just no graduate jobs available anywhere. I work in a low grade job in a supermarket, one department in the store with ten staff has three with B.A's two studying for M.A's and one with a PHD!

If the military is the only option to live your life with some degree of satisfaction and the only way to get a good standard of living and an oportunity to put your brain to good use then go for it. Personally I wouldn't consider it but then again the UK Military is a very different beast to the US Military and not as a significant force in society or the economy. There is much more of an anti-military bias within the UK, and I would go so far as to say a stigma against 'educated' people joining up.

 

[TomahawkEagle]

I hate to say that even if the Don't Ask Don't Tell thing goes out the door right now, the homophobic culture has already been entrenched into the US military. It will be a very long time for the way of thinking to be disestablished.

But I do agree that the navy or air force is better. If you do get deployed to a war zone which in theory can happen to anyone in uniform, you won't be on the front line like the army and marines.

 

[Ghost of Razgriz]

The only thing I would suggest, should you choose to enlist, is navy rather than air force

The navy is well aware that many sailors are gay. (I used to live in an area with a large naval population.) I suspect they'll make the easiest transition, when and if DADT is repealed.

The air force, from what I"m told is much straighter and more homophobic.

I am in the Air Force Security Forces and you'd be suprised. I know several gay/lesbians that i work with and about 20 total that i know personally. All of my straight military friends know about me and don't have any problems with me being gay.

 

[JFarm89]

Joining the military would be my last resort. I'm not a big fan of guns. I live in Canada so I don't have to really worry about it. Until SHTF

 

[hylas]

i cant really wrap my head around people joining the military in an agressive country like the us. ok, some have this "serve the country" kind of idea, which i at least kind of understand. but just for money? yes i know how it is, im about the same age and in a similar situation. but with all the wars youre constantly in...

 

[AlmondMilk]

My cousin was planning to go for med school. He got his bachelors, but then enlisted in the navy, since med school will be a huge burden economically. He's still in the navy, but in time it'll be worth it. I don't think I'd be able to do anything...at least not now, but you gotta do what you gotta do.