Originally Posted by
AOD_Guybrush
I joined the army in between my junior and senior year of HS, back in 2005. I've been in the reserves ever since, and I wouldn't change anything for the world. With almost 11 years in, I'm currently an E6 promotable, and do work as a DS at Fort Jackson, SC. I've been able to do more with my military career than most people do in their full-time work, and I enjoy the hell out of it.
The experience I gained, not to mention the money I had access to while attending school, made life 100% easier. Not to mention the real world skills you gain from working in an environment that provides structure, which is something so many young people need but never get these days.
You need to decide for yourself what you want out of it. The branch is going to determine a lot of things for you, not the least of which influence your decision to stay in, or get out because you're miserable. Some people do it and immediately regret it, and it jades them for life. Others do it and it makes a complete difference in the direction of their lives.
You were approached by a marine first, so that's going to shape all of your decisions into: "how does this compare with the marines". Do yourself a favor and look at it with a more objective perspective. Each branch has its own perks, and each branch also has its own pitfalls. Don't let them pin you by comparing themselves to other branches. Do your research and make your own decisions about who offers what.
There are a couple choices:
- Finish your degree and then go in as an officer. Tuition assistance and SLRP (Student loan repayment) will help take care of the debt you accumulated in school. Plus you'll make a bit more money.
- Join now and go reserve, and attend school afterward. Montgomery GI Bill will pay monthly while you attend. I raked in 500$ a month while I was in school, on top of financial aid that essentially paid for my classes and books.
- Join now and go active, attend school afterward. Post-9/11 will be hugely advantageous because it's based on the amount of active duty time. A buddy of mine took this route and ended up bringing in 1400$ a month while in school.
You also have things like TA (Tuition Assistance) which pays up to 2400$ a year while you're in service. I'm assuming all branches offer these programs, because they are all through the VA office, and every college (the ones you want to go to, anyway) has one. And things like TA, SLRP, and GI Bill can all be used simultaneously. I graduated with my bachelors in 2015 with $0 debt.
At the end of the day, it's just about doing your research, and figuring out how you want to live going forward.