Did one contract & deployment with the reserves that finished last May, currently in the IRR. The economy is trash at the moment, and I'm struggling to find a decent role. Anyone ever reenlisted and regretted it? Pros/cons to re-upping?

Get into a contracting job- (MOS 51C (Contracting NCO / Officer) and the Air Force's MOS/AFSC 6C0X1 (Contracting Specialist/Officer. These roles can lead to a civil service career starting easily at GS11. Look up the 1102 job series on usajobs.gov and you'll see the opportunities.

What is your MOS?

88N, but I plan on reclassing or applying to OCS or WOCS.

With that MOS I would think you would be a perfect candidate for the Merchant Marines. I was a 19 series guy for my career but always thought sailing in the Army on a boat with no officers sounded like a pretty darn good job.

I know of the Merchant Marine Academy, but what's the MM look like for former enlisted? Is it a para-military role? Would I be traveling on ships or mainly posted up at major ports?

Busch_League said:

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I know of the Merchant Marine Academy, but what's the MM look like for former enlisted? Is it a para-military role? Would I be traveling on ships or mainly posted up at major ports?

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You can go to several schools and get your Mate rating if you don't already have one. Then you join the MM union and get hired on US Flagged ships. No need to be a former officer or anything like that. It is not paramilitary at all, you are just a pretty good paid Crewman on various types of ships. And unlike the 88L and N MOSs, there is upward mobility. Might be something worth looking into.

Busch_League said:

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88N, but I plan on reclassing or applying to OCS or WOCS.

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If you can't find your way into OCS or WOCS do consider 68A, even reserve side. It's a 10 month AIT but you'll have your pick of private sector jobs between $80k to $100k starting upon graduation if you go Reserve side. MOS also has a direct Warrant Officer path. Army Reserve also has a program upon graduation where you can "intern" with GE for a year and be put on Title 10 orders. You wear a GE polo and work in field engineering but you're on orders. Basically a domestic deployment. Upon completion you have opportunity to stay on full time with GE.

I have lots of contacts in this field and MOS if you are interested.

This sounds like a great path! I would love to connect, what's a good way to chat?

Intelligence is another career field that opens a lot of doors. I started out as a guy who wanted to do one enlistment because of the trash economy in 2008, but I'm still in now and still enjoy the work and benefits.

My specialty is languages, but if that's not your jam, lots of other Intel specialties out there as well.

I never regretted being enlisted and honestly I think that the life (not the money) is better once you are an E6 and above than the life as a O3 and above. Officers end up managing and doing a crap ton of paperwork while I've been able to stay connected to my men and my mission.

I did 28 years in the Reserves with four deployments (Bosnia, Iraq, Iraq, Afghanistan).

The secret to longevity is marketability. I did 4 Advanced Courses (as they were called then) - Infantry, Armor, Civil Affairs, and Public Affairs. I got 3, post-graduate degrees (13 years of night school at UTSA and SHSU) - MS Environmental Science, MA Military History, Ph.D. Safety Engineering.

All but the Armor Course opened doors and promotions for me, to include 4 commands (one in Iraq).