i'm signing with the army reserves soon. need advice please?

Published Mar 27, 2010

4 Posts

I've been talking with the recruiters for couple months now, and will most likely signing a contract with them in a week or so. But before I do that, I hope to hear your advice since, you know, recruiters sometimes only tell you the good stuffs.

I have a BS in dietetics, but I want to be eventually a RN/PA/NP. Since I'm not a citizen yet (permanent resident), I cannot commission as an officer. The recruiters found me a slot for 68w and 68wm6 (both Reserves). I just have to decide which one I want.

I don't have any college loan so I will give up the Loan Assistance benefit and get the GI bill instead. And they got me a $18,000 sign-on bonus.

Now if I take the 68w slot, I'll be a EMT-B when I come out, and I can apply for a LVN school and then a RN school using the GI bill. I've read from other posts that I can challenge the CA LVN board (i live in CA), but I think that is only for active duty personnel with 12m+ experience, if I'm not mistaken.

Now if I take the 68wm6 slot, I'll be a LVN when I come out, and I only have to find a LVN-RN bridge program to get my RN license.

I know there is a program in the army that pays the enlisted soldiers to go to RN school (Army Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program). And I think that could be another shot, if I can get in.

I can even try PA program after I come out (right?).

Maybe you may wonder why I don't just take the 68wm6 route since they will pay for the LVN training. That's because I have a family here, and I just had a baby few months ago, and I really don't want to leave them for 16 months.

BTW, I'll be signing the Delayed Entry Program, and won't be shipped till 6 months later. That's because, again, of the new baby.

Please if you have any opinion, let me know! I don't know of any military personally and would really appreciate your input!