working as a nurse for the army

I was in the Air National Guard for four years. You will have to go to Ft. Sam Houston for Officer's Training. You will be asked where you wish to be assigned and given three options. If the Army needs you at any of your three choices, you will be sent there. If not, you will be sent to wherever they need you. You have to understand that the military is structured on rank. As a second lieutenant you are low man on the pole. As you increase in responsibility and rank, it comes with it's perks. It also comes with some drawbacks. Assignments are generally for three years except to a war zone. Then they are for one year but our President has changed the rules and increased the time.

The military is a good place to learn a great deal. And they will help pay for your advance degrees. It is a good place to spend twenty years and retire. Retire in your mid forties with still another twenty years of work allowed in you. And you will retire with a good pension, payable upon your retirement, PX and commissary privileges, travel privileges on military transport planes, military hotels overseas, near Disney-world, Hawaii, S.F., to name a few. And you have all of these rights while on active duty.

The Hale Koa, in Hawaii, room rates are based on rank. In 1982 when we first went, we paid $40 a night. A room at the Hilton was $440 a night. And you cannot beat the things that are at each hotel and at military prices. And you can sponsor family members, you just haver to be there when they check in.

If I had it to do over, I would have gone active Army.

Woody:balloons:

It depends if you want to be a soldier and work as a nurse you have to join you get a bonus and student loan payoff too. As a civilian nurse you have to apply in the military instalation close to you or VA hospital (veterans) and also get your student loan pay not a bonus. By the way civilian pay pretty good too plus benefits.

My daughter's recruiter just mentioned that a lot of entry requirements are now being waived for people who already have degrees in some fields, including nursing.

But be advised, whether on active duty or reserves, your life is theirs and they can and will send you wherever and whenever they need you.

Thanks for responding!

Was your daughter recruited as a nurse?

No, she wasn't. She's still in school and going into the reserves. But her friend is going in in some medical capacity and he just happened to mention it.

I love the NAVY! see if you can do that. I know the Navy has a program for nursing. Ok.. I don't LOVE the Navy.. because my husband has to leave on a deployment soon.. but I like it more than the marines or Army (had a bf in the Army once).

The army has some of the worst barracks. They get the crappiest jobs-- next to the marines. Deployments are long long long right now. 12 mo to 18 mo.

Navy- 6-9 months on a boat. Hubbys aviation so he is not on the boat anymore. They get better accomodations.. I think they are treated better. maybe they have more funding, who knows.

Air force- I hear thats the best deal of any of them. I don't really know.

We are living very nicely in Hawaii right now. We get more then enough money to pay the rent and we also get extra money for food,etc. I am happy with what's going on. The navys also paying for my husband to get a masters degree someday. The free healthcare is AMAZING. Hubbys planning to retire out and he will get a pension and we will have healthcare for the rest of our lives. the cost of healthcare nowadays.. makes this practically priceless. (In the Navy, even if you opt for civilian physicians and pay a co-pay-- the yearly co-pay rate taps out at $1000 to prevent hardship on Navy families.)

When I got cancer my family nearly went bankrupt, even WITH blue cross/blue shield.

The worse thing is the deployments. Pick the navy or air force!

Definitely worth a look on your part. They will pay your loans.

thank you so much for sharing your experience.

I have another question, if you are married can you family come with you?

thank you so much for sharing your experience.

I have another question, if you are married can you family come with you?

It depends. In the Army, it depends on your assigned duty station. You can't take family to Iraq. You can take them to Europe, Japan, South Korea, any duty station in this country.

Woody:balloons:

thank you so much for sharing your experience.

I have another question, if you are married can you family come with you?

not if you get deployed. If you do army or marines you will be in iraq (most likely at this time) for one year to a year and a half. you'll be lucky to get two weeks off to see your family in that whole time.

If you do navy or airforce you may still end up in the ground in iraq at some point- but the deployment will be much shorter.

If the military moves you to a base, they will pay to move all of your stuff, including your families. (there are bases in germany and italy I know of.. they will move your fam there, but sometimes its hard to get faraway orders, cuz they dont want to pay to move everyone)

They give you a little extra money for having a family. You will have money to pay for your housing- unless you choose base housing- If you get deployed, you get an extra $250 a month for separation hardship from your family. Your family will have health coverage. I have found that there is a lot of support for military families.

bump.

I love the NAVY! see if you can do that. I know the Navy has a program for nursing. Ok.. I don't LOVE the Navy.. because my husband has to leave on a deployment soon.. but I like it more than the marines or Army (had a bf in the Army once).

The army has some of the worst barracks. They get the crappiest jobs-- next to the marines. Deployments are long long long right now. 12 mo to 18 mo.

Navy- 6-9 months on a boat. Hubbys aviation so he is not on the boat anymore. They get better accomodations.. I think they are treated better. maybe they have more funding, who knows.

Air force- I hear thats the best deal of any of them. I don't really know.

We are living very nicely in Hawaii right now. We get more then enough money to pay the rent and we also get extra money for food,etc. I am happy with what's going on. The navys also paying for my husband to get a masters degree someday. The free healthcare is AMAZING. Hubbys planning to retire out and he will get a pension and we will have healthcare for the rest of our lives. the cost of healthcare nowadays.. makes this practically priceless. (In the Navy, even if you opt for civilian physicians and pay a co-pay-- the yearly co-pay rate taps out at $1000 to prevent hardship on Navy families.)

When I got cancer my family nearly went bankrupt, even WITH blue cross/blue shield.

The worse thing is the deployments. Pick the navy or air force!

Definitely worth a look on your part. They will pay your loans.

Have you made it over to the Hale Koa yet? If not, try to go to the Sunday Bunch. It is great. The have a juice table, a roll table, a salad table, a hot table that has kidneys, bacon, Canadian bacon, eggs, fresh cooked pancakes and waffles, omelets-with everything you can imagine- Shepard's pie, crepes, and a couple of other ways to cook eggs special, table of breakfast rolls and donuts, table of shrimp, cold cuts, all kinds of cheeses, and a table of deserts. And all for $15 a person. It is the best buy in the Islands.

And if you haven't been in the Islands for Christmas yet, just wait. Your party is generally held there. They have a Christmas Eve and New Years Eve shows, all priced and given to what type of celebration you want. If you live on base, don't drink and drive. In fact don't drink and drive during the holidays. The police have DUI checkpoints all over the island.

Enjoy your time there. It is a great duty station. And Disney-world has a military hotel located near it's park.

Woody:balloons: