Joining the Military - Army

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Not sure where to put this thread, but there's so many reasons to this thread, and money is one of them.

Anyways I am joining the military (pretty much did great on all the tests, I have to do the physical soon), and I was wondering if any Aspie or Autistic person find the army enjoyable. I am very excited about joining, although it was a quick decision, and I never thought about joining until the middle of this week, but not having any money was hitting me so hard in the face that I had to come up with a solution.... this was the solution. And free college too... It looks like almost a cult, which is cool since it has it's own culture and all. I already spoke to my recruiter.

There's more reasons why I am joining, character development, college, money, fun/excitement, a change of life, see new places.... I kind of hope to become very discipline person.

I am glad I am joining, for once in my life, I feel like I made the right decision.

(I am not disclosing I have autism, and pretty much act like a functional human being; medical papers of me having it is over 1.5 decades ago.... non-existent now... I was like 4 )

<--- Tried to get into the Air Force many moons ago but was rejected because he's as blind as a bat.

Fnord was in the (US) navy - ask him. Also, AFAIK he liked it.

I love your avatar!

It brings so many memories back to me lol. I was a habbo in 2000-2005 (UK mostly, the good old days)

I was in the (US) Navy, and later in the Reserves, and don't regret it at all. There were certainly times when I didn't "fit in" - although I didn't know at the time that there was a name for my weirdness - and finding alone time was sometimes a challenge. But it helped that I was in a field - cryptology - where we were expected to be nerdy and odd.

It will be easier if you're the laid-back sort. There will be times when you're told to do something that makes no sense at all - or you run up against a superior who obsesses about trivia - and you can't do anything about it. It's best to just shrug and go with the flow. (It's probably not too different going to work for any large corporation.)

My best advice would be to begin exercising NOW, if you're not already. The more you do now, the easier you'll have it in basic training. Running, in particular, is something you should be doing if you can.

I would not do it.

The military will have employed ad-men, psychologists, and all sorts of people that spend thousands of hours and loads of money to convince young people like you to join. The recruiters will make it sound way better than the reality of the military.

DO NOT DO IT.

There are a thousand reasons not to.

*** I'm not angry with you, just I feel very passionate about my decision about this***

I'm 21. I haven't work a real job in over a year. There's less than 1k in the bank. Minimum wage jobs are worthless.

I went up there myself with these ideas, and in FACT the recruiter was suggesting me to go into reserves and I was like (maybe? no... no I want to do active duty). The recruiter even told me, "if I am going to , then just tell me". I am speeding this process as fast as I can. I am going to get out of here as soon as I can.

I'm an unemployed loser, and the stripping job I have isn't bringing in enough money because I don't have the look/personality for it to make money. I AM NOT GOING TO MINIMUM WAGE. That's a waste of time. I have no motivation right now to go to college because I feel too poor.... I feel depress.

I'm sick and tired of NO MONEY. I am sick and tired of always feeling like if I go to college I'll end up in debt. I'm sick and tired of being alone all the time (at least the army will force me to make friends). I want to join a society, I want some a culture to hang onto, I want to be part of something bigger than myself.

This is my choice. My last resort. Otherwise, I don't know....

I'll probably end up as a loser hermit in my house.... or go into some weird relationship with some old fart. No, I rather go with Uncle Sam.

I can tell you right now that you are looking to do this for all the wrong reasons. You want to be running to something, not running away from something.

The military isn't a fallback for people with no place else to go. I know there are a good number of "losers" in the military, but the military does not need or want them that badly.

You want the military to be a stepping stone to better things in life. If you can get a job with a security clearance, it will open doors for you down the road.

You want to make the most of your experience. If you don't have friends now, what makes you think the military will magically turn that around? It might put you in a position to be with others you have to work with, but the only thing worse than being alone is being alone in a crowd.

Take some time to do some serious self-examination. How badly does your AS affect you? Have you learned the coping skills to compensate and be able to hold your own with others you serve with? You really don't have the option of "quitting" if it isn't working out, and you don't want to be trained in a skill that will not lead to better things down the road.

My MOS does have security clearance. And my MOS is going to train me in a civilian related skills (I won't disclose that MOS here).

I have no regrets in my decision. I must go forward.

I don't care about my reasons why I join. I join, and I am serving my country. That's more than what most people do with their lives. I am getting one of the best jobs available.

Screw minimum wage, screw poverty.

Well, just be sure of WHY you are doing it and your will to see that goal come to pass. The military is NEVER what most people expected when they join and all kinds of stupid stuff comes up that you were probably not told about. If you are working at being adaptable and see failure as a non-option, you might do well, but the issue is how you will handle situations that don't conform with your expectations. That's where AS will be an issue you need to be prepared to cope with.

NTs are more suited for "rolling with the punches" than we tend to be. Knowing WHY you want something and if you have a line that, once crossed, you would quit and walk away, are important issues to address before doing something which mandates a commitment like the military.

Otherwise, I wish you good luck and good fortune in whatever you choose.

Hi, not sure if you have already enlisted or not, so here goes...
Where I come from, all males have to enlist in the army at age 18. Although I had some horrible experiences in the army (due mainly to problems socialising and the usual office politics and backstabbing), I still sometimes look back at the time with a certain fondness. At the very least, the army gave me a job and a sense of purpose. I would say give it a shot. As a female, I think you have an added advantage in that women in the army are not expected to engage in socialising as much as the men). Also, the above poster is right, try to get your fitness up and you will have a much easier time.