Am thinking of joining US Naval Reserves ( or Coast Guard )

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...I made an app't to have the recruiter , from Daly City , pick me up in the parking lot of the Mail Library here in San Francisco , he said he would show up " sometime between 11:30 and 12:00 " in the day , I was marginally late , unfortunately , but after getting there , at 11:35 , say , I stayed there til past 12:00 - If he showed up I didn't see him .
In all honesty there's some health issues that would make my getting in questionablr , I guess , at least if I was upfront about it ~~ For one thing , I'm Type 2 ( adult onset ) diabetic .
That just meqns I take pills , not insulin . I've been getting generic pills c/o of the California Medical health plan - In a sense I was just proposing to , presumably , switch to getting generic pills from the Navy . I suppose letting on the D-ness would be an immediate deal-breaker...?

...I mean , in a sense , I suppose I might have to do something to make sure my blood sugar is at a pretty low lwvwl when/if I take the blood test I presume one would be given in the pre-enlistment stage...

ok... one... there are asvab study books... you can get one at your local library/ book store... and yes any idiot can pass the asvab... though you can do really well on certain parts of it and not so good on other parts and still be fine... it just decides what job you can apply for to begin with...

two... there is no way to flub through not telling them you are diabetic.... you will have to go through a medical exam before you get accepted in.... when you report you have to give up all meds to them... then go through another medical exam... it is considered falsification of records to lie on your medical records to get in... you will have 8 to 10 weeks that you will need to get medication from the military for your diabetes, which means they have to know....

three... basic training is hell... I don't know about the advanced training... but basic is hell... for enlisted you live in open rooms... and ever so often cadre will toss rooms/bunks, just for the hell of it.... but yes the structure provided by others was really cool... but banging metal trash bin lids against the bins to wake you up is not...

these are all old... but they are better than nothing

CG weight regs

CG regs

and the navy actually has stricter fitness limits on its members

DrillbitTaylor, I am proud of my service and I respect your desire to serve. Don't let your Patriotism over rule your common sense. In the Two week intensive Fire Fighting School that I attended at NAS Norfolk, we spent 4 hours every morning doing classwork involving watching films of actual shipboard fires and reenactments, listening to lectures and studying textbooks on Fire Science and Fire Fighting Techniques and doing tests - one thing after another.

They saved the heavy lifting for after lunch when we would have the benefit of dealing with maximum heat. In the afternoon courses you will fight Class Alpha and Bravo fires one after the other with very few water breaks. You will sweat your ass off to an extent that you have not done before. Twice you will be walked through a pitch black Class Alpha smoke chamber that is hot and breathing the smoke in your lungs will terrify you and make you miss the Teargas Chamber that you hated in Basic Training. With respect to your desire to serve this type of Training is for people in good physical shape, with good cardio-pulmonary function and no conditions like Diabetes that will increase the chance of severe dehydration or shock. Don't go into the Navy as a Diabetic, if you get caught lying about it you will get a less than Honorable separation - if the Training doesn't kill you.

Edit: Everyone in the USN goes through Fire Fighting School

The CG training is tough as USMC well the Navy is different in its training.

...Kit , you appear to be saying that - adult-onset - diabetes isn't an abslute no-no .
Very brief...

...Velo , does that include the Reserves , espec. , frnkly , with the getting-recruits situation , and , as I said , that I realize that some clerking/alphabetizing - Or , yes , sraping/swabbing , I'm not that proud . - is all I imagine myself being " eligible " for ?
Very brief .

DrillbitTaylor, in Wartime the odds of reservists being activated is, of course, much greater than otherwise. In Basic there is a 3 Day course. Out in the Ocean you will not have the option of leaving the Ship and calling the Fire Dept. You ARE the Fire Dept. USN Ratings are divided into Seamen, Airman. Constructionmen and Firemen. All of these people and all Officers go to Fire Fighting School. The Snipe ratings (Firemen) and their Officers get more intensive training than the rest. After A School and before your permanent command you will do the two week course minimum. If you are a Fireman or attached to Damage Control Central you will do even more training. Diabetes will keep you out of any Branch. Your best bet is to get a job with DOD or a Contractor like Lockheed Martin.

...You appear to be saying that Type 2 is a 100% no-no for getting in . That , of course , may well be correct .
While you are , of course , correct re: re-activation during wartime , this war is(1) not a Naval-intensive one . (2) At any given time , any navy has more people on shore that off it .

Your best bet is to get a job with DOD or a Contractor like Lockheed Martin.[/quote]










...I have to say that I don't see much connection between this kind of job in the Reserves and the DOD or a DC , though , of course , on another level , I see it...

I have wanted to join something to " take me away "...If not the military , I'm not qualified enough for the Peace Corps , maybe VISTA-Americorps - I have posted about this before - But , for one , I can't seem to find out the facts there .
I once encountered someone who talked about a " send-you-to-Africa " organixation that did advertise here...

Apologies for coming into this thread late. It has been a bit busy here, these past few days.

I joined the National Guard in 1956, went Regular Army in 1958, took advanced training in electronics from mid-1958 to late 1959. Late,I took some schools in Europe which included eating bugs and hiding behind fig leaves.

I did not enjoy all of it, but it did me a lot of good at learning how to camoflage my differences. I expanded on those lessons over the next 45 years and have survived in the NT world. Mostly by working in geekly/nerdly professions and being good at hiding myself.

Then, at age 66, I discovered AS and started to figure out myself. At age 69 I started investigating more deeply into the Syndrome and discovered that I chose the exact professions and activities which enabled me to become invisible to most NTs. Without the training the Army pounded into me, I am certain I would have had a much more difficult time of it.

Many of you have the advantage I did not, in that you know what to look for and what to expect.

I say go for a military stint, if you want to, but don't expect it to be easy and don't expect it not to change you.

There! That opinion should be worth about what you paid for it.

Pops

Oh most definitely! I owe much of my stronger personality traits to the Army and my experiences therein. I recommend it to just about anyone.

ASS-P, I am not personally familiar with the Peace Corps. I did have a 5th Grade Teacher who served 2 or 3 years in Tanzania with the Peace Corps before he got a job at my school. He had stories and anecdotes about their customs and working with the people there. He was clearly proud of the work there, and had good memories of the people and country. The Peace Corps may very well want your help. Go to you Congressional Reps office and ask, they like helping their constituents out with things like this.

...Briefly , I believe the PC demands higher pointing-too degrees of " training " , either a college degree , or real " practical " knowledge in irrigation/fixing motors/running a business...I have neither .
There's the , I think , not quite as demanding VISTA/Americorps , but...
I have had two long lines re: this in the past , titled " Never getting to go to college " and " Americorps-VISTA " , or similar , perhaps if you could find them and read them ???
I tend to think Ms. Pelosi , or evrn her interns , are rather busy , and might tend to consider me too unqualified...and , scruffy...........

...I'd like to revive those 2 post , but , I've no time now .