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**Tingkai** · July 30, 2003, 01:58

Oerdin, this article might be of interest to you.

http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030726.usold0726/BNStory/International/

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**Dinner** · July 30, 2003, 01:59

Originally posted by David Floyd
Oerdin,

Actually, I know someone from work who is on extended deployment in either Germany or Iraq (he wasn't too sure which it would be when we last spoke) and works with psyops - he's actually an interrogator, IIRC.

Yeah, alot of interrogators are in Psyops units. I imagine Psyops soldiers are working over time interogating prisioners in Gitmo and in Iraq. Luckily that's not my gig. I'm more into the public relations, touchy feeling sort of stuff.

**Kirnwaffen** · July 30, 2003, 01:59

You could have problems reenlisting tho, because of your prior service. IIRC, they aren't particularly big on taking you back once you've been out. They'll do it, but there could be a lot of strings attached. But maybe since your MOS is in critical shortage, it will work out better.

**Nubclear** · July 30, 2003, 02:03

Originally posted by Oerdin
And fight off the evil Russian invaders who are trying to take Finland's jobs? Oh what the Finns don't have any jobs. My mistake.

No, to act as a spy for the Russian army!

**Dinner** · July 30, 2003, 02:09

Tingkai: That was a good article and it seems nothing has changed since they sent me to Kosovo for 9 month a few years ago. I know several people who ended up getting divorced because their wives were pissed at them leaving and the debt which resulted from a decrease in income following deployment. It's a tough issue to be sure.

Kirnwaffen: I'm still officially in the IRR so I'm not 100% out of the military. I will be on Aug 2nd though so you're right I could have problems if I wait past that point.

**MichaeltheGreat** · July 30, 2003, 02:44

Originally posted by Oerdin
The upside is I do reenlist I might not have to go for a year or two and by then things will likely have cooled off a bit.

All that means is they'd find a new ****hole to send you to. **** 'em, you did your time, even if you were a candy-assed REMF.

Hoo-ah!

**Timexwatch** · July 30, 2003, 03:10

The question is simple:

Would you rather be shot at by brown or black people?

**Atahualpa** · July 30, 2003, 04:58

What does your girlfriend think about that?

**CerberusIV** · July 30, 2003, 06:05

Remind yourself about why you came out after 6 years and went to the reserves. Ask yourself if anything has changed and then make a decision about how involved with the army you want to be.

**TCO** · July 30, 2003, 20:27

Re: To reenlist or to not reenlist that is the question.

Originally posted by Oerdin
As many of you know I spent six years in the Army and I've spent the last two years in the IRR ( a kind of nondrilling reserve) but what you may not know is that come Aug. 2nd I will be out of even the IRR. I've been reflecting over all of the good times, the bad times, and the in between times I had in the Army and now I'm mulling over the idea of reenlisting in the reserves.

I honestly thought I had decided not to reenlist several years ago but after a recent thread here at Apolyton (about good part time ways to make extra cash) I have once again reopened the Army can of worms. What do you folks think? What are the up sides and down sides that you can see to reenlisting?

I really like the free travel, the friendships, and the extra money would be nice but not really enough to get excited about since it would only be a few thousand a year. The idea of getting a military pension in addition to all my other retirement savngs is also a plus but you can't draw a reserve pension until you're 65 so I've got nearly 40 years to worry about that.

The obvious downside would be the possibility (read almost certainty at least for a six year enlistment) getting pulled away from my civilian job, my family, and my friends to go to some hell hole overseas. Iraq and Liberia seem like obvious candidates but Bosnia or even another tour in Kosovo are possibilities. Am I missing anything here?

I told you before, I understand your thinking. I would give it a shot. I've been somewhat on-again, off-again, with my reserve career. Don't worry about the pension. It's more about the fun and the feeling of pride. I do agree that weekends can be stupid sometimes. But the 2 week annual Trainings are really fun.

I am looking to get back off IRR, but right now need to get some medical stuff cleared up. Plus soon, may not have the option as I will not (likely) make O-5 after a couple years of minimal participation. Still I'm thinking about doing one more year for the pride.

**Chemical Ollie** · July 30, 2003, 20:37

If your current life is crap - go!

If you like your current life - don't go!

It's as simple as that...

If your current life really suck - join the French Foreign Legion!

**TCO** · July 30, 2003, 20:55

Originally posted by Kirnwaffen
The biggest question is can you afford to get deployed? If yes, then go for it. If not, don't.

This is a pretty terse, insightful response.

**Kramerman** · July 30, 2003, 21:05

Originally posted by Oerdin
Occupation Duties... Yep, I'd give it 50-50 that if I reenlisted I'd end up with occupation duty at some point. Especially given my MOS which the Army Chief of Staff, during his interview on NPR today, listed as a "criticially in short supply" area. In other words they need 37F bad to help out with the occupation duty.

The upside is I do reenlist I might not have to go for a year or two and by then things will likely have cooled off a bit.

whats 37f?

**DanS** · July 30, 2003, 21:07

37F means they need bull**** artists to tell the Iraqi people they are better off now than they were six months ago.

Actually, I think this is God's work and could be very interesting. Even in ****holes like Iraq and Bosnia. But I've never been in the military, so it's all a little exotic.

Oerdin: One thing to note is that while they might give you some extra bread in your pocket, the variability of your wages will increase due to the risk of a call up.

This is just to agree with the "terse" comment above about whether you could afford a call up or not. Basically you're self-insuring on the variability of your wages. You may need to keep some extra dough in the bank just in case, for instance. You could make up a spreadsheet to figure out if the $5k signing bonus covers the variability--it all depends on the difference between your civilian and military wages, and the chance of a call-up, etc.

**MichaeltheGreat** · July 30, 2003, 21:19

The other problem with getting deployed is whether or not you have a job when you get back. Two weeks a year fits in with vacation time, but if you get called up and go off to funville for six months, things could be a bit dicey depending on your position, the size of the company, their policies, etc. So you have to look at whether you can afford that, and what the job market in your civilian field is likely to be at that time.

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