The amount of people on here who think the military is some sort of get-out-of-jail-free card is astounding. It’s a calling, like any other job. The government owns you when you sign that paper.
A big part of people do only sign up for college though. It is realistically the best way to have college paid for, and also have a job to save on top of it. No other job pays you to go to school. XD
Yeah they do but it's not that bad so far no jinx, I joined mostly for financial and career reasons and thought I could do what I'm told well enough. Just wear the right uniform, look decent, work out sometimes, and everything is pretty much paid for. Get some disposable income and just save that in TSP and IRA. Boot camp is annoying but simple. A school where I am is simple too, basically 13th grade with more restrictions on relationships, and gets better (less rules) if you behave!
Joining the Air National Guard ended up being the greatest decision I ever made. Saved a ton of cash, I have 2 degrees paid for by the guard, and a great resume builder.
And you never sleep in the mud, take long hikes carrying 100# , probably never get shot at or have to kill anpther human... college paid for, heck this is a no brainer.
Jared Nelson - Growing Financial Knowledge but if you hungry you need money if it cost a lot you need money to fund it so at some point you got to do it for the money
@@inmate0054 I try to look at it from a balanced perspective. You aren't going to love doing your job 100% of the time. At least some motivation will keep you going and grinding it out for the cash.
It's not just 6 months of training! It's the one weekend a month extra, on top of his civilian job, plus two weeks of training each year, AND deployments. He could deploy for a year at a time. Since 9/11 the national guard has become a much bigger portion of the US global defense strategy than people realize. You sign your life away for 6 years. Don't do this just for student loan money. Also, the loan money is not forgiven. You are GIVING your time and body to the NG for six years in exchange to have the loans paid off. You will pay taxes on the bonus money and the money paid to your student loans. So many people don't factor that in at tax time. I'm retired ANG and it was a good plan for me; however, I make sure people know there are huge down sides to signing up with the military. Being in the military is hard and not everyone can, or should, do it.
Don’t forget the activations when hurricanes hit and other random things. My annual training was sometimes 3 weeks. Imagine getting deployed every other year for months to a year.
@@joyaustin6581 That's true! We are landlocked in my state so I didn't think about hurricanes, but any state emergency can be a deployment - natural disasters, pandemics, etc. I'm glad I'm retired now and don't have to worry about being activated for protests. Many people also don't consider, or don't realize, that you can't speak out against the current administration, no matter how strongly you feel about what is happening. Basically, every aspect of your life belongs to the military!
@@XFizzlepop-Berrytwist the guard takes an oath to their state constitution and will usually be dispatched to assist in local disasters, however, they can also be activated by the federal government and be deployed.
I totally agree with you. The initial training is the easy part. My husband just came back from an 11month deployment and it was hard with 3 children in the midst of the pandemic. The money seems good and it can be. However the strain it can sometimes put on the family isn't always worth it. The one weekend a month and the two weeks(three or four weeks) out of the year can be down right annoying depending on when the fall. Once my son was born I extended for an additional year and got out and never looked back. Now if this is something someone is called to do, by all means go for it. God's grace is sufficient and He will carry you through!
I had 27k in student loans before joining the military. I didn't get my loans forgiven. I used my income from the military to pay off what I owed. I cut almost every expense lived on the ship and ate galley food. As an E-3 I was debt free in 17 months. Living like nobody else
I'm probably just paranoid, but when she said "I have a great relationship with my ex husband", I just had a bunch of warning sirens and lights going off in my head
Eh, my mom and stepmom are actually good friends, my dad also still gets along with my mom. My parents divorced when I was very young, but growing up and having parents that got along well helped tremendously.
My husband earned his bachelor's & master's degrees with zero student loan debt because of his military service. So thankful! It's not for everyone, but it was one of the best decisions he's made that still blesses us today.
A lot of people go to ther military to cover the cost of college in some way shape or form... but you almost never want to do something just for money...
I left with a free graduate degree, free bachelors, and three free associates degrees. Plus a pension and free healthcare with no copay because of it. Worth it 100%.
why is SHE the one calling in and not the actual husband? She has a "wonderful" relationship with her ex husband......What does the current husband think about this move?
She could join and then use her post 911 benefits to pay back his college after signing them over to him. Win win they both go get in ... join separate units on opposite weekends so they always have a babysitter .....
Make sure you get the repayment program in writing. I did 6 years and they didnt repay anything. Told me it was because I did infantry..... another recruiter lie.
I retired from the Army two years ago and I absolutely loved my career but Dave is right - he needs to feel that calling. But if he is saying that it was one of his regrets - never having enlisted - this sounds like a win/win!
@@kylehausner2685 She said he was going to be gone for 6 months, looks to be about right. "12M FIREFIGHTER OVERVIEW Army National Guard firefighters are responsible for protecting lives and property from fire. They control fires and help prevent them in buildings, aircraft and ships. Job training for an Army National Guard firefighter requires 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training and 13 weeks of Advanced Individual Training. Part of this time is spent in the classroom, and part takes place in the field, including practice in fighting fires. Advanced Individual Training: 13 weeks at Goodfellow Air Force Base, TX Some of the skills you’ll learn are: Fighting different types of fires Firefighting equipment operations, first aid and rescue procedures REQUIRED ASVAB SCORE(S) General Maintenance (GM): 88"
I definitely stand corrected. When am I ever going to learn to not trust Army recruiters! I couldve been a firefighter instead of a truck driver!? Guess with 9 months til retirement, that dream will have to be put to rest. Where was your husband stationed, Kati?
Paying off $58k over six year (the time he would be in the military) would basically mean paying about $10k a year. It’s also the same as paying off $800 a month. I don’t think I would want to give my life to the military for 6 years just to avoid paying $800 a month (you could pick up an extra part time job for that). Now, if you really want to join the military, thats different, but there are other (possibly faster) ways to pay off the debt.
The contract means almost nothing since they have a clause that allows them to modify the contract at any time. They can even extend the length of the contract if needed.
Its all well and good until your national guard unit ends up deployed in the middle east for a year. My husband had to leave three weeks after I gave birth to our youngest and didn't get home until three weeks before his first birthday this summer. Dont sign up unless you're prepared for deployment.
Ok so for anyone joining, I think this information might be helpful. If you decide to use LRP, know that it’ll set back your eligibility for GI bill 3 years. So if you’re planning to use both LRP and GI bill, expect to stay in for 6 years. 4 years only to qualify for GI Bill.
I joined the reserves with a 20k bonus & 50k in student loan repayment. By far the biggest benefit has been the cost to pay for my families health insurance. $240 a month for me, my wife, & two kids. I was gone for 11mts though. However, the time away from family was extremely painful.
Never do anything just for money. I tried to get into Nursing for the money but left in the middle of the program because I knew I would have been miserable 😖
Agreed! I see that some nurses are getting paid ridiculous amounts of money right now. Part of me is jealous, but the other part knows that I would NOT like the profession. I also contemplated joining the military to get student loans paid off. Lots of military folk told me to do the reserves, including my brother. I guess I'm in a good position to get a decent job in the military since I have a bachelor's degree as well as a master's degree? I still come back to the part Dave mentioned... my heart just isn't in it...
@@tonemeister2318 I feel you buddy. It can really do a number on children, I hope you've taken time out to heal. Do remember, just because they ignored you doesn't mean you aren't worthy, you're probably an amazing person in your own right.
Ok I'm probably in the minority but I don't think it's a good idea. Looked it up on the Army website for National Guard: It requires going in as enlisted in a high demand MOS (not of your choosing), at a paygrade E4 or below, with a contract lasting at least 6 years. 6 years enlisted potentially doing a job you don't enjoy is a bigger implication than you realize. And if it's not obvious- you forfeit the G.I. Bill in exchange for the loan forgiveness. Personally I would not do 6 years like that. You can join as an Officer instead, still get the G.I. Bill (which you can gift to a child later), and easily make Captain in the equivalent 6 years. To make the same wages as Captain you would have to make Master Sergeant (think 15+ years of hard enlisted work and you'll get there). And they give out just as lucrative sign-up bonuses for new officers as they do enlisted. You could pay off the debt in probably a year using the higher officer salary + bonus and not be under the pressing contract conditions of loan forgiveness. I will also point out that you will make more money in wages in 4 years as an officer versus 6 years enlisted... probably twice the money and that's probably a lowball estimate.
@@cap3724 never said it wasn’t a high price. just said that joining the national guard and being committed to do so for 6 years was an even higher price.
Something else to keep in mind are the deployments and month long trainings. The national guard of today isn't like it was before. You will be gone a lot, called up randomly, lots of military schools and trainings.
2 days a month of work. I did active duty and actually made money going to college because the benefits were that great. I don’t know what a loan application looks like. Plus a lot of respected work experience in my field
@@Jay-om8gr I think the 2 days are not bad but Luis and the others are talking about if something goes down, National Guard will be next in line to be deployed. A war, pandemic, civil unrest, etc. Did you think in 1995 we were going to be attacked and go to war? Things can change fast in 6 years. Look at Iran and North Korea for an example.
@@ademd7099 things can go down anywhere. People die in car accidents every day. And other stuff. I say go for it. Pick a good mos/job too. Something that translate to the private sector very well and not necessarily combat stuff if that’s not what he wants
It’s always funny hearing people wanting to join because of school/money yes that’s a bonus, but if you join any branch with that mindset you’ll leave the military after your contract or before your contract is over you’ll be so miserable that you could have a lot of negative side effects on your mental state, this is coming from personal experience in the USMC and what I’ve witnessed with my subordinates
I was an idiot and took out student loans in college and after I graduated I realized quickly that I cannot repay them. Do United States Army said if I listed they would pay back my student loans 1/3 per year of service that I am listed. I could not be an officer I had to enlist. So after three years my $30,000 student loan was gone. One of the downsides was I did not get the G.I. Bill which was not a big deal to me because they pay back my student loans
I'm kind of appalled that he said the kids wouldn't notice. As the wife who stays home with the kids during deployments, I can say that they do in fact notice. There are lots of tears and needed snuggles to get through. If the dad is a POS, then maybe the kids won't care that he's gone. But my husband is a wonderful father who's kids notice and care that their daddy is gone for months at a time. This guy is correct that kids are resilient. But that's ALL he got right.
Very well said and true. I couldn't believe how he said that. Children are resilient indeed, but definitely impacted by missing their father's presence in the household. A child under 3yrs wouldn't remember but his age children are at an important stage in development at 5&6yrs. Unfortunately, it sounds cold like Ken only cares about money and income instead of childrearing. Your children are blessed to have a great loving father ; ).
6 years of them having you by the balls. 6 years of them telling you what to do, what haircut to have, where you're being deployed, what you eat while you're there, not to mention the fact you can get blown into pieces. I'll keep my freedom and pay off my debts lol.
That is our right. As a military brat I knew it was not for me. The recruiters started chasing me when I turned 17. I love our Military, but I always wanted the freedom to tell my employer to sit and spin. Nothing wrong with that either :)
Forgiveness? Who does that! Too bad for me. I had tons of loans and my credit was in a very bad shape. After being active I got in contact with Mark Lazaro of (creditpatchup.com) who helped me cleaned up my credit and I sat up to pay the rest of my loans. Well I am loan free now. Kudos to me
I can so relate to this. Husband wants to join next month, older as well. He has felt called to do so many years. We have 4 kids.. and they give the sign up bonus in the army as well right now. I’m shocked to see a similar story to ours. Pretty neat, thanks for sharing
@@Tiffshouse I was dismissed after physical but my colleague was in the Army reserves and missed 4 of his children’s births due to deployments. He was fortunate enough to know someone that helped his transfer to the Air Force reserves and he can’t speak highly enough about the switch
Understand the military is a way of life and not just a job. He will be gone for large amounts of time where the spouse has to do everything. As a retired veteran, I am thankful for everything the military gave to me-but I had to work for you and it wasn’t an easy road.
I'm more concerned that the husband actually really wanted to serve. I've known plenty of people who hated the military and regret it. I also know plenty who absolutely loved it. Either way it's his decision before anyone else.
6 months is a lifetime for a child. Don't do it. Being a firefighter is a good job, you can pay off the debt with that. Never sacrifice time with your children for money.
6 months for a kid is like 6 minutes? For me time felt like eternity at that age. I remember a 3 month summer break was glorious and long. Now being older 3 months is very short. Of all the things people look back to, they always wish they had more time with their family. Food for thought. The sacrifice may be worth it, but even include the ex-spouses in the conversation as well.
7 year usaf/ang checking in: perfect answer. not only all of what they covered, but he'll probably get double paycheck (fire and national guard) because most government agencies allow for 2 weeks military leave per year. i worked for a school district, and got 30 days! plus the extra drill payments every month really help out, and i had fun doing it. i actually liked air national guard WAY better than active duty!
The military is a legit and honorable way to get student loans paid off. I enlisted after college and didn’t have loans but there were a few guys in my basic training class who were college grads with loans (all for law degrees as I recall) that the government would pay off within four years. With that said, I don’t recommend enlisting (even in the National Guard) to people who are married with families. The commitment of the military is more of a strain on relationships than people understand. Considering the caller’s “blended family with five kids” I don’t think it’s worth the strain on the family and the risk of a second divorce.
My best decision was to join the Air Force national guard. I had $15000 sign up, in school to be a Phisician assistant for free and $40000 when I'm done and want to switch career. Can't ask for better
2 things: If 6 months is hard, his 9 month deployments will be too. Deployment in the military is a when, not an if His fire department is mandated by la to allow him to join if he ants to. That isn't something to worry about. If your okay with it, go for it. If you don't want to be in the military, do not join for the benefits. It isn't a 9-5, and you are on call 24/7. I have had times here I have been called at 4 in the morning and still had to work a normal day afterwards.
If you thought maintaining a relationship was hard outside the military... you will never have your relationship survive the military. He can get his debt forgiven by his being a firefighter just as easily as by joining the military. (which is 10 years of making the payments, so you probably paid it off before its forgiven) Getting out of debt is the wrong reason to join.
You cannot join the military to avoid paying student loans. Government agencies talk to each other. You can have your wages garnished to pay a student loan via the military pay system. You can be ordered to pay your student loan. If you fail to follow the orders, you can get an Article 15 or court-martialed. That's how it works
Here is the deal .... every troop that I had that tried to use the tuition reimbursement program ended up fighting to get the money or told that they had past the date to apply for it ... due to being in the field normally. Don't join the military for the college education program, personally we can't stand troops that scream they "only joined for the college benefits" when we got alerted or were rolling out over at Green Ramp, join because you want to serve something greater then yourself the education benefits after are an extra for a job well done.
BE CAREFUL AND DO YOUR RESEARCH 100%. i have ALOT of family in the military. 1. do not listen to people that tell you not to do things for money because the chances are THEY HAVE OR COME FROM MONEY. people that come from rock bottom never tell you to "not consider money". 2. depends on WHICH branch of the military you are in. because you can sign up for the army lets say and then your commander might give you a hard time about going to class/school, also ranks play into this (ex: airforce gets top treatment) 3. if you ALREADY HAVE a bachelors THEN yes it kind of pays off to use the military to pay for higher education. ONLY BECAUSE YOU GO IN AS AN OFFICER. BUT higher title also means more responsibility 4. ONCE YOU SIGN YOUR CONTRACT UNCLE SAM OWNS YOU FOR THAT TIME NO IFS AND OR BUTS 5. the military has alot of bonuses but be wary of the fine print for example. my cousin joined at 19, his mom wanted to use his VA loan benefit to buy a home BUT he had debt/student loan which voids you from being able to get said loan 6. marriage is a HUGE deal in the military so be VERY CERTAIN AND CAUTIOUS with this. (a friend of mine married a fellow solider just so he can move bc he didn't like his barracks)..very silly but young people in the military do this all the time ** again do your research bc the national guard gets deployed often esp with whats going on now..just saying it might not be 100% worth it when you weigh your options
Talk to the regular army recruiter too. They recruit for active and reserves. Learn about the Reserves. The Guard has benefits and the Reserves has benefits, both unique, sometimes better. Learn both sides.
The military heavily incentivizes people to join for those benefits. They advertise the benefits to recruit. I disagree with Dave. I joined the army mainly because i needed a job and health insurance for my son. Never regretted it. And the military size ballooned during the 09 recession
Ken's time warp ideology is harsh sounding, but point on from my experience. I missed about the first 3 yrs of my sons life..... Currently we love each other and God has blessed our friendship. God bless your efforts for obedience
That's great! Child's memories start forming at 3 and especially at 5 yrs. So his statement was cold and incorrect. Yes children are resilient but ABSOLUTELY will notice and be effected without their parent's presence. 5&6 yrs old is an important time in development.
Divorce rates and broken families are sky high in the military. Try being away from someone for a year at a time multiple times. I think he's being flippant about the five year old. They will have a hard time understanding why his or her dad is leaving.
Yes the bennies are great, but that should not be the reason to join up. Now if you wanted to join up anyway, then it would be a good thing. Short term sacrifice is that you do have to go to boot camp and specialty training, so you may be away from home for maybe a year. After that it is 1 weekend a month and two weeks a year. So depending on what you are doing for a living you may be taking a pay cut. But if you are say right out of high school it can be a great move.
One of the running jokes while I was in was identifying those who joined primarily because of the bonus - easy way to notice them because they constantly b!tched and complained. Even 10 years later, I loved my time in only because of the camaraderie & purpose - forget the bonus.
He could get the bonus but also get the VA educational benefits. Post 9/11 GI bill benefits will pay for school but also pay you to go to school. VA has paid for my trucking license, and are paying me to go to school full time as well. They are paying me $3500/month to peruse school and I’m able to work as well. Depends on where you live. I live in New Jersey and go to school across the river in NY, but all classes are online now. They pay a higher amount based on the zip code, not your physical address. Some zip codes in NY pay up to $4000. New York and San Francisco have the highest BAH in the country. The Post 9/11 benefits will pay for 3 years of school and pay BAH (basic allowance for housing) during that time. If you pursue any part of the S.T.E.M. Program (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) you qualify for a 9 months extension at 100% benefits! The standard GI bill pays for 4 years of school, but does not pay BAH. You could also get your helicopter license or a Nursing degree plus many other professions 👍🏽
I would not leave a job as a Firefighter to Join the Military. I did the opposite and it’s great (Military for 20 then Paramedic FF) but I didn’t get married until the end of my career. There isn’t much money to be made in the military. You make your money buying up properties with your VA Loan Benefit and TSP manipulation.
Plus he can get a second retirement (assuming he has one through the Firefighting career). Seems like a good move, but I agree with removing money from the equation to see if it's important to him first.
I'm former Active Duty Army '93 - '97. Since 2010 I've been a DOD civilian employee with Department of the Air Force at a Reserve Base. The days of NG and Reserves doing the 2 weeks a year, one weekend a month are over from what I've seen. Not saying that's a bad thing but just realize what you're getting into when you raise your right hand and swear that oath. Yeah, you get a lot of benefits out of it but realize what you're getting into.
I plan on paying for roughly 1/3 to 1/2 half my child's college based on what I can afford as a divorced parent without going into debt. If she told me she's join the military to afford it, I'd take out the unforgivable loans. I respect our soldiers but not what is done in their name.
My husband joined the Air Force reserve and it was a really great move for our family. But Dave is right, it's not easy and it's not for everyone. The benefits are wonderful. The downsides can be tough if you don't have a solid foundation.
Under what program is he going to get his loans forgiven? The federal public loan forgiveness only applies for full time employment. Also, he might already qualify if he works for local government...
The amount of people on here who think the military is some sort of get-out-of-jail-free card is astounding. It’s a calling, like any other job. The government owns you when you sign that paper.
A big part of people do only sign up for college though.
It is realistically the best way to have college paid for, and also have a job to save on top of it.
No other job pays you to go to school. XD
Yeah they do but it's not that bad so far no jinx, I joined mostly for financial and career reasons and thought I could do what I'm told well enough. Just wear the right uniform, look decent, work out sometimes, and everything is pretty much paid for. Get some disposable income and just save that in TSP and IRA. Boot camp is annoying but simple. A school where I am is simple too, basically 13th grade with more restrictions on relationships, and gets better (less rules) if you behave!
@@XFizzlepop-Berrytwist ibew pays you for schools, 4-5 year apprenticeship, night classes. Journeyman make racks
Exactly. Which is never a good idea
I don't think you understand how the military markets... a calling LOL
Joining the Air National Guard ended up being the greatest decision I ever made. Saved a ton of cash, I have 2 degrees paid for by the guard, and a great resume builder.
Air National Guard > Army National Guard
@@210SAi Air Force anything>army anything. Just enlisted in October✈️
@@joemilleriv any branch > Army
And you never sleep in the mud, take long hikes carrying 100# , probably never get shot at or have to kill anpther human... college paid for, heck this is a no brainer.
If you are looking for the easier path to money and value money over experience then you guys are probably right. Army> chair force
The calling comes first, then the benefits after.
If you aren't passionate about what you do, it's hard to stick with it.
Jared Nelson - Growing Financial Knowledge but if you hungry you need money if it cost a lot you need money to fund it so at some point you got to do it for the money
@@inmate0054 I try to look at it from a balanced perspective. You aren't going to love doing your job 100% of the time. At least some motivation will keep you going and grinding it out for the cash.
Yes!!
Totally agree with what you said
@@sheba1307 thank you for the feedback!
It's not just 6 months of training! It's the one weekend a month extra, on top of his civilian job, plus two weeks of training each year, AND deployments. He could deploy for a year at a time. Since 9/11 the national guard has become a much bigger portion of the US global defense strategy than people realize. You sign your life away for 6 years. Don't do this just for student loan money.
Also, the loan money is not forgiven. You are GIVING your time and body to the NG for six years in exchange to have the loans paid off. You will pay taxes on the bonus money and the money paid to your student loans. So many people don't factor that in at tax time. I'm retired ANG and it was a good plan for me; however, I make sure people know there are huge down sides to signing up with the military. Being in the military is hard and not everyone can, or should, do it.
Don’t forget the activations when hurricanes hit and other random things. My annual training was sometimes 3 weeks. Imagine getting deployed every other year for months to a year.
I thought National guard stayed in state? Isnt that the point of national guard? To stay in state? Or at least in the US?
@@joyaustin6581 That's true! We are landlocked in my state so I didn't think about hurricanes, but any state emergency can be a deployment - natural disasters, pandemics, etc. I'm glad I'm retired now and don't have to worry about being activated for protests. Many people also don't consider, or don't realize, that you can't speak out against the current administration, no matter how strongly you feel about what is happening. Basically, every aspect of your life belongs to the military!
@@XFizzlepop-Berrytwist the guard takes an oath to their state constitution and will usually be dispatched to assist in local disasters, however, they can also be activated by the federal government and be deployed.
I totally agree with you. The initial training is the easy part. My husband just came back from an 11month deployment and it was hard with 3 children in the midst of the pandemic. The money seems good and it can be. However the strain it can sometimes put on the family isn't always worth it. The one weekend a month and the two weeks(three or four weeks) out of the year can be down right annoying depending on when the fall. Once my son was born I extended for an additional year and got out and never looked back. Now if this is something someone is called to do, by all means go for it. God's grace is sufficient and He will carry you through!
I had 27k in student loans before joining the military. I didn't get my loans forgiven. I used my income from the military to pay off what I owed. I cut almost every expense lived on the ship and ate galley food. As an E-3 I was debt free in 17 months. Living like nobody else
Yep. Your expenses can be almost nothing if you live on base housing and eat in the base messhall.
That’s what I’m doing now, only getting E-1 pay but since I’m in tech school it’s easy to save and a great time to pay off my debt
So becoming an officer won’t pay off your student loans? That’s the whole point of what I think I want to join
Impressive
@@radolfkalis4041👏👏👏
I'm probably just paranoid, but when she said "I have a great relationship with my ex husband", I just had a bunch of warning sirens and lights going off in my head
Bingo
Jody
@@hectorbaltazar188 military queen
Dear John letter
Eh, my mom and stepmom are actually good friends, my dad also still gets along with my mom. My parents divorced when I was very young, but growing up and having parents that got along well helped tremendously.
My husband earned his bachelor's & master's degrees with zero student loan debt because of his military service. So thankful! It's not for everyone, but it was one of the best decisions he's made that still blesses us today.
A lot of people go to ther military to cover the cost of college in some way shape or form... but you almost never want to do something just for money...
Black Vito - Moneyology why
If getting that money is what I need to do something else why can’t I do it just for the money?
@@inmate0054 I think he’s saying to only make choices in good faith. I’d rather work a regular job than dodge bombs just to pay for school.
you think people join just for serving the country? nah most peeps want a camero
So true! I am an army vet. :)
I joined the army and got a bachelors degree. I have zero student loan debt.
Same 🙏🏽
Masters degree. No student loans
On the same road soon to earn my BA.
What did you major in? Lesbian Dance Theory?
Bravo Zulu
If you think its only going to be 6 months you got another thing coming lol the guard deploys alot. 😂😂😂
I was thinking the same thing! She's not taking into account deployments.
Having been active, yes she is not well informed about the necessary sacrifices
Yup...especially with Biden and his warmonger cabinet 🤣
BTW...I did 30 years active duty so I’m not anti-military 🇺🇸
Join the Reserves, they rarely deploy :)
“He’s got training, you’ve got boot camp” 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
This is how the military gets so many! "Hey Kid, you outta money for tuition? I've got free tuition for you!"
The military has always been a tool to bring the poor and working class into the middle class
I left with a free graduate degree, free bachelors, and three free associates degrees. Plus a pension and free healthcare with no copay because of it. Worth it 100%.
@@mochopz sad, but true. It's been 21 years now.
@@mr.patrickfahy4350 I'll join you soon. But many join for the wrong reasons.
Well it’s working for me. I’m active duty, and I will be set for life once I rejoin the civilian sector.
why is SHE the one calling in and not the actual husband? She has a "wonderful" relationship with her ex husband......What does the current husband think about this move?
Jesus christ let it go
She could join and then use her post 911 benefits to pay back his college after signing them over to him.
Win win they both go get in ... join separate units on opposite weekends so they always have a babysitter .....
@@steve03260 doesnt work that way anymore. To many spouses were abusing the free college and getting a divorse
@@Wewereneveryoung NO
@dachicagoan - he's going to get a dear john l̶e̶t̶t̶e̶r̶ text while he's in training
She wants him to go to the military and said "I have a great relationship with my ex husband". Something isn't right here....
Jodi!
@@mkirules 😂 the infamous Jodie 😭
@Robin Strong Who?
“Jody this and Jody that. Jody got your Cadillac!” That was a cadence called by the Drill Sergeants in Basic Training.
"You never want to do something just for money"
💯
Well I need money more than most of anything else right noe
@@inmate0054 Go to school, & earn your money.
@@Mmmmmppppppp: Tell that to the countless college graduates who are earning $20 per hour or less and who are struggling to pay their student loans. 🤣
I mean... theres not much other reason to do something.
When you get the bonus it gets taxed. When the military pays off your degree the IRS counts that as earned income so you have to pay taxes on it!
20k before federal and state taxes. They'll get around 13K
Or less. They play all kinds of games with these bonuses.
If they don’t take it back
8k lol
You know she is going to cheat on him when he's gone. Never get married in the military.
@Nurse A There is real truth there. I’ve seen it first hand more times than you’d think possible.
Make sure you get the repayment program in writing. I did 6 years and they didnt repay anything. Told me it was because I did infantry..... another recruiter lie.
I retired from the Army two years ago and I absolutely loved my career but Dave is right - he needs to feel that calling. But if he is saying that it was one of his regrets - never having enlisted - this sounds like a win/win!
I'm just happy someone wants to earn their debt forgiveness, not just hoping the government will give it to them.
Sounds like a vacation for the husband. :) The dude is a firefighter, he is the type to serve. MOS 12M !!!!
12M is only active duty. No firefighters in the Guard or reserve. 😉
@@kylehausner2685 She said he was going to be gone for 6 months, looks to be about right.
"12M FIREFIGHTER OVERVIEW
Army National Guard firefighters are responsible for protecting lives and property from fire. They control fires and help prevent them in buildings, aircraft and ships. Job training for an Army National Guard firefighter requires 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training and 13 weeks of Advanced Individual Training. Part of this time is spent in the classroom, and part takes place in the field, including practice in fighting fires.
Advanced Individual Training: 13 weeks at Goodfellow Air Force Base, TX
Some of the skills you’ll learn are:
Fighting different types of fires
Firefighting equipment operations, first aid and rescue procedures
REQUIRED ASVAB SCORE(S)
General Maintenance (GM): 88"
@@kylehausner2685 my husband was a firefighter in the Army reserves.
I definitely stand corrected. When am I ever going to learn to not trust Army recruiters! I couldve been a firefighter instead of a truck driver!? Guess with 9 months til retirement, that dream will have to be put to rest. Where was your husband stationed, Kati?
@@kylehausner2685 Why do army guys use codes instead of words when discussing an MOS?
Paying off $58k over six year (the time he would be in the military) would basically mean paying about $10k a year. It’s also the same as paying off $800 a month. I don’t think I would want to give my life to the military for 6 years just to avoid paying $800 a month (you could pick up an extra part time job for that). Now, if you really want to join the military, thats different, but there are other (possibly faster) ways to pay off the debt.
WRITE MR ALEXANDER HOFFMAN ON WHAT SAPP HE MADE AROUND $10,500 FOR ME
HE WAS RECOMMENDED TO ME BY DAVE HIMSELF.
+1 3-0-5-5-2- 9 -6-2-9-5
Read that contract first!
The contract means almost nothing since they have a clause that allows them to modify the contract at any time. They can even extend the length of the contract if needed.
@@budc.8172 Exactly my point! People need to really understand the rights they're signing away for those benefits.
The take away “you never want to do something just for the money”. Absolutely correct.
Joined straight outta high school. Now I'm out and going to nursing school for free. And they pay a monthly housing stipend.
Its all well and good until your national guard unit ends up deployed in the middle east for a year. My husband had to leave three weeks after I gave birth to our youngest and didn't get home until three weeks before his first birthday this summer. Dont sign up unless you're prepared for deployment.
I did 10 years active duty and I joined under the same benefit plan.....I wish I would’ve went with a different benefit package smh.
I did 6 years
There were no package deals when I was in.
Not worth it!
It's not just 6 months of training. National Guard members get deployed all the time. They have a very high divorce rate.
Going to fight for rich mens profits is never a far trade.
Ok so for anyone joining, I think this information might be helpful. If you decide to use LRP, know that it’ll set back your eligibility for GI bill 3 years. So if you’re planning to use both LRP and GI bill, expect to stay in for 6 years. 4 years only to qualify for GI Bill.
I joined the reserves with a 20k bonus & 50k in student loan repayment. By far the biggest benefit has been the cost to pay for my families health insurance. $240 a month for me, my wife, & two kids. I was gone for 11mts though. However, the time away from family was extremely painful.
Never do anything just for money. I tried to get into Nursing for the money but left in the middle of the program because I knew I would have been miserable 😖
Our Phantastic Life because you had no plan for the money.
Same!! Everyone else told me to be an RN and I have no desire to be
Agreed! I see that some nurses are getting paid ridiculous amounts of money right now. Part of me is jealous, but the other part knows that I would NOT like the profession.
I also contemplated joining the military to get student loans paid off. Lots of military folk told me to do the reserves, including my brother. I guess I'm in a good position to get a decent job in the military since I have a bachelor's degree as well as a master's degree? I still come back to the part Dave mentioned... my heart just isn't in it...
@@rosegroshek1218 cheers to us not being miserable as RN's right now lol 🤣
Did you fail nursing school?
Avoid the loans in the first place before deciding how to direct your career. Cut them out of the plans.
Yeah. You don't need to go into $58K student debt to become a firefighter.
The 13 year old doesn’t want to be in the same room with you because you ignored them in their early years. Just saying
sounds like you understand this situation from personal experience?
@@Zeeno yes, father was a dink
@@tonemeister2318 I feel you buddy. It can really do a number on children, I hope you've taken time out to heal.
Do remember, just because they ignored you doesn't mean you aren't worthy, you're probably an amazing person in your own right.
Ok I'm probably in the minority but I don't think it's a good idea. Looked it up on the Army website for National Guard: It requires going in as enlisted in a high demand MOS (not of your choosing), at a paygrade E4 or below, with a contract lasting at least 6 years. 6 years enlisted potentially doing a job you don't enjoy is a bigger implication than you realize. And if it's not obvious- you forfeit the G.I. Bill in exchange for the loan forgiveness. Personally I would not do 6 years like that. You can join as an Officer instead, still get the G.I. Bill (which you can gift to a child later), and easily make Captain in the equivalent 6 years. To make the same wages as Captain you would have to make Master Sergeant (think 15+ years of hard enlisted work and you'll get there). And they give out just as lucrative sign-up bonuses for new officers as they do enlisted. You could pay off the debt in probably a year using the higher officer salary + bonus and not be under the pressing contract conditions of loan forgiveness. I will also point out that you will make more money in wages in 4 years as an officer versus 6 years enlisted... probably twice the money and that's probably a lowball estimate.
I think spending $10k a year towards student loan debt is a much better deal than having to join the national guard.
No sir 10k is not cheap especially with a family
@@cap3724 never said it wasn’t a high price. just said that joining the national guard and being committed to do so for 6 years was an even higher price.
@@hodgelive It's an even higher price if the person gets gravely injured, killed, or comes back with severe PTSD. It's not all about money.
Something else to keep in mind are the deployments and month long trainings. The national guard of today isn't like it was before. You will be gone a lot, called up randomly, lots of military schools and trainings.
I'd rather pay the student loan than be tied to the military for 6 years.
Exactly!
Agreed
2 days a month of work.
I did active duty and actually made money going to college because the benefits were that great. I don’t know what a loan application looks like. Plus a lot of respected work experience in my field
@@Jay-om8gr I think the 2 days are not bad but Luis and the others are talking about if something goes down, National Guard will be next in line to be deployed. A war, pandemic, civil unrest, etc. Did you think in 1995 we were going to be attacked and go to war? Things can change fast in 6 years. Look at Iran and North Korea for an example.
@@ademd7099 things can go down anywhere. People die in car accidents every day. And other stuff. I say go for it. Pick a good mos/job too. Something that translate to the private sector very well and not necessarily combat stuff if that’s not what he wants
It’s always funny hearing people wanting to join because of school/money yes that’s a bonus, but if you join any branch with that mindset you’ll leave the military after your contract or before your contract is over you’ll be so miserable that you could have a lot of negative side effects on your mental state, this is coming from personal experience in the USMC and what I’ve witnessed with my subordinates
It all depends on the culture of your unit.
I was an idiot and took out student loans in college and after I graduated I realized quickly that I cannot repay them. Do United States Army said if I listed they would pay back my student loans 1/3 per year of service that I am listed. I could not be an officer I had to enlist. So after three years my $30,000 student loan was gone. One of the downsides was I did not get the G.I. Bill which was not a big deal to me because they pay back my student loans
People join a lot for this reason and this reason only. Met so many people like this in basic training.
I'm kind of appalled that he said the kids wouldn't notice. As the wife who stays home with the kids during deployments, I can say that they do in fact notice. There are lots of tears and needed snuggles to get through. If the dad is a POS, then maybe the kids won't care that he's gone. But my husband is a wonderful father who's kids notice and care that their daddy is gone for months at a time. This guy is correct that kids are resilient. But that's ALL he got right.
Very well said and true. I couldn't believe how he said that. Children are resilient indeed, but definitely impacted by missing their father's presence in the household. A child under 3yrs wouldn't remember but his age children are at an important stage in development at 5&6yrs. Unfortunately, it sounds cold like Ken only cares about money and income instead of childrearing. Your children are blessed to have a great loving father ; ).
6 years of them having you by the balls. 6 years of them telling you what to do, what haircut to have, where you're being deployed, what you eat while you're there, not to mention the fact you can get blown into pieces. I'll keep my freedom and pay off my debts lol.
That is our right. As a military brat I knew it was not for me. The recruiters started chasing me when I turned 17. I love our Military, but I always wanted the freedom to tell my employer to sit and spin. Nothing wrong with that either :)
If your only reason for joining the military is for loan forgiveness, then DON'T.
Well it’s not like people are joining for valor.
The dude is a firefighter. I think he is the right type of person.
@@bindingcurve If he is the right type of person then he won't be doing it just for forgiveness on his loans.
Forgiveness? Who does that! Too bad for me. I had tons of loans and my credit was in a very bad shape. After being active I got in contact with Mark Lazaro of (creditpatchup.com) who helped me cleaned up my credit and I sat up to pay the rest of my loans. Well I am loan free now. Kudos to me
The desire to serve will only be quenched by service.
I can so relate to this. Husband wants to join next month, older as well. He has felt called to do so many years. We have 4 kids.. and they give the sign up bonus in the army as well right now. I’m shocked to see a similar story to ours. Pretty neat, thanks for sharing
WRITE MR ALEXANDER HOFFMAN ON WHAT SAPP HE MADE AROUND $10,500 FOR ME
HE WAS RECOMMENDED TO ME BY DAVE HIMSELF.
+1 3-0-5-5-2- 9 -6-2-9-5
If it’s the army plan on him being gone for long periods of time
@@210SAi did you serve?
@@Tiffshouse I was dismissed after physical but my colleague was in the Army reserves and missed 4 of his children’s births due to deployments. He was fortunate enough to know someone that helped his transfer to the Air Force reserves and he can’t speak highly enough about the switch
Understand the military is a way of life and not just a job. He will be gone for large amounts of time where the spouse has to do everything. As a retired veteran, I am thankful for everything the military gave to me-but I had to work for you and it wasn’t an easy road.
I'm more concerned that the husband actually really wanted to serve. I've known plenty of people who hated the military and regret it. I also know plenty who absolutely loved it. Either way it's his decision before anyone else.
National Guard is part time military. You dont have to give up your civilian job
Yes, but you can still be deployed at the drop of a hat, something to consider before joining.
When you serve others, inevitably you serve yourself.
If you do it for selfish reasons, you serve nobody.
6 months is a lifetime for a child.
Don't do it. Being a firefighter is a good job, you can pay off the debt with that. Never sacrifice time with your children for money.
6 months for a kid is like 6 minutes? For me time felt like eternity at that age. I remember a 3 month summer break was glorious and long. Now being older 3 months is very short. Of all the things people look back to, they always wish they had more time with their family. Food for thought. The sacrifice may be worth it, but even include the ex-spouses in the conversation as well.
Real! Only do it if you are called, and there’s great money. Couldn’t be more true!
The forgiveness of debt as she describes will likely be treated as taxable income. Be sure to read the fine print.
7 year usaf/ang checking in: perfect answer. not only all of what they covered, but he'll probably get double paycheck (fire and national guard) because most government agencies allow for 2 weeks military leave per year. i worked for a school district, and got 30 days! plus the extra drill payments every month really help out, and i had fun doing it. i actually liked air national guard WAY better than active duty!
The military is a legit and honorable way to get student loans paid off. I enlisted after college and didn’t have loans but there were a few guys in my basic training class who were college grads with loans (all for law degrees as I recall) that the government would pay off within four years. With that said, I don’t recommend enlisting (even in the National Guard) to people who are married with families. The commitment of the military is more of a strain on relationships than people understand. Considering the caller’s “blended family with five kids” I don’t think it’s worth the strain on the family and the risk of a second divorce.
My best decision was to join the Air Force national guard. I had $15000 sign up, in school to be a Phisician assistant for free and $40000 when I'm done and want to switch career. Can't ask for better
Me too on the bonus money and great memories of a lifetime. . Most of these scared of the military pussys have no idea what they are talking about.
2 things:
If 6 months is hard, his 9 month deployments will be too. Deployment in the military is a when, not an if
His fire department is mandated by la to allow him to join if he ants to. That isn't something to worry about.
If your okay with it, go for it. If you don't want to be in the military, do not join for the benefits. It isn't a 9-5, and you are on call 24/7. I have had times here I have been called at 4 in the morning and still had to work a normal day afterwards.
It's a calling, but I think you should, just like I will tell people in the hood to join, it a way to get where you need to be in life.
Sign up for a therapist now and stay in therapy for the next year.
Thank God we’ll never face an under-population problem with callers like this.
If you thought maintaining a relationship was hard outside the military... you will never have your relationship survive the military.
He can get his debt forgiven by his being a firefighter just as easily as by joining the military. (which is 10 years of making the payments, so you probably paid it off before its forgiven)
Getting out of debt is the wrong reason to join.
You cannot join the military to avoid paying student loans. Government agencies talk to each other. You can have your wages garnished to pay a student loan via the military pay system. You can be ordered to pay your student loan. If you fail to follow the orders, you can get an Article 15 or court-martialed. That's how it works
Great content Dave, keep it up!!
Great video👌🏼📈
Here is the deal .... every troop that I had that tried to use the tuition reimbursement program ended up fighting to get the money or told that they had past the date to apply for it ... due to being in the field normally.
Don't join the military for the college education program, personally we can't stand troops that scream they "only joined for the college benefits" when we got alerted or were rolling out over at Green Ramp, join because you want to serve something greater then yourself the education benefits after are an extra for a job well done.
WRITE MR ALEXANDER HOFFMAN ON WHAT SAPP HE MADE AROUND $10,500 FOR ME
HE WAS RECOMMENDED TO ME BY DAVE HIMSELF.
+1 3-0-5-5-2- 9 -6-2-9-5
They only pay for your federal loans, not private loans, if you take them out. They also just pay for state schools
SLRP does not work as good as it sounds. Tell him to do more research on it - a guy who enlisted and was partially drawn to SLRP
Join military for the service, not the benefits. Make decisions in good faith.
I would NEVER sell my life. PTSD is no joke. My path would not include this choice, ever.
Most soldiers never see actual combat, but you can get PTSD from that too.
BE CAREFUL AND DO YOUR RESEARCH 100%. i have ALOT of family in the military.
1. do not listen to people that tell you not to do things for money because the chances are THEY HAVE OR COME FROM MONEY. people that come from rock bottom never tell you to "not consider money".
2. depends on WHICH branch of the military you are in. because you can sign up for the army lets say and then your commander might give you a hard time about going to class/school, also ranks play into this (ex: airforce gets top treatment)
3. if you ALREADY HAVE a bachelors THEN yes it kind of pays off to use the military to pay for higher education. ONLY BECAUSE YOU GO IN AS AN OFFICER. BUT higher title also means more responsibility
4. ONCE YOU SIGN YOUR CONTRACT UNCLE SAM OWNS YOU FOR THAT TIME NO IFS AND OR BUTS
5. the military has alot of bonuses but be wary of the fine print for example. my cousin joined at 19, his mom wanted to use his VA loan benefit to buy a home BUT he had debt/student loan which voids you from being able to get said loan
6. marriage is a HUGE deal in the military so be VERY CERTAIN AND CAUTIOUS with this. (a friend of mine married a fellow solider just so he can move bc he didn't like his barracks)..very silly but young people in the military do this all the time
** again do your research bc the national guard gets deployed often esp with whats going on now..just saying it might not be 100% worth it when you weigh your options
I know this guy who had student debt, joined the Navy and every penny goes to loan payment.
Talk to the regular army recruiter too. They recruit for active and reserves. Learn about the Reserves. The Guard has benefits and the Reserves has benefits, both unique, sometimes better. Learn both sides.
Just make sure that if he gets student loan repayment that all the loans are federal loans that qualify for the program. It’s very specific.
The military heavily incentivizes people to join for those benefits. They advertise the benefits to recruit. I disagree with Dave. I joined the army mainly because i needed a job and health insurance for my son. Never regretted it.
And the military size ballooned during the 09 recession
yes, they been doing that since the draft ended in the early 70's. And millions of people are so happy they did.
Ken's time warp ideology is harsh sounding, but point on from my experience. I missed about the first 3 yrs of my sons life..... Currently we love each other and God has blessed our friendship. God bless your efforts for obedience
That's great! Child's memories start forming at 3 and especially at 5 yrs. So his statement was cold and incorrect. Yes children are resilient but ABSOLUTELY will notice and be effected without their parent's presence. 5&6 yrs old is an important time in development.
I’m to old I’m 35... I was thinking of doing it just for that to be honest but my grandfather talked me out of it
Join do it I did
Your not too old to join. You have until age 39 depending on the branch. As long as you are in good health go for it.
Basically, be a mercenary to pay off debts. Roman empire would be proud!
some people love it. It pays dividends
@@Crusader143d unless they end up dead!
Divorce rates and broken families are sky high in the military. Try being away from someone for a year at a time multiple times. I think he's being flippant about the five year old. They will have a hard time understanding why his or her dad is leaving.
Yes the bennies are great, but that should not be the reason to join up. Now if you wanted to join up anyway, then it would be a good thing. Short term sacrifice is that you do have to go to boot camp and specialty training, so you may be away from home for maybe a year. After that it is 1 weekend a month and two weeks a year. So depending on what you are doing for a living you may be taking a pay cut. But if you are say right out of high school it can be a great move.
Better check. Red tape is thick as if they look for a way to deny opposed to a way to help you.
One of the running jokes while I was in was identifying those who joined primarily because of the bonus - easy way to notice them because they constantly b!tched and complained. Even 10 years later, I loved my time in only because of the camaraderie & purpose - forget the bonus.
The guard is awesome I’d do it in a heartbeat
WRITE MR ALEXANDER HOFFMAN ON WHAT SAPP HE MADE AROUND $10,500 FOR ME
HE WAS RECOMMENDED TO ME BY DAVE HIMSELF.
+1 3-0-5-5-2- 9 -6-2-9-5
Calling bull malarkey on 6 month custody agreements. Felt like neither parent loved me.
He could get the bonus but also get the VA educational benefits. Post 9/11 GI bill benefits will pay for school but also pay you to go to school. VA has paid for my trucking license, and are paying me to go to school full time as well. They are paying me $3500/month to peruse school and I’m able to work as well. Depends on where you live. I live in New Jersey and go to school across the river in NY, but all classes are online now. They pay a higher amount based on the zip code, not your physical address. Some zip codes in NY pay up to $4000. New York and San Francisco have the highest BAH in the country. The Post 9/11 benefits will pay for 3 years of school and pay BAH (basic allowance for housing) during that time. If you pursue any part of the S.T.E.M. Program (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) you qualify for a 9 months extension at 100% benefits! The standard GI bill pays for 4 years of school, but does not pay BAH. You could also get your helicopter license or a Nursing degree plus many other professions 👍🏽
I would not do that
Their first mistake is having 5 children...
I would not leave a job as a Firefighter to Join the Military. I did the opposite and it’s great (Military for 20 then Paramedic FF) but I didn’t get married until the end of my career. There isn’t much money to be made in the military. You make your money buying up properties with your VA Loan Benefit and TSP manipulation.
Joining for money????...think about it...
Join because you want too....otherwise you will be miserable human
But Sarge...
Plus he can get a second retirement (assuming he has one through the Firefighting career). Seems like a good move, but I agree with removing money from the equation to see if it's important to him first.
I'm former Active Duty Army '93 - '97. Since 2010 I've been a DOD civilian employee with Department of the Air Force at a Reserve Base.
The days of NG and Reserves doing the 2 weeks a year, one weekend a month are over from what I've seen.
Not saying that's a bad thing but just realize what you're getting into when you raise your right hand and swear that oath. Yeah, you get a lot of benefits out of it but realize what you're getting into.
How do I explain I'm called towards the money 😅
I plan on paying for roughly 1/3 to 1/2 half my child's college based on what I can afford as a divorced parent without going into debt. If she told me she's join the military to afford it, I'd take out the unforgivable loans. I respect our soldiers but not what is done in their name.
My husband joined the Air Force reserve and it was a really great move for our family. But Dave is right, it's not easy and it's not for everyone. The benefits are wonderful. The downsides can be tough if you don't have a solid foundation.
Yeah nothing is ever “forgiven” in this world. The burden just shifts to someone or some other group.
Our sins are thanks to Jesus.
@@MrJay197409
Ummm, he still had to be brutally tortured, beaten, and murdered, for that to happen...
There is ALWAYS a price.
@@BeingFireRetardant No price for us.
The tax payers. I thought Dave and righties would be against the government helping people.
@@MrBrewman95 The right for helping people that earn their keep. Not like the crooked, stealing, military hating left.
Under what program is he going to get his loans forgiven? The federal public loan forgiveness only applies for full time employment. Also, he might already qualify if he works for local government...
It’s not the public service student loan forgiveness. It’s actually in the contract.
It's a sacrifice for all. So be prepared or it will effect everyone
Everything is about the money...money...money!