**jdazmum**

I got 7 months left, I am grateful to leave my tour in the military. I will eventually do one more tour, that's my going away gift from Uncle Sam. I am bored, I'm known to be ambitious so I am ready to go back to school and start a new life. I know I will never get away from the military, because my husband plans on returning to the Marines, but I don't mind. I have given my all and now I have chosen a new fresh life. I might go Army National Guard now, it pays in the long run, cuz I know my baby will never have to pay for college and she will be taken cared of. Anyone, young soul plans on joining, do it before the draft starts......kidding. It's tough, but very rewarding, you'll see.

River Spirit

You guys sound like a great family. Go E4T and 50!

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"The Cleveland Indians are going to change their name. They don't want to be known as a team that perpetuates racial stereotypes. From now on they're just going to be called the Indians." - Native Comedian Vaughn Eaglebear, Colville/Lakota

50cal

LOL, we try......

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**jdazmum**

Thank you. It takes alot of heartache and headache, but when two couples both serve in the military, it is tough. I mean real tough. I'm always gone, sometimes weeks at a time. I'm very thankful for the way my parents raised me....tough and strict. I never had anything handed to me, I had to earn it on my own. I'm very lucky to find my soulmate and I know we both stand together, we both know what it's like to be military. We try our best to raise our child too. Thank you, that's gratifying someone appreciates our dedication all these years. It's worth it.

foxnationwoman

I guess you and I have heard of the draft being reinstated. It is going through the process now. They are including women in it and a person cannot hide in a college.

I have a 17 year old daughter and I'm afraid of her being drafted. Let me know your opinion please. She had a heart murmer when she was 2 years old. It was corrected and she is totally healthy. Will she be considered medically fit for service given that she had a heart problem when she was a baby?

My son is diagnosed with mild cerebral palsey since he was 1 year old. He has a limp on his left side and his left arm is very weak. Do you think that he will be drafted? He is just 13 now. But I'm sure this "incident" in the Persia area will continue for a while. What do you think of him being drafted?

Any answer will be appreciated. And thank you for you and your husbands service to us. My sister is Air National Guard and she just loves it!!

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Foxnationwoman

Jingling_In_Stars

Im 18 years old, and I just recently graduated from high school in June. I have been excepted to The University Of Akron, and I even made the Marching Bands Color Guard. But, my parents dont make enough money to send me to college and I applied for grants, scholorships, you name it. . .and I didnt get anything. . . I applied for a student loan, but no one in my family has good enough Credit to Co-sign my Loans. . . . The only way I can afford to go to college, is if I join some kind of armed forces. . . .I guess it will be worth it, in the long runn, its just that I'm all set to go to college now. . . . Also, I just find it unfair that people from other countrys can come here, to the United States and Get a full ride to College, Paid for by our Goverment, and Someone like me has to join the military just so I can go to College.. .. I don't get it. . :dontknow: :?????: :?????:

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At some point, you have to make a decision. Boundaries don't keep other people out. They fence you in. Life is messy. That's how we're made. So, you can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them. But there are some lines that are way too dangerous to cross. ~Grey's Anatomy~

50cal

I'll answer this for you.....Heart murmer, no.....due to sometimes extreme cases of stress (Physical and Mental) they are not medically qualified to be accepted, although I do have a friend who just recently returned from service in Iraq who has a heart murmer. But he wasn't diagnosed till after he had enlisted and made it his choice to finish his service. As for your son, any physical disabilities would bar him from joining. There are quite a bit of physical demands that the military expects of a person and they are expected to "carry their weight".....So you really should have nothing to worry about...

Jinglin in stars, have you tried private organizations? Have you gone to the library and looked for books on the many types of grants that are available? Just letting you know the military is not your only option. But if you do decide to join, and you want to go to school, ask about the reserves. The Air Force ,from what I hear, is very lenient on educational issues. Meaning they can give you the time to go to school while fulfilling your military duties (active duty). Thru this matter, you can also get quite a bit of money. The military will pay for 75% of your tuition and books and the rest can come from your GI Bill after you have paid that. The initial payment on that is $1200 which the govt. takes out by 100 dollars a month for a year. With this you can recieve 980 dollars a month for 36 months pending on fulltime school status. You can also recieve what is called a kicker. By paying an additional 600 dollars, your monthly pay goes up to, I believe it was, 1200 dollars a month for 36 months. My wife and I both have this, GI Bill, and I've already begun to use mine. It's a nice little benefit, extra money.

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Jingling_In_Stars

Thanks for the info, I went to our library and made copys of a bunch of scholarships I thought I would be eligiable for .. . but I didnt get anything. . .my gpa was a 2.9 when I graduated, and apperently my grades werent high enough. . . But its okay. . I wouldent mind serving in the Air Force reserves or even the Navy reserves, I just didnt want to have to wait soo long to go to college. . .

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At some point, you have to make a decision. Boundaries don't keep other people out. They fence you in. Life is messy. That's how we're made. So, you can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them. But there are some lines that are way too dangerous to cross. ~Grey's Anatomy~

**jdazmum**

Like 50 said, the military isn't for everyone. I have one regret though, I wish I had finished my college before I joined, because now I have to start from the ground and build my mind back up. The military can be stressful depending on where you get stationed. Some people get lucky and get shore duty, which means you don't get deployed or go out to sea. You see, the lucky ones take advantage of the free tuition while serving shore duty. But once you have to rotate to deployment status, forget about school. I for one, my command demands so much out of me. I am home half the time and the rest out to sea training. I wonder sometimes why we train so much, you get tired. You get weary and that's when stress kicks in. I leave my family alot, it really bites. Like right now, I will be leaving for Seattle Saturday and return mid August. I will be gone half of September preparing for deployment. October, forget it, no powwows. November I got two weeks to spend time with my family and move them home before I leave for Iraq again. Think about that? The military isn't for everyone. The best advice I can give you is try officer's program. Get your degree, go to officer's school. More pay, less headache. The enlisted, we get left overs, Officer's they get the quarter pound steaks. They get real beds, we get cubby holes! When you see a recruiter, don't get suckered in, get as much info as possible. If you don't want to go officer's, make sure you have a school. A good school too, like intelligence or electronics. They get bonuses like a mutha. I'm really looking forward to going back to school, but I'm leaving with benefits for life. I know I don't have to worry if my child has to pay for college, the government will. There's lots of cons. Think about it first.

50cal

Ummmmm that's jinglin in stars, jinglin chica is another person.....sorry for the mix up! She calls most of the girls chica......Man that really bytes!!!! Echo is leavin me again! I know you'll read this when you get home this evening, but have fun out there!!!

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BurBz

i know i was gone say... thats jinglin n stars..NOT Jinglin Chica :NoNo

:) :p

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I'm not mean, you're just a sissy! :Tongue