Introduction - Kevin

[KS110]

Greetings Rangers,

I have an exceedingly large amount of respect and admiration for all of you. I joined here to read and absorb information; unless something unforeseen arises I will not be posting beyond this introduction.

Age:20
Education: GED, 2nd semester college student
Work: Auto dealership, full time
I am about 5'10, 165lbs, I am in decent shape and working on it with each day (boxing, running, weight lifting, pullups, situps, ropejump)

I'm sad to say I have not accomplished much with my life. I had a real lack of guidance growing up, was allowed to drop out of high school at age 15 and have been on my own since. Fortunately I eventually smartened up, wanted to turn my life around and have been working hard for the past two years trying to catch up. I earned my GED, took out student loans and enrolled in school, got my own place to live, and am now hoping to earn a place in the military. As I'm sure you all are saying right now, I am not what they are considering a "quality candidate". I am hoping to change that.

I have a single possession of CDS charge at 15 y/o, which is disqualifying me from joining AD. I have been working with a NG recruiter, whom I took the ASVAB with (92AFQT/126GT). We are currently working on my waivers.

It is becoming evident to me that due to my past mistakes I will never be given an opporunity to make an attempt at becoming an elite soldier like all of you. However, my recruiter informed me if (assuming my waivers are accepted) I do well at BCT, AIT, and my first year or so in the guard I may be given leniency for my actions. This is my plan and I am doing everything I can to make it happen.

Though, again, I may never earn the respect many of you have attained in your lives, I hope to make up for my wasted teenage years and become a man of honor. My grandfather earned the Silver Star and other medals in the Pacific during WW2, and I hope one day I can earn the respect that, as a child, I saw him recieve from soldiers, police officers, and folks around town. Perhaps one day in the future, he will look down and be proud of the soldier who carries his name.

I will abide by your regulations, and I thank you for allowing me access to your archives of gained knowledge and motivational information. Lastly, though I am sure you get this all the time, thank you for your service and know it is truly admired and appreciated.

Kevin

[rgrwest]

Kevin, very good intro, and welcome. I will defer to the LEO experts on here, but as a Minor (when commiting that offense), are you sure that affects your status as a 20 y/o adult now? I just don't know for sure. Again, welcome and thanks for your desire to serve our nation.

[Jim]

Kevin, a man has only one opportunity to make a favorable initial impression. So far you are not doing too badly. Yours may be one of the most introspective introductions I've seen. You can change your life -- as a matter of fact, you are the only one. Hopefully there is an Army Guard unit nearby.

[Ranger Bill]

Welcome. Your deisre to serve our country is appreciated. We all have regrets about choices we have made in our past. The important thing is to learn from them, not repeat them, and drive on. Has an active duty recruiter actually informed you that you are not eligble to enlist? What was the exact charge and nature of your CDS offesnse? Was it a felony or misdemeanor? How were you sentenced? Was it a first offense of any kind or were there other incidents? Depending on your age of 15 at the time and other circumstances, it may be possible to obtain waivers for an active duty enlistment. Others who have come to this site have. Should you not wish to provide the answers to my questions in this forum, send them to me in a PM. And be sure to read and heed the ROE PM I have sent you.

[al_2ndWolfhounds]

Welcome. Take advantage of the information here as it may help you achieve what you really want.

[McD]

Welcome Kevin

[KS110]

Kevin, very good intro, and welcome. I will defer to the LEO experts on here, but as a Minor (when commiting that offense), are you sure that affects your status as a 20 y/o adult now? I just don't know for sure. Again, welcome and thanks for your desire to serve our nation.

Thank you for the welcome. This is what I was told by my NG recruiter, a recruiter I spoke to in e-mail as well as a recruiter in the online chat from GoArmy.com . Apparently, any drug charge in your life is disqualifying. I have some other issues, like my driving record, but I was told they are all waiverable except the drug charge. RangerBill has been giving me advice about what to do and I am going to try and plead my case to a recruiter in person.

Kevin, a man has only one opportunity to make a favorable initial impression. So far you are not doing too badly. Yours may be one of the most introspective introductions I've seen. You can change your life -- as a matter of fact, you are the only one. Hopefully there is an Army Guard unit nearby.

Welcome. Take advantage of the information here as it may help you achieve what you really want.

Welcome Kevin

Thank you kindly for the warm reception. Your words are not falling on deaf ears, especially Ranger's Bill and Jim's. If it is not a problem, I will post here if anything positive comes from my meetings with the Active Army recruiters, and if not I will pursue whatever route is available to me, be it National Guard or wherever.

I have asked Ranger Bill, who has shown me great kindness, this question but I am going to post it here as well. I am in New Jersey. If any of you know of any recruiters who may be more willing to work with someone like me, I would greatly appreciate the heads up.
I know I am new here, but I am not a fake or a time-waster, and if you were to go out of your way to send me to someone who may be able to help, not only would I greatly appreciate it, but I would do everything possible on my end to make it work. I have off from work on Thursday and am hoping to begin my rounds then.

[Elguapo]

Update? There is always a back door. Don't give up.

[KS110]

Rangers,

Spoke to some Army recruiters, got a few "I'll talk to my higher ups and give you a call", havent heard anything since..

I hear what you are saying about never give up, but I have options with the National Guard right now and I'm not willing to play the waiting game right now on the chance that I MAY get what I want. I could spend a year or two waiting it out and never getting the offer, when I could have joined up with the Guard in that time and begun advancing my career already.

I want to be a Ranger, but I don't feel I am in a position to have an "all or nothing" attitude. I'm considering myself lucky that the Guard has even been willing to work with me, and I was fortunate enough to land with a recruiter who's been excellent throughout this process. I feel like taking what I can get right now and working hard to show them what I've made of is my best (and only) option at this juncture.

I was actually at Fort Hamilton MEPS this past Tuesday taking the AIMS test (passed), and I would've been swearing in as Infantry yesterday (Thursday) if the student loan people had faxed the right paperwork. I am waiting on that and should be contract signing this coming week.

I've thought a lot about it and I feel this is the best course of action for me.. any advice or comments are welcome as always. If you think there's a better idea for me, I am all ears.

Thank you
Kevin

[Jim]

So you are in Brooklyn? What unit in the NYARNG are you looking at -- or us NJARNG?

[KS110]

Central/Northern New Jersey, sir. My recruiter said Hamilton is closer than going down south.

[Steadfast]

After being at the Brooklyn VA, I passed Ft. Hamiltons MEPS Tuesday around noon on my way to Commissary. Ft Hamilton was opened in 1825.


Welcome

[Elguapo]

If you're willing to drive and start the enlistment process over again, Rhode Island has an Airborne unit you may be interested in. Not sure about your state, but you would get to jump out of planes, if you're into that sort of thing. You're waiver's you get should still be good, but it will piss off your recruiters!

[KS110]

Elguapo,

Airborne is something I am very, very interested in sir. I'm not sure that the RI commute is feasible for me though.

Maybe an IST down the road would be possible if I didn't feel I was making progress in NJ?

[KW Driver]

Kevin, I like what you're doing, and I like your attitude.

but re-read this and fix what needs it.

that being said, good luck getting into the NG. don't know if it's been mentioned yet via PM or from your recruiter, but after you join the NG, give them a couple of years of service and you may be able to go active if they release you (based on MOS, etc.) something worth researching down the road if you still want it then.