Joining the US Army

lcrcboy

Hi guys I was just wondering about how possible it is to join the US army, I understand you need a green card or be a permant citizean to join, but if you gain a green card and join up will they allow you to serve over seas like Afghanistan or will they just keep you in US territory???.
Also does anyone know what the minimum length of service is and what the usual length is taken by most soldiers.
I also heard about stop-lossing which has happend in the US army, does this happen often??.

thanks for any info

Manic Moran

Yes, they'll send you overseas. Once you're in, you're in. You probably will not be given a position which requires a security clearance, however.

Terms of service vary. The legal minimum is 8 years, however, you can do three and then join civilian life as long as you understand that you can be called up again for the remaining five. Six and two is the other common length. Stop Loss is not as common as it used to be.

NTM

xflyer

The green card is the real complicating factor. It isn't even green, mine is more pink than anything.

lcrcboy

xflyer wrote: »

The green card is the real complicating factor. It isn't even green, mine is more pink than anything.

haha brilliant I used to have one aswell one I was a kid but since moving back to Ireland with the parents Ive lost the right to keep mine, whish I had been more persistent in trying to stay over there now all I can hope for is the greencard lottery.

Delancey

Request permission to ask a question ? - what is Stop Loss ?

Manic Moran

Stop Loss is when the Army decides it needs to keep you beyond your contracted ETS date (End Time in Service).

There are two sorts: Critical Skills, and Combat Service. The Critical Skills stop loss would be if, for example, the Army were particularly short on EOD technicians, it would not release EOT techs who had completed their six-year stint and would hold them in employment more or less indefinitely. The Combat Service stop loss would be if your unit is scheduled to go on a tour in the immediate future (eg three months), and your ETS date hits either within that pre-deployment window or during the tour. In that case you''d be kept for the duration of the tour and then released.

I believe the critical skills stop loss has been done away with for a couple of years now. The combat service stop loss is still used, though I have heard stories of some soldiers actually being sent home on their release date from a tour, but not seen it myself. IRR soldiers (Those in the last few years of their 8-year contract) can only be mobilised for a year at a time under current policy, so we did see a lot of them go home before the tour was over.

NTM

Delancey

I have heard the U.S. Navy equivalent of Stop Loss is ( or certainly was ) used a lot in the Submarine Service , as was said to me : '' once in it can be hard to get out ''.

mgmt

delancey42 wrote: »

I have heard the U.S. Navy equivalent of Stop Loss is ( or certainly was ) used a lot in the Submarine Service , as was said to me : '' once in it can be hard to get out ''.

LOL That reminds me of a someone asking about ejector seats in helicopters

Geekness1234

I know this thread is long dead,but there are a few people here who seem to know their stuff so any way here it goes,I've read a few online articles about illegal migrants in the US army.
Firstly they say that they cross the border and go to the nearest recruiting centre and away they go.
I thought gutsy you would have to give proof of residency I.e. A green card.
This was also highlighted in the book Mathews.
Given how much you guys seem to know what's your view?

Geekness1234

Sorry my iPad won't let me edit posts.So I'll have to do this:
I thought that you would have to give proof of residency.
This was also highlighted in the book "harness".

Geekness1234

The book jarhead

Fuinseog

lcrcboy wrote: »

Hi guys I was just wondering about how possible it is to join the US army, I understand you need a green card or be a permant citizean to join, but if you gain a green card and join up will they allow you to serve over seas like Afghanistan or will they just keep you in US territory???.
Also does anyone know what the minimum length of service is and what the usual length is taken by most soldiers.
I also heard about stop-lossing which has happend in the US army, does this happen often??.

thanks for any info

read THE Green Marine

Geekness1234

I myself have read the green marine,he got in because his sister married an American and he had a job which was fairly decent so he was home and dry already.So no DV lottery.