IT in the military?

oomalikoo

Will a IT position in the coast guard be worth anything to anyone in the civilian district?

another question. Can I even do IT in the coast guard?

wastedtime

It looks like they have positions for IT in the Coast Guard. I cannot personally speak about what IT for the Coast Guard would be like but I don't see why it wouldn't be good.

UNITED STATES COAST GUARD

brad-

would probably be very good, and do well for u on the resume.

as far as the job goes, there's no telling what kind of gear you'd be working on. If you're working with something that doesnt translate into the civilian world, make sure you dont neglect the studies so ur not up **** creek when you get out.

pipemajor

Yes, all armed forces services have IT-specific positions. Getting IT experience via US armed forces will do 2 very positive things for you:

1. Gets you valid on-the-job experience (not to mention second to none training opportunities).

2. Gets you veterans preference consideration after serving at least 180 days active duty. This puts you at a distinct advantage for ANY civilian government position as well as with many civilian companies.

Gaining civilian transferable skills with the military is a win-win situation.

USAF (1979-84)

Bokeh

Not to mention the benefits of possibly transferring a security clearance to a civilian position. Use the military's college programs to get your certifications and degree while you are in. But who knows, you might find you enjoy the lifestyle and become a "lifer."

networker050184

I'll have to echo all the other great things people have said about IT in the military. I don't have any direct experience with the Coast Guard, but I got my start in the Army and it was very good experience. I have gotten nothing but excellent feed back from employers.

ServerProvides

Military is a great place to get a start in IT. They will finance a good bit of your education if you show promise. The security clearances are definitely a big plus. I'm not sure if Coast Guard would be my preferred branch to enlist in though. Just make sure to BE CAREFUL. Get everything in writing. Don't go off the promises of enlisters. You need to BE POSITIVE that you know what you're signing up for. Read all the paperwork, ect., ect.

Good luck!

wastedtime

ServerProvides wrote: »

Military is a great place to get a start in IT. They will finance a good bit of your education if you show promise. The security clearances are definitely a big plus. I'm not sure if Coast Guard would be my preferred branch to enlist in though. Just make sure to BE CAREFUL. Get everything in writing. Don't go off the promises of enlisters. You need to BE POSITIVE that you know what you're signing up for. Read all the paperwork, ect., ect.

Good luck!

Yes, just like any contract I would suggest reading carefully. Remember though some things they cannot promise on contracts. Last I knew no service would guarantee a particular job although I know the Army would guarantee training for a particular job. If you fail that training though they will send you to get training in something else of the Army's choosing.

Anyways I would suggest talking to people that are doing that job in that particular service. I know for the Army armystudyguide.com has forums with people that would answer your questions but I am not sure about what sites would be good for the other services.

Bokeh

A lot of branches are guaranteeing jobs, if for test scores are high enough. HOWEVER .... Classes have been known to cancel, in which case you would have to take another job, etc. This happened to me many moons ago, and its actually how I ended up in computers instead of electronics.

oomalikoo

Bokeh wrote: »

A lot of branches are guaranteeing jobs, if for test scores are high enough. HOWEVER .... Classes have been known to cancel, in which case you would have to take another job, etc. This happened to me many moons ago, and its actually how I ended up in computers instead of electronics.

if they cancel the class and u train in something else can u do the class at the next available date?

wastedtime

Honestly you would be best off talking to a recruiter about this stuff. I would just watch to make sure they are not sounding like a used car salesman. You can also ask questions to them at UNITED STATES COAST GUARD:

Bokeh

Like wasted said, best to talk to a recruiter. Usually, once you train into a field, thats it for you till next enlistment and then able to cross train if there is an opening and if your current career field can afford to let you go.

brad-

wastedtime wrote: »

Honestly you would be best off talking to a recruiter about this stuff.

I would suggest trying to find someone in service that IS NOT a recruiter first - preferably more than one person. A recruiter should be your LAST stop - so you can walk in, tell him what you want, and walk out if he says he cant do it.

A recruiter probably isnt going to have any idea about what an IT guy does or how well it will translate to the civilian side - unless you happen to find one who was in IT himself. He's just going to tell you whatever he thinks you want to hear. "Does working on coast guard radios get me a leg up in the networking field when i get out?" ...recruiter will say "OF COURSE IT DOES"...sigh, i can hear it now.

When I joined the army, I knew what I wanted before I went in, told the recruiter what I wanted...he said YEP GREAT...sent me to the processing station and they tried to put me in another job, which I declined - and they got on the phones and made it happen after that. All the recruiter can do is get you to the entry processing station - from there you actually get your job assignment.

At least thats how it was 11 years ago. Assuming it is still the same, make sure you know what job you want, and where you want to go, and for how long. Make sure it is in your contract. If it isnt EXACTLY what you want, you can leave the processing station - and it will go against the recruiter's monthly quota. They wont let that happen, so they'll do anything then can while you're in processing to get it right.

jamesleecoleman

Talk to the recruiter and then do research on what they tell you. Do more research and ask questions.

oomalikoo

Dale: When processing through the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS), you will provide the highly qualified Jobs Counselor 5 jobs and an aptitude area (General, Mechanical, Electronics, Administrative) you are willing to train and serve in, including an Aptitude Area. You will receive one of the jobs, or a job that meets the needs of the United States Air Force. Remember, this is an opportunity for you to go through the job selection process, and Enlist into the United States Air Force, not shop for a specific job.

this is what i got from the live chat. What do ya'll think? I personally cannot give my life for 4 years to train into something i wont be able to use in civilian life or something i dont evne like. I dont care if I have to do bathroom details 15 hours a day for 5 days as long as the other 2 days I can do IT.

wastedtime

From what you are saying it sounds like it isn't what you are looking for. Right now with budget cuts going on the offerings are not as good as they were in the past especially the Air Force. I don't want to sound like I am promoting the Army but they will guarantee training in a particular MOS. (25 series is what you are looking for if you want to look at goarmy.com) From what I am seeing on uscg.org forums (something you may want to check out) they are backed up quite a ways if you want to go through them.

Just as a funny note from a Air Force Times Mag about a year ago with something along this on there cover "The Air Force leads the way among the military with the highest percentage of personnel with STDs."

oomalikoo

wastedtime wrote: »

From what you are saying it sounds like it isn't what you are looking for. Right now with budget cuts going on the offerings are not as good as they were in the past especially the Air Force. I don't want to sound like I am promoting the Army but they will guarantee training in a particular MOS. (25 series is what you are looking for if you want to look at goarmy.com) From what I am seeing on uscg.org forums (something you may want to check out) they are backed up quite a ways if you want to go through them.

yea thats what I heard too I went there earlier so i sort of took coast guard completely off my mind as not even attainable. Although I dont know if they would give preference to hispanics.

You mean 25b. 25b is
Information Technology Specialist (25B)

25s is
Satellite Communication Systems Operator-Maintainer (25S)

wastedtime

oomalikoo wrote: »

yea thats what I heard too I went there earlier so i sort of took coast guard completely off my mind as not even attainable. Although I dont know if they would give preference to hispanics.

You mean 25b. 25b is
Information Technology Specialist (25B)

25s is
Satellite Communication Systems Operator-Maintainer (25S)

Yes those are some. A few others you may want to look at are 25R, and 25N.

As far as all of those MOSes go:

25B: is your general computer guy. Depending on where you go after training will depend on what you do but you could be doing just about anything related to computers, routers/switches, to certain military proprietary systems.

25S: I personally think they got the easiest deal of the 25 series. If it is a satellite system with a 1.5 meter or greater dish they are probably the ones working on it.

25R: They do a lot of line of sight data transmission but they also do some of the smaller satellite systems.

25N: The newest signal MOS as it was created in 2005. They seem to be primarily network guys but they seem to touch on other areas too.

These are just some of the MOSes in which you will be doing a job communications.

networker050184

He was referring to the 25 series of MOS which is the Signal Crops. 25B would probably be your best bet if you are looking at getting into a systems administrator type role. I was a 25N which is geared more towards the network side of things if that is what interests you.

oomalikoo

networker050184 wrote: »

He was referring to the 25 series of MOS which is the Signal Crops. 25B would probably be your best bet if you are looking at getting into a systems administrator type role. I was a 25N which is geared more towards the network side of things if that is what interests you.

I took the ASVAB pre-test right. they said

Your available jobs are displayed below. These are determined based on job availability, physical requirements, education level, ASVAB score and other job related requirements.

I cant seem to choose anything else but what they gave me so heres what i got from the 25 series.

Information Technology Specialist (25B)
Radio Operator-Maintainer (25C)
Cable Systems Installer-Maintainer (25L)
Network Switching Systems Operator-Maintainer (25F)


25F really stood out to me


for the veterans and current soldiers if youd like to know my score.

We have recorded your ASVAB Pre-Test score. Predicted AFQT Score: 73.0 Word Knowledge: 61.0 Arithmetic Reasoning: 66.0

oomalikoo

GoArmy.com > Soldier Life > Becoming a Soldier > Advanced Individual Training > Signal Corps School

I cant find 25N anywhere there. Army looks really good though. I'm gonna go there tomorrow and talk to a recruit.

I aslo saw tis on the side for any of you guys talking about guaranteeing jobs

Eligibility for jobs is based on:

• Job Availability
• Physical Requirements
• Prerequisite Education
• ASVAB Score
• Other Job-Specific Prerequisites

If you do not see jobs you are interested in, please choose another time frame,check again later or contact your recruiter for more information.

wastedtime

oomalikoo wrote: »

I took the ASVAB pre-test right. they said

Your available jobs are displayed below. These are determined based on job availability, physical requirements, education level, ASVAB score and other job related requirements.

I cant seem to choose anything else but what they gave me so heres what i got from the 25 series.

Information Technology Specialist (25B)
Radio Operator-Maintainer (25C)
Cable Systems Installer-Maintainer (25L)
Network Switching Systems Operator-Maintainer (25F)


25F really stood out to me


for the veterans and current soldiers if youd like to know my score.

We have recorded your ASVAB Pre-Test score. Predicted AFQT Score: 73.0 Word Knowledge: 61.0 Arithmetic Reasoning: 66.0

Well 25B I already talked about.
25C: Pretty much what I said although when I went through training for 25B I could have swore there was like 5 people currently in the 25C class and they where phasing it out.

25L: The Cable Dog, not a very technical job but I do know with the right additional classes there is a lot of money on the outside. The lucky 25Ls get fiber and tower training. Those combinations make them perfect for telecom companies setting up towers.

25F: While I am sure this isn't the only thing they do all I have seen them do is operate phone switching systems. A good portion of the 25F I have seen reclassed to 25N.

Like I said the 25Ss probably have it the easiest but I should also note that the 25Ls probably have it the worse as far as physically.

I do need to add again it is going to really come down to what unit you get put with. As a 25B and you get put in a signal unit. You could be doing a helpdesk type job, working with servers, VoIP systems, or general networking. The same thing goes with the other MOSes too, I just used 25B as I am most familiar with it.

rwwest7

I just spent 8 years in the Navy and let me warn you ahead of time, just because they train you on something doesn't mean that's what you'll be doing. We had plenty if "Information Technology Specialists" that just read messages all day long and never touched a computer. The field branches off a lot of differant ways and you have no control over which way you get to go. Don't get me wrong, I loved my 8 years and had a hell of a time and would NOT be where I am today without it. But just don't expect what they promise you.

networker050184

There is no more MOS 25F or will not be soon because they are phasing out the MOS. Most 25F reclassed to 25N like myself like wastedtime pointed out. It is the natural progression from the older switched network to the IP network the Army runs now. 25N still has to do with phones, but its mostly VoIP now. This is the job to go if you want exposure to Cisco routers, switches Call Manager and the like.

JockVSJock

Honestly, careerwise this is probably the biggest regret that I've had so far.

When I finished undergrad in '98, I was looking to sign up for the Air Force, I took the test and qualified for all of the computer jobs. Instead I took the stupid way out and took a job where I was making 36K at the time, which at the time was light years ahead of the 7.50 an hr I was making digging graves.

Of course this job, I was just a body and didn't know anything about certs and they weren't doing anything to grow me either.

After I got laid off from that job, started to meet alot of x-military folks who got a hell of a lot of tech skiills and nice resume. I often toss and turn at night in bed thinking about this decision...

I did see the US Army has changed the age for enlistment and maybe I'll still pull the pin on this one as well.

Timber Wolf

I am currently in the National Guard and just got out of 25b school not to long ago. You basically learn everything and anything there is to know about computers but it mainly focuses on system administration and networking. The school is all pretty easy material but its designed for people who have no computer experience but its very useful if you don't know where in it you'd like specialize in. So far i have enjoyed it and it really grabs employers attention.

oomalikoo

my boys telling me navy gurantees jobs and navy looks way better than army.

networker050184

oomalikoo wrote: »

my boys telling me navy gurantees jobs and navy looks way better than army.

I've heard great things from former Navy IT people, but do you really want to be called Seaman

Good luck on what ever path you choose!

shodown

networker050184 wrote: »

I've heard great things from former Navy IT people, but do you really want to be called Seaman

Good luck on what ever path you choose!

I did Navy IT. i loved it. But remember u will get the IT rate. That means you could end up in tech control, which you will have access to a few routers. Or in ADP(lan admin), or security(doing info sec) or message center(no IT at all) So keep that in mind if you don't get what you want. Some people end up in the good spots, others it takes them some time to get there.

chimax96

oomalikoo wrote: »

my boys telling me navy gurantees jobs and navy looks way better than army.

This applies to all Armed Forces in USA AFAIK. The recruiter cannot guarantee a job. The only person who can guarantee a job will put it in writing with a signature. And this is how that goes.

You goto MEPS - Military Entrance Processing Station and take the ASVAB Test. Based on this test results, you will have jobs you qualify for. Next you'll meet an actual Military HR person, this person can put your job in writing, if they don't then you should not sign, unless you're willing to choose from what is available.

Don't goto the Military if you're just looking for job experience, it is LIFE EXPERIENCE, and it's not one of those 'jobs' that you can walk out on and forget about, it's a permanent record.

I personally feel it would be a lot of fun to goto the Navy, I still exercise the thought of it.