Too many deployments for college?

[Towely]

My biggest fear is that I will get so many deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan that i will run out of time to finish college before my contract runs out. Has anyone heard of this happening? I will be going 11b. I don't want to be turning 25-26 and still have 2-3 years of college left.

[lee258]

Ask your recruiter about the college first program. It is to in depth for me to type on this forum. So just get it from your recruiter.

[Towely]

Ask your recruiter about the college first program. It is to in depth for me to type on this forum. So just get it from your recruiter.


I did talk to them about that and they said that only the first 1000 to enlist each month(countrywide) get in. Im wondering if i DO NOT get into it. Also do you have any clue how easy it is to get into that program? Im under the assumption that its great if you get into it but odds are you won't.

[lee258]

Unfourtunley you will have to roll the dice because it is for the first 1000 enlistments. My advice is try to enlist on the first of the month. The MEPS I use processes an average of 8 per day. But you can ask most recruiters, are big push is the end of the month so there seems to be less enlistments on the first of the month. So if you are good to go on all entry qualifications I would try at the very begining of the month(like this week).

[Towely]

So aside from college first, if i didn't get it my recruiter is saying he really couldn't see me getting more than 1 deployment in my 6 year contract(i would be deployable for 5 of the years). Does that sound right?

[lee258]

Yea thats sounds right. A National Guard soldier can only be deployed for a total of 24 mths in a five year period. So that means you can do two 12 mths or 18 mnths etc. I was deployed from Jan 2002 to Jan 2003 then Feb 2003 to Fen 2004 yes they gave a couple weeks and call us right back. But this is rare and I was a MP. But when it comes to the President what ever he orders goes so if he wants us we go.

[Towely]

Yea thats sounds right. A National Guard soldier can only be deployed for a total of 24 mths in a five year period. So that means you can do two 12 mths or 18 mnths etc. I was deployed from Jan 2002 to Jan 2003 then Feb 2003 to Fen 2004 yes they gave a couple weeks and call us right back. But this is rare and I was a MP. But when it comes to the President what ever he orders goes so if he wants us we go.


Yea i heard the MPs are getting deployed alot. So you don't think finishing college before my contract ended would be an issue?(or at most only have like 1 year left).

[lee258]

Have you ever thought of a Split Option, this is where you go to basic this coming summer then you go to AIT the next summer. This will at least give you two semesters of college, because you can not deploy uless you have completed AIT. Now this only is open to High school Juniors and college students.

[Towely]

Have you ever thought of a Split Option, this is where you go to basic this coming summer then you go to AIT the next summer. This will at least give you two semesters of college, because you can not deploy uless you have completed AIT. Now this only is open to High school Juniors and college students.

I didn't know you could do that during college too. Could i sign up now, do basic this coming summer, then do college, then do AIT the summer after that or would i have to wait a bit to sign up?

[lee258]

You would have to see what training seats are available. Get with your recruiter and see. You will most likely have to finish all your processing i.e test, physical, etc. and then they can tell you the available ship dates.