Is a break in service a bad thing?
 

Hello and good day to all. I am due to ETS this October. I am studying Arabic abroad for 8 months as I earn and finish up my bachelores degree. My plan is to re-enlist September of 2010 into the SF community and attend SFAS as soon as possible, once I prove I am ready and will be an asset to a team. Does anyone feel/know that a 9-10 month break in service is a bad idea? Appreciate any insightful responses. Have a wonderful day.

OH! Let me!
Does that break in service include taking a break from reading the stickies when you wander in to our house in your dazed break in service? Take an 'un-break'! Post a nice "how do you be like, let me introduce myself". Then . . . we'll probably tell you, "this is about the stupidest idea we ever heard' or maybe we'll tell you, "it is such a great idea we're all going to try it!" Probably a range closer to the middle.

Note to Atilla, you just got bumped out of the kill zone.:cool: don't waste it :p

From the intro post. "I am taking off the next year to study Arabic in Damascus, Syria through a study abroad program with the Ohio State University. I also will be traveling to either Russia or Ukraine in the near future to study. For now, I hope to meet new people and read, read, read all of the open source data I can find on the SF community. I feel this will help narrow my ideas and plans for my career. Once my collegiate career commences I will be better informed on which avenue I will take; the 18A route or the enlisted road."

Now that's better. Doesn't that feel better? Sure it does.:) What should you do? If it were me. . . I'd find a pretty girl and invite her along! Take the break. It's a good goal, a good plan, and you'll be a greater asset in the end. Maybe you should just find pretty girls along the way.:p

Bad news for you Atilla:mad:

Triman,

Doing immersion training and getting cultural exposure is an excellent endeavor; however, there is no guarantee you will be able to come back in.
It depends upon the recruiting environment at the time.

I had a four year break, during which time, I was actively drilling in the reserves. I had two critical MOS's, TS/SCI and a 2/2 in Chinese. No problem coming back in, right? Recruiters told me they weren't interested in prior service. After several attempts, got the bright idea to call the commander of the recruiting battalion in that area. He said they have exceptions for certain MOSs and told me to see a particular recruiter in a different station. That worked and now I'm two years out from retiring.

If you do immersion, do it for real and come back to the Army with some real language skill-like a 3/3 and conversationally fluent so that you will be marketable. Good luck.

I.........................never mind.:munchin

I'm disappointed Bob...

Let us know how the Syrians and Russians feel about your enthusiasm for American Special Forces when you get back.:rolleyes:

Good Luck with the clearance requirements..........................

"So comrade, velcome to former (and soon to be again) Soviet Union of Socialist Rebuplics. Are you here for bizziness or pleassure?"
Shhhhhhhh
Don't say "Scouting targets, hide sites and safe houses . . . soooooo I guess that's bussiness. . . no wait! That stuff's fun." ;)

Prior service 18x contrtact/break in service
 

I figured this was the best place for this post I am also going to reintroduce myslef to update my intro. I am prior service Marine Corps and have had a 5+ year break in service. I just went to MEPS today and the jobs for prior service to retrain are very few and far between. I wanted an 18x or 11x with airborne/ranger option. Well, I got the 11x and a ship date of August 26 2010, soonest date they had, but there aren't any bonuses or special options for prior service at this time. Or at least that is what I was told.
The recruiting business right now is very prosperous due to the economy and other possible reasons. The counselor told me that the army is already at 70% mission accomplishment for FY 2010 and we are only about 1.5 months in. So as others have said you cant rely on even getting back in to the Army. Granted, your break in service should be less than mine and I do not know the specific time constraints. It may also be easier if you don't need to be retrained and can retain your current MOS.
I am not a Greenspan, Bernanke or Buffet but I don't see the economic trend turning over quickly enough to effect the recruiting mission within the year.
No more rambling, just my two cents.

willy

Hey, me too! What a coinkydink.

If you are wanting to go AD, their numbers are always fluctuating. You will have to speak to a recruiter when you are ready to raise your right hand again.

If you are thinking Guard, call ahead, but it helps to know someone in the unit you are trying to join. They tend to get a lot of "Hey! that stuff looks cool! Let me go next!" off of the street, and are therefore a little skeptical of their recruitment pool, IMHO.

So, the short version is, you won't know until you decide it's time to go back in and start talking to recruiters.

What does this mean?

You're an asshole.

It means that my experience dealing with a lot of the guys for myself, and in particular, putting a friend in, was that they tended to be skeptical of guys walking up off of the street. And continued to regard said individuals with a mixture of amusement and skepticism until they mentioned that SFC X or MSGT XX sent them over.

It was later mentioned to me that they draw some yahoos. *shrug*

We remain skeptical until the guy walks across the stage. The only thing that changes when a SF guy recommends someone is that we then get to point the finger at him when the guy doesnt make the grade (SFAS/SFQC or an assessment at the company level.)