Quote:
Originally Posted by fng13
UTAH BOB-
Thanks for your advice and your service. I am sorry though sir I disagree with you that i need to do some "serious soul searching." I know what i want out of my life and how to get it. The original point of this thread was to make sure that 18x would be around when I got done with school, not if I "needed" a masters degree. I think it would be better to me to get my masters in a year and a half right after my BA then wait and try to bog myself down while trying to serve. I think I would have enough on my plate in the army to keep myself busy without trying to earn my masters at the same time. I don't think that an extra year of school will harm me or my ability to serve, and as far as knowing the military life no i do not have the first hand experience but if my "writings" make you think that I am way off base especially about my motivation to join the military/sf then I must ask what was so wrong about it. Also, i am not trying to get my masters to "impress" anyone. I want it because I have the opportunity to finish school in one shot and have it paid for by the army. I might also ask, what experience you have in academia that leads you to believe that it can gain you no maturity and basically has no worth. If your basis is from movies where kids run around and just get drunk and act stupid at every turn I can assure you that that is not how I take my opportunity for schooling, nor do most of the students around me. I think that stereotype of the party 24/7 is the exception not the rule.
While I greatly respect your experience sir, I must disagree with you on this matter.
fng13
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fng:
You are a guest here. As noted in the Rules, this board is for QPs. I suggest that you mind your manners and check the attitude. I can see the maturity issue from here.
You asked for opinions and got them, from people who have done what you seem to think you want to do. It sounds to me like you already have your mind made up, and are looking for others to validate your decision. Fine, go ahead and do it. None of the strangers here will have to live with the consequeces of your decision.
I disagree with your assessment. You can get a Masters at age 80 as a paraplegic. SF team time is a young man's game. I got my Masters many years after being a team guy, and I do not see any upside to having the degree as a team member. Having said that, you did ask about the 18X program status. The short answer is, no one here knows. As mentioned, that is not the only route to SF.
Given your attitude, I doubt that SF service will be an option for you anyway, at which point, you have signed a contract for six years as an infantryman. You do not need any degrees to go SF. The longer you wait, the older you are and the less time you will have on a team. IMHO, you need to decide if you want a grad degree, or to be SF. The fact that you have asked this question leads me to believe that you do not really want to be an SF soldier. I am sorry if that hurts your feelings. That is based on many years of watching candidates and students in the SFAS/SFQC, and over 20 years in SF. If you do not want to go immediately and get into the job, you are not ready for SF.
TR