Same amount deployment missions, much better treatment and safer bases. You can go full time reserve and enjoy a better benefit than regular army shmucks.
- look into MOS identifier training
bug your recruiter for this. In my case(vehicle mechanic), the MOS identifier was '-H8'. You are above your peers because you got trained to do more stuff. Any and all training you can take, take. It all adds up in paycheck and nobody will fuck with you just because you have little extra pin on your chest. It's stupid, but people in general are stupid.
Your recruiter will push you for these MOS, they are in demand, thus they get more points for shipping you in such job. What this means is that you're stuck. You will never be able to change MOS until you re up.
Some of this shit can be tens of thousands of dollars. Also, if you got friend who wants to come, you get a bonus for signing someone else. Get that bonus and split with your friends.
In every unit you'll be at, you must know your job creed, soldier's creed, infantryman's creed, and your chain of command(boss names). There will be a lot of shit you need to memorize, don't be the one to get caught not knowing stuff you should.
- do research on what banks your basic/ait has
You should have a bank account for banks in your training base. No, Chase or Bank of America or US Bank are not in all of the bases.
It's bullshit, but get it set up online so you can close those account later. I couldn't close my account in fort jackson until years later I decided to cave in and buy a plane ticket there to be physically there to close it.
make sure you pick an easy username and password to remember. Fuck the recruiters who tells you to make a secure un/pw. Fuck, put your last four ssn. There are ton of shits you will have to know, don't make more than you need to. Also, put their help hotline number on your phone. You will need it. You can change all that shit later after you get assigned to your unit.
- Armystudyguide.com be familiar with your regulation
Your success is 100% based on your knowledge of your references, not your actual skill. This is a problem, but not something you can fix. Know your army regulation numbers and memorize them. Shit, I'll tell you right now. AR 670-1 (uniform standard), FM 21-20 (PT), and FM 3-22.9 (M16). Know at least those three regulations back to back. Trust me on this.
In training, they'll be taken away. Some training facilities are allowing them, but do yourself a favor and save the headaches. It will be a headache trying to get your shit back should anything out of the ordinary happen to you.
Stationary were allowed when I was in training, which I admit was 10 years ago. Bring notebooks and pencil, so you can draw/write and not be bored out of your mind. Religious books such as bible is also okay.
- your recruiter is not the most knowledgeable person about military
Take what he tells you with a grain of a salt. Take what I tell you here with a grain of a salt. Every unit has their own standards, things are gonna be different. which leads to...
some places will put your entire platoon in a wide ass open room and you might end up living with the dankest stank ass mother fucker, with two working laundry machine for 2.5k troops. some place will let you stay in a private apartment room. Don't expect nice shit to happen to you, nothing is guaranteed.
your family and friends are allowed to send you sweets. please have them do. You don't know it,
but you need them.
