Army Assigment Final
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School
University of Texas, El Paso *
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Course
600
Subject
English
Date
Nov 24, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
2
Uploaded by EarlFlagOctopus25
My first experience with a recruiter was as a Navy recruiter because that was where I
initially wanted to join. I took the ASVAB (
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) which
is an entrance exam that tests you on various topics and subjects. I failed the first and second test
due to the fact I did not know much English. On the second test I failed with a 35 which is
passing for the Army. However, someone who was also trying to join informed me that you
needed to take a swimming test to officially pass. I did not know how to swim so I would not
have been able to pass. That’s when I decided maybe the Army would be a better option for me. I
took the ASVAB with the Army and passed.
I originally came to the United States at the age of 19 in the year 2013. I knew no English
at all. All I knew was that I wanted to improve my education. I talked with my uncle, and he
suggested that I weighed my options in the military or in the police academy. I did a little
research and decided that the military was where I wanted to continue my education.
Like I mentioned before I did not know any English, but I knew I needed to provide for
myself as we all know “money does not grow on trees”. I had a recruiter but unfortunately, he
was not very good and did not explain the jobs available very well. But even in all the
uncertainty I still went to MEDS, and they offered me two different types of jobs. The first was
11B which is an Infantry mean which the recruiter told me not to take if I did not want to be in
Infantry. I did not know what that meant and decided to take the advice and go with my second
opinion. The second job offered was 91B.
The 91B is a wheeled vehicle mechanic and when I realized I would be fixing military
vehicles I jumped at that chance. I did not have prior knowledge of working on vehicles so I
could not wait to get the opportunity to learn and experience a lot.
I went from knowing nothing to eventually being very skilled in diagnosing and repairing
complex military vehicle systems as well as providing preventive maintenance service to ensure
optimal performance. I like to think after 10+ years of learning and making mistakes that I am
knowledgeable and experienced in my job. On my free time I am grateful to have the skills to
work on vehicles because I know how to fix my own personal vehicles. By being able to do this I
save tons of money on mechanics.
My first duty station was Fort Drum, New York where I got to experience my first
deployment to Afghanistan. I deployed April 15
th
, 2015, to January 7
th
, 2016. I do have to admit I
had a great time and met a lot of different people from different countries like: Mongolian,
Spaniard, Afghani and British. I got to travel to Canada and New York City when I came back to
experience the city life.
I met my wife in Fort Drum, New York and eventually we moved to our next duty station,
which was Fort Bragg, North Carolina. We settled down and had our son. We got to travel to the
different cities near and around North Carolina. After out two years at Fort Bragg, we moved to
out next station which was Hohenfels, Germany. This was a change in scenery. We got to travel
to 10 different countries including Italy, Spain and Greece. I enjoyed the different cultures and
foods. Unfortunately, our time came to an end and we moved to Fort Bliss, Texas.
This is where we bought our very first home. We used one of the best benefits the Army
can provide which was a VA Loan. This loan is amazing because you do not need to put a down
payment down on your home. When we were in Germany, I used the tuition assistance which is
where the Army gives you $4,000 every year for school. With that assistance I was able to
complete my bachelor’s degree without having to take or pay off a loan or use the GI Bill. The
GI Bill I was able to transfer to my son so we would not have any worries when he gets older to
attend school. I am still using the tuition as I am now working on my master’s degree. The Army
also has great medical benefits. When we had our son, when my wife needed surgery and my son
broke his arm the military paid it in full. We had no co-pay. We had no worries when it came to
the Army taking care of my family. There are tons of programs within the ACS (Army
Community Service) but the ones I used were the financial counselor which helped me with
finances and the dos and don’ts. My wife used a counselor after a car accident that helped her.
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