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February 10, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR DENISE HARBERT
IN IL
Hi Allison! The military trains a lot of people to do a lot
of different
SET jobs, and a lot of SET professionals started their careers
in military
programs. This is particularly true of auto and airplane mechanics
and
mechanical engineers, commercial airline pilots, and aerospace
engineers,
and computer/communications technicians, many of whom started
learning
their skills while in the service. Many politicians have also
had military
training, like the current U.S. President George W. Bush and
Secretary of
State Colin Powell. The military also has a lot of programs
that provide
college funding when you get out, you may get preferential
treatment on job
applications that ask about military service, and you may
qualify for
veterans benefits when you retire or if you become disabled.
There are
significant benefits to starting a career in the military,
especially if
you can't afford to go directly to college after high school.
However, the military does have some down sides as well. If
you join, even
if it's an ROTC or weekend program, you should be mentally
aware that you
will be trained to fight in a war and kill people if necessary.
The
military exists first and foremost to protect America from
its enemies,
both foreign and domestic. It is not a commitment you should
enter into
lightly, particularly in these unstable times of terrorist
threats. The
military can put you in situations that are more dangerous
than other
careers, both to your mental and physical health. For example,
Vietnam
veterans experienced overwhelming cases of post-traumatic
stress syndrome,
where they had flashbacks and hallucinations of their war
experiences. The
way wars are fought have changed significantly since then,
but
post-traumatic stress is always a potential side effect of
war. There is
also the possibility of being injured or killed during training
exercises
or war actions. Several decades ago, women were not allowed
to be
stationed in "active" war areas, but that rule may
have changed recently or
may change in the near future. (I do not have current knowledge
of the
rules.) Biochemical warfare is another real possibility. I
have relatives
who fought on the "front lines" of the Gulf War
in the early 1990s and are
now discovering that they have unexplained health problems.
One couple,
both of whom were in the Gulf War, has since had two children
with
different but rare birth defects. Doctors have told them that
the
probability of this happening by random chance is almost
non-existent. They may have been exposed to some kind of biochemical
warfare during their service that has not been explained yet.
The military
needs more SET experts to research these issues and look for
ways to
prevent, minimize, or cure the risks and side effects of biochemical
weapons.
In short, the military has some outstanding benefits, but
also has some
potentially life-threatening risks. The benefits happen more
often to more
people than the risks, but only you can decide what choice
is best for
you. Researching the branch of military is also important.
Don't
automatically select the Army until you have had the chance
to research and
compare the programs in all five branches of the U.S. armed
forces: Army,
Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. Among all my friends
and
relatives who have served in the military, I have generally
heard the best
things about the Navy and Air Force, although I admit I have
never
personally met anyone in the Coast Guard.
********************
February 5, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR MARY JO MULLEN
IN IL
I asked a friend at work who serves in the National Guard
and this is what
he told me: "The Army Corps of Engineers is the only
scientific jobs that I
know of, but they are not the National Guard. The National
Guard generally
serves a support mission to the regular Army or the Reserves,
i.e.
transportation, military police, supply, etc. The regular
Army, Air Force,
Navy, and Coast Guard do hire civilians for scientists, if
you go to
www.usajobs.opm.gov,
you'll be able to browse the current openings."
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