My son has been to Tulsa welding school, hasn't found the great high paying job that he wanted. He is a good welder but not very patient. Now he is thinking about joining the military. I am proud of him, but I don't know what field to guide him into. He thinks he wants to go infantry. Any advice would be appreciated.

Have him go the union route. They will find work for him, after a couple years - he will make good money.

Well the military would definitely teach him patience. He could get into a maintenance or engineering group to apply his trade if that's what he wanted to pursue. They may be only taking in recruits for certain MOS's to. Have him talk to a recruiter to see if that's the direction he wants to go would probably be the best first move

I would think that the military would have a need for welders. Work, veterans benefits, and a feather in his cap for his resume, sounds like a good deal to me for his future beyond the military, but who knows? Many go in for the short term and make a career out of it.

There's lots of opportunity in the civilian world. Going infantry won't translate much into any kind of civilian job. If he's not going to be a 20-year military guy, then go in with an MOS that will translate to civilian employment like mechanic, communications, etc.

You just don't "join" the military. There is a specific process. #1 - ASVAB test. This test shows ten areas on line scores specific to occupation areas. Here they are:

CL—Clerical—VE+AR+MK
CO—Combat—AR+CS+AS+MC
EL—Electronics—GS+AR+MK+EI
FA—Field Artillery—AR+CS+MK+MC
GM—General Maintenance—GS+AS+MK+EI
GT—General Technical—VE+AR
MM—Mechanical Maintenance—NO+AS+MC+EI
OF—Operators and Food—VE+NO+AS+MC
SC—Surveillance and Communications—VE+AR+AS+MC
ST—Skilled Technical—GS+VE+MK+MC

There is an overall ASVAB score but you also have to have qualifying line scores for a specific job. Until the ASVAB test is taken and scores qualify for a specific job then its all just talk.

Next is the physical. The entry physical is given at MEPS (Military Entrance processing Station). This physical is very thorough.

There is a job in the Army called 91W - Metal Worker. here is the description:
91W

Infantry - whatever. Combat MOS are not what some folks make them out to be. Pay is the same if you are living in a hole like an animal with some idiot trying to kill you or you are in a decent area sleeping in a bed doing a specialty job. Suffering and getting hurt is not necessarily a career enhancer. Anyway, best of luck.

Thanks. He scored high on the Asvab test, and the physical part he will do ok.

Aircraft machinist or sheetmetal. He can then go anywhere he wants. Dont go infantry. The demand for them in a commercial world is low.

Master Machinist Mate in the Navy, or head to Texas oil field. Permian Basin got lots of work for welders.

I went to school for welding out of high school then got away from it when I couldn't find the high paying job I wanted. If I had it to do over again, I would have joined the boiler maker union after welding school. If I had of I could have retired two years ago with a pension at the ripe old age of 43.

Thanks.

Tell him not to infantry. Go for an MOS that is civilian transferable related to welding.

Can he TIG weld? If he can he needs to get in touch with companies that do boilermaker work. They will teach him to weld boiler tubes. He will be able to make a great living welding boiler tubes. He can also be applying for an apprenticeship with the boilermaker union at the same time. Tube welders are hard to come by. Good tube welders are compensated very well. There is a guy that was a good tube welder 25 years ago and he is still talked about where I work.

Retire at 43? Sounds like something that ain't gonna last!

It's my understanding that a union boiler maker can retire after 20 years. That's what I wast recently old by a retired union boiler maker. No, it wouldn't last but then he could either keep working as a boiler maker or do something else knowing he always has that pension waiting in him and not have to stress so much about finances in retirement.

Take it from me first hand. If he is wanting a good paying job the Army is not the place to go. The infantry will not teach you any valuable life skills or anything that you can take to the civilian world. Tell him to be patient and take a lesser paying job starting out to gain experience, so he can bring that to the table when the opportunity when the good paying job presents its self. I just passed over 18 years of active duty and will tell you all the stuff the recruiter will not. I wouldn't tell him not to enlist but I will be upfront so he would know exactly what to expect.

Is he willing to travel?? He shouldn't have a problem finding a good paying job as a welder if he is willing to hit the road, which he will be doing anyway if he goes into the service.

I recently saw where Brown and Root had openings for Maintenance and welders in MS and several other areas. You can check them out at KBRJOBS.com.

I have told him boiler maker is the way to go, and have advised him against infantry. Bigcountry I might be getting in touch with you soon. He doesn't mind traveling, he did that with his last job.

Big country is right. Boilermaker is the best way to go. Recruiters don't always tell the truth believe it or not. But I don't regret my time in the service. But it's alot different now.