Become A Techie In The Military Or Tough Out College?

Vain asks: "I'm a student in Wisconsin who is wondering just where his career path is leading him and needs advice. I'll be graduating with a 2 year degree (in networking) this summer. A few people have suggested that the military is a great place to get not only good pay, but good money for school as well, even if it's just the guard. Should I consider joining the guard, getting a BS or MS through government funding, or stick with my 2 year for now and try to find a place in the area? I guess what I'm looking for is some techies in the military (or out) to give me a few suggestions."

Re:Military humor

[blakestah]

Yeah, I know.

One of my best friends in college went through computer training in the Marine Corps. He spent an inordinate amount of time learning and programming COBOL, for which the military has a tremendous amount of legacy code.

Then he left the military. In some ways, he was better off. People respect that an officer is responsible and disciplined. However, his tech skills hardly advanced at all. That is why I claim that if you want to advance your tech skills, the military is a waste. Great benefits, great vacation time, but not great training. The best training in computers is doing.

Not for techies, but not bad for some

[Eric Green]

Where the military works is for people who have no game plan, no skills, no motivation, and no way to get any. I've never been in the military myself, but I'm from North Louisiana, meaning that most of my (male) relatives have been. For a redneck kid who'd otherwise be working in a sawmill, the chance to roam the world for four to six years at government expense is pretty hard to turn down, and the chance of getting shot in the military is probably less than the chance of getting shot in a North Louisiana honky-tonk on a rowdy night. And the pay isn't all that bad -- compared to working in a sawmill for minimum wage.

Now, the question is, would somebody with 2 years of technical school be happier going to college, or going into the military? I would personally say "Go to college". The military is not going to make use of those 2 years of technical school. The military is accustomed to hiring the redneck kid of my first paragraph, kids who have native intelligence but are bone stock ignorant. So you're likely to be bored stiff in training courses going over material that you already know before you get a chance to do anything with the "neat equipment" that's probably 5 to 10 years old.

The military isn't too bad a place for nascent techies, those who like computers but have no education or training. But the real learning comes afterwards, when you go to college and get your BS degree (bull**** degree, agreed, but lots of people like to see that you have one, for a variety of reasons that I won't expound upon here). For those who already DO have training, the military can be a very dreary place indeed unless you're an officer -- and even there, there's no guarantees (and the "up or out" policies really suck, a friend's brother got kicked out at 18 years because he did not rise in grade fast enough, and he has *NO* retirement benefits for his 18 years of service).

The Reserves or National Guard have been mentioned as an alternative. All I have to say about that is: what happens the next time we have another Persian Gulf skirmish? You could lose everything if you're called up for active duty for six months because some tinpot dictator decided to take over one of our favorite oil producing states. Think about it -- you're in the Silicon Valley, you have a house that you paid $350,000 for, a car that you paid $40,000 for, and you really expect to be able to keep the mortgage and car payments up when you're ripped from your job and forced into active duty at a whopping $750/month?! I know people who lost everything when they got called up into active duty for the Persian Gulf skirmish. Yeah, the "free" money for college is great, but the obligation is real, and can cost you much, MUCH more than the "free" money for college.

-E

Military or College

[chicklet1138]

Personally, as a military brat, I feel that the best way to get techie experience is through the military. Now, granted, there's only one branch where you should join, and that's the AF, but then..i'm biased...

Morals

[eean]

I would think about the moral implications as well. Read up on US foreign policy and decide if that is something you want to further and support in a much more major way then Joe Citizen is forced to.

A good site is Znet, Kosovo [zmag.org]. They have many articals posted about that recent bombing.

In my opinion US foreign policy is evil and the only reason it is allowed to go on is because people don't know about it. We condemn the atrocities of some (like Kosovo), but finance the atrocities of other (like in Turkey). And does anyone know why we made a no-fly zone in Iraq? And still have it? And sabotaged the weapon-inspector program by putting spies in it? And were orginally supporting Iraq? And Pinochet? And a host of other despots?

Anyways, don't decide this based purly in economic terms.

It depends...

[Legion]

I got into the military coming out of the college in the early 90s... Turned out to be a good deal short-term; my starting salary was pretty good compared to my fellow new-gradjiates. Now, of course, I could be making much more on the outside, but frankly, job security is pretty lame out there, and you're just as likely to be uprooted & moved to chase a job in the "real World" as in here.

Basically, if you have a solid, well-paying offer now, it'd be best to jump on it, but if you're at all uncertain, it might not be bad to sign up for a few years, get some skills, certifications, and experience, and ride out the dot-com shakeout someplace you can't get pink-slipped from...

legion
I am many...

A Happy Medium?

[Calle Ballz]

You can do what I did. Instead of joining the Army, I started working for them as a contractor. It's much better pay, and you still get benefits included. I am in a position where my skills are used and I'm having fun. If you live near a signal or intelligence base, look up the local DoD contractors and see what positions they can offer you.

What future employers look for....

[biglig2]

...is experience, far above qualifications. Often the biggest hurdle is that first piece of experience, and many (me too) have to take low paid jobs at the beginning of the career to get CV points for later.

So, if the military offers you opportunities to get useful experience, and if you're cool about the other aspects that make them a unique employeer (possibility of shooting someone/getting shot) then why not?

On the other hand, if you think you vcan get a job at MS, that is also going to be an interesting point on your CV.

Where do you thik you'd get ot play with the coolest toys?

Re:Just Don't Do It

[Anonymous Coward]

My father is actually stationed on the DMZ in Korea, and believe it or not they have DSL there. He connects much faster that I do back here in the states. Besides, the electronic market in Korea is amazing. I built a killer computer from parts there, everything top of the line (i.e. 1 Ghz Athalon T-bird, 512 MB ram, GForce 2 ultra) for about $600 less than it would have in the states. And Korean food is actually quite good, and the cultural experiances are great. Having lived on three differant continents as a result of my fathers military service I would say that experiancing differant cultures is one of the best aspects of military service.

the benefits come later on

[laslo2]

I spent four years on active duty with the Air Force, during which I was a Ground Radio Repairman (translated, I did lots of module level swapping to make radio stuff work). During that time, I spent a year in Turkey and several months in the desert. The majority of the training I got was electronics theory and troubleshooting skills, especially on analog systems (the computer technology got sent away to be fixed by someone else).

The main benefits I got out of military service came after I was a civilian again... I recieve VA medical care, my house was purchased with a VA loan, I'm finishing school with the help of the GI Bill. Many of the intangible things I learned while wearing a uniform have come in really handy in real life.

since you have some specialized education already, you might consider guard/reserve; that would (eventually) give you the benefits that will help you later on, while still letting you do what you really want as a civilian. there's no guarantee that you'll end up in a military job that translates to be what you're looking for, even if that's what the job description says. (if you're near a guard/reserve unit, see if a recruiter will let you visit during a drill weekend, and talk to the people who do whatever job specialty you're looking into.)

you can be a military techie; but just keep in mind that it might not be the kind of techie that you'll be as a civilian.

HTH.

Re:Just Don't Do It

[babbage]

On the other hand, for some people it isn't such a bad idea. Just to give one anecdotal example, my cousin spent several years in the Air Force, working in their Space Command operations. They paid for him to finish his degree, helped him find a place for his family to live, and when he graduated he was in a position where he was turning down six figure salary job offers. I'm guessing that having experience with satellite systems had a lot to do with that, though whatever security clearance he may have had could have been a factor too (I've never gotten into details with him).

Obviously the military isn't for everyone, and the poster above makes excellent points that I don't dispute. But for some people, it can be a great career move (or a transition to one, as the case may be). Consider the points above and keep in mind that, unless you want it to be, the military isn't generally a whole career, but rather a good first job with some unusual perks & drawbacks, and those can in turn set you up for a great career later.

Assuming, that is of course, that you don't have a problem carrying out dubious orders etc. I for one could never do it -- I just don't have a problem with the Iraqi people and don't feel that shooting near (but not at) their military does a whole lot to help them. But you may not have such objections...

Re:Just Don't Do It

[BigWillieStyle]

I completely agree with this guy. I did 7 years in the Army, first 4 as Infantry, last 3 as Military Intelligence (I know, I know, oxymoron, ha ha). I learned about computers and Unix in the intelligence job, so I lucked out there. I had no knowledge of computers before that though and so it was just pure luck that we used them and I liked working with them. Also, the military just doesn't do things the same as the commercial world (or even civilian government does). By that, I mean (as this guy said), the equipment is old, there's an amount of chaos involved with anything, they hire civilians to do any of the _really_ important stuff (figure that one out), and by the way, the pay sucks (I'm earning 3to4 times as much 2 years after getting out)! I'm generally very happy with my experience in the military, but that's more because it helped me to grow up and most of all, it helped me figure out what I wanted to do for a living. The military did enable me to get my current job as a Unix Admin for a government contract, but that was only because I took interest in the computers and just basically lucked out in general. It was something to put on my resume, that's all.

If you feel like you need to be taught discipline and structure, it may be a good route for you, otherwise I'd say stick to school. By the way, as happens with a lot of folks in the military, I never got to go to college. I was away too much and then got married and had kids, and that was the end of that. I now long to go to college, which I could do, but I'm not trying to lose my family anytime soon, so I won't. The whole GI bill was worthless for me. I've still got some years to use it, but I just don't see it happening.

A job when you graduate...

[galego]

Whether or not you want it. That's what kept from signing on the line. Others like that stability and will take the trade-off. As far as techie-life in the military...don't know.

If you like stability, the military could be good. Structure, three meals a day, and your company won't go down when tech-stocks dip.

I work for a defense contractor (And traced my path to here on this chart [userfriendly.org]). Having been in the military is something they consider here as a bonus. I imagine there are other employers that also look favorably on that. Look at the committment versus the pay-off and do some homework as to how likely it is that you'll get to work where you want to. When I looked into it, that was something I considered and asked around about (and one of the things that kept me from signing on in the end). Course...that was the air force and I wasn't a techie.

Galego

Not during wartime.

[Atomic Punk]

In wartime...I believe control of the USCG is transferred to the DOD.

Not a bad deal, really

[Mr. Foogle]

It depends on what you put into it.

I enlisted in '85, Marines. Spent four years in the infantry, then lateral moved to Data Processing, for another four years. Then I got the heck out.

Our data processing equipment was nearyly state of the art - we didn't always have the latest and greatest in huge numbers, but we usually had enough. About what you'll find in a typical busines as far as that goes.

When I seperated in '93, I didn't notice any kind of skill gap between my knowledge and my hypothetical peers who elected to go to college or go directl to work. In some/most cases, I was light years ahead of them in practical experience.

Some things to consider

[alecto]

I spent nine years as an enlisted man in the Navy. One of the best deals I ever received--lots of training. All the camaraderie and adventure they talk about is there, particularly in the Submarine Service (along with the boredom and drudgery that comes with any job).

That being said, I had no idea what I was in for when I enlisted at 17. While recruiters and classifiers (the people that help you pick a specialty) aren't usually lying, they're not always familiar with the specialties that you're enlisting for. For example, to a non-geek, an electician and a network administrator could be pretty similar. For this reason, I recommend seeking the advice of a veteran of the branch of service you're interested in, and, ideally, someone with a similar background (although some specialties, e.g. network administrator, are fairly new in the last few years).

If you decide to go the military route, grab all the education and training you can get. No matter whether you decide to stay after the end of your enlistment or leave for civilian life, it will never be any easier or less expensive to get educated while on the job. Find the Educational Services Office on your ship or station and make them your friends.

I know this stuff is Navy-centric, but the same ideas apply in all branches of service. Also, consider seeking a commission--ROTC will pay your college expenses and a stipend in return for service after. If you even think you might want to become an officer, do not enlist first unless it is your only way into the door. My observation of shipmates seeking a commission was this: a "go-getter" can always move up, however, once you're enlisted, a commission is harder to come by than if you're starting as a civilian.

Also don't forget to have a look at the service academies, particularly the Merchant Marine academy, which itself doesn't even require military service, only work in the maritime industry, after graduation.

Good luck!

P.S.: If you enlist, make sure you do whatever it takes to establish G.I. Bill eligibility. For a time, contribution of $1,200 over a year to establish eligibiity was optional--you had to decide in boot camp, and the decision was unchangeable. Don't make the wrong one.

Re:Well... Wow.

[raju1kabir]

Will I have time to go to school & work a full time job at the same time?

That depends entirely on you. I worked full-time, but it took me almost 6 years to finish. Then again I know people who worked 25-30 hours/week and finished in three.

I spent a fair amount of time on extra-curricular activities and just having fun, and I'm not at all sorry. I could think of plenty of worse ways to spend the time.

Bear in mind that the bang-for-buck ratio with colleges varies drastically. Unless you have hangups that rule out one or another type of school (small vs large, urban vs small-town), you may face a pretty wide range of opportunities and costs. If you're paying your own way, then not a chance in hell is it worthwhile to go to Harvard for $22k vs Wisconsin for $6k. If you're looking at scholarship money that narrows the gap, that may change things.

Do you really want to ...

[blakestah]

Program in COBOL ?

Take the ridiculous military programming classes ?? Actual scenario. When a prompt asked a student to press any button, the student asked "Which button is the any button ?"

The reply from the Marine Corps instructor was "The large button at the bottom of the keyboard is the any button."

If you want a tech career, really, the military is wasting your time. You will learn how to become an insignificant cog in the system, how to take 30 paid vacation days per year, how to accrue a nice pension and benefits, and you will be light years behind people who drop out of high school and just starting working as administrators/programmers once you leave the military.

Turkiye

[Crypt0pimP]

I spent four years as a Secure Communications tech (that's CRYPTO to you, ground rat) and a year in turkey between 98-99 when were you there? Drop me a line laslo slineyp at hotmail dot com...

Anyway, I concurr with theses guys. I learned a lot, i wouldn't trade it for anything, would i have stayed in, no. did I make the right choice in joining, yes. It was a valuable experience. Besides.. you skills might not always be matched it's said. BUT..... If you go to the recruiter SPECIFICALLY knowing what career code you want, you can wait to get it, or just walk on the deal. They NEED people like you VERY badly right now. They'll make exceptions. if it's air force, go for the 3c0x1 or 3c3x1 fields. Someone correct me if the AFSC codes have changed.

Just Don't Do It

[psychosis]

I don't mean to sound cynical, but the military is just not the place for techies. I'm currently an AF officer and a techie-at-heart (although not currently in job). Let me explain a bit.

• No guarantee of good use of your talents I have a degree in computer science with a specialization in network protection and information warfare. My AF job code is as a communications & information officer. Currently, though, my job is as an analyst for mostly unrelated subjects. (Some are related to computers, but less than 10%.) There is nothing I can do about this. Period. I've tried at least 5 times to be a better asset to the Air Force, and have been shot down each time by someone who manages my career (whom I've never talked to in person about my career, nonetheless) in Texas. I've basically been told that this inefficiency is par for the course and I just need to wait a few years to take a chance on another job with no guarantee of being interesting.
• Lack of self-determined direction As mentioned above, you get little to no input to where you will be going next, or what you will be doing when you get there. Have a family in Virginia? Here's your 1-year ticket to Korea/Greenland/etc. Granted that's a part of the way-of-life, and I understand that, but it's a major factor for many techies. (Ever try to stay current on the tech issue-of-the-day from a camp on the Korean DMZ? Me neither, but I doubt they have decent public internet access.) Even if they tell you you are on your way to a dream job, it can get pulled out from under you before you get there (or after). For instance, when coming to my current assignment, I was told I'd be managing the network administration shop. When I arrived, they told me that I'd be doing something completely different. Too bad - that's the end of the discussion.
• Slow bureauacracy (sp?) Don't expect to work with the latest technology, no matter what the Navy commericals tell you. For the most part, the acquisitions process takes so long that we don't get to play with the latest toys, except in some of the more restricted programs. Hell, I had some brilliant airmen working for me a few years ago that were forced to sit on 20-year old messaging equipment (teletypes, anyone?) and operate them for 8-12 hour shifts, 24/7. Needless to say, they are pursuing other interests, for far greater pay.
• Lack of generally-accepted 'perks' No 401K, no retirement plan outside of "stay for 20 years to get 50% of your pay, but leave before then and get nothing"
• Frequent moves Every 2 years, you will most likely have to move. This could be a good or a bad point depending on your perspective.

There are the good parts, though - guaranteed job security, the ability to put it on a resume as experience (even if it wasn't that techie-related, it does look good), camaraderie (I've gotten several job offers that I'll look at when getting out from people I used to work for/with), etc.
So what's the optimal solution? Not sure. I'd say it seems to be either Guard/Reserve (I plan to go reserve when I seperate from active duty), or contractor. Just be sure you can still have a connection to the outside world to stay current.
Finally, for some people, this is just the right thing to do, and they would stay past 30 years if they were allowed. I'm just relaying my experience. If you have other questions, feel free to drop a line at the above email addy (after despamming it, of course).
Good Luck!

Re:Don't do it.

[alecto]

A significant part of the Coast Guard's mission is drug interdiction--a good way to get oneself deceased in peacetime is to annoy the drug lords' automatic weapon-armed minions in cigarette boats off the coast of Florida.

As the other poster pointed out, the USCG becomes part of the USN in time of war.

Obligatory humor: Navy sailor to Coastie: "Hey, I hear it rained yesterday!" Coastie to Navy sailor: "So, what?" Navy sailor to Coastie: "Did you get sea pay?"

Been there... done that...

[Manuka]

Military = They pay you, get 4 valuable years of experience with cool toys. Spend 4 years drinking. They assume you know nothing at the start, give you responsibility at the end.

College = You pay them. Spend 4 years drinking. Employers assume you know nothing at the end.

My 4 years were quite valuable. Air Force and Navy are best for techie-type jobs.

Re: Become A Techie In The Military Or Tough Out C

[Goatstar]

I'm in the Air Force and have a very geek'd out job. I have been lucky from day 1 and have gained invaluable experience. Should you decide to go with the military option there are a few things you should know and ask yourself. First off, there are two kinds of people in the military. The two categories are enlisted and officer. Officers are management (with few rare exceptions) and enlisted are the working class. That's about as basic as it gets. There are a lot of crappy details you would have to deal with, as either an officer or enlisted, and sometimes you can be pulled from your job months at a time to do something you wouldn't ordinarily have to do, but when you are on your job, you will get the experience you couldn't find anywhere else. Plus, saying you've served as a military member is one of the best bullets on a resume. The pay, however, sucks. Officers get paid more, but gain less technical experience. As an enlisted troop you will not get paid well, period. For me personally, the sacrifice is worth the 4 years experience I've gained. I will have no college degree, a couple certifications, and after 4 years in the military will be able to make over 60 grand a year (depending on where I locate myself of course) Right now, I'm making 13 grand a year...that's not a whole lot. So take the advice of the many, talk to vetrans, but know that can gain as much experience, if not more, in the military, than anywhere else. Ultimately tho, it comes back to how much YOU want to learn.

Coast Guard

[Mudhiker]

I'm an Electronics Technician in the Coast Guard, I've been in a year and a half and I'll be an E-5 easily within a year. For those of you not hip with the lingo, that's where the money starts to get comfortable & one starts to get all kinds of extra benefits. (Of course most of the programs are set up to benefit married folks...sigh)

I had a year of College, but after they dropped my grants in exchange for more loans & I found my education wasn't much better than what I was getting in High School, I quit, went and scrubbed toilets, painted houses, and had some fun. But paying off the debt I'd already accumulated just didn't seem very easy, & with negative funds I had no way (not even a car) to get myself to the big city where all the real money is.

So I went to the Coast Guard recruiter, told him what I wanted to be, and got myself a guaranteed ET school with a sign-on bonus. Learned a bunch of new things at boot camp that have absolutely nothing to do with the real Coast Guard but were challenging enough at the time. ;-)

School was pretty challenging, then I had more schools in my specialty, RADARs, now I'm on my Cutter (the price I payed for school directly from boot-camp was a guaranteed sea billet) where I'm becoming the assistant (cough) network administrator (We run about 50 NT workstations & a couple servers, local networking & internet access for the crew). They'll be sending me to the school in a month or so. There's also a few systems on board that run UNIX or variants thereof, including one of my radars.

I'm enjoying it, I've already seen Mexico & Guatemala. I do all kinds of electronics work but also all kinds of other technical and non-technical things on board ship. If I'm tired of staring at a computer I step out and redo some weatherproofing on an antenna or go help the deckies paint. When the paperwork piles up I can go out at night and look at the most awesome sky on earth. When my shipmates get annoying, I go look at the dolphins & whales & turtles. It's pretty cool, despite the hardship of being away from civilization & my car & a high speed internet connection.

Yeah I don't get payed much now, but I'm getting payed more than I would at college. I'll have my associates degree polished off in a couple months using distance learning. Every contractor we deal with on land asks when we're getting out cuz they want to hire us, so prospects can't be that bad, and I'm stationed here just 20 minutes from silicon valley, home of the high-paying 6 months then dead startup job.

If you'd like to know more about the Coast Guard email me (it's obfuscated duh). The recruiters are usually smart but not in the know. ETs are in high demand now, because everyone gets out after their first enlistment for the real world...

Don't do it.

[actappan]

The military does not pay well, unless you're used to 200 a month. And to top it off, you might get killed. If you're in the states, try the Coast Guard - they're part of the D.O.T. not the D.O.D.

Get the BS or MS

[Bryan Andersen]

Get the BS or MS degree, or Pile it Higher and Deeper. It'll improve your chances of getting a good job with higher pay doing what you want to do. Try to do it with the minimum amount of loans possible. If you do have to take out loans, pay them off as fast as possible after you get out. Get a cheap appartment (if single) and use the money you save on the appartment to pay the loans off that much faster.

Military Experience Can Be A Good Thing

[jamshid42]

I spent quite a few years in the military. I was not in a tech-specific position (Psychological Operations), but I managed to work myself into a niche managing the company's LAN. This enabled my to get certified before departing the military, and I also ended up with a few nice post-military benefits (GI Bill and VA Home Loan, for example). In addition to tech-skills, I also gained some leadership experience and have a security clearance, both of which are looked upon highly by many civilian corporations (even those that do not pursue DoD contracts). Because of the experience I earned, I was able to gain a nice salary level in my current civilian position. Had I not entered the military, I would probably be at the same position as I am today, but I have cooler war stories to tell than a standard civilian techie. As an example, most civilian techies haven't jumped from an aircraft in the pitch of night with 120 pounds of combat equipment strapped to their bodies, or had fun with night vision goggles. Oh, and can I say playing Quake over a sattelite communications link at the tax-payer rate of $60 per minute in the middle of a combat zone. Or high-speed, off-road driving in a Hummer. Within the military you can earn some really great experience that most techs don't learn. Any SA can keep a LAN operational in a given location, but how about a mobile LAN in harsh climates? The dust and heat of the desert are not kind to computer equipment, it takes some skill to keep everything running, a skill that cannot be learned in most civilian companies. There are some drawbacks to military life: lower salaries, lots of annoying petty work hidden under inventive titles, such as building maintenance (cleaning the buildings, painting, etc.), and area beautification/police call (lawn mowing, picking up pine cones and trash along the road); waking up at the crack of dawn and running 5 miles, even when it's cold and raining; and putting up with arrogant bosses that don't understand techie-mind sets. Depending on how you feel about it, you will travel. A lot. To places you had never wanted to go to (and maybe some that you did). Personally, I enjoyed almost everywhere I went (except for Somalia). As long as you are single, military travel can be quite exciting. Once you get married and start having kids, though, the military becomes more of a burden, as you are never home. At least half of the year, you will be in the field, gone for training, or deployed for an exercise or an overseas operation. If lots of travel is not to your liking, but you would like a taste of the military, the National Guard or Coast Guard may be a better option. The Reserves could be an alternative as well, but they do get called up for some deployments when the regular military is strapped for personnel, especially for the smaller career fields. For example, when I was in Haiti, there were a lot of reservists there staying for 3-6 months, since the military was busy with both Haiti and Bosnia at pretty much the same time. Whatever you decide, good luck. Just my $.01 (the other cent went to taxes).

Well... Wow.

[Vain]

Lots of great suggestions, I really appreciate the feedback I've gotten. As it stands right now, I have 2 years of actual working experience doing hardware support, network layouts, installs, that kinda stuff (not too bad for being 20, I suppose). My main issue is: Will I have time to go to school & work a full time job at the same time? If I get into a decent enough place I'm sure they'll reimburse me for some if not most of it, but I just don't want to press my time.

I think I'll just keep my eyes and ears wide open and keen. Maybe big brother isn't for me.

-Paul

ignore me, i'm biased.

[billcopc]

Personally i'd stay away from the army. In all common sense, while you work for them, they _own_ you. It _can_ be nice, if you're lucky, or it can be just as depressing as working in a McDonalds, except you can quit McDonalds without getting harassed and lynched. You'll be better off getting a braindead job in the government and applying your true knowledge and talent to contract work on the side. You get all the benefits plus the peace of mind that you can just act like a common mediocre techie during your day job and go home stress-free. It took me a few years to learn that, but it finally pays off to just hide among the sheep.

Military humor

[Eric Green]

As you discovered, military humor is very dry and droll. (Talking about the "any key" thing).

-E