Just Pray No! Worldwide Weekend of Prayer on April, 2024: Should we pray for our *President & the Nation?

Just Pray No! Worldwide Weekend of Prayer 2024. Powerful Prayer‎ Learn how Prayer Network can help you plug into resources

Dear Lord I pray that all those imprisoned in their own addictions be granted the freedom that You Son's forgiveness brings. May they find peace, comfort, patience and the strength needed to overcome the sins that imprison them. May they find a community of support. May they say "No" to drugs and "Yes" to Jesus. Please grant them this Lord. Amen.

† Equitable Prayer Warrior †

Here are my criteria: What branch is for me? ..and other misc. questions about the military?

I honestly think you may not like any service based on what you have said, but let’s take the questions on one at a time.

1. The Navy tends to travel the most, but shore leave is short. The Army has the most bases worldwide offering a longer time to experience other cultures.

2. You enlist for 8 years, period. All enlistments are for 8 years, they can be split between active duty, reserves, and IRR (individual ready reserve, means you are still under contract and can be called back in, but you don't do drill like in the reserve). Most branches are only doing a minimum active duty of 3 years for first time enlistments, but different MOSs (army talk for jobs) have certain minimum enlistment times based on training time and other factors. As for the benefits, you will get them while you are active duty, a more restricted form if reservist and none while IRR.

3. Normally, you need to finish your first enlistment contract to be a vet, but that can change if you are discharged for medical or other reasons early. It sounds like what you want to know about is VA benefits. Those are based on your type of discharge first off. Some benefits are available to most people (VA home loan program for one), but the majority of them are limited to those with a disability rating of 20% or higher and military retirees.

4. As I said above, you enlist for 8 years and can be called up at any point during them.

5 & 6. All branches are open to all religions; I can only speak for my experiences in the Army though. There will always be bigots, no matter where you go. Too many people have no understanding of beliefs outside their own and don't want to learn. I know several Muslims that have served, and as long as you can understand that your mission and job comes first, most units are willing to work with you on prayer times. Will you miss prayer times, yes, and often, but I have been told the Koran allows this by other Muslims before. Otherwise, you are free to practice your beliefs as you choose, and the chaplains can help you make any arrangements.

7. No, you don't automaticaly get free cosmetic surgery. Some military hospitals offer some types. I know the hospital where I am at (Fort Bliss, TX) is now offering screenings for Lasik surgery for active duty only.

Just a bit more here, so bear with me please. Your chances of being killed in the military sit around .02%, which is far less than the chances of being killed in a car wreck or plane crash. Most soldiers don't have to kill, you will be trained to but that doesn't mean you will. In fact, the majority of soldiers never fire their weapons outside of target practice. Of course you will need to avoid jobs like infantry and Cav to do that, they have a greater chance of facing combat than most. I was able to take a lot of college while I was active, finished 4 degrees actually. It will often depend on you though, how hard you are willing to work, how much free time you are willing to give up (got mine by taking classes at night, on weekends, and online but still had plenty of free time to have fun).

The simple fact is you will have to make some sacrifices if you want to reap the benefits the military offers. You need to decide if those sacrifices are worth it to you as an individual, but for me, I wouldn't trade my time in the Army for anything.