You are here:
- Home
- News/Issues
- U.S. Military
- Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard
Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| basic training locations? | 11/28/2011 | Aaron Shifferly |
| Q: ok i just enlisted in the army as a 89b which is ammunition specialist i have been told this is a ... A: I'm not quite sure. I talked to a recruiter I know and he's even more sketchy about some of the ... | ||
| basic training locations and mos | 11/28/2011 | John L |
| Q: ok i just enlisted in the army as a 89b which is ammunition specialist i have been told this is a ... A: Dep discharge is not anything, it does not show up on any record as a discharge, becuae while in ... | ||
| DEP rules? | 11/25/2011 | Aaron Shifferly |
| Q: ok i found this page that states if iam enlisted active duty and i request a discharge and i get one ... A: Recruiters don't like to steal each others' recruits. If you're in DEP with one service you should ... | ||
| basic training locations and mos | 11/24/2011 | John L |
| Q: ok i just enlisted in the army as a 89b which is ammunition specialist i have been told this is a ... A: Basic training can be anywhere, 5 bases do basic training. Ft benning trains infantry as well, but ... | ||
| basic training location and mos? | 11/24/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: ok i just enlisted in the army as a 89b which is ammunition specialist i have been told this is a ... A: Keith, Stop and think about it. Where does the front line soldier get his ammo? Definitely not ... | ||
| basic training locations? | 11/24/2011 | Aaron Shifferly |
| Q: ok i just enlisted in the army as a 89b which is ammunition specialist i have been told this is a ... A: First.. if you're looking for a safe job or something 'not on the front lines' you need to consider ... | ||
| False R.A.D | 11/23/2011 | Jason Grabill |
| Q: When i was in high school i developed Pneumonia i was prescribed inhaler, steroids, ext to treat the ... A: Andrew: R.A.D.? However, if you were sick while at MEPS no wonder they DQ'd you, esp. if you ... | ||
| USMC Officer/Reserves/Force Recon. | 11/23/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: you may remembered me from awhile ago when I asked you about the possibility of serving in the USMC ... A: TJ, First of all congratulations on such high scores and a great high school record. That counts ... | ||
| Eligibility | 11/23/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: My father in law was in the military. he was given an honorable discharge inb 1951. his discharge ... A: John, Probably nothing,aside from being able to call himself a veteran. Those discharged for ... | ||
| Coast Guard Mortuary Affairs | 11/21/2011 | John Fiorentine |
| Q: Who handles deceased service members records from the Coast Guard? I thought is was the Navy's ... A: Brenda, Service records are maintained at the Personnel Service Center in Arlington VA until they ... | ||
| Career | 11/17/2011 | Aaron Shifferly |
| Q: I've been having trouble finding work with just a bachelors degree. I have one semester for my ... A: If you join under a contract to become an officer; go to basic, then Officer Candidate School, then ... | ||
| Reenlistment | 11/15/2011 | Jason Grabill |
| Q: Good evening, I have a discharge code "RE-3F" Fraudulent Enlistment from the United States Marine ... A: Danny: Quite frankly, at this point, I don't know for sure. With the downsizing, you are going ... | ||
| Re-joining after Resignation RILO | 11/14/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: I was recently a 2nd Lt Infantry officer in the Army. I had 4 years of ROTC and was temporarily ... A: James, Sorry to hear about your troubles. I guess you learned the hard way. You have a better than ... | ||
| PDQ'd by Navy-Wrong diagnosis | 11/8/2011 | John L |
| Q: I went to MEPS and passed the physical exam. I had a history of ADHD, had been off the meds x 2 ... A: The only thing you can do is get a Dr note from your current Physician and submit it. You can push ... | ||
| enlisting in NG after Chap 8 separation from active duty | 11/2/2011 | John L |
| Q: I am a SPC with 1.5 years of active duty with no UCMJ or negative action in any of that time. I ... A: You will have to wait at least 6 weeks after your baby is born and cleared by a Dr, and 6 months to ... | ||
| Coast Guard Entry Legal Disqualifications | 10/29/2011 | John L |
| Q: Sir, I had a question about claims that a single misdemeanor is disqualifying for Coast Guard ... A: Considering your age, You would be wasting your time as much younger and just as qualified ... | ||
| Coast Guard Entry Legal Disqualifications | 10/29/2011 | John Fiorentine |
| Q: Sir, I had a question about claims that a single misdemeanor is disqualifying for Coast Guard ... A: Tafiaina, In your honest opinion, is merely having a misdemeanor disqualifying? Well not ... | ||
| Coast Guard Entry Legal Disqualifications | 10/29/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: Sir, I had a question about claims that a single misdemeanor is disqualifying for Coast Guard ... A: Tafiaina, With that name you sound like a Pacific Islander, am I right? Just wondering. You and ... | ||
| Medical Discharge Benifits | 10/28/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: My ex-spouse has recently been medically discharged from the U.S. Army. He is now receiving ... A: Melissa, This is true, however it's a civil matter now and you'll need to consult a private lawyer. ... | ||
| failed urine test | 10/28/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: My son has been in the AF approx 6 yrs he was given a urine test on his last wkend drill (ANG)and ... A: Frank, Your son needs to talk to the military attorneys so he can tell his side of it. They can't ... | ||
| ADSEP PRT Failure | 10/27/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: I am active duty navy and I may be separating soon due to BCA failure. I have talked to a Airforce ... A: Antionette, If you meet the physical standards it's fairly easy to do. If you have previously ... | ||
| Enlistment in USCG with an expunged misdemeanor charge | 10/25/2011 | John Fiorentine |
| Q: My questions is basically my subject line. But I'll go ahead with a more detailed description in ... A: Preston, I'm sorry you felt the recruiter was not response. Due to the state of the economy the ... | ||
| erroneous commission | 10/14/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: Sir Your background and education make me believe you might know this answer, but keep in mind ... A: Dan, Sorry for the delay. I've been in the hospital. Apparently I didn't duck enough and got shot ... | ||
| West Point Admission | 10/12/2011 | Aaron Shifferly |
| Q: I'm a high school senior this year. I have a pretty good average and athletic activities in school. ... A: The unfortunate thing is that you're not allowed regular admission to USMA unless you're a US ... | ||
| RE-4 Code Application or Talk to Recruiter | 10/11/2011 | John L |
| Q: John, Good afternoon. I hope that all is going well. Again, my name is Rodney and I'm, of course, ... A: An RE4 pretty much bans you from rejoining the military. You can petetion to get it changed by ... | ||
| Leaving the Army | 10/11/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: I am interested in information regarding separation from the Army Reserve. I am currently a ... A: Kevin, There's no easy way to get out, that wouldn't harm your career and record. You'll be better ... | ||
| air force decision for family man | 10/9/2011 | James Bell |
| Q: I am a 21 year old texas resident currently deciding whether I want to join the air force or ... A: Dwaylon – I think you may be approaching your goals from the wrong direction. Military service ... | ||
| Discharge | 10/5/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: Is it legal to be discharged with just a general personality disorder with a reentry code 3 if I ... A: Jamar, You'd be surprised to know all the minor things they can discharge you for and make it stick. ... | ||
| USMC Recruiting | 10/4/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: Hey Mark, my son was 16 and he thought he would put on a USMC Gunnery Sergeant Uniform and say he ... A: Patt, How's anyone going to know about it? Especially if he was never arrested or anything. If I ... | ||
| Marine name tapes | 10/2/2011 | Jason Grabill |
| Q: Did Marines wear name tapes in Vietnam? If so were they worn straight across or slanted on the 3rd ... A: Kendall: As with most questions involving USMC uniforms, the answer is 'Maybe'. When it comes ... | ||
| Warrant Officer Program | 9/30/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: Good Afternoon, I am E-5 currently active duty in the navy been in the navy for 7 years. My ... A: Kara, No, but as I said most people want to be a WO so they can fly. You can certainly go to green ... | ||
| Personal interview | 9/28/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: Today I faced Indian army interview,it was good but one thing i m concerned about is that I told my ... A: Shantanu, You cannot tell what the individual board members may wish to hear, so you can always ... | ||
| Personal interview | 9/27/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: Today I faced Indian army interview,it was good but one thing i m concerned about is that I told my ... A: Shantanu, Intereszing name, like the king huh? You did nothing wrong by telling the truth. Many ... | ||
| USMC OCS waiver process | 9/27/2011 | Jason Grabill |
| Q: I have been in contact with a recruiter for the last three months working on my application. I was ... A: 1: 120 days nowadays sounds about right. I usually tell people anything under that time is doing ... | ||
| Career. | 9/27/2011 | Jason Grabill |
| Q: Well im still a kid sophomore in high school and I was wondering could going to the Marines help me ... A: Brandon: No, the Marines don't have their own medics, they are provided by the Navy. They would ... | ||
| Warrant Officer Program | 9/26/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: Good Afternoon, I am E-5 currently active duty in the navy been in the navy for 7 years. My ... A: Kara, Most people want to become a warrant officer so they can fly, so I'll gear my answer toward ... | ||
| PT Test for OCS | 9/23/2011 | MARK A. HOWELL |
| Q: This Monday I am taking the Army PT Test to see if I am eligible to go in front of the board. I am ... A: No, you don't need to max out your PT test. A high score helps, because it proves you have the ... | ||
| Entrance with brief history of depression and ocd | 9/22/2011 | John L |
| Q: I am currently working with a recruiter in order to join the army as this is something I really want ... A: The 9-10 yr old issue is not going to hurt you, but the 16 yr old time frame will diminish your ... | ||
| Flat Feet | 9/21/2011 | John L |
| Q: I'm currently a Marine with over 7 years in service and I am experiencing foot pain. My Air Force ... A: basically, it is all medical issue. You should be sent to an orthopedic specialist and try boot ... | ||
| officer commission active vs arng | 9/20/2011 | John L |
| Q: Our son is ROTC set to graduate and commission in May. He completed LDAC this past summer doing ... A: he has to be able to pass the Army APFT to get a commission, at this point he should be able to do ... | ||
Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard
Answers by Expert:
MARK A. HOWELL
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
All military questions, any Service. 30 years experience & two Ph.D.'s. 4 times Base Commander. Worked with Army, Navy, USMC, USCG and several foreign military units. Veteran of Kosovo, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, and 10 civil wars in Africa.
Experience
Air Force Colonel with 30 years experience. Air Force Base Commander 4 times. Highly decorated.
Organizations
Org of Am Historians, Wild West History Assoc.,
Disabled American Veterans - Life Member, Am Motorcyclist Assoc. - Life Member,
North Am Hunt Club - Life Member, NWTF - Life Member
Publications
Numerous book reviews published in the Journal of American History.
Two books submitted for publication.
Education/Credentials
Ph.D. in military history, Columbus University (Summa Cum Laude)
Ph.D. in history, Northfield University, London, England (Summa Cum Laude)
Master of Arts degree in history, Marshall University, WV
Bachelors degree, double-major in history and mathematics, Salem College, WV
Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
Awards and Honors
Legion of Merit
Defense MSM
MSM x 5
Joint Commendation Mdl
AF Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Mdl
Joint Achievement Mdl
AF Achievement Medal
Outstanding Volunteer Mdl
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.