Pros
Fun with Guns and meet new people. Specialized training. Guaranteed paycheck benefits are OK
Cons
Double Standards Put you years behind in career if you are an enlisted. Your ordered to replace uniforms at a cost greater then what you get for clothing allowance. Boots cost half your clothing allowance for the year, yet your ordered to replace more. As an enlisted soldier your stuck being more than your MOS your Grounds keeper and every bad detail known to man(Picking up other peoples cigarette butts when you don't smoke) . Officers think their crap don't stink and that they are better than you. You going to college while in is under company commander discretion and he or she will say no. They don't want you going into the Green to Gold program and becoming an officer to compete against. If your not the popular one you will be stuck on all bad details. Reverse Discrimination does occur in the Army if your the only white guy in your squad you will get screwed for promotion even if your the fastest runner and have better scores in everything you do. You cannot stand up for yourself or you will be subject to Article 15. You look at someone wrong it can be written up as sign of disrespect and subject to Article 15 lose of rank. You lose your freedom of speech. If someone want to hold you back all it takes is them losing your promotion packet. Army units were purposely losing soldiers medical records screwing them for applying for VA benefits after they got out. Dexheim, Germany in particular. Enlisted soldiers end up starting careers over behind everyone else, whereas an Officer continues there career when getting out right into management. 2 different Armys between Enlisted and being an Officer. Officers are setup for Success and decent pay whereas Enlisted come out in debt in most cases. Average Enlisted Soldier comes out of the Army with a minimum of 10,000 debt. You can't control the Unit you end up and most of them are crap. 4th Infantry Div was horrible. The Army covers up number of Deployments Soldier go on by restructuring Units. Dismantling them and remaking new ones with same soldiers causing same soldier to go on many deployments. If you have a family you need to sign off rights to your spouse so when things go south and you get divorce you get screwed. It's not family friendly by any aspect. The worst time of my life would not recommend anyone taking the risk. I was medically denied from Special Forces Assessment and Selection after over 4 years service for medical reasons. I was told I could not go to school, but I could get a second job. If you want to serve your country find another way. I worked ridiculous hours with no additional pay and you will do a vast amount of overtime without pay if your not the popular one. Army will not give time off to go to voting poll.