Career After The Army

So today I realized that I really need to start thinking about what I am going to do after I get back from this tour next November because I will be leaving the Army shortly after.

I have narrowed it down to two different choices that are in every aspect different.

1. VIP personal protection services/escort(bodyguard)
2. Attend MMI Orlando and become a certified motorcycle mechanic

Reasons for these options-
1.Protection services

The only trade I have learned in my years of being in the Army as a infantryman is shoot, move, communicate, and kill effectively while protecting those around me.

I have graduated from the FBI driving school 2nd in class for mobile force protection with sedans, large SUVs, and uparmored vehicles. Training included presidential baricades, breaking into and commadeering vehicles, escape and evasion, and high speed tactical driving 100mph+.

I attended Gryphon Group's (one of the worlds top schools) personal security school taught by former Special Forces soldiers and SWAT officers for VIP protection along with forgien and domestic weapons training and some evasive driving.

27 months in Iraq lots of combat experience.

Recent honor grad for Electronic Warfare.

2. Motorcycle Mechanic

I love motorcycles! Ive been on one since I was 15 and they are a huge part of my life already but do I want to make them my life?

Im worried that if I choose this career path that motorcycles wont feel the same way to me as they do now if I have to work on them all the time.

I'll have to help Jim put grips on his gixxah and that dude take his rear wheel off his SV:wink:

How did you vets decide what you were gonna do when you got out? Its hard to think that my life wont be planned anymore and that I will have a kind of freedom that I havent had in years.

People who work at dealerships what is you insight on working on and around bikes all day?

Sorry for the long post/rant but I know in the end its up to me but I could use some good old NESR perspective and off topic wise ass comments :beerbang:

1. Instead of protection, which isnt very stable, why not cross to the other side and go for a Trooper or police officer?
2. I was thinking along those lines, but I'd be mostly worried that my most favorite hobby would turn into my job, and Id lose it as a fun hobby.

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Originally Posted by DaSpence

I'll have to help Jim put grips on his gixxah and that dude take his rear wheel off his SV:wink:

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:lmao: nice dude, nice.

All I got to say is this.... Do what you love or do what you're good at.... if you're good at doin what you love then the choice is easy.

Maybe give MMI a whirl & if it doesn't suit you or what have you, you've always got The Professional Badass business to fall back on.

I might need a pool boy. Please send resume and pictures of you in and out of a speedo.

kthx.

just curious.

1 how many enemy did you kill in combat?
2 do you fear death?

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Originally Posted by Pittenger5

1. Instead of protection, which isnt very stable, why not cross to the other side and go for a Trooper or police officer?
2. I was thinking along those lines, but I'd be mostly worried that my most favorite hobby would turn into my job, and Id lose it as a fun hobby.

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Being a cop has crossed my mind as a last resort option. I've had too many experiences with them that to become one would just be wierd.

Thats exactly the fear I have that my favorite hobby wouldnt be so fun anymore..I guess it all depends on who you work for though?

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Originally Posted by jnm988

I might need a pool boy. Please send resume and pictures of you in and out of a speedo.

kthx.

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Considered. How will I be paid?

Noel will be my stand in for the pictures

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DaSpence

Being a cop has crossed my mind as a last resort option. I've had too many experiences with them that to become one would just be wierd.

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Maybe try to go more into Swat, or DEA or something in LE other than patrolman?

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Originally Posted by Pittenger5

1. Instead of protection, which isnt very stable, why not cross to the other side and become a professional kidnapper?

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wouldn't that be the "other side":dunno:

My good college buddy is a DEA agent. He loves it. He does deep undercover alot of times. Some fucked up shit. I don't know much about getting into the Personal Security gig (like Blackwater?) but sounds like you have good qualifications.



As for MMI Orlando and working in the sport you love. Well, I've been doing that for the last 2 years and it hasn't diminished my passion for bikes one bit. I actually just got off the phone with MMI Orlando 10 minutes ago and will be visiting their campus next Friday. I guess it depends what you want to do with your MMI skills. Work in a dealership? Work on a race team? etc.

http://www.48days.com/

I just finished 48days to the work you love and starting no more mondays. Good read, lot of good info on choosing a career that fits you.

If you want to learn to work on bikes, don't go to MMI.

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Originally Posted by Kham

just curious.

1 how many enemy did you kill in combat?
2 do you fear death?

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Theres always one:nono:...What kinda question is that..I wont even entertain this one...

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Originally Posted by a13x

My good college buddy is a DEA agent. He loves it. He does deep undercover alot of times. Some fucked up shit. I don't know much about getting into the Personal Security gig (like Blackwater?) but sounds like you have good qualifications.



As for MMI Orlando and working in the sport you love. Well, I've been doing that for the last 2 years and it hasn't diminished my passion for bikes one bit. I actually just got off the phone with MMI Orlando 10 minutes ago and will be visiting their campus next Friday. I guess it depends what you want to do with your MMI skills. Work in a dealership? Work on a race team? etc.

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Nice! Let me know how you liked it down there.:twothumb:

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Originally Posted by hessogood

If you want to learn to work on bikes, don't go to MMI.

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What would you suggest?

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Originally Posted by DaSpence

What would you suggest?

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Well to get a job you kinda need to, but I have very low faith in the hacks that the school produces. So to try to get a job at a dealership, I guess go there, but to actually learn to work on bikes go to TLRMAN or someone that knows bikes.

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Originally Posted by DaSpence

Considered. How will I be paid?

Noel will be my stand in for the pictures

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Oh, what the hell!?!





Working in a dealership has NOT taken away any of my passion for motorcycles. Quite the opposite. I love my job. I get to make a living with my hobby.

What I can tell you is... You're not going to make your fortune as a dealership motorcycle tech. It is a give and take relationship. What you gain in being able to work with your hobby, you lose on the financial end of the deal.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hessogood

Well to get a job you kinda need to, but I have very low faith in the hacks that the school produces.

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Sounds like college. You might know HOW to do something, and have the skills to make you among the best, but if you dont have some stupid piece of paper in a frame on your wall, you're going to get consideration at 25% of the places hiring.

A good friend of mine, did the same thing a few years ago. In the army he was Man with gun. Protecting other men with guns. After he got out went to MMi. He still loves bikes but the $$$ is really weak at the Local dealerships. He gets by (his wife has a good job) and he takes an unemployment check for about 4-5 Months a year.

Best of luck in what ever you decide

Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.60 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/4.2.13057/670; U; en) Presto/2.2.0)

Dude, come back, get a part time job and go to school full time. The best thing you can do for yourself, and I speak as a veteran, is get your degree. The gov is picking up the tab anyways so why not?

The new GI bill is bang nasty! Go to Umass Boston full time and make 2100 a month. Please please please take advantage of all the free money they are willing to give us Veterans. Otherwise they'll take and give it to people who deserve it less than us.

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Originally Posted by Woodsy

Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.60 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/4.2.13057/670; U; en) Presto/2.2.0)

Dude, come back, get a part time job and go to school full time. The best thing you can do for yourself, and I speak as a veteran, is get your degree. The gov is picking up the tab anyways so why not?

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:plusone: Damn good advice there.

The reason I went into medicine in the civilian world was because that is what I knew and it was a good career path.

What do you want to do with your life? Do you want to travel all over and never really have a place to call home or do you want to stay in one area?

I wouldn't rulle out working for homeland security. Maybe Border Patrol. I thought working with those guys was something I could do full time.

I see the bodyguard option as alot of travel with not alot of upward mobility (unless you want to own your own security company.)

The MMI option has limited potential as well. i mean realistically do you want a job at a local shop? Own your own business or work for Michael Jordan Suzuki? Which is the most plausible?

Come home, go to school, ( a degree would only enhance ANY job you decide to get), smash alot of va J J, get a part time job, smash more Va J J, join the SF National Guard unit or something like that and figure out what you want to do from there. :)

I really think the Border Patrol or INS/ Homeland security would be a good option.

Don't you get benefits to get education for free?

I'd say use them if you do...

Yes college would be the ideal choice but then im back to square one again on what to go to school for. The GI Bill deal is crazy, I know but I think I rather use it for a trade school rather than college.

I could barely stand high school I dont think I could deal with college. I ended up leaving high school and got my GED and joined the Army.

Reguardless I am coming back to Boston, what I will do when I get there I dont know as of now.

Sometimes I wish I would of picked a different job in the military that could of set me up for the civillan world.

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Originally Posted by DaSpence

Considered. How will I be paid?

Noel will be my stand in for the pictures

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I (and everyone else on NESR) have already seen Noel naked, so that's not going to work.

Pay will be made in trade (read:teh secks) and Cheetos.

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Originally Posted by obsolete

Otherwise they'll take and give it to people who deserve it less than us.

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I find it hard to believe that money will go anywhere if veterans don't take it...

I say go for the MMI option....use the free money, get your cert. and maybe take a business class or two while you're at it (so you can figure out if you want to work for someone else or eventually be your own boss). I see security as a limited field, with few options, but motorcycle tech can turn into a lot of things down the road...