I am an E-4 promotable in the reserves, I am set to go to psu in the fall as a contracted cadet however I just ran into an unexpected financial burdon of between $3,000-5,000 !!! I do not have the means to pay for this, some students have run into the same issue and had to go bankrupt! I think the only way to pay is to volunteer for a tour to iraq. I have no family, friends, or any means what so ever in any way shape or form to cover this cost so I think a deployment is the only way. Which also means bye bye psu...

I need to know what options I have as a volunteer soldier, I have 2 MOS's so I don't know which one I would go as, or if I could ask to go as another MOS. I know that they have crash course trained soldiers as MP's over there, and civil affairs etc. I just do not know how it works, or if I should take that route as a sollution. I don't know what to do or how to go about this. What my options are or what they are not.

I also wondered if certain gear I should buy myself. Such as an ACH, I cannot STAND the old style kevlars, but didn't know if I would be getting new gear when in theater or if I would be using stuff from my unit (crap gear). I would rather buy an ACH on my own as well as my own IBA instead of going there and having to deal with crap gear for 12 months.

 

take out a 5k personal loan.

 

www.penfed.org

 

The following are NOT options:

Loans
Credit Cards
Family
Friends
Strangers
Selling what I own...

None are options. I have no options.

 

Then why waste your time posting what you did?

 

To see if there was something I was missing, or to hear for someone who was in the United States Army and would know something a civilian would not

 

There's financial aid, government grants, scholarships civilian or rotc, talk to your school office, maybe there's a work study program. Get a job, work nights, go to school during the day, and get little sleep. I did the reserves, rotc, school, and work all at the same time before, and it's doable.

I don't know about the army, but in the af reserves, there's tuition assistance where they pay 100% of your tuition, and your gi bill.

 

Let me get this straight: You are going to go to Iraq over 3000-5000?

LOL.

Do you not have ANY credit cards? Are you unable to take out ANY loans either from banks or family or friends?

You know the situation in Iraq is at its worst now right?

 

I'm over here right now, and I can tell you it's not at it's worst ever. Is it good? No, but it's not at it's worst.

As to the OP. The list of stuff you have that you can't do seems to eliminate most of your options, but I do agree with ksxxsk that volinteering to go to Iraq for 3-5k isn't the best idea....I wouldn't do it. How quick so you need the cash? Can you see about re-enlisting to get a bonus? (I'm not sure how that all works in the reserves). Check for grants, student loans, etc., like what Eg1vin said.

I haven't seen anybody wearing the old crappy equipment so I think everyone is getting the new IBA and kevlar issed on the way over. What are your two MOSs?

 

Really? From the stats I've read death counts are at their highest.