Miltary service...

[TAB]

ok so heres the deal  I have a realtive thats screwing up really bad, flunking HS do to being lazy, cuts school/ won't go... etc

The question is, would the army or the marines be better for kicking her ass?  Having known people that have been members of both, they each have thier strengths and thier weakness.  The army has a better educational program( IE having them get thier HS diploma/ GED.)  Where as the marines will do a better job of kicking her ass.

[SigShooter]

Only reason for doing what she's doing is that she needs her ass kicked. After she's had a dynamic attitude adjustment, she'll get her [stuff] together, see the error of her previous ways, and move towards higher education.

Remember, certain programs are subject to budget allowances. When the money is out and given the nature of this congress and president, those special army programs may get cut.

[DesertMarine]

I was a Marine Recruiter in the mid-70's and high school diploma or GED was required.  I am sure Marines have not dropped that requirement.  You could get a waiver but took a long time and lot of work.

[TAB]

i've tried taking her to the soup kitchen and the homeless camps, they did not even phase her.   her mother can not kick her ass and I'm too far away to do.

[fightingquaker13]

I'd be careful here TAB. The thing about the military is that you have to WANT to be there to suceed. If not you'll fail, this is particularly true of the Marines. They will kick her ass out if she just stops trying. This will saddle her with a less than honarable discharge that will follow her for life. (at least I think a recruit discharge is less than honrable, check this out). I will tell you that I was in a similar boat. I was smart as hell (at lest according to the UT PhD program) but pulling C's and flunking math my first year of high school cause I just didn't do the work. My dad sent me to Outward Bound. It was what I needed. I got the confidence to get over my social shyness that was part of the problem, got in shape and developed a life long love of backpacking, rock climbing and white water. I also wound up graduating with a good enough GPA to get into a pretty decent college. I don't know what it costs these days, but with summer coming up, it migh not be a bad investment.
FQ13

[Sponsor]

[fightingquaker13]

One other point TAB. What does she like to do? What is she good at? Its a lot easier to motivate someone with something positive, rather than a negative. Encouraging and reinforcing the positive seems to work a lot better on my students than just yelling at them. Does she show talent at working with her hands, like cars, plants, boats, cooking, little kids etc.? I would also look at the home situation. Is she just in bad environment and needs a change of scenery for a while? Again summer is coming up and there a thousand internship/volunteer programs out there. Just my .02.
FQ13

[Timothy]

During my basic training, we had several "conscripts" or fellas that were given a choice between jail or the Navy.  Obviously, they were compelled to enlist and because of that, they never really gave the military the chance it deserved.  What happened to them after that I don't know because unlike other armed forces, your chances of ever seeing a fellow recruit are slim and none in the Navy.  

I do know that they were the trouble makers who needed constant supervision, constant reminders of how to perform their duties and constant attention from the rest of us to teach them that we are not individuals, but 76 men, all working to the same end, Graduating...one bad apple can force an entire company back to week one!  Those were the guys that got "short sheeted", wire brush showers and cleaning the crappers with their tooth brushes.

Now in 1975, the Navy basic was no tougher physically than high school football practice, it was a mind game.  Find the weakest link and force them to break, find the button of weakness in a person and keep pushing it till they break...

Naval crews aboard ship are cramped together in small spaces for months at a time and being tolerant of others is the mainstay of Naval life.  I never served aboard ship for my enlistment but was sent to some of the more remote places on the planet, either way, working together was paramount in our training.

This relative may be better served in another venue other than the armed forces, forcing this person into a life unlike most, could be far more harmful than letting he or she make their own mistakes and learn from them.  There are always reasons for any behavior and maybe this person is just looking for help and doesn't know how to ask for it.

Back in the day, if you washed out after about week 6, it was a "General Discharge" and that can have a major effect on the rest of a young persons life....

[ericire12]

I would suggest the Army, because the Marines may kick her ass too hard

[shooter32]

Does she have any interest in the Military? She might have a bad case of "senioritis", want's her freedom from home and or parents.

A wake up call is what she needs, the trick is finding out what that is?

[TAB]

her choices right now are join the miltary or be on the street.  She has blown all her chances when its come to going to school.