<p>I've always been very interested in the military, and as a kid I really wanted to be a soldier. As I've grown I've realized it's more the military equipment that interests me not the fighting. Even in my AP world history class wars have always sparked my interest because of the technology. So this is what I want to do in the future, what do you think the best route for this is? I'm planning on getting a mechanical engineering degree because I'm more interested in actual machines such as weapons, personnel carriers, and planes versus electronic technology. Would you suggest ROTC, my school has an air force and army program which I am leaning towards the AF. Or would you suggest getting my degree and looking for a civilian job with a defense contractor. My feeling is that to get a good job DESIGNING equipment with a contractor you would need military experience. It seems that the head designers of most new projects were ex-officers, not civilians, but that's just what I've heard from a family friend who did ROTC. The other thing I was considering was doing ROTC and staying in the air force a a developmental engineer or a civil engineer after my commitment (my friends dad who was an AF CE said that they do hire mechanicals for their CE jobs). But all these options are swirling around in my head and I would just like some input on what you guys think. And if you have any suggestions about a different route please chime in.</p>
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It depends a lot on what your specific intentions are. Military personnel use, buy, manage, and help to procure the equipment (helped by civilian DoD personnel), while civilian contractors design and build it. If you go the military route you will get to use it and may help in some other stages, but you will not do design work. Go the civilian route and you will probably never use it but you get to design and test it.</p>
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Not true at all. I have worked for two major defense contractors, and prior military personnel represented a distinct minority in both. Those with prior military experience were mostly represented outside the design engineering departments, focusing mainly in areas like program management (for which there are direct military counterparts in the DCMA) or field engineering. While several of my program managers have been vets, none of the lead designers on any of my programs have been.</p>
<p>Yeah, usually the military folks are used more as “subject matter experts” during the whole systems development process. For instance, someone from the military will tell someone like myself (software/database engineer) about the data, its contents and how it should be used and I would contribute to designing/developing the system to process the data.</p>
<p>Thanks guys. It sounds like working at a defense contractor is best for me. Do u think that of I did ROTC and did my 5 years it would give me a leg up in getting a civillian job at a top defense contractor?</p>
<p>Many, many, many defense contractors offer paid summer internships. That is a great way to get your foot in the door. Many of the internships are for engineers. You might do a search for some of these companies (I am not an expert on who the big design firms are): SAIC, Battelle, Booz Allen Hamilton, Raytheon, Northrup Grumman. You can also do a general search of defense contractors and you will get a vast list.</p>
<p>Many defense contractors do hire people with prior military service.</p>