In the military and trying to figure out what welding program/school to attend??

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I got 18 months left in the army and im leaning towards welding for my career in the civilian world....UA has an apprenticeship program here at ft hood for pipe welding/pipefitting free for transitioning troops...they want you committed to there program only because you will be working for them out in the civilian world seems fine with me.     Second school is the westinghouse school for hopefully getting started in nuke plants..sounds like a sweet deal..im sure yall know the deal with them the school is free but you need to make a living while in school.     So i guess the main question is which option should i choose, im losing my mind on which is the better choice, any inside info would be great from anyone who works for these guys or have been to the schools.
Reply:I'll chime in with the military angle, not a welder but a CW4 in the IRR, previous enlisted and a DAC employee at the moment.Will your GI Bill help with any of this?  You need to talk to them all about that BEFORE you get out.  You matter right now and it's much easier to get access to all that for now, once your out....Good LuckGo to the education center or sumthin and find out all your options.  Reason why I say all this is because if you want the nuke job but they don't pay you meanwhile, maybe the GI Bill has some sort of provision for that and can help you out.Pugnare Fornicare Au Mort
Reply:If ou were a resident of texas for at least 6 months prior to enlisting you may also be eligible for the hazlewood act. It suppliments the GI bill. A friend of mine went through 4 years of college with the 2 paying for his school and living expenses.GravelThe difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference.
Reply:yes sir the UA school you are able to take 6 months prior to your ETS date....so i would be going to school full time for four months monday thru thursday...of course this is up to the commander to sign off on...so basically your getting paid to go to school while still on active duty, ive been to the ED center and already got all the details on the school and the process if yall get a chance google UA VIP welding program.For any other full time school the gi bill will pay for my housing..its just like BAH its good for 36 months as long as you are in school full time..it pays E-5 BAH pay, which aint to badLast edited by opossum; 02-11-2015 at 05:25 AM.
Reply:I personally would jump on the UA welding school with both feet! There is no quicker way, or better way to learn how to read the puddle than welding pipe! Learn how to weld pipe with GTAW, and SMAW, then learn how to fit / fabricate. Then you'll be in the money! Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Thanx CEP i think the westininghouse school teaches pipe also for mainly working in there plants
Reply:Retired 1SG here....Go to the VA VOC REHAB and apply; if you qualify they will pay you while you are in school....worth looking into !!!!!
Reply:In the UA apprenticeship, you earn a living while you learn. And have benefits (health care and pension) while you're at it. The UA demands quite a bit from their apprentices, You will have to learn a lot. Pay goes up as you advance.UA journeymen man many if not most of the nuke outages across the country.If you're up to it, it's the fastest way into high level plant piping.Good, reliable UA apprentices stay busy and have the opportunity to learn as much as their little minds can absorb. Veterans are super welcome in that environment.Good luck.J
Reply:I don't know about the UA school but we've one son who went Navy, welding, nuke.  Got out and was pulling down big bucks at a nuke plant in PA immediately.  One thing to consider is that it seems most nuke jobs (at least ones he saw) required a security clearance.  IF you've already got a clearance and get it transferred that's often worth decent $$ just by itself.
Reply:Thanx for the info and yes i have a security clearance ill just keep it up to date as required.
Reply:If you decide to go school route id check out miller motte if there's one nearby.  If you use your GIB it pays pretty decent (nashville its 1652/ month) and its only 16 hour weeks so you can still get a job but its 15 months and you spend 6 weeks in each process. I freaking love it bro but its the closest welding school to me (about 70 miles from the house) but its well worth it
Reply:thanx shmidt sounds not to bad
Reply:Its pretty legit bro. They give you a chance to get certified in all forms of welding and teach blueprints and theres a 6 week course just to show you how to perfect a resume and do "proper" interviews. But if you suck at welding and dont get any certs they still give you a diploma at the end lolJust good enough aint good enoughIf your gonna be a bad welder you better be a darn good grinder