PROBABLY a few naive questions....help please?

[Cofo]

I was sharing my possible future decision of going the military route, and my dad started telling me "Son, do you know what Agent Orange is?" My dad basically started to tell me "Son, what happens if you get caught in biological warfare while you are doing dentistry in the military?" (even though Agent Orange was in the Vietnam war....)
I realize this differs with the 3 different branches, but if I serve as a dentist for four years in the military, how dangerous is it or the dentist?
BTW, I am willing to die for my country. It's just that my dad thinks he knows every f***ing thing, and I am curious to know if what he was talking about would concern me, (being a dentist in the military.)
Also, where would I be stationed at? - Could I be stationed at a base in the United States, Iraq...ect....Where is the most likely place I'd be stationed (army,navy, and AF please).
And for those who are serving right now as military dentists, have you felt that your life has ever been threatened, and what is the likelyhood of a dentist being attacked? One more thing, what are living arrangements like? (housing, ect.)

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[blankguy]

Dentist won't be in the frontlines. They'll be confided to secured areas but there is no guarantee that it'll be 100% safe. I haven't heard of any dentist being killed. I think your dad is over blowing the risk. From what I've heard through people that are already in the army, Dentist get treated really well compared to other people doing other stuff in the army. I don't know about where you'll end up because I am not official part of the military yet. The army is the roughest of the branches since they tend to bear the brunt of the deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, then the Navy and the "easiest" the AF.

 

[Smills91]

Dentist won't be in the frontlines. They'll be confided to secured areas but there is no guarantee that it'll be 100% safe. I haven't heard of any dentist being killed. I think your dad is over blowing the risk. From what I've heard through people that are already in the army, Dentist get treated really well compared to other people doing other stuff in the army. I don't know about where you'll end up because I am not official part of the military yet. The army is the roughest of the branches since they tend to bear the brunt of the deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, then the Navy and the "easiest" the AF.

I think most people say easiest, when they really mean, most family friendly. With my research, I really can't tell a huge difference between the 3 branches other than preference. Where do you want to be? Air Force just seems to have the best ability to have your family with you.

 

[blankguy]

I think most people say easiest, when they really mean, most family friendly. With my research, I really can't tell a huge difference between the 3 branches other than preference. Where do you want to be? Air Force just seems to have the best ability to have your family with you.

Thats why I put it in quotes. Family friendly didn't occur to me when I typed it up. Yeah, the most civilian like, family friendly, etc...

A lot of people will tell you that military isn't the way to go if you have a family. People get out of the military due to family obligations so we are probably talking about the most family friendly out of a rather family unfriendly lot.