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Posted: 2/26/2006 4:12:51 PM EDT
I am 19, and currently in college and thinking very seriously about joing the army upon graduation. My main reason is because  I feel this very strong desire/urge to serve my country.  I do not want to make a career out of it, I would just like to serve for 3 years and then go to law school.

My question to those who serve is why did you join?

Thanks
James
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:14:26 PM EDT
[#1]
It had always been part of my self image.  

Some folks have a need to contribute, some dont.

It's a very personal decision.  Good luck whatever you decide.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:16:58 PM EDT
[#2]
Wanted to be a Naval Officer since I was 4.

Maybe I saw too many movies.

Don't regret having served one bit.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:17:44 PM EDT
[#3]


Quoted:
I am 19, and currently in college and thinking very seriously about joing the army upon graduation. My main reason is because  I feel this very strong desire/urge to serve my country.  I do not want to make a career out of it, I would just like to serve for 3 years and then go to law school.

My question to those who serve is why did you join?

Thanks
James



I wanted to go meet strange and exotic people, and kill them, and I did!

I have always loved guns, and explosions and shooting, military has all that fun stuff.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:19:04 PM EDT
[#4]
I take advantage of what this country has to offer i.e. the freedoms we have, the prosperity, so I felt that I should, in return, serve this country.

I only wish I could have done more. Medical problems are a bitch.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:20:22 PM EDT
[#5]
I wanted to travel the world & damn sure couldn't afford to do so on my dime. I also wanted to be a Marine since I was 12 or so. So I covered both bases with one enlistment. Best thing I ever did, IMO.

My .o2
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:21:21 PM EDT
[#6]
I wanted to look back later in life and say "I did what most men won't or can't."  I also wanted to get out of town and belong to something bigger and more important than a fraternity.

I also needed money for college.

Go Airborne.  You'll never regret it.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:21:55 PM EDT
[#7]
Serving your country is a great start, and then it falls on pride in self, buddies, and your unit.  I will never regret my service.  Remember, it is called SERVICE for a reason, and self-sacrafice is a given, wether it be long hours, physical suffering, or even death is expected to complete the mission.

Having said that, getting shot at sucks.  Shooting back is fun as fuck.  Pardon the language, but there is no other way to put that.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:22:47 PM EDT
[#8]
Best descision I ever did was to join the military!

Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:22:49 PM EDT
[#9]
There are as many reasons why people join the military as there are people in the military. I joined because it is what I always wanted to do. I then got out to persue other things and joined again after 9-11 because our country is at war and we needed soldiers. Seems the men today do not posess the same commitment to the country as they did during WWII. After Pearl Harbor recruiting stations were swamped, after 9-11 they got some phone calls.

Our country needs young people like yourself to fill the ranks. Since you are in college I would suggest participating in ROTC to get a feel for it, and then persue a commission as a 2nd LT or ensign.

Good luck.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:28:09 PM EDT
[#10]
Just because I always wanted to, and DAMN glad I did!
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:29:18 PM EDT
[#11]
I do believe (way more now than then) that everyone needs to serve. My mom, dad, and grandpas served in some capacity.
Honestly, the biggest reason at the time, was I saw that I would go no where unless I changed my surroundings. I had to get outta town and do something.
I would not be where I am today if I hadn't served.
I do not know how, especially now, I would feel if I hadn't done my part for our country.
Enlist, see things most do not, collect stories noone else will have, gain more life experience than most, get school paid for.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:35:49 PM EDT
[#12]
Initially, I joined the Ohio Army National Guard because they paid full tuition at State Universities, and it was a way to go to school.   I eventually dropped out of college and went active duty air force.  Further eventually, reenlisted because I enjoyed the USAF work and lifestyle, gradually completed my degree, and then still stayed in because I love what I do.

24 years in, enlisted, not looking forward to when they force me to retire.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:40:13 PM EDT
[#13]
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:43:20 PM EDT
[#14]
Everyone in my family served in the military, even my mom. I felt it was the right thing to do, really helped me grow up. I served 6 years in the Army, got to see and do things I will never forget. If I could go back in time and do things differently I would have stayed in the Army for 20 years.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:44:42 PM EDT
[#15]
- The pay is steady
- The scenery changes
- They let you use explosives

Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:46:06 PM EDT
[#16]
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:46:35 PM EDT
[#17]
My grandfather was a paratrooper in WW2 and made combat jumps into Normandy and Holland. He is my hero.

I had to become a paratrooper and keep up the Airborne tradition



All the Way!!!

Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:50:41 PM EDT
[#18]
I'm 19, and am shipping on 23 May to Air Force basic at Lackland AFB. Why?

1) It's always been a dream of mine to be in the military.
2) I love aircraft. (Thus USAF)
3) My family could not afford to put me through college.

Halfway through my senior year of high school, I was 5'10" 255lbs. My two best friends through childhood were enlisting in the Air Force and the Marine Corp. All my other friends were leaving town to go to college. I looked at myself and thought: What will I be doing after I graduate? Will I get a job and work through college, or will I get loans and come out of school knee deep in debt? Or will I just get a dead-end job and have to mooch off of people just to get by? I've seen how my parents live, and I don't want to end up like them. That's not the life I want.

I decided that I would hold off on college for a year and see if I could whip my lardass self into shape. Since January 05, I've lost 60lbs and beat Air Force BMI standards. I ship out in a little over two months, and am going to get the chance to get all my college out of the way, all while living my dream, seeing the world (hopefully) and serving my country.

That's why I'm doing it.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 4:53:12 PM EDT
[#19]
I joined because I wanted to be a Marine most of my childhood. I wanted to fight for the country. Been there done it,  would recomend it to all.

OCS? Good.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:01:29 PM EDT
[#20]
I didnt have anything better to do. My grandfather asked if I wanted to go to the USAFA, I said why not.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:08:58 PM EDT
[#21]
I joined because it was the right thing to do!
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:09:43 PM EDT
[#22]
I joined because I was 22, had dropped out of college, had no direction, and was a physical wreck.  Ronald Reagan had just become president and the news was all about how the military was being rebuilt and that opportunity was available for those men and women who wanted to serve.  Got off the couch and paid a visit to a recruiter.  I walked in figuring I'd do my 6 years (mandatory enlistment length for Advanced Electronics...I aced the ASVAB) and get out.  Turned out I really dug it.  Learned about discipline, duty, and honor.  I've truly seen the world, and found myself seeing and doing things very few would have the opportunity to see or do.

24 years later and I'm still here.  Worked my way up the enlisted ranks, then received a commission as a Chief Warrant Officer.  Getting ready to retire, but I have no regrets.

My father tells me joining the Navy was the best thing I ever did.  He's right.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:09:58 PM EDT
[#23]
Some have laughed or tried to belittle my reason, called it old fasioned or out of date, but I joined and spent 20 years as a grunt because when I see Old Glory raised or hear the Star Spangled Banner, I get shivers up and down my spine.   Always have, always will.

JD
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:17:23 PM EDT
[#24]
It was a way to pay the bills and get out of my parents house.
I am a 7th generation soldier so it was the "expected" thing to do.

I stayed in because I am good at my job and it still pays the bills.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:18:03 PM EDT
[#25]
I felt an obligation to serve my country, and I wanted some adventure. I got both and more. Best decision I have ever made. There were times I hated it, hearing from friends back home, loneliness, but looking back I have a lot of great memories, and friends. When I think of some of the missions we went on it’s a wonder I am in still in one piece.  The service is a great way to start out as a young person. Going through life now I meet people, and with out explanation I can tell who served, and who did not.
MB
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:18:45 PM EDT
[#26]
I simply thought it was the right thing to do.  Guess I watched too many WWII movies as a kid...or other people didn't watch enough.

No Expert
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:19:35 PM EDT
[#27]
to do something exciting (1979),    ended up being bored out of my mind and got out early...
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:28:05 PM EDT
[#28]
for me, i felt like i had been made soft by a life of middle class convenience. i played sports in school, was considered one of the "smart" kids but here i was in my early 20s and looking into a future of college then career without really having done anything. i come from a family with at least 300yrs of miltary service, some of my friends had gone into the military and done well with it and i was getting burned out on college,beer,chicks,etc. i wanted to be able to hold my head high and stare into a mirror with pride. a feeling i know i wouldnt have gotten if i had continued to drink and fuck my way through college and then coast into a cushy career and then cash pay checks for 30yrs till its gold watch time. now i feel like whatever good fortune i have, whatever my political bent or whatever becomes of my life...I EARNED IT.

do it. you will experience things and gain a world view your peers couldnt imagine.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:32:12 PM EDT
[#29]
To get away from the home town and for the electronics training.

Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:36:37 PM EDT
[#30]
I knew it would be a great experience, and I was right. To be part of the finest military in the world is an honor in itself. No regrets.

beernut
USAF (Retired)
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:42:53 PM EDT
[#31]
Because it is my duty to serve my country, I would do it for free but am very thankful for the $60k I grossed last year.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:45:32 PM EDT
[#32]

Quoted:
I am 19, and currently in college and thinking very seriously about joing the army upon graduation. My main reason is because  I feel this very strong desire/urge to serve my country.  I do not want to make a career out of it, I would just like to serve for 3 years and then go to law school.

My question to those who serve is why did you join?

Thanks
James




"Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it" -M.G.

Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:47:43 PM EDT
[#33]
cause at the tender age of 16 years 11 months,,the judge said,,i seemed to have a problem with athorutiy figures..and that he and I had a failure to communicate..and obviously needed someone to keep my hand busy... and the fact my DAD was ready to take me out himself...no joy...
but,
7 years airbourne
18 months in Nam. jumping out of perfectly good airplanes...

china beach for my senior trip,
learned to steal a jeep, a tank, a cobra gun ship..
found out an AK47 was worth 3 bottles of jack danials to a remington raider...
had my heart broken by a beautiful blonde E4 and a greorgeous Brown eyed 17yr old in saigon...

saw Japan, Germany, Africa, most of SE asia..and S america...on someone elses nickel..
2oz of lead in still in my hip and arm just for souviniers
a free college edumacation when i came stateside 10 years later...
and a broader education than I could have ever gotten in any school.
a love for my country, my family, my self
respect for others that is sadly lacking begining i believe with my generation...late 60's and early 70's
and hell, I got to kill little brown people and blow up shit in hot humid places....
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:53:52 PM EDT
[#34]
From the age of 9 I always wanted to be a Paratrooper.

FREE
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 5:58:36 PM EDT
[#35]
My dad lied about his age when he was 16 to join the Navy during WWII. He taught me that serving our country was the most honorable thing a person could do.

I felt serving my country in the Army was a small price to pay for the freedoms I enjoy.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 6:05:54 PM EDT
[#36]

My question to those who serve is why did you join?




For me it was how could I not join? I have always felt that every able bodied young American man should serve their country in some capacity....I always knew that I would join either the Army or the Marine Corps.......I chose the Marines because if I was going to serve, why not join the BEST?...Less than 2% of the entire American population, since 1775, have been Marines.....so I'd have to say we're a special group.


I also feel that freedom of speech wasn't given to us by the politicians, freedom of the press wasn't given to us by the  reporter, and freedom of religion wasn't given to us by the pastor....they were fought for and earned by soldiers and Marines who wanted a better place in the world.....People who were willing to fight and die for their beliefs......I felt I owed our ancestors my service to keep the America that I love alive.SemperFi!
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 6:10:20 PM EDT
[#37]

Quoted:
My question to those who serve is why did you join?


I like things that go bang real loud.
I was between marriages and the timing was good. I put it off for quite a while.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 6:18:08 PM EDT
[#38]

Quoted:
Just because I always wanted to, and DAMN glad I did!



Ditto.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 6:21:27 PM EDT
[#39]
Because I can.....

Leaving for Iraq in about 2 weeks... apprehensive? yes but I wouldn't want it any other way-

Did it so my sister can go to college where she wants and do anything she wants to....
did it so my friends who chose not to can go to school and do whatever they want....
Did it because I got a tear in my eye when I went to see the Arizona today- my first time there...
Did it most of all because my dad and my grandfathers did it- they fought so that I can choose to fight or not, i chose to fight because they can't now- it's my turn to protect their freedoms....

-Roth
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 6:24:59 PM EDT
[#40]
Cause chicks dig the uniform.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 6:29:14 PM EDT
[#41]
The stupidist thing that I ever did was join the Marine Corps.
The smartest thing that I ever did was join the Marine Corps.
It's a love/hate relationship.

Come on in the waters fine!!!
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 6:38:21 PM EDT
[#42]
Cruiser: I joined the army 'cause my father and my brother were in the army. I figured I better join before I got drafted.
Sergeant Hulka: Son, there ain't no draft no more.
Cruiser: There was one?
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 6:39:48 PM EDT
[#43]
I joined for all the wrong reasons, (college education, travel, pay and bennies) but have since seen the error of my ways, and I stay in for all the right reasons.  It's great to go home from work every day, whether that's in the desert or here, and know that I made a direct contribution to our nation's defense.  It's a kind of job satisfaction very few people will ever experience.
That's not to say I haven't enjoyed the travel all over the world, the free education (almost done with my Master's) and the very decent pay and allowances too.  
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 6:40:41 PM EDT
[#44]
i want to give back what my country has given me.

and if you're in college, do ROTC!  take advantage of that degree you're working hard to get, and be rewarded when you get out.  Be an officer!

That's what I'm doing
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 6:42:58 PM EDT
[#45]
I joined the Marines because too many before me did, and paid a price. There was no reason for me NOT to serve this country. Our Freedom is not free.

I also served so that others were not forced to and that (at the time) I was able to continue the freedom for the family I have today.

Semper Fi.

Link Posted: 2/26/2006 6:44:00 PM EDT
[#46]

Quoted:
My question to those who serve is why did you join?



First and foremost, I wanted to serve my country.
I also wanted to experience something outside the ordinary, workaday world.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 6:53:03 PM EDT
[#47]
I wasnt doing anything worthwhile in College and was getting chased around by my psycho ex girlfriend.  I enjoyed it for the most part because of the people serving with me. I  should have stayed in longer . I am talking to the Reserves right now, I miss the camraderie.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 6:53:20 PM EDT
[#48]
DO NOT JOIN FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

-They say the chow is mighty fine
-They say the pay is mighty fine
-They say the women are mighty fine
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 6:53:23 PM EDT
[#49]
Got tired of playing video games.
Link Posted: 2/26/2006 7:01:25 PM EDT
[#50]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I am 19, and currently in college and thinking very seriously about joing the army upon graduation. My main reason is because  I feel this very strong desire/urge to serve my country.  I do not want to make a career out of it, I would just like to serve for 3 years and then go to law school.

My question to those who serve is why did you join?

Thanks
James



I wanted to go meet strange and exotic people, and kill them, and I did!

I have always loved guns, and explosions and shooting, military has all that fun stuff.




SAME HERE!


I haven't seen anywhere near as much as you though, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.


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