Why did you join the military?

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Posted: 2/20/2016 9:33:25 PM EDT

For me, I didn't have to and nobody around me even suggested it.

I was one of those kids that played with the little green army men and built battles in the dirt. I don't know why but I did it. Maybe I looked up to my grandfathers as a kid because one was Airforce and the other Army.

To me personally I saw an opportunity to join the number one service (in my mind) of the super power of the world, and I jumped.

I joined the United States Marines.

Why did you guys join?

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:34:41 PM EDT

[#1]

For me, it was "out of a young man's sense of adventure."

Well, that, and wanting to be part of the "Adventure Team" of course.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:35:32 PM EDT

[#2]

Sick of seeing men younger than me killed on the news and the hippie fucks at my college joking about it

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:35:41 PM EDT

[#3]

Well, I wasn't really doing anything else.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:35:46 PM EDT

[#4]

I joined the Army in August of 1998. I figured it was like college for guys who don't go to college.

I was right, and we got to play with guns and tanks and shit. Fuck college.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:37:43 PM EDT

[#5]

Because our nation is at war. And because there are bad men in the world who can only be dealt with by violence.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:38:14 PM EDT

[#6]

You know how some kids grow up wanting to be a fireman or an astronaut? I wanted to be a submariner.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:38:43 PM EDT

[#7]

I did it for the blood oil.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:38:47 PM EDT

[#8]

I wanted to jump out of airplanes and kill people.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:39:33 PM EDT

[#9]

I flunked out of college because I wanted to party and not go to school. At 19yrs old I was working part time for Taco Bell. I said fuck it I am out of here. Went down to the recruiters office and started the paperwork. Mom was pissed because things were just heating up in Iraq the first go round.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:40:26 PM EDT

[#10]

Several reasons:
Sense of duty to the nation
Full ride ROTC scholarship (back then, they paid 100% tuition plus fees, books and etc)
Always wanted to be a soldier
Army seemed fun and offered me ways to have adventures.
No other job had tanks, Cavalry fighting vehicles, machine guns and overseas positions!

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:41:22 PM EDT

[#11]

I joined the Air Force in 1983 during the recession (remember home loans in the double digit interest rates?) Just out of high school and didn't see any future in Cleveland, Ohio so I joined to have a paycheck.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:43:59 PM EDT

[#12]

I didn't. Thank you and God bless each and every one of you who did. Thank you for the work you put in, the sacrifices you made and your willingness to put your life on the line for the rest of us - complete strangers.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:44:41 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
I joined the Army in August of 1998. I figured it was like college for guys who don't go to college.

I was right, and we got to play with guns and tanks and shit. Fuck college.

View Quote

I did both but I have to say the military prepped me for life two fold over college. College was good though to understand math and physics. I am by no means a scientist but I do think college made me look at the world different after the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps to me was the best education I could have been paid to understand.

I will always love the Marine Corps, the history, tradition and ethics will always be a part of me.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:45:47 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
Sick of seeing men younger than me killed on the news and the hippie fucks at my college joking about it

View Quote

This, and goddamn 'Merica, goddamnit!

Also, I had a rather extensive GI Joe collection as a kid...

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:45:54 PM EDT

[#15]

I joined the Air Force in 1972 to get a direction and a career. As a rock drummer of the time and the lifestyle of a person in rock music, I needed to get out of a dead end existence. It was the best thing I ever did. It had its ups and downs but it got me out of what would have been a poor life style and put me on a path to a good career I lead today. I became an electronic technician. I worked with many fantastic people and very high tech components.
Met my EX wife (that's another story) in Key West Florida. I brought up a beautiful daughter by myself. I now have three wonderful Grandsons that I am VERY proud of.
Looking back now and reflecting, the Air Force saved my life!

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:46:10 PM EDT

[#16]

I did want to serve my country.
But mostly I wanted to shoot guns.

So I volunteered for the Infantry.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:46:19 PM EDT

[#17]

Hookers and blow...that's this thread right?

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:46:30 PM EDT

[#18]

Watched a vidof the invasion and decided it was adventure time.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:47:19 PM EDT

[#19]

Wanted to since pretty much as soon as I could talk.
Since before I even started school I wanted to join the military.

I joined because of several reasons mainly because I love this country and I believe joining for at least four years is something every man should do.
Also thought shooting stuff would be really cool.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:48:02 PM EDT

[#20]

To forget.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:50:11 PM EDT

[#21]

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:51:03 PM EDT

[#22]

Baby boomer... my dad and two uncles were WWII vets.

Grew up watching WWII movies... Vietnam in full swing.

No money for college... enlisted right out of High School with 5 of my buddies.

The best four years of my youth!

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:51:26 PM EDT

[#23]

In 1978 and the nation was in a pretty deep Jimmy Carter recession. The small village I grew up in had nothing for me so I knew i had to bail. My girlfriend from age 15 to 21 worked part time at the recruiters station so I went down and interviewed three of the four services (Air Force was out to lunch) and picked.

Zero regrets. Seems I was pretty good at it.
<----

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:52:18 PM EDT

[#24]

Well, there was this recruiter, see???

Beautiful women, hot and cold running scotch...fast cars...blowing shit up...

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:52:47 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:

For me, I didn't have to and nobody around me even suggested it.

I was one of those kids that played with the little green army men and built battles in the dirt. I don't know why but I did it. Maybe I looked up to my grandfathers as a kid because one was Airforce and the other Army.

To me personally I saw an opportunity to join the number one service (in my mind) of the super power of the world, and I jumped.

I joined the United States Marines.

Why did you guys join?

View Quote

I was in college in the fall of 1983.

After October 23rd, that all changed.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:54:14 PM EDT

[#26]

Russia and stuff.

Later, jihad and stuff.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:54:54 PM EDT

[#27]

I wanted to shoot bad people in the face.

Could have done any MOS while in the guard. Chose infantry cause I would have the most fun and had a possibility of getting a CIB.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:55:00 PM EDT

[#28]

To get the hell out of my parents house.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:55:13 PM EDT

[#29]

Fo Da Skrilla Natch...

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:55:26 PM EDT

[#30]

I grew up on a dairy farm, shoveling up after cows gets old after, oh, about 3.2 seconds.

The other major industry in the area was logging...tried that for a couple of weeks, almost got cut by a saw, nearly got squashed by a skidder, and on the last day I pissed off a hornets nest with the predictable results.

Went and talked to the Army recruiter the following Monday.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:55:57 PM EDT

[#31]

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:56:34 PM EDT

[#32]

I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I knew that if I went to college I would just flunk out because Iwas done with school.

I figured as least in the Army no matter how badly I fucked up I would have a roof, a bed, and 3 meals a day.

Turns out if you join the Infantry, you're not guaranteed to have any of them.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:58:39 PM EDT

[#33]

I joined for the fame and fortune. 4 branches later (all infantry and security) I'm still waiting for it.

Seriously, I just always wanted to join. I can't explain it other than that. The 4 branch thing just kind of happened. I joined the Marine Corps (active, then reserve), and then ran across guys in the other branches. I did some IRR time, but the only time I've been out since HS was for just over a year before the 9/11 terror attacks.

Posted: 2/20/2016 9:59:10 PM EDT

[#34]

War (conflict, struggle) is the meaning of life. The military is a good conduit for struggle.

Posted: 2/20/2016 10:01:03 PM EDT

[#35]

Exchanged years of my life for an education. Imagine that! No student loans!!

Posted: 2/20/2016 10:01:16 PM EDT

[#36]

As long as I can remember I have been fascinated with airplanes. My father indulged this also. He was an aircrewman in the navy and had all kinds of pictures and stories he would show and tell me. Growing up I never missed the Blue Angels when they came to town. We would spend hours at the local airport watching and listening. My parents were very patriotic and instilled a sense of pride in all of us. My great grandfather was an officer in the army and was terribly wounded in the Argonne during the First World War. He suffered severe shell shock and shook uncontrollably. My grandfather and my great uncles all went off to fight the Germans and Japanese in the Second World War, my dad and uncles all drafted and served during Vietnam. By the time I graduated high school I could not think of anything else I wanted to do more than join the Navy and be like my dad.

To this day, I cannot fathom anything else to do with my life.

Posted: 2/20/2016 10:03:44 PM EDT

[#37]

it was 1985. I was broke in Lebanon NH, I figured my spades game could use some work. Plus I might learn a trade. Turns out the trade was custodial skills.

I'd do it again. And I still got much respect for all the guys who accomplished and sacrificed much more than my peacetime pogue ass ever did!

Posted: 2/20/2016 10:03:48 PM EDT

[#38]

Because everyone else (Dad, Uncles, cousins...ETC) did.

Joining the military was "Expected" in my family. I was more than happy to

keep the experience alive

Posted: 2/20/2016 10:04:45 PM EDT

[#39]

Graduated High school.

Mom said

Get a job- Couldn't get a $100,000 job

Go to school- I just got out. Why would I want to go back

And your not living here for free...Crap

Be all you can be...

In the ARRRRRMMMMYYYY

Posted: 2/20/2016 10:08:01 PM EDT

[#40]

Excitement. Followed by health care, dental care, a meal card, a room & board, an education, a PX, a commissary, free swimming pools and a $40K per year retirement for the rest of my life. Sounded too good to be true. It wasn't.

Posted: 2/20/2016 10:09:08 PM EDT

[#41]

I was pure mercenary.

I was in it for the college fund.

Worked like a charm.

ETA: Oh, and Machine Guns.

Posted: 2/20/2016 10:10:02 PM EDT

[#42]

Utter, Utter, UTTER boredom at the job I had.

Posted: 2/20/2016 10:11:41 PM EDT

[#43]

"They said - you wanna kill people and not go to jail?"

Eta: never in the service just always found this amusing

Posted: 2/20/2016 10:12:06 PM EDT

[#44]

I needed a change. I know if I went to college right after high school I would have either dropped out or got kicked out.

Posted: 2/20/2016 10:12:18 PM EDT

[#45]

9/11

Posted: 2/20/2016 10:13:50 PM EDT

[#46]

My dad was career AF. His dad was in the Army in WW1. I got out of high school, worked through my first summer after graduation but there was no future in it. I volunteered for the Army in Sept. 75 and went in a few days later.

Spent 4 years in it (the recruiter lied - told me it was a 4 year enlistment for my choice of duty station when in fact is was not, as I found out when I got there). It didn't take very many months for me to realize the Army and I didn't mesh well. BS is BS, stupidity is stupidity, etc., etc. and I knew I wasn't going to make a career of it. I got my testing out of the way, got accepted to college and took 60 days terminal leave and never, ever looked back.

Glad I did it once, never wanted to do it again.