Why did you join the military?

[TheNoNamedOne]

What branch of service did you join, and what were the reasons(order the reasons from most to least, with most starting at the top) for you joining? Also, did you enlist or are you an officer?

I am not making this a pole, but here are some considerations for you to choose and place in order:


Patriotism i.e. wanting to serve country
Education benefits
A way out of poverty
A way up in socio/economic level
Learn a job skill to use later in civilian life
Just couldn't find a job in the civilian world
To become part of a team
To get structure into your life
To get discipline into your life
To travel abroad at government expense
Family tradition
For the challenge
Just curious
To join the war on terrorism
Because of Sept 11 terrorist attacks
A chance to experience combat
For pride and title in a particular branch of service


I know there is a lot there. Feel free to choose and order only the ones that apply to you. Really looking forward to seeing some of your replies on this. I think reasons for service and the value ranking of them are quite interesting, and perhaps others will find it so as well.

Please share with us about yourself on this personal decision of yours. Thanks in advance.

[xxzjxx]

* Patriotism i.e. wanting to serve country
* Education benefits
* Learn a job skill to use later in civilian life
* To become part of a team
* To get structure into your life
* To get discipline into your life
* To travel abroad at government expense
* Family tradition
* For the challenge
* A chance to experience combat
* For pride and title in a particular branch of service

These are my reasons, I was in boot camp when 9/11 happened.

[P_chan]

Hmmm mine would probably be because of family and education. My grandfather was in the army air core and both my older brothers are in the air force.

I was working full time at a casino as a valet driver at the time and I wasn't going to college anymore. The military was just a more stable job and I could go back to school for free. I was also sick of living with my mom. We got along fine and I came and went as I pleased but I just felt I needed to move on. Also wanted to see the world, which is working out for me so far.

[coffeejoejava]

Joined becaused I sobered up one day and did not like waht I saw. I saw myself doing the same crappy job at the age of 40 because I had little patience, no disipline and no clue. What into the recruiter and asked when can I leave??

[DoctorP]

I joined the Army while still a Jr. in high school. Mainly for the college money and a steady job. Where I am from, jobs are scarce unless you want to be a farmer.

[atb35]

I joined the military one day to get out of class as a senior in HS. Honestly I just didnt have much else for options...I could have graduated, then hoped for a job working at the local foundry, maybe get a dead end job at one of the many small businesses in mid wisconsin, or just be a loser. Chances are I would have turned out as the later.
College wasnt even an option for me, I was helping my parents get by with my part time job in HS, if that says anything. I have never been more pleased with any decision I made then the one to join the Navy. My children have everything they need and ALOT of what they want, they are set up for college, and other then the divorce, have a far better life then I had as a kid.
So to answer the question specifically...because I wanted to better myself. Since the day I joined, the reason I continue to reenlist is because Im damn prooud to serve my country, regardless of what the bleeding heart liberal state.

[DougP]

Basically for these reasons
Patriotism i.e. wanting to serve country
Education benefits
Family tradition
For the challenge
For pride and title in a particular branch of service

I reenlisted almost a year before 9/11 and was already here when it happened. When my time was up at around the ten year mark I decided not to re up anymore and stayed here. Its the longest I've lived in one location since I was in middle school IIRC. I'm glad I had the chance to serve and wish more could do the same. Even if only for a couple of years it could be a real eye opener for some.

[heather]

The reason i had joind the military is mainly for the education. I had decided to join when i was 16. it was a family tradition to join. i love every monent that i am in. i love to travel and i have been in for only 5 years and i have been to 5 different countries. I am in the AF and there is alot of bad talk about us but you know what all i can say is that we are all fighting for the samething. and the is our freedom.

[atb35]

bad things about the AF? All I see is youll have the best bases, facilities, housing (well maybe not anymore, those new places on Foster are really nice), and for whatever reason, it seems like half the pretty girls join the AF, the other half join the other three services...whats up with that?

[heather]

What do you mean by half of the pretty girls join the AF i think all of the pretty girls Join the AF. and you are right on our facilities. we do have the better ones almost everywhere. so do you like it at Futenma?

[P_chan]

Where are all these pretty girls in the air force.:D

Seriously though, maybe it's my career field and maybe it's mean to say this, but I don't see very many cute girls in the air froce.

[heather]

Well most of the pretty girls are in the AF and they might not be pretty to you but what i am getting at is that when people think of girls in the af they think that they are prissy and that is what i was getting at. and you are right not all of the pretty ones join the AF.

[P_chan]

I think it depends on your career field. If you work at the med clinic, you'll see cute girls, but not at my job.

[atb35]

Futenma is nice, it is surprisingly quiet, even with the aircraft taking off and landing, doesnt really get too loud.

Im just saying in all the years Ive been in the military, whenever you go on an AF base, you just tend to see more pretty women then on other bases. Maybe it is the way they carry themselves, perhaps it is the standards they have (able to get away with wearing hair longer. fingernails longer, etc...I dont know their standards). Whatever it is, that is just my observation.

You are right about the occupational field though, that is very evident on a ship:) If you wanted to see anyone that was pretty, head to medical...that is more a product of their job though. Medical person all clean and made up, or a boiler tech with grease, sweat, dirt stains all over and hair messed up.....

[heather]

P Chon, i agree that the med chicks are pretty and i agree that you won't find those kind of girls where i work either.

atb35,
i do agree with you, with that statement about the AF bases. So you would only find pretty women in the medical location too. same with the AF thats only beacuse they don't do anything but deal with people all day long(nothing that gets dirty)i would much rather be with a boiler tech then a med person but that is my oppinon. i like feeling that i have accomplished something during the day.

[atb35]

i like feeling that i have accomplished something during the day. :-|

wow, that is throwing yourself out there....

Im just going to assume you put your foot in your mouth there, I know nobody with even half an ounce of sense would presume that saving peoples lives or helping people on a daily basis is not accomplishing anything.

I would assume you mean that people in the medical department dont do alot of physical labor and thus dont 'Feel' worn out or exhausted like someone in a factory would. That is true for the most part, hard to argue with all the fatass medical staff around (one of my pet peaves..another topic altogether, but how are you going to listen to an obsese dietician?). If you want to see hard working, exhausted medical staff, look at our military, specifically Navy Corpsman that work with the Marines and AF PJs. (Im sure there are other military medics that work hard, but Ive worked with PJs and I am a HM).

[heather]

i never said that the medical feild sucks i was jsut saying that the women in the medical career feild are the ones that seem to be lazy. i was not talking about the men that are in the field busting thier butts all day long. well i guess i will be on more later.

[dk]

Funny thing is, I do zero physical work in my profession, and I feel very accomplished. About the heaviest thing I ever lift on a regular basis is a reference book. "Busting butt all day long" for me is staring at a screen typing 10pt gibberish in a text editor (programming). If you really think you've got to be involved in physical labor to feel accomplished.... that's just a little naive.

And no, I did not just call you naive. I called that line of reasoning naive.

[atb35]

I almost feel bad, the more I think about it, I dont think you really intended that medical people are not accomplished. There were many many times throughout my military medical career that I was wishing I was outdoors doing more manual labor. In the end though, when I look back and think about the numerous ppl I helped save the lives of, even in nice comfy air conditioned hospitals, I feel damn good about what I do.

[Bones]

Well, this thread seems to have taken a wrong turn somewhere.:rolleyes:

But I noticed that ATB35, and heather, are talking about lazy. Doesn't matter which career field that you are in, doesn't matter which branch of service, you will encounter those types of people.

It's good to see that some people still care.:thumbup1:

NBTP

[ststephen65]

to get out of crumby lima ohio

[P_chan]

Oh yeah that was another reason of mine! I wanted to get out of crappy hammond, indiana. Sure it was about a 10 minute drive from chicago but I was sick of the area.

[heather]

So atb35, i am sorry for getting into something that i didn't know aot about. it was just my oppinion and i nowthat you know that. So anyways how is eveyones day today mine is going alot better today then it was earlier this week.

[Hollarey]

P Chon, i agree that the med chicks are pretty and i agree that you won't find those kind of girls where i work either.

atb35,
i do agree with you, with that statement about the AF bases. So you would only find pretty women in the medical location too. same with the AF thats only beacuse they don't do anything but deal with people all day long(nothing that gets dirty)i would much rather be with a boiler tech then a med person but that is my oppinon. i like feeling that i have accomplished something during the day.

If this is the Heather I think it is then she is one of those Air Force hotties. :w00t::thumbup:

[atb35]

So atb35, i am sorry for getting into something that i didn't know aot about. it was just my oppinion and i nowthat you know that. So anyways how is eveyones day today mine is going alot better today then it was earlier this week.

I didnt take offense to it, like I said, there were many times I felt 'lazy' because I didnt do shit at work. I dont get butthurt too easy, about the only thing that pisses me off is making fun of my kids, outside of that, have at it:)

[ness4k]

My husband joined the air force and the reason he joined was because he figured that was his only way for me and him to ever have the chance to ever be together and if he can make it to an officer he says he is going to stay in for 20 years.

Education benefits
Just couldn't find a job in the civilian world
Learn a job skill to use later in civilian life
A way out of poverty
A way up in socio/economic level
Patriotism i.e. wanting to serve country
To get structure into your life
To become part of a team
For the challenge
Just curious
Family tradition
To get discipline into your life
To travel abroad at government expense
For pride and title in a particular branch of service
To join the war on terrorism
Because of Sept 11 terrorist attacks
A chance to experience combat

[atb35]

When I do buy one, nobody is coming within 10 feet of it. Im going to install some electric shock anti-theft device in it or something:)

Unfortunately, I have to work tomorrow, and am doing coverage for a fun run on Futenma on Sunday. Still planning to hit the beach, get some time on my mountain bike and do some studying this weekend though.

[dk]

What do you do on the weekend posts have been moved to http://www.japanupdate.com/forum/showthread.php?t=959

[yokotas13]

to come to japan....

[heather]

So you joined the military just to come to japan?? well thats sounds like you got yoru wish.

[DoctorP]

Yeah, but he is in Japan, not Okinawa...big difference!

[veniceia]

*Patriotism i.e. wanting to serve country - joining the military (http://www.military-school.org/) is all about serving the country!

[swindland]

I Almost So Many Times Joined. But For Some Reason An Injury Occurs I Guess That Was A Sign That I'm Not Supposed To Be. So I Was Given A Marine!! Ahahahahahahah But For My Reason If I Was Able To Pull Through I Would've Joined It For College And To Support My Country.

[htran804's slave]

1) To get out of Houston, TX. Big city life isn't for me even though I've lived there all of my life.
2) needed structure
3) wanted to do something with my life other than the usual business skills that I acquired during and after highschool.
4) always wondered what military life was like. From my experience 50% hate it, and 50% love it. Right now I'm in the latter.
5) education
6) plenty more....

[okiprince07]

education...and traveling

[TheNoNamedOne]

Joined the marines,liked the uniform,recruiter told me the uniform was a P***y magnet,that was enough to get me to sign.

Well, was it?

[happily_married_1206]

my husband says that he joined because he wanted to be something other than a guard at the prison in the small town that hes from he wanted to get out and make something of himself. Hes a lifer...and he loves his job... he has made something of himself and now when we get out were able to start our own construction business... wow looks stupid but its a good idea... especially where were going to retire... but thats WAYS AWAY from now... years and years...

[Isaak Brodsky]

I joined in '86, just after I graduated from college. Massive school debts (12k), which were big for a twenty-one-year-old, and no job prospects (Reaganomics), I joined for the most pragmatic reasons - for a job and for relief from an incessantly nagging fiancee. Was able to ultimately extricate myself from both predicaments.

My dad fought in North Africa during the big one, so I decided to join the Army too. Seven years into it, I decided I needed a radical change and resigned.

[TheNoNamedOne]

Seven years into it, I decided I needed a radical change and resigned.

An officer's commission?

[Isaak Brodsky]

Just appeared on the E7 list and was at the perfect assignment in DC. A convenient lunch break ride on the metro took me to Department of the Army where I submitted my petition to leave. The so-called "draw down" of '94 allowed me to escape.

[okiprince07]

for college and travel, but none is working. wanted to satart college 3 or 4 months ago (been in 1.5 years), but got to japan got engaged to my japanese girlfriend, then she becomes pregnant, we get married later (bnot because of baby), moved together, now ahrd to start college cause money for books and time consuming...start maybe in jan or feb...baby is due dec 3...and travel was my dream, now i dont wanna leave my family...so dont know what to do...

[okisteve]

Okisteve to Okiprince, now hear this!

Here's what to do --- love the heck out of that baby, preferably starting even before he/she arrives. The rest of your life will sort itself out and at least you have the whole military establishment behind you.

So you need more than anything else a positive attitude. Nice Okinawan wife, beautiful baby, guaranteed employment. Lots of guys would trade places with you. If you really want college it will happen. Babies are really easy the first year anyway.

As for travel... lots of time to do that once you get your feet on the ground. Anyway, you DID travel and wound up in a great place.

[Tony Stacks]

Well I was in the Marines did my 4 and got out here. I had some good times but just was'nt for me. I hated how much control they have over you when you are off duty.

My reasons were
A way out of poverty
A way up in socio/economic level
Learn a job skill to use later in civilian life
Just couldn't find a job in the civilian world
To get discipline into your life
To travel abroad at government expense
To get physicaly fit ( I lost 40 pounds at Boot Camp)

I hated it more than I liked it but met a lot of great people. I do regret getting out though because retirement and a lifetime ID card is a great thing especiallt living here in Oki.