What were your reasons for joining in the military?

When I joined, there was a draft. I knew I was going to go eventually. I decided it would be best to enlist rather than be drafted because the former gives you a choice of service.

I didn't go for job training... but I got some.

I didn't go to get my education paid for, but the military put me through college, gave me a commission, and then I got a another degree on the GI Bill after I got out.

I didn't go for the pay. I never got paid much (base pay), but other pay helped. But back then, nobody anywhere charged less for anything than the "Exchange" (PX, BX, or whatever).

I don't know if it was patriotism. I think that was a little of it. When I was recruited into the specialty in which I found myself, I was asked, "Do you want to die for your country?"

I didn't join for the travel. But I went places some people only dream about. I also went places some people have never heard of. And I was paid to go.

Some of the people I knew in college went into business rather than make the military their career. For 20 years they worked their ways up from the mail-room, or wherever they started. They eventually a few made it up to those corner offices, way up near the top of those tall office buildings. They worked 60 to 80, or even more hours a week. They had dreams about what they wanted to do--if they ever had the money or the time. While they were working their tails off and only dreaming about things like flying, sky-diving, SCUBA diving, surfing, camping, sailing, I was doing those things -- and I was doing them while I was young enough to enjoy them.

When I got out, I was in my 40s, and started a career in management consulting. I retired again at 60. Those guys I went to school with... most of them can't afford to retire.

I joined for 3 reasons: a) Get out of Delaware; b) see the world. c) a minor one: not get drafted.

I accomplished all 3. I have never moved back to Delaware after leaving in 1965. I have been back only to visit my family and friends (up until my mom passed away in 2005, about 3 times a year). I have been in 32 countries (some more than once), stationed in 3 countries. I have kept in touch with 6 people around the world and if I were to go to their country, I would not have to stay in a hotel. I have made many friends in my 20 years in the Navy and several keep in touch (3 come to visit and stay with me from time to time). What I learned in the Navy, I still use in my present job. Only 1 job did my Navy experience really not come into play other than leadership when I was a cemetery superintendent.

Would I do it all again? You bet. I even got to spend 13 months in a place I misspelled on a 4th grade spelling test...Antarctica. I also got to meet a pen pal that I had in 7th/8th grades. I spent 6 days with her and her family on a small island in the Indian Ocean - Mauritius.

G. All of the above

A funny thing happened along the way, I took off the blinders that most Americans wear and started seeing a bigger, wider world. When I came back home I realized that all my former friends still seemed like little children. They thought that life started and ended at the edge of town. Now, I have seen more of the world than most people ever will. I have seem more of America than most Americans ever will.

I did my time and now I'm done but I would trade the experience for anything (except Bill Gates' stock in microsoft).

D and F: I figured I would be drafted during the Viet Nam era anyway, so I at least wanted to have more choice in what my job would be.

I stayed in for reasons B, C, and D.

A - I wanted to do something similar in the civilian world, so the training was wonderful

B - although after being honorably discharged early, I lost my benefits

F - I was horribly bored and wanted to move far away from my family

joined the usaf in 1968 to keep from getting drafted. i was going to be drafted in feb of 1969 and having already had my physical i joined the usaf. went to nam as an aircraft mechanic. besides i didn't want to have to spend my life looking in a mirror and seeing a draft dodger ie running to canada

F. Couldn't stand my home life. It was so bad that I joined the Marine Corps two weeks before graduation. Best thing I have ever done.

I am 15 and I will join Latvian army because I am patriot and I will not allow other country to invade like Russians did that in WWII

D. I grew up in Texas, where the norm is to be patriotic. This explains why Texas is the number one contributor of military members. (California comes in a close second)

I joined the Navy in 1970, first ...because every male in my family had served...second to avoid the draft...ended up in Viet Nam1 anyway ( Iraq is Viet Nam 2)