Why did you join the military?

I felt the country had been pretty kind to me and my family, and I wanted to pay it back for all the great things I had as an American citizen.

I enlisted in 1976 right after High School. I had always wanted to be a soldier my entire life up to that point. My greatest dilemma was, what kind of soldier was I going to be? I settled on Airborne Infantry.

The whole thing was a huge adventure, so much so that when I reenlisted, I changed my MOS to Cavalry Scout and had a ball. Twentyfour years later they make me leave, it was the saddest day of my life.

So for me, the Fun, Travel, and Adventure was what did it for me.

After I retired from the Army I went to college and earned a degree in broadcasting and broadcast journalism so I could get a job in a war zone. So far, no one has hired me, they don't want knowledgeable veterans in the news crews, that will ruin the propaganda the media spews out.

I must say, civilian life is the most incredibly boring and petty existence I have ever endured. No one on earth is more ignorant about the world than American civilians.

I got out of college and got a job. After four years of doing the job I was already in the #2 position and was being "groomed" to take over for the department head when she retired in 6 years. I decided I did not want to be doing that job for the next 30-40 years and wanted to see more of the world.

So I joined the Air Force.

1979 I went to Texas for induction.

Went to my first base.

Got sent TDY to Norfolk, Virginia for a training course.

Got sent to Wyoming for a manning assistance.

Got sent to Offutt AFB in Neb for a SAC briefing and training.

Follow on assignements in Nebraska, Germany, Nevada, Ohio and Florida.

Deployment during Desert Storm.

Deployment to Italy.

etc.

I got to see a lot of the world and enjoyed it much more than just sitting at one job for 30 years.

Bad part is I got retired and now have to deal with civilians all the time....

I don't leave for another month, but I joined the Air Force because I've always had a fascination with planes. And what a better way to be around planes than to be a cargo crew chief and serve your country all at once?!

Enlisted in the marines because I want to blow $hit up, serve my country, and get into college and medical school after.

I think I was born to be a military man/

My bf joined because he felt like he was doing nothing and felt like he was wasting his life away with no meaning. So he joined the army, but he only wanted this one MOS and if he wasn't going to get it he wasn't joining. He got Civil Affairs which is basically humanitarian work and stuff like that, he really likes the MOS and as cheesy as it sounded he wanted to feel like a hero and help out.

I decided that things that were happening in the middle east were important and wanted be there making a difference, instead of sitting on the side of a road in california protesting (which was my previous mo).

Wanted money to pay back college loans.

Family tradition.

Patriotism.

drafted in 1971