Joining the Military is Right For Some, but Not Everybody
When I was 18 years old, I had the opportunity to join the Navy, and it seemed very tempting at the time. Many of my friends were signing up, and joining the military would pay for my college once I got out. I knew that I could also get trained for a career in the military.
I ultimately decided that joining the military was not something I truly felt a calling to do, and I have wondered sometimes how I would have faired. I had six friends who joined, and most of them had very different outcomes.
Josh decided to join the Air Force and has made his career out of it, living near Washington, D.C., and working on airplanes for a living. I saw him a few weeks ago, and he said that joining the military was the best decision he had ever made, because he had a family and job security, which were two things he always wanted.
Curtis also joined the Air Force and served for six years. He got out and went to college and now works selling computer parts with his wife in our home town.
Matt joined the Army. He, too, served for six years, and returned home to start a family and got a good job with a local freight company. He told me a few months ago that he grew up a lot from joining the military, and said it gave him a sense of discipline he was really lacking. He also added that being able to say he served in the military gave him a leg up on job applications.
Rachel joined the Marine Corps, and was in for four years. She went to college after her time was up and started a family shortly after high school. Whenever I ask her about her time in the Marine Corps, she always smiles and says that it is something she will never forget.
Miguel decided to enlist in the army, and he has made a career out of it as well. I saw him a year ago, and he told me that joining the military had really helped his confidence, because he was part of a team and had built up his body into a solid lump of muscle. He had always been kind of a frail kid in high school.
Then there was Ruben. Ruben had always talked about joining the military from the time he was a freshman, and he eventually did join the Marine Corps. He had always had a problem with authority and was not a particularly good student, and within two weeks he was dishonorably discharged for threatening a superior officer. At least, that is the story that I heard.
I do sometimes wonder if joining the military would have been right for me. I have a very satisfying life now, and really would not change it for the world. While one of my friends did really struggle during his very brief stint in the armed forces, five of the seem to have really benefited from the experience.