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[Mondai]

Simple for me.... I had nothing going on in my life when I joined and I was heading towards a sucky life , joining the military is probably the best decision I ever made in my life.

 

[Melon Husk]

Mandatory conscription, thankfully the training was brief

 

[Sticks]

I was 16, on school and didn't know what I wanted to do. 22 years later and Im still in the army.

 

[ssringo]

Ran track and cross country in high school at a pretty high level but not enough to get scholarships and my family did not have the means to send me to college. I was incredibly clueless and naive about the world and really bought into the whole "see the world" angle. Plus the recruiter was very convincing about the various MOSs I qualified for and was interested in doing. I mean, getting a top secret clearance sounded super cool! I bet I'd get to hear about all kinds of crazy things that go on! 99.9% of it is mundane and boring

Was in for nearly a decade before calling it quits.

 

[AJUMP23]

Any join as an Officer or were you all Enlisting?

I was recruited but Clinton was president and I didn't want to do that. My dad wanted me to join.

 

[OverHeat]

Because I wanted to go to Afghanistan

 

[jason10mm]

When I found out my parents were taking out loans to pay for my school, I signed up for ROTC the next day.

For you youngin's, in the 80's/90's the plot of EVERY SINGLE TEEN movie "getting that scholarship so I can go to college", so the notion of taking out loans to go seemed so foreign and I'm not sure 529s or saving specifically for college was even a thing back then. Of course nowadays taking out loans is just sorta expected but it was almost shameful to me back then.

Retired now, can't imagine having done anything different. Not sure I would want my kids joining though.

 

[Little Mac]

To spread Democracy!

Spoiler

I'm not military but looking back I wish I would've taken that route. Regardless, I'm grateful to all the men and women who defended our country and fought for our way of life.

 

[Durien]

For the college money

 

[Mondai]

Any join as an Officer or were you all Enlisting?

I was recruited but Clinton was president and I didn't want to do that. My dad wanted me to join.

I was a lowly enlisted , was stationed in Alaska..... I miss Alaska, best place I've ever lived in.

 

[Grildon Tundy]

I was looking for structure and direction, and did well in school, so for a while I wanted to get into Officer Candidate School, but didn't pass one of the physical qualifications due to an unchangeable health issue.

Also got recruited by a VP from a military intelligence firm, who referred me to the NSA. Didn't end up working for them. Probably for the best.

 

[jason10mm]

I was looking for structure and direction, and did well in school, so for a while I wanted to get into Officer Candidate School, but didn't pass one of the physical qualifications due to an unchangeable health issue.

Also got recruited by a VP from a military intelligence firm, who referred me to the NSA. Didn't end up working for them. Probably for the best.

Sounds like something a spook would say

 

[JayK47]

College money.

 

[Meicyn]

I had no direction in life, was going to college because that was what's expected. Then 9/11 happened. Left college, ended up doing a full 20+ years, zero regrets.