Why did you join?

[KaNtSt0PMeH]

Why did you join the military? I always talk to my new airmen these days and the answers vary but usually its because of either a previous bad decision or school seems to be the common consensus.

I joined because I am a recovering gambling addict. Was in the hole about 5,000$ with Wells Fargo and had to do something lol. I joined the AF, had 10$ left in my PokerStars account. I joined a 10$ tournament of 6,000 people and took 3rd place winning 3,600$ and bought myself out of debt. Started fresh out of tech school. It was a new beginning.

[WHIT3C3LL]

I joined because I had no money for college, nothing steady at home and wanted to have alittle financial stability for my fam as well as become alittle more mature because there was a lot of immature stuff I was doing to the point I was close to being expelled


Hiding in a corner waiting for Watsons tags

[Brian]

Man it was so long ago, I had to think about just to remember. I had thought about joining during high school but the marine recruiter never showed to our apartment either time I had set it up. I slipped back onto work and drugs for a couple of years after high school until I got tired of it and wanted a change. College wasn't an option I wanted. We had just invaded Iraq and I felt the urge to serve my country again. So I called the army recruiter. Stopped smoking pot, took the test, fought for Aviation, and finally got a job opening. Shipped 6 months later to Basic on Oct 2003.


Sent from my Honey Badger of an iPhone

[comanche_warior]

If I could it would be family tradition both my Uncles and my Grandfather are Marines.

[BigFreeze99]

I ran away from home to join the circus.
The circus wasn't in town, but the ring master was.
He was wearing in Dress Blues....

[Gunnut88]

Family tradition. My grandpa did 22 years in the Air Force and 4 tours in Vietnam. My dad was Air Force Para Rescue and then a drill sergeant in the Texas State Guard. My oldest brother got booted out after 3 weeks in basic for punching a drill sergeant so I felt it was my responsibility to continue the family tradition.

[BilgeRatBilly]

I wanted to join after seeing Blackhawk Down. Was all set to go Army Airborne and my brother wrote me a letter from Iraq during the invasion and said he'll kick my ass himself when he got home if I did it. Told me to join the Air Force instead cause they were living like kings. Walked down the hall and canceled my enlistment wroth the Army and enlisted in the AF the same day.

Sent from my van down by the river with my new S4

[CrzyChinook]

Well i join back when it was "Be All You Can Be"...

I wanted to serve and see the world...and get the hell out my state... Delaware!!
did split-op and was in a Reserves Unit(was activated for Desert Shield but not Storm) till i completed School(High and Army) then went active and shipped out to Germany... been around the world at least 3-4 times.. had a blast and i wouldnt have changed anything.

[Port66]

Was the pathfinder in my boy scout troop, expert marksman in NRA and search and rescue while playing football, seemed a perfect fit to go recon back in 92. I was going to try ranger after I got out of air assault school, but I hate swimming. lol

[BULLETMAN]

If I could it would be family tradition both my Uncles and my Grandfather are Marines.

Let me start off by saying thanks to all of you who have served our Nation and made the sacrifices you have, I am humbled to be a part of this family.....Thanks

I am in the boat with Thomas, I would LOVE to join...My body has other plans tho...lol,, No cartilage in left knee and 40% in my right been that way since I was 17 1/2..... But like I have said I am one of the most Military Civilians u will ever meet...I come from a family who served and do serve, My dad,uncle,and numerous cousins have all served...... SO i know a bit off topic, Thanks again for EVERYONE here and elsewhere who have served and do serve so we as a NATION can have the freedom to have an opinion that is our own.......OK i will come off my soap box...lol

[Rudquist]

I joined up again when I saw the expert bomb-makers leave Iraq and begin showing up in Afghanistan. At the time the enemy was moving in up to platoon level formations instead of the typical insurgency. I figured if Pakistani intelligence was training these Taliban to this level, I would welcome a head to head. I wanted desperately to be a part of that fight and got myself to a unit that was scheduled for rotation there. BOHICA comes to mind because 5th Stryker took our place even though they were slotted after us. Strykers are not suited for Afghanistan terrain, but I figured, "hell, they'll figure it out and we'll be dismounted most of the time anyway."

[Ir1shm4st3rm1nd]

I joined up again when I saw the expert bomb-makers leave Iraq and begin showing up in Afghanistan. At the time the enemy was moving in up to platoon level formations instead of the typical insurgency. I figured if Pakistani intelligence was training these Taliban to this level, I would welcome a head to head. I wanted desperately to be a part of that fight and got myself to a unit that was scheduled for rotation there. BOHICA comes to mind because 5th Stryker took our place even though they were slotted after us. Strykers are not suited for Afghanistan terrain, but I figured, "hell, they'll figure it out and we'll be dismounted most of the time anyway."

Joined in large part because of 9/11 which happened my last year in HS...didnt get.to go right away and almost decided against going until one of.my close friends was killed. I wanted badly to join the army and jump into the fray, but I allowed my family and friends (one of whom was an AF recruiter) to influence me into taking a technical job in the AF that took advantage of my high asvab score. A decision I regret on more than one level to this day. Basically wasn't doing anything worthwhile at home and events led to a significant urge to join no matter the capacity...thought about going back in a few times after separation in 2007 but have a wife and two kids that would not benefit from that choice, not to mention im just too old and fat now :/

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy s3 using Tapatalk

[smoke]

Got tired of hearing my parents fight and squabble (whom are now divorced) . I had no focus in college, and was just wasting my time and money. Always wanted to travel and see shit, so off I went.

[UH1FE]

I joined because I always wanted to be in the military. I grew up in an Air Force town and wanted to fly. I was to lazy for school so I enlisted. Got a job I hated (AMMO). So I became a Flight Engineer on Huey's and have never regretted my choice. 9/11 happened after I had been in Ammo and stationed in Germany about 10 months, and the shit go real damn quick.

[tentonsledge]

I was 19, married to my first wife with a kid on the way. Had no prospects, college just didn't seem for me. All I wanted to do was hang out with my buddies and party. I was taking care of my Grandfather at the time, he had Alzheimer, during the day and go out all night. Just wasn't going anywhere in life. I had been talking to a recruiter for about a year and one day I called him and said sign me up today. He came and picked me up I signed the paper work and off the grunt land I went. Its funny how it worked out. When I was younger college wasn't a priority for me, now after all these years I am in my third year of college and will be graduating with my step son in Dec.

[Rickety Rob]

Almost every male on my dad's side of the family was in the military.

I joined to continue the tradition and cause it was the best thing i could have ever done

[jgreco138]

I joined because I wanted to be a member of GI Joe.

[BilgeRatBilly]

I joined because I wanted to be a member of GI Joe.

Hands down the best answer so far.

Sent from my van down by the river with my new S4

[Ragingclue]

I was in my fourth year at Michigan and unsure if I wanted to continue in Aerospace Engineering or switch to Film (Production). Then 9/11 happened and I joined the Corps instead.

I was all motarded, asking to enlist as a grunt, but due to my ASVAB scores, my recruiter talked me into a technical MOS in the Air Wing with a cash bonus. I bit.

[toby2533]

was raised to work in the steel mills, my senior year old man lost his job at the mill, they were all shutting down in the early 80's, was having a stoney with my grandfather Iggy (WWII Marine) he said in very broken English you no work your hands to bones, you go join Marines see world then decide what to do, so that next week walk in right to the Marine recruiter and signed up took asvb went open contract to get out 2 weeks after graduation, went boot and got all the pumpkin bread pudding I could eat and sleeped in everyday, LOL

[MikaelTyson]

was raised to work in the steel mills, my senior year old man lost his job at the mill, they were all shutting down in the early 80's, was having a stoney with my grandfather Iggy (WWII Marine) he said in very broken English you no work your hands to bones, you go join Marines see world then decide what to do, so that next week walk in right to the Marine recruiter and signed up took asvb went open contract to get out 2 weeks after graduation, went boot and got all the pumpkin bread pudding I could eat and sleeped in everyday, LOL

Beautiful. I know that story all too well being a fellow Pittsburgh guy. I joined on a whim. Before I joined, I was that snot nosed asshole who thought I was too good for military service. Then I grew up and realized that without us, this country would be dust. It saddens me beyond articulation how our country is now being destroyed from within.


Sent from the Batcave

[RogueScot]

Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to be a fighter pilot in the USAF. When I was 17 I discovered I needed glasses. That killed that dream. When I walked into the house from the eye doctor the phone was ringing, It was a Marine Corps. recruiter. His question was, "have you ever consider joining the military?" My answer was an emphatic, "YES!" I met with him and accomplished most everything I had to do and was ready to join. All I needed was a signature from my parents since I was 17. My father refused to sign. I was pissed. My father was an Army ROTC guy and an expert marksman who used to compete in the National Rifle Matches. He was all set to become a helicopter pilot in Viet Nam before having a car accident and losing his sight in one eye. He fought being discharged. I never thought he would block my enlisting, but he did. Six months later I turned 18 and graduated High School. One of my best friends since 6th grade told me he was going to the Air National Guard base to enlist. Both is father and brother were in the Guard. He asked me if I wanted to come with him. I said I did and he and I stood side by side and swore the oath together. I went home and told my father I had enlisted in the Air Guard. He said, "That's fine." I said, "Then, I'm going to join the Marine Corps." He said, "That's fine, too." I said, "What the fuck, not six months ago you wouldn't let me enlist and now it's 'fine'." His response was that I was 18 and I could make my own decisions. And, he didn't let me enlist earlier because I was just mad and he didn't think it was a good idea at the time. I took the ASVAB and qualified for every job in the Air Force. I chose I job in the Command Post doing Command and Control. It ended up being a good choice. There was a shortage of command and control specialists worldwide for the entire 12 years I was in. I went a lot of places and spent a lot more time on active duty than your normal "guard" guy including working on the first bombing of Libya, Panama and the first gulf war.

[BigFreeze99]

Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to be a fighter pilot in the USAF. When I was 17 I discovered I needed glasses. That killed that dream. When I walked into the house from the eye doctor the phone was ringing, It was a Marine Corps. recruiter. His question was, "have you ever consider joining the military?" My answer was an emphatic, "YES!" I met with him and accomplished most everything I had to do and was ready to join. All I needed was a signature from my parents since I was 17. My father refused to sign. I was pissed. My father was an Army ROTC guy and an expert marksman who used to compete in the National Rifle Matches. He was all set to become a helicopter pilot in Viet Nam before having a car accident and losing his sight in one eye. He fought being discharged. I never thought he would block my enlisting, but he did. Six months later I turned 18 and graduated High School. One of my best friends since 6th grade told me he was going to the Air National Guard base to enlist. Both is father and brother were in the Guard. He asked me if I wanted to come with him. I said I did and he and I stood side by side and swore the oath together. I went home and told my father I had enlisted in the Air Guard. He said, "That's fine." I said, "Then, I'm going to join the Marine Corps." He said, "That's fine, too." I said, "What the fuck, not six months ago you wouldn't let me enlist and now it's 'fine'." His response was that I was 18 and I could make my own decisions. And, he didn't let me enlist earlier because I was just mad and he didn't think it was a good idea at the time. I took the ASVAB and qualified for every job in the Air Force. I chose I job in the Command Post doing Command and Control. It ended up being a good choice. There was a shortage of command and control specialists worldwide for the entire 12 years I was in. I went a lot of places and spent a lot more time on active duty than your normal "guard" guy including working on the first bombing of Libya, Panama and the first gulf war.
You need to continue the story... it was great.

[saviger]

I had always been interested in the Military from a very young age. I would spend hours watching Modern Marvels about tanks/planes, and documentaries about the wars our county has fought.

Then two things lined up:
1. Had just graduated HS in 2001
2. 9-11 happened
Just few days later. I quit college and asked for a job in the Army "That goes out and finds bad guys" Recon (19D) is was, and the rest is history.

[BigFreeze99]

These stories are purely amazing, no matter how abbreviated some are. I stand among many heroes here.

[Stonezulla]

I was the first and only person to be drafted since Viet Nam.

Yep, I'm that good.

[River_Rat_459]

Like a few others mentioned, it was a combination of family tradition and wanting some money for college. Went into the Army DEP program in 1987. From 1988 to 1994, I was on active duty. Went into the IRR until mid-1995 when I got my honorable discharge. Went to the Army Reserve in the fall of 1996. Held two civilian "MilTech" (dual status) jobs during that time before retiring in 2011.

My dad was in the Army Reserve for a long time before eventually becoming a AGR recruiter (which he did for a whopping 14 years). Before becoming a recruiter, he was a member of the same reserve unit I would join after leaving active duty. For a few years in the 70's, my dad, my uncle (who had also just left active duty), and the man who would eventually become my father-in-law, were all in the same reserve unit I eventually called my own (459th Engineer Company (MRBC)).

My maternal grandfather was in the Army in WWII, serving in the ADA. My paternal grandfather was a transport boat operator in the Pacific in WWII. My maternal great-grandfather was in the infantry during WWI.

[KaNtSt0PMeH]

I was the first and only person to be drafted since Viet Nam.

Yep, I'm that good.

Like a boss!

[HAVOK]

After a very regretful argument with my Mother in '99 over some stupid family bullshit, I cut ties with everybody I knew and moved out of state to just change my life completely. I was heavy into drugs and didn't see myself quitting without just leaving the whole situation. I spent the next few years bouncing around the midwest. I took odd jobs here and there in Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. I was really living check to check, scraping everything together just to eat once a day sometimes. I was working in Oklahoma for a company called R.E.C. doing right-of-way maintenance when 9/11 happened. My crew and I drove down the road a bit to the farm of on older gentleman who let us into his home to watch the news coverage, just in time to see the second plane hit Tower 2. I was floored. I still to this day can't recall this event without my eyes tearing up. The look on that old farmers face was something I'll never forget. He looked like I felt, ANGRY. I had never in my life felt such a sense of purpose than I did in those next few days. After wandering around like a vagrant for years, I knew I'd found what I was meant to do. I walked into the Army recruiters office that following week once our job was done and REQUESTED Infantry. My AASVAB scores were high and my Recruiter tried to get me to consider other MOS's but I stayed with Infantry. I WANTED combat. I don't tell family & friends the reason I joined was because I wanted to KILL every motherfucker I possibly could for what they did to us, because they don't feel like I do and they won't understand. They'd just think I was crazy or overly aggressive. But that's the truth. That's it. I wanted them dead. And I wanted to be the one with the blood on my hands.
So I joined. Told nobody. I just left. Entered the DEP program in December of '01 and was sent down range in late January of '02. I graduated ITB an Expert in everything. The only one in the Company to do so. I excelled at being an Infantryman. I came in 3rd in the Company in Marksmanship, but no one clapped for me when they read my name to the crowd of families at graduation. I had no family there. While the other guys were having their Fathers put their Blue Cord on them, I had our platoon Drill Sgt. do it for me. I felt a mixture of loneliness and pride. I had done it on my own with no help or encouragement from loved ones. I had none, but it didn't matter to me, I was assigned to the 101st Airborne and was dying to get to my Unit. The next year was a blur really. The all too familiar time wasted in garrison, broken up by training and field exercises. We finally deployed in '03 to Iraq and, well, most of you know what that was like in the beginning of the war. No need to go into detail about that, thats not what this thread is about, another time maybe. So thats my story.

[BULLETMAN]

I was the first and only person to be drafted since Viet Nam.

Yep, I'm that good.

That is when u know your just that good, When they come to you!!! Kinda makes you feel like Rambo......We have a mission for u...........lol