why the military

navy2016

5-Year Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2009
Messages
609
What aspects made u guys decide to join the military?

I just want to get a feel to know if the military/academies are for me.
 
Military: A high sense of purpose. A need to give back to the country that opened every door to me that I could ever have wanted opened.
Academy: The honor code. The challenge. The amazing training opportunities.
 
For me, it's a personal thing that is very hard to put into words. I have always felt a calling to serve.
 
Like MorganC, for me it simply felt like the right thing to do. I have always considered the military and I have no problem protecting the people of this country (or people in general) with my life.

I also intend to have a college education. Service Academy/ROTC= Military + Getting college out of the way.
 
Chance to make a positive impact
Sense of purpose
Unique opportunities (see any civilians flying F-15s?)
Challenge
Good education and training
Good career and financial sense

The more I investigated, the better it sounded
 
TO KILL! HOOAH!

Ah, I'm just kidding. For me, it's a privilege and an honor to be given the opportunity to serve. It's something I've wanted to do for as far back as I can remember.
 
The USAFA motto:

Integrity first, Service before self, excellence in all we do


Besides these young men and women are the best and brightest in the country. I sleep better at night knowing they defend our freedom.




RGK
 
The USAFA motto:

Integrity first, Service before self, excellence in all we do


RGK

Those are actually the core values of the USAF. It may very well be the motto of the USAFA as well (a cadet or alumnus would know for sure), but it does have a broader reach to include the whole Air Force.
 
Saw "Star Wars" in my pre-teen years, wanted to be Luke Skywalker. AF was the closest I could get to an X-Wing, so I wanted that route. (One of the biggest disappointments when I got there was that the lasers my jet fired didn't have cool sound effects or blow things up.)

Seeing that Goose was married to Meg Ryan in Top Gun clinched it for me.

(Married to Pima, so I did even better....)
 
I don't know if it was Top Gun or The Final Countdown that did it for me.
 
Like many SA grads you'll find, I just sort of fell into the whole thing. It was never a dream of mine as a boy to be in the Army. I found that a lot of the folks I met who were like that (or claimed to have been) were not always the most "normally socialized" individuals. I went to WP because it was, I thought, the best opportunity that was presented to me. I am glad I didn't attend U. Chicago or Yale, as I think my life would have taken a totally different direction. Sometimes we make the right choices for reasons we only discover later.

My grandfather and his brother were in 1st Ranger Co. in Korea. My grandfather was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame, so the Army seemed like a decent legacy to carry on.

As a young man of 18 (a boy, really) standing in formation in Beast, I found myself thinking that I didn't know about this whole Army thing, but at least no one would be dumb enough to start a war with us, so I figured I'd probably be ok and learn some interesting things. Now, ten years and three deployments later, I guess I have a slightly more informed perspective about the realities of combat, death, and the prices that are paid.

In the end, when you finally decide that the Academy is for you and that you'll stick it out (which at this point you honestly cannot know), it's a good idea to come to grips with the fact that you may someday find yourself in the valley of the shadow of death. That being the case, do everything you can to be the meanest mother****** in the valley.
 
In the end, when you finally decide that the Academy is for you and that you'll stick it out (which at this point you honestly cannot know), it's a good idea to come to grips with the fact that you may someday find yourself in the valley of the shadow of death. That being the case, do everything you can to be the meanest mother****** in the valley.
Probably a good idea to figure that one out before committing...

While I wasn't amongst the "let's give it a try" group, I actually read up on the academy during my junior year of high school. I'd never seriously considered the military prior to that (I'd been interested in mil history and technology for a long time).
 
Probably a good idea to figure that one out before committing...

Like I said...they can't know at this point. They can only think they know, and think it well enough to convince themselves to give it their full effort. In the end, it isn't for some people no matter how much they thought they wanted it. The process and the grind just breaks some people down and they opt out. If everyone could know for certain beforehand, they wouldn't let you opt out after two years.

Don't get me wrong, I was a summer seminar attendee and made several visits. I knew what I was getting into (as much as anyone could) but it was not a life goal of mine.

In a few years, you may see it all a bit differently. You still have T-bird exhaust in your hair from graduation! ;)
 
Sprog

I kind of knew that, I work with several Air Force retirees. When I was at the Academy 3 years ago. I read it and broke down in tears. My kids did not understand. It make glad to live the country we do. Thanks for all you guys do.

RGK
 
The original attraction was doing something non-traditional that got me out into the wider world, then it became the honor of serving and the challenge of leadership. On the practical side, equal pay for equal work despite gender, race or ethnicity, plus benefits and job skills, were very attractive to someone who was a "poor scholarship kid" who rode a bicycle everywhere, ate rahmen noodles and worked 3 part-time jobs during college. Best decision I ever made in the area of life work.
 
The original attraction was doing something non-traditional that got me out into the wider world, then it became the honor of serving and the challenge of leadership. On the practical side, equal pay for equal work despite gender, race or ethnicity, plus benefits and job skills, were very attractive to someone who was a "poor scholarship kid" who rode a bicycle everywhere, ate rahmen noodles and worked 3 part-time jobs during college. Best decision I ever made in the area of life work.

Just read your profile...yeah, I'd say it turned out alright for you!
 
Chance to make a positive impact
Sense of purpose
Unique opportunities (see any civilians flying F-15s?)
Challenge
Good education and training
Good career and financial sense

The more I investigated, the better it sounded

+1
These were all things that I like about the military. I wasn't a "life dreamer" either, junior year was the first time I considered it seriously.

As far as the academy goes, I decided that my ultimate goal was to become an officer in the Army, and I decided that the academy would provide the best preparation.
 
Dunno. Maybe I watched too many vintage WWII movies as a kid.

All I know is that I wanted to be in the Navy since I was 4 years old. Go figure.

Of course, reality was a bit different than the movies.... :cool:
 
Dunno. Maybe I watched too many vintage WWII movies as a kid.

All I know is that I wanted to be in the Navy since I was 4 years old. Go figure.

Of course, reality was a bit different than the movies.... :cool:

Wait, so you're telling me that aircraft carriers don't really go through time portals in sea squalls?
 
Back
Top