Why did you join?

[Steve Wilkins]

Ok, doing some unscientific research here.

What made you decide to join the military? Was it to pay for college, the greater good of the country, or did you opt to join for other reasons? Did you enlist or seek a commission? Why did you choose the branch that you did? What in the military did you want to do? If you just wanted to fly, why not fly in the civilian world and what makes flying for the Navy better over the Marine Corps and Air Force, or the MC over the Navy and AF, or AF over the Navy and MC?

Note: Serious responses only. Others will be deleted.

 

[The Chief]

Ok, doing some unscientific research here.
What made you decide to join the military? Was it to pay for college, the greater good of the country, or did you opt to join for other reasons? Did you enlist or seek a commission? Why did you choose the branch that you did? What in the military did you want to do? If you just wanted to fly, why not fly in the civilian world and what makes flying for the Navy better over the Marine Corps and Air Force, or the MC over the Navy and AF, or AF over the Navy and MC?

1. To Fly Jets.
2. Enlisted. Recruiter said with my grades, test scores and etc, I was guaranteed a NavCad slot, hands down. Passed up USMA appointment to go Navy.
3. Civilian world did not have jets, then.
4. Did not consider flying for other services, cannot remember why not, probably recruiter.

 

[T-man]

I don't mean to be nit picky but I don't see the CG in your list there

I am not yet in the military, but currently applying. Here are my reasons if they apply:

I am applying because I am tired of temp work and want a steady income to (hopefully eventually) be able to support a family.

I chose to persue a commission because I already have 2 bachelors degrees and thus, in my mind, did not make sense to enlist.

I am persuing flight because I have always had a dream of being a pilot and I'm an adrenaline junky, and heights does it for me (whatever IT is ).

I chose to apply for the Marine Corps. because they have impressed me the most of all the branches (that "the few, the proud" mentality). And lets face it, they are the toughest to get into, and so I see it as a personal challenge. If I can get in, I will be that much more proud of my accomplishments.

edit:
I've also had a desire to travel to various parts of the world, though I understand that may not happen in the military, it is far more likely to happen for me there than on my own.

 

[A4sForever]

I "lived" the military from @ age 7; read about it, studied, dreamed.

..... I wanted to be part of the best. So it was the Navy or Marines for me ... never considered any other service. U.S. carrier Naval Aviation is the best --- and that was my focus. I wanted to fly off carriers --- if I couldn't do that --- Marine infantry. Black shoe was O.K. (I would have done it if physical limitations prevented the other two) but " haze gray and underway" was in third place on my Navy-Marine team "dream sheet" ....

 

[DanMa1156]

Go Navy!

I'm still yet to join, but the reasons are the same as A4's really. I have wanted to go Navy since I was in the 2nd, 3rd grade really. I've wanted to go to the Academy since I was in about the 5th, 6th grade. Earning my commission and getting a chance to earn those coveted wings of gold have been my focus in nearly everything I do and has given me motivation to always give my best. I've always felt that U.S. Naval Aviators are the most superior of any service in the world (probably because I saw "TOP GUN" at a young age, haha ). In the beginning of high school, I researched the other services just to make sure that the Navy was the one that was the one for me, and I knew the Army and Marine Corps weren't for me, and the Coast Guard looked real cool, but what did it for me against the Air Force was where their bases were and the other jobs available besides those involved in aviation. I realized that if I didn't get an aviation/NFO spot in the Navy there were still jobs I'd like, whereas in the Air Force, I wouldn't want to get shafted and have to live in some underground silo monitoring nukes... not for me. Plus I figured the Navy is a good place to go see the world and the people I met from the Navy were people that I felt I could fit in the most. I just have always thought the Navy are the best at what I want to do, and I want to be a part of that team.

 

[feddoc]

What made you decide to join the military?
I was 17 and wanted to serve my country as did my dad, brother and uncles. That was in 73. I will retire in two years.

Did you enlist or seek a commission?
I enlisted. Turned down a trip to prep school because I wanted to get married. Didn't. Did 6 years decided that my two options (either go to the Forrestal or go back to the Forrestal) were not what I wanted. I got my RAD, did some reserve time, and got a few more initials after my name, then came back in.

Why did you choose the branch that you did? The Army recruiter was not in the office. (I wanted to go to Vietnam...missed it by one country) Three consectutive times...but, the Navy recruiter was. SHC John Riley. Soooo, here I am. No regrets.

What in the military did you want to do?
I wanted to use my education. Getting to fly is a huge bonus

 

[TurnandBurn55]

Hrmm... wish I could remember all the reasons of a confused 17 year old haha..

I'd always been reading up on the military and known a lot of folks in the service... so there was an ingrained interest. Though I never seriously though about joining myself, to be honest, until I got into a school which would cost a few doubloons more than my folks had... so someone recommended the ROTC route (which I was certainly not averse to even if I hadn't thought about it)... I tried it out... I went up to VF-101 during CORTRAMID and got to fly the mighty Turbo Weenie... and I was hooked.

 

[Super18Ordie]

Well I was in high school and I was dating this girl named Lindsay who lived next door to me. Well her dad was a Cheif in charge of the entire recruiting district in which I lived. Well I would go over her house and every time he would ask me "What are you doing when you get out of high school?" Well at the time I had plans to go to college. Well I applied to got accepted into three schools but they werent going to front the money and I grew up poor so I couldnt ask my mom to pay for it and I didnt want to be paying off student loans till I was 40 so I went over to Lindsays house and again her dad asked me "What are you going to do when you get out of high school?" So I told him my story and he said come by my office tomorrow. This was the summer before my senior year so I went down to his office and we sat around and talked and the next day I was down in at MEPS getting a physical. At the time I was slated to come in the navy as a musican I had already auditioned and made it, but right before I left for boot camp I changed my mind because Navy musicans advance really slow and the prospect of playing Anchors Aweigh and Sousa Marches every day didnt really appeal to me so I switched jobs and became and Aviation Ordnanceman. Made AO2 after 3 years when I would have probaly still been a MU3 by now. So it all worked out.

 

[brd2881]

I had a bunch of teachers come up to me in high school and brought up the military to me because they thought I would be a good fit. They also knew we didn't have much money and the only way I could go to a good school was through the military. I honestly never thought or really dreamed about the military when I was young, but I definitely thought about flying. The boat school took me right out of high school and I knew I wanted to fly out of there. The pride of the Marines really attracted me and the feeling of belonging to something bigger than myself. The rest is history, I wouldn't trade what I am doing for anything in the world.

 

[metro]

I believe that every man has a duty to leave the world better than he found it. I knew that by finishing my BA in Business and going to work for some corporate machine, perpetuating a system whose irresponsibility and unfeeling nature I despise, I would be doing not only myself, but my world, a disservice. I felt that the way to make the world a better, safer place in which to live was to join the Navy. I want to help people, in any way I can, and I feel the Navy is the place that will afford me the most opportunity to do so.

 

[Super18Ordie]

I was trying to get you to tie all that into what your status is now. Applying for a commissioning program? Why? What community? Why that community? Etc.

I want to try for LDO/CWO to be an ordnance officer. We will see how that goes. I figure Ive been doing Aviation Ordnance for the past 6 years I might as well stick with it and see where it takes me.

 

[Fly Navy]

Ok, doing some unscientific research here.

What made you decide to join the military? Was it to pay for college, the greater good of the country, or did you opt to join for other reasons? Did you enlist or seek a commission? Why did you choose the branch that you did? What in the military did you want to do? If you just wanted to fly, why not fly in the civilian world and what makes flying for the Navy better over the Marine Corps and Air Force, or the MC over the Navy and AF, or AF over the Navy and MC?

Note: Serious responses only. Others will be deleted.

1. Desire to serve my country. Did it pay for college? Yes, but that was a fringe benefit. Patriot sense of duty was number 1.

2. Commission. NROTC.

3. The Navy is forward deployed, typically the first in a hot zone, and traveling the world is just cool. And I will say it, Top Gun influenced me.

4. Fly jets.

5. The civilian world does not offer the flying that the military does. You don't get to fly tactically and kill the bad guys in the civilian world. Nor do you really get to defend the country.

6. Naval Aviation is the best in the world. Carrier aviation is what attracted me. The Navy has a rich tradition and I wanted to be part of it.

7. I'm drunk right now, but this should all be accurate.

 

[Fly Navy]

Curious...when you've been drinking, is there really much difference b/t #1 and #7.

Seriously, when did you seek out a recruiter and what was it you were thinking when you did?

Not sure what you mean by difference, but if you mean does it change? Absolutely not.

I actually did a delayed enlistment for the nuke program (submarines) during my senior year of high school. I did it because I wasn't sure I wanted to go to college right away. Maybe see the world, etc. But, I then decided I wanted to pursue my lifelong dream of military aviation. So, I applied for NROTC and got it without a problem and applied to my 1st choice school and got it. It worked out for me. So, my DEP "tour" ended and I got "released" to NROTC, went to college, got commissioned, and now here I am in Meridian.

 

[gregsivers]

I was influenced by my dad, who was an NFO in F-4s in the 80s. I was exposed to Naval aviation as a kid, and it stuck in me forever. He took me to his base all the time and I knew thats what I wanted to do. Then of course I saw Top Gun, which only made matters "worse". I applied for the ROTC scholarship 2 years in a row, didn't get it the first time around, but got lucky the second. Going into college all I wanted to do was fly, but my unit's XO continually harped on being a naval officer first, then aviator/whatever second. I still wanted to fly, but was ready to serve the Navy in whatever capacity they gave me. Fortunately, someone somewhere deemed me good enough to be an SNA, and I wouldn't trade a day right now.

 

[Kolja]

Never sought out a recruiter.

Not in your order, but here goes;

1. To fight and win my country's wars.

2. Why Navy? To fly.

3. Why not Air Force? To fly off boats.

4. Why not civilian aviation? Because civilian aviation doesn't turn bad guys into hair, teeth and eyeballs.

5. Why not Marines? Because TBS is time I could have (and in fact did) better spend flying off of boats.

And finally (and believe it or not this is the part that humbles me, and is NOT meant as blowing my own horn): US Naval Aviation is in fact the best in the world. I wanted to be a part of it. I am humbled that now I am.