Did a family member serving influence your decision to serve?

My decision to enter the military was in large part influenced by my FAMILY. My grandfather was a WWII Army Vet. One of my uncles was Navy and the other was USMC and served just after the Korean War. My step grandfather was USAF. My 2nd cousin was USMC (Vietnam vet). My father was USAF and did one tour in the early 60's.

And it was also influenced by my FRIENDS. A friend of mine from high school went in the Marine Reserves and came back all buff after bootcamp. Another friend had a brother who was in the USMC and he was tough as nails. My ex-girlfriend's brother went into the Army and the neighbor across the street had a son who went into the Army. The neighbor on the other block joined the USMC, and further down the street a kid joined the USAF.

I viewed serving in the military as a way of giving back and fulfilling my patriotic service, and it was also a way of getting money for college and not having to lean on my parents to supplement the cost of my tuition. I really didn't know what I wanted to do and wasn't sure if or when I was going to use the educational benefit, but wanted to have every opportunity available for when my direction was more clear. Basically, I wanted a break from school and time to clear my head and figure out what I wanted to do in life.

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Enlisting allowed me to check the block, fulfill my patriotic service, learn a trade and see the world while preparing for college or whatever other opportunity might be there at the end of my enlistment. I really didn't see the military as a career -- at that time.

As for which branch of service I joined... I was open to them all and checked them all out. My cousin went into the USAF and I went into the USMC. My father was USAF and his father was USMC. Go figure. The grass is always greener.

As for the choice I made, the USMC was good to me and it became a career. Whatever choice you make, you must bloom where you are planted.

My dad served in the Navy for 27 years and retired a full Commander (O-5) and never completed his college degree (was commissioned toward the end of WWII). I also remember doing a family tree project as a kid and My Grandmother showed me the family tree and we had a relative in the battle of Lexington and Concord. Currently we have several family members serving.

I have a Dad that served in WWII with two of my uncles, and a Grandfather that served in WWI. That background certainly influenced me in my decision to serve.

Both of my Grandfather's served in WWII (one Army and the other Army Air Forces), I had 2 Uncles in the Navy (one a Vietnam veteran), and my Mother retired from the Navy. So yeah it had some influence. The main reason I enlisted though was being given a choice between that and getting a job and moving out or enlisting. Mama didn't raise no slackers!

My father and grandfather both served in the Army, my brother was in the Navy, my cousin in the Air Force, and we've had at least one member in the military in every generation going back as far as we can track the family in this country (heck, even had some serving back in the Old World).

Ultimately it was something I wanted to do, but the family history probably inclined my mind towards service even before I started consciously thinking about it.

Pretty much thats what i did and i actually like it, majority of my family has served wheather it be NG, Reserve or AD, i am just keeping the tridition going which so far has been an awesome expirence

Sherman, I am going to be speaking on the topic later this year but it's funny you created this thread because I absolutely believe serving is a family business. Some of my best days were actually giving the oath of enlistment to my three younger cousins - all in Lakeland I might add! I firmly believe family/friends are typically one of the main reasons people join. Got my own fire team to carry on the legacy after I retire :)