Did you have a long-term plan when you joined the military?

I had a plan. I planned to complete my 4 year enlistment, then grab my GI Bill and go to college.

That plan lasted through 3 and a half years. I was looking a colleges, and there was Uncle Sugar waving $12k around if I reupped for another 4 years. I was having fun and grabbed the gold ring.

4 years later Uncle Sugar now waved $20k around if I tripped again.

I ended up staying in for 27 years, after an initial plan of 27.

I do not regret one second of my decision to stay.

My training from the service has led me to my second career.

I planned to use the GI Bill to return to college when my time was up. Then I became a very good Air Traffic Controller, and like so many of my brethren I got out expecting to get hired by the FAA. Bottom line I finished college and became a DA civilian and today manage ATC systems and equipment and help prepare the Army for the NextGen mandates. It has been a good run. So like anything else you have to have a plan and a back-up plan.

I had no plan at all.
Last year I Retired after 32 years, 24 AD.
I joined with a Buddy that had the idea. I was on my way to play JC Football and see what happened after that. He quit and I Retired. Thanks Todd. RIP

That's been so long ago. I can remember wanting to make career out of the Corps, but my hearing started going bad on me. So, that ended my military career. I joined the Marines mainly because my dad was a Marine during WW11. Always wanted to see if I could stack up to him, I never did.

I had short term, medium, and long term goals when I joined the Army First I wanted to achieve Airborne SF designation. Second, I wanted to go to Vietnam and be in combat. Medium term goal I wanted to leave to be discharged and be able to use the medical skills to get hospital job so I could go to college and become a lawyer. I achieved almost all of these goals. I completed my SF medical training but was told to leave due to a disagreement with a Lt. But all else was accomplished.

Can one imagine anything less exciting as an IT Professional in Peoria Illinois. One is compelled to enlist even after years later in the Reserves a choice of moving back to Peoria or a tour just west of Ramadi in 2004 with a company of Marines as the Doc of the day.

Not really, enlisted in the USMC got infantry Vietnam 69-70 thought I would stay as long as we had some one to fight, that stopped when my 2nd tour ended, so I ended up with an early out looking for a job that I could make use of my training and experience.

I entered the Army on active duty later in life, 24 yrs old, I had a wife and two small children. I thought I could do 20 yrs and retire. I did 5. I stayed away for 13 yrs then in June of 2001 reentered into the National Guard to finish my career and retire. I have received my orders and on 1 November I will cross over to the ranks of Retired Reserve with 23 yrs.

I thought I would do three years and reevaluate and at 21/2 I said I want to do 30 because I was with a bunch of steely eyed killers with E2/5 and I hadn’t went to Recon yet. Ended up 231/2

I had planned on a 30 year career, but injuries and my wife's spending habits made me quit way sooner than I ever hoped. Became a chef instead for the next thirty years, with all it's ups and downs I think life turned out the way it was supposed to.