Was choosing your branch of service everything you thought it would be? Did you expect more or less?

I expected to go to sea more. I'm a second generation sailor and believe that sailors belong on ships and ships belong at sea. Sadly, I had my dreams snatched from by a detailer who didn't pay attention to detail. I was supposed to transfer from Diego Garcia to the precom ship, USS O'Kane DDG 77. I was gonna meet the ship up in Maine and take it to it's final port in Hawaii, spending two more years in Hawaii. Well, either my detailer, or the precom detailer "lost my packet" and my billet went to someone else. So, instead, I got NSGA Kunia, HI. You can imagine my surprise when I got my orders. So, I called the detailer who said, "Oh sorry, I didn't realize you wanted to go to sea." Further proof that no one reads your dream sheet, which for me said, "Choice 1: Ship. Choice 2: Ship. Choice 3: Ship." So, she says, "Call me next week when the new billets come out and I'll get you a ship" I called the following week and...She had PCS'd. The new detailer didn't care because I already had orders. Grrr....

I ended up spending a grand total of a couple of days at sea in my seven years in the Navy. Don't get me wrong, I would do it all over again and I don't regret my choice, I just wish some things went down differently.

I got what I expected with the army, there were some things that were better then expected, and some worse.

Original pick senior year in high and, U.S. Marine Corps, but thanks to my special needs hearing... NoGo... I was beeping on every beep in the hearing test, there were three others that was in the sound proof chamber too, the lady administrative support tech???? Who gave the test was talking to someone outside the chamber, but anyway after test failed was sent to aid station for ear cleaning then failed again beeping every beep, still NoGo. Years later tried Army after my one heartbreaking split from the girl even my mom liked! Thats the killer, mom likes the girl and tells you to keep her?!?!?!? Wow she was the shit!!! LOL but went in expecting war zones not non deployable training unit, but No reality expectations except war and die or live to die a soldier... I'm not suicidal all mental support people say the same.. But my love for better drove me to G-Ds path and still struggling to get on and stay on it , but am rolling with HIM, you want me to be honest asking HIM permission for the way to be opened to HIS Paradise valley, You'll struggle with yourself and I'm serious about it... But that'd be your build process to open the super highway to Heaven... But chose wisely, your still not there yet but HE meant for me to be Army and not combat cause I'm on mission right now because theirs one who is in need and I'm the back up...!? Army of O.N.E. , Thank You All For Your Service.. YO JOE !!!!!!

I wanted to join the combat arms initially, and still do. My father was a prior Infantryman, SF and a Cav Scout so he would not allow me to join if I was going to choose the CA's route; I was 17 at the time and needed a legal gaurdian to sign off for me so that I cpould join the Army...
I've been stationed at Ft. Detrick for just under 2 1/2 years now and wished I could have been doing more with my career to this point. I would like to experience things like a deployment or two, Ranger school and some other goals of mine. I love the Army more than any organzation but would like to experience more 'Army' oriented posts and eventaully "Be All I Can Be". Hooah!!!!!

Absolutely!!! No regrets whatsoever!

When I first started down this path, I began taking Air Force ROTC classes in college my first semester. To be quite honest about it, they seemed rather disorganized, and none of my classmates seemed to take it seriously. Essentially, it was simply not my idea of the military. In the middle of my next semester I enlisted in the Marine Corps, and shipped for boot camp later that same month.

For myself, it was never really and option. I always wanted to be in the Army. I Grew up in the Vietnam War days, it was always on TV and I associated myself with Army from that young age. All I wanted to be was Army. When I turned 17 I joined Delayed Entry, Upon Graduation I left 12 days after I walked across the stage. For 20 Years it was everything that I imagined and sometime very much more. I owe everything I have become to my experiences in the Army. I wouldn't change a thing.

I had no delusions about joining the Army, I needed the regimen and discipline .

Retired CG, decision that lead me here was family history & fascination with the sea. Maternal Grandfather was captain of CGC Manning, maternal Great-Grandfather was on revenue cutter Bear

I actually was Army ROTC while in nursing school. I wasn't under scholarship, just knew I wanted to join the Army after I graduated. Unfortunately there were too many nurses in 1995 so the Army said "no thanks, we have too many nurses". I graduated and worked as a civilian nurse for a couple years, then researched the Air Force. They needed nurses and so I joined. As far as everything I thought it would be...... No job is just that. Every career has its ups and downs. However, the Air Force has been great to me. 2 deployments and a scholarship for grad school. Hard to believe I have been in for 15 years already.