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

Honestly, I never knew what to expect. I was glad my recruiter was honest with me and told me everyone's experience differs and no matter what I tell you, it will never prepare you for your own experience. That may be vague but it was a simple truth that didn't give me any false pretenses or unrealistic expectations.

My relatives were all over the place with which service, (if any), I should join.
Dad & his mom wanted me to join the Navy.
I really wanted to join the Marines like my maternal uncle did.
I tested for every service, the recruiters all told me: "Anything, Anywhere son".
I finally decided to start off part time in the Idaho Army National Guard.

It's pretty much as I expected..I had an honest recruiter. What I realized when I got out and after all the years that have passed is how much of a brotherhood the Corps is. The vast majority of us are tattooed with it and even to this day Marines celebrate the Marine Corps birthday regardless of how long they served or how long ago. Semper Fi

Got what I expected.

I love my choice to become a Marine.. Though I've had less than a "Marine Corps" career. After MCT at Camp Geiger I went to a Naval base in Florida for Training, follow-on training at an Air Force base in Texas then got stationed on an Army base where I work for a outside civilian agency while living in Air Force Barracks. Kind of a sweet gig to get all the perks of the Marines while enjoying the life of the other branches.

The army made me the man I am today. Was going down the wrong path and the army fixed that real quick best decision I made!

I'm knew exactly what I was going in to, I joined shortly after my father joined. So like most Military Brats, we normally follow the steps of our parent that was in.

I had been to Germany as an exchange student and spoke German. I chose the Army because it offered the best chance to go back. I ended up enlisting to be a Russian linguist and spent several years in Germany, so that met my expectations.

If I had it all to do again I would've went Coast Guard. For Political reasons if at any. Protecting our Borders and assisting folks who have cam upon a need for help would have been a better way for me. But at the time I enlisted I didn't even know about the Coast Guard as a way of life. I was living in Central Ohio where there was no influence,

I'm satisfied with my choice to join the USA