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

like everything in life, it is not what you expect. That does not mean it is bad. I was in a lot of sports, so the Army was easy for me. I already had the mindset needed. I would do it over again, if I could.

No it was not what I expected, but more. Two of the units I was in we did a lot of goofing off. FT.Sill 225th Maint.co. & 536th Maint. co. Shcofield Barracks Hawaii. even though I was always in a maint. co I wished we had more realistic combat training & more real qualifications on different weapons. When I was in Hawaii is when Desert Storm broke out we were on standby to go but did not get the call to go, so we never got to put our skilss to test in a real combat situation.

Flip a coin and move forward.

It was my only choice. My Uncle was an SFC stationed in Germany and I wanted to be like him. Signed up and never looked back.

I expected a bit more from them. Seemed like when I injured my back and hip they decided I was less than human. Instead of following my doctor's orders they did everything they could to undermine the care I was receiving. As a result, I have permanent back and hip injuries with nerve damage. Prior to that time I loved the Army.

I always wanted to join the military, and for much of that time focused on the CG. When it came time to choose, I talked to almost everybody else, just in case. My father was Air Force, so that was a serious consideration. The Navy offered me a really good pipeline. But I ended up sticking with the Coast Guard as I felt it would be the most satisfying start to finish. I have no regrets. There's times I wish we had the overall pride of the Marines, the resources of the Air Force, the specializations of the Navy, and the unit structure of the Army, but the grass is always greener and the CG has the most things I'd wish for if I were on the other side.

I originally wanted to go to the USMC.
My father was a Marine, so, I felt obligated to do the same. After my ASVAB and visit to MEPS I was told that (at the time) I was too old to go to the Corps, as their cut off age was 28 and they wouldn't be able to get me into Boot Camp before my birthday a few weeks away. Plus, I wanted a specific MOS and they informed me that there was no guarantee, other than job field...so, while I may get Intel, I wouldn't necessarily get CI.

Enter the Army - they could take me right then, and give me the MOS I wanted based on scores and of course completion of training. It was up to me to not fail out.
I wouldn't say I was disappointed - I mean, I got everything I wanted for the most part...however, after EASing and taking up a role working with the USMC, I see how much I missed out on the kind of comradery they share.
That, I think, is my biggest disappointment.
It truly was a different experience.

Uncle Sam's Misguided Children
I expected to be pushed harder in boot camp. But, I pushed myself harder than i should have and have the plate in my leg and scars to prove it. I gained 51+ pounds of muscle in boot camp and broke my femur not a year later during training. That was over fifteen years ago and I still frequently sing cadence in my head. Maybe I should see a shrink. :)

For the most part yes, extremely challenging, not a ticket for benefits.

I already had the gouge from my older brother. I knew I was joining the Navy and no other branch. I procrastinated when it came to going to see the recruiter. He talked me into coming down by offering free pizza, I joined for free pizza. The pizza was good so, yes, it was everything I thought it should be.