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

I went in to the NAVY with a clearly defined path in mind, I worked hard and played the game all the way through boot camp, A-School and and finished the A-6 syllabus at NAS Oceana on time. Desert Storm came and we dug some Sailors out of the sand and got their remains back to their wives and families, shot thousands of Intruders off the boat, yes, I got what I expected.

Four boys, three went to play in the sand box 20 some years later, they would not listen to me, their great uncles, grandfather or myself and are disenfranchised.

My opinion is that service is exactly what you make of it, a bad attitude and poor inner talk will bring the best sailor to the brig every time!

I was in the Air Force. During my time I would always run into men and women from other branches, and we would always say "Man I should have joined another branch. I have to say my recruiter Sgt. Solchaga was a douche bag. Never on time for any appointment. I lost my guaranteed job because of him. I was signed up for 6 yrs start at E-3, and was going to be a Radio Communications Analyst. Instead I was DDA Transportation. The very last Direct Duty Assignment.

I was firefighting at the time, I then went Navy Reserves and this was right when we went to Afghanistan. I did not get my Billet that I wanted in the Navy Reserves and I had always made a vow that if I ever got to the point that if the Emergency Medical side ever became a "job" I would quit. I never got picked up full time on a fire department and I burned out working for a private ambulance service. I talked to my Navy Reserve unit and they agreed that if I wanted they could let me go Blue to Green (although not actually Blue to Green because it was not Active Duty to AD). I made the determination that it would be more fun to take lives than save them, so I went and talked to an Army recruiter and they offered me Armor. I shipped a month later. I was Iraq bound seemingly the next day, but I got in right in the middle of Rapid Deployment. I earned a lot of being blown up, lots of firefights and a TBI. I do not regret it, I came out to Hawaii because I was chasing a deployment to Afghanistan but got off loaded literally the day that we were going to draw RFI for it.
I came in with the goal of achieving the same rank as my dad when he was in, I have done this and I will get much further before I get out (if all goes well). I was not really as prepared for all of the crazy "hey yous" but I learned to simply adjust fire on it. I got to make Tanks go boom, I got to do a lot of things that normal people never will get to.
The thing that I would say is the hardest thing, is that people say that they hated deployments, but I was most comfortable there, it was simple, get up, go on mission, stay alive, go home, get a nap do it again.
So yeah the Army has given me everything that they said they would and then I have dealt with the crap that they have given me that they never tell anyone about, because if they did NO ONE would join.

I actually joined the service I hadn't even thought about. I had never given the navy a thought but I'm so glad i did now I get to be a plank owner of the most advanced warship in the world's greatest navy!

My stepfather suggested air force. The recruiter was lazy, uninformative and continuously flirted..
Navy recruiters seemed to never be in the office and the Army wasn't in the area.
Gunny Strokos was straight up about how much the Marine Corps would suck. I appreciate a straight forward approach to a car salesman any day.
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He was right ;)

I started off on the Navy, regretted getting out, and wanted back in. Unfortunately, the Navy wasn't taking Prior Service at the time, so I went to see the Marines...... No Prior Service allowed there either! So, I wound up in the Army. I enjoyed both Branches for different reasons! Unfortunately I was unable to finish out my career due to injuries. But wouldn't trade the experiences for anything!

I have always been a very determined woman. The Navy was the only branch I had considered. I called the recruiter's office and the rest is history. The only advice I got going on was from a prior Navy recruiter who said on Day 1 "when you go to the galley, stick to fruit, whole grain cereal, yogurt, and juice/water." He said I'd understand why later. I'm so glad I took his advice... But that friend also made sure I didn't have false expectations or "promises" that I should expect to be fulfilled. Best decision I could've made, after choosing Christ.

It was the Vietnam Era and I had a low draft number so I knew I was going to be in the service. I figured I might as well pick my fate and decided to base it more on the type of training I'd be getting.
I did know, at the time, that the air force had the highest level of technical training (not to infer it is still so), and I figured it was going to make my time in service more valuable to me. Once I was station somewhere I found that the level of technical knowledge needed was less than I thought.

As for the military culture, I actually had no idea what to expect.

I got more than I thought. The key to success in any branch I believe is by using the tool bag that they equip you with. The Military gives you the tools for success, but it is up to the individual to use them. I love the Navy and if I had to do it again I would still choose Navy.

I originally was going into the Marines. Was training up with them. Then an Army recruiter came to my school. I think I was drugged because next thing I knew, I was in basic wondering where my hair went.