What are the best excuses you have heard for people not joining the military?

Marriage, divorce, paying off the car, don't like someone telling me what to do [they must not be married], dying are just a few of the excuses. Remember, this was during Viet Nam era.

I have mixed feelings about this question. Do know that I am a retired 350F and I spent 23 years in the military. I realize that the military does instill discipline, provides training, GI Bill, health care, etc. My husband is also retired & virtually every male in my family service & my brother gave his life in the marines. Here is my answer to your question: I 100% believe that the military is an individual choice. I do not believe that people need an excuse as to why they didn’t join nor do I look down on those who didn’t join. Even for lazy, misguided youth, again, I believe the military is an individual choice & they do not need a reason why the military is not an option, a simple no is fine and I do not look down my nose at these young people. I don’t believe in pressing people to join and I don’t believe that the military is the only place to become a better person, it is not the only place to get an education and/or work. It does not necessarily make one a better person if you are able to tolerate intense physical training and multiple deployments to combat zones. I think we
should be proud of our service, not boastful. I am in a completely different profession now, the healthcare profession, and I sometimes wonder what took me so long to get here. I do know that the military is a necessity & it does provide training, guidance, leadership, education, discipline, and experience. I 100% believe it is an individual choice & I am not above those who chose a different path. Finally, and again, no one needs an excuse for not joining & I have never thought less of anyone for not serving.

Got this when calling a college list while on recruiting duty, “I’ll join the Army when I fail at life.”

I don’t wanna have someone tell me when I have to get up.

My younger brother...I was in uniform when I took him to a recruiter. "Have you smoked pot in the last year?" Little brother, "Yes." Recruiter, "If you say yes, you can't enlist. I am going to get another recruiter to ask you that question again." Second recruiter, "Have you smoked pot in the last year?" Little brother, "Yes."

The best one I heard attributed to our out-going Commander in Chief is people who join the military are "suckers" and those who are captured, MIA or KIA are "losers"!!!

The best Excuse was "My mother won't let me" from a 31 year old man.
The guy was from my church. His father and sister and he are American born Asian ethnic. His mother is foreign born. He and his sister are stereotypical Asian overachievers. He has a BSEE and JD. He seems to have little drive since graduating content to work at jobs way below his capabilities. As a contrast his sister is an MD.
During the last recession he was out of work and doing deliveries. We had a conversation about a career and the Navy came up. I told him about the benefits and he said he'd give it some thought. We met again a couple of weeks later and he said he'd like to talk to someone. I'd already done that and the recruiter told me that had a need for Civil Engineering Corps offices and JAG had openings for lawyers. He would be paid well and all his uniforms would be free. He agreed to talk to the recruiter who would arrange a meeting with officer recruitment.
The morning of his appointment he called me to cancel. I told him that I was disappointed. I made no mention of his mother but did remind him that at 31 years of age it was time to start making his own decisions. I called the recruiter and talked with him. He said the guy wouldn't be considered for an appointment again.
I consider this a sad family dynamic. In my family my 7 siblings and I all were gone by 18 years old. We didn't go to college but we got decent jobs and learned trades. My wife left at 18 for a small college hours away from home. It's normal to want to start your own life. It's become so commonplace for people to live at home until their mid 20s now that we even joke about guys living in their mother's basement. My son left for college at 18 and moved 6 hours away when he graduated. He's married with children. That to me is the way it's supposed to be.

There was a scene from the movie Boyz in the Hood, when Tre(Cube Gooding), was trying to talk his friend Ricky(Morris Chestnut) out of going into the Army. He said:"You go in, you belong to THEM. The Government."

Takes 10 showers a day. Can’t get dirty, she’s to prissy for the military. This is what dad told the recruiter about my sister. All I was told was not to join the Army or the Marines. I went Air Force.

Most of my High School friends, myself included joined up when we turned 18. I always knew that when I turned 18 I'd go into the Army. My only regret is that I wasn't as good of a soldier as I should've, could've been. (just from being young and having my priorities out of whack), other than that, all in all I enjoyed my time in the Army. I never really heard anyone making excuses for not doing any military service and I never asked anyone. some people have what it takes, some people don't