What inspired you or made you want to join the military (or specific branch)?

2017-11-02T13:16:18-04:00

Response by SGT David T. made Nov 2 at 2017 1:28 PM

2017-11-02T13:28:21-04:00

Living out of my car was a big motivation to join. I'll spare you the story about how I ended up with the Army but safe to say it was my last choice lol

Response by Cpl Andrew Vadnais made Nov 2 at 2017 1:43 PM

2017-11-02T13:43:32-04:00

I used to run with the Marine recruiter through the neighborhoods when I was about 9 or 10 back in 1995. Since then I always wanted to join the Marine Corps. With my older brother leaving for boot camp right when the World Trade Center was attacked that day by those goat humpers; I decided that morning sitting on my couch being suspended from school that I was going to join the Marine Corps no matter what. So I joined when my brother was in the invasion of Iraq. Then shortly after that, so did our younger brother.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 2 at 2017 1:57 PM

2017-11-02T13:57:42-04:00

Was out of HS working as a machinist, I needed a change of scenery and vocation, Computers were rather new and the Army recruiter said he had a job working with computers! Wow going to Oklahoma then Ft Stewart Ga. learn about computers possibly operate one ... 13E .... lol I did find my place in life, took a couple of years but hell King Of Battle !!!!!!!!!!!!

Response by SGT Dave Matteson made Nov 2 at 2017 2:40 PM

2017-11-02T14:40:17-04:00

My family heritage. From King Phillip's War to the Cold War the men in my family have been in the thick of it.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 2 at 2017 3:22 PM

2017-11-02T15:22:40-04:00

PV2 J M My father serve in the Air Force, and died serving our country. I am a patriot like my father was. I also felt liking aiding South Vietnam was a just cause.

Response by SFC Jim Ruether made Nov 2 at 2017 3:46 PM

2017-11-02T15:46:54-04:00

A sense of Patriotism and duty to my country. My dad and several uncles his brothers) were all in Armor units during the Korean War and Vietnam War. Two of my mom's brothers served in the Army Artillery and Navy respectively so there was a strong sense of duty to continue to serve I guess. I served in the Artillery from 1982 to 2004 and like most of my brothers in arms, decided to stick it out for the retirement/medical benefits that I would get from our gov't.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 2 at 2017 4:13 PM

2017-11-02T16:13:59-04:00

I wanted to be an Astronaut. I looked and realized the ones making it were all Carrier qualified Aviators, plus a few Air Force pilots (usually test pilots). So, I settled on Naval Aviation as my path, found out that there was this rare critter known as a Naval Aviator, Marine Officer and started exploring what the Marines did different for flying. This was during High School for me.

Before grade school, this happened: "Project Mercury (1959–1963) was the first human spaceflight program of the United States. It ran from 1959 through 1963 with the goal of putting a human in orbit around the Earth. The Mercury-Atlas 6 flight on February 20, 1962, piloted by Lieutenant Colonel John Glenn, was the first Mercury flight to achieve this goal. Glenn was the only Marine to fly in the Mercury program, and also flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998" I started watching the Gemini projects at the tender age of 3 or 4. Then Apollo took off when I was 8.

I never made it and have no regrets on the path life ended up taking.

PS: Maybe the uniform had a small positive influence as well...

Response by SGT Aric Lier made Nov 2 at 2017 5:57 PM

2017-11-02T17:57:45-04:00

Honestly, I too have family that served... but I watched too much tv and seen rambo and chuck and wanted to jump out of planes and blow shit up

Response by MSG Floyd Williams made Nov 2 at 2017 6:26 PM

2017-11-02T18:26:19-04:00

Three of my Great-Uncles who are brothers were decorated heroes in the military, one was in the Army during WWII, and the other two was in the Army and Marines in Viet Nam at the same time.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Nov 2 at 2017 6:51 PM

2017-11-02T18:51:00-04:00

I was a just nineteen year old street corner punk drinking too much and getting into some small time trouble so I figured joining the Army would give me some direction in life,for me the best decision at the time never regretted it for a single day from then till now.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Nov 2 at 2017 6:58 PM

2017-11-02T18:58:06-04:00

Grandpa was in the Navy during WW2, Dad was in the Navy for Vietnam. Seemed like the thing to do.

Response by SGT Matthew S. made Nov 2 at 2017 8:59 PM

2017-11-02T20:59:10-04:00

For me, it was as if a switch had flipped one day. I had always respected military members and had several family members who were veterans, but felt it just wasn't for me. Then, nearly overnight in the latter half of my senior year of high school, I felt with my whole being that it was was I needed to do. In addition to that, this was about six months after 9/11 and I also wanted to serve something greater than myself.

As for choosing the Army, I've always been a "hands-on, boots-on-the-ground" type of person... and not that great of a swimmer. I looked in to both the Army and the Marines (the first person to simply walk in to the Marine recruiter's office his whole time there, no less), but I felt drawn more towards the Army - plus one of my grandfathers had been an Horizontal Construction Engineer in the Army during Korea.

Response by Maj John Bell made Nov 2 at 2017 9:43 PM

2017-11-02T21:43:22-04:00

I was a reckless kid. Not the kind of reckless that gets you in trouble with the law; the kind of reckless that gets you injured or dead. I was lucky to survive to 18 alive and keep all my limbs and digits. My father sat down with me at 16 and told me that he did not believe that I would live to be 25, and because of that, he would not be paying for my college until he had seen marked and sustained change.

I was a good student and I was pretty sure I was going to get some form of scholarship, but was not really interested in any type of career for which one goes to college. I spoke with a recruiters from every branch between sophomore and junior year, but was not really interested. Then I was contacted by a Navy Blue & Gold officer (USNA recruiters) and was intrigued. I went through the process and was a nominated then accepted. Quite literally before that I intended to apprentice myself to a rancho in Sonora Mexico that raised stock for the bull ring. I intended to be a matador (never mind I would be starting about 6-8 years too late).

Response by SSgt Gary Andrews made Nov 2 at 2017 9:56 PM

2017-11-02T21:56:44-04:00

I wrote about the decision making process in my book "God Bless Chesty" if you want to read the long version.........short version: draft was in effect and I had no interest in going to college at that point in my life, so decided to enlist. Thought about "seeing the world" in the Navy, then decided life on a ship would not be for me. The Air Force was a consideration, but they had a long waiting list. So it came down to Army or Marine Corps......neither of those two had a waiting list! I had family that had served and were serving in the Marines.......so it tilted their way. I also liked their focus on being the few......the proud.....and all of that! Never regretted the choice.

Response by PO1 Brian Austin made Nov 3 at 2017 3:39 AM

2017-11-03T03:39:19-04:00

Crappy grades, crappy job, member of a crappy garage band, no money. The Navy recruiter called me first. I had a helluva lotta fun for 22 yrs!

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 3 at 2017 3:57 AM

2017-11-03T03:57:37-04:00

I joined the military because I knew my parents couldn't afford to send both me and my sister to college. I chose Army because my dad was Air Force and I kinda wanted to make my own path.
No regrets. 15 years later, I'm still serving.

Response by SFC Dennis A. made Nov 3 at 2017 8:13 AM

2017-11-03T08:13:51-04:00

The truth is, I was 19 I knew I had to do something with my life and didn't want and couldn't afford college. I started checking into the military and ended up with a great recruiter so i joined the Army.

Response by CPT Dr. William Burns made Oct 24 at 2019 11:18 PM

2019-10-24T23:18:27-04:00

I knew I wanted to and be a military officer. I joined the Navy in August, 1982. I completed Aviation Officer Candidate School in June, 1983. I served on active duty and in the reserves in Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Virginia, England, Germany and Iceland. I left the Navy in December, 1994. In March, 2004 I rejoined the military as an Army Captain serving on active duty and in the reserves in Virginia, New York and finally when I was recalled back active duty as the hearing conservation officer at the Madigan Army Medical Center at Fort Lewis Washington. I officially retired from Joint Base Lewis McCord in February, 2010.

Response by SPC Steven Nihipali made May 25 at 2021 7:03 AM

2021-05-25T07:03:28-04:00

My brother was in Najaf and Faluja, Iraq in 04-05... we got the call, and that's what set me off