What was your reason to serve your country? Did this reason change while serving?

Originally I enlisted because I wasn't a good student in high school so there weren't going to be any scholarships thrown at me and I don't come from a family that could afford it. After a brief stint and a 7 year break, the itch got bad enough that I went back for 4 more years. After another year off I came back again, this time with the MOS I really wanted, not the one I was conned into. Now they're stuck with me until I'm too broken or they tell me to leave.

SFC Stephen King "What was your reason to serve your country?"
If I may, your question may be better asked if you add "And did your reason change over time" or the like..

"What was your reason to serve your country?" for me can not be answered in a single reason.
I JOINED because it seemed an honorable way out of a life style I was not pleased with being in.
I stayed for almost 29 years because I felt the Nation needed a military, and if it needed one, it needed folks in the military that were pretty good at it....and I found I was pretty good at it.

I enlisted wanting money to finish my college education in Accounting. What I did not do is stick to my guns and go into the right rating for myself. I allowed my recruiter to talk mr into being an Electronics Technician. I loved doing the hands on and could trouble shoot gear that was not working properly. What I could not do is take the test very well. I wanted to be a Sea Bee or linguistics where my accounting courses would help me advance and finish my degree. It took me7 years after I left the Navy to go back to college and I finished my degree in Education. I did this with having full custody of 3 children.

The draft was in full force when I enlisted in the Air Force in 1966. At that point in time for every nine draftees eight went in the Army, one in the Marines. The Air Force and Navy never resorted to the draft. I had no reason to believe if I didn't enlist I wouldn't be drafted and I might have more choices. My high school grades were ok, I could have gone to college but I suspect I may not have done well if I did due to lack of motivation. I had no idea at that point in life what I wanted to do so it also gave Me some more time to decide.

draft...1972-74

I served because i love this country and i love planes and the navy. VF-74 aboard the USS Forrestal. Plus i hated high school, it was boring and i aced every test without studying. This was before our school had a gifted program. I love my service and i wouldn't change it for anything.

I wouldn't call it a thing of the past. Remember that while the numbers were high during WWII, there was in fact a world war going on and the security of America was at stake. I'd like to think that if we ever deal with another Hitler you'd see a similar outpouring of volunteers.

I serve because I'm able to and because I know that I'm not gonna be any good anywhere else so I figured I'd better be useful to society

We were at war.

It was the first ride I could find out of a crap situation when I was 18. Yes there were some other factors as well but in all honesty I was taking the first ride I could find to get out of my parents house.