Posted on Aug 23, 2014
SFC Mark Merino
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What would you tell your 20 year old self? For the benefit of the next generation of veterans, please share your wisdom and lessons learned.
Posted in these groups: Ab5e0403 Lessons Learned
Edited 10 y ago
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Responses: 182
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I wouldn't tell myself anything. Because if I changed anything in my past then I may not be where I am today. One of my biggest mistakes in life led me to meet my Wife with whom I now have two children. So, even though it may not be the fun answer, it is my truth. I am extremely happy with where I am in life right now and I made it here one mistake at a time.
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PO1 Kenneth Mangione
PO1 Kenneth Mangione
10 y
The only thing I would say would be to study more for advancement.
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LT Clint Davis
LT Clint Davis
10 y
Spot on brother!
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MSgt Dennis Dudley
MSgt Dennis Dudley
10 y
I would tell my twenty year smartass, know it all self to take things more serious. This is proven by very low scores on my ASVAB when I first came into the military. Several years later I sat down in CBPO and retook the test. What a difference in the scores. I realized I could have been going in a more favorable direction had I taken the test more serious. My problem was that I was leaving college and looked at ASVAB as just another test to get through.
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SPC Belinda Wilshusen
SPC Belinda Wilshusen
10 y
I would tell my twenty year old self not to waste my time carousing and partying, like I did, but to concentrate on becoming the person I wanted to be, intelligent, educated, successful, but more importantly, loved and respected.
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LTC Paul Heinlein
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Invest in Apple and Microsoft!
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LTC Paul Heinlein
LTC Paul Heinlein
10 y
MAJ (Join to see),

Well, I was a 1LT when I saw Forrest Gump. And the part in the movie where LT Dan shows Gump he invested in Apple and that he would never have to work again!

I do not know why I did not see the sign at that time!
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MAJ Deputy Director, Combat Casualty Care Research Program
MAJ (Join to see)
10 y
LTC Paul Heinlein I would have been one of the idiots who in the mid-90s invested in AOL or Webcrawler vs Google or Yahoo. If life only life had a respawn...
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CPT Obstetrics and Gyneco
CPT (Join to see)
10 y
I invested in Apple in 1999. :) Yeah I don't really need to be in the Army.
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PO3 Purchasing Manager
PO3 (Join to see)
10 y
MAJ (Join to see) you said" I would have been one of the idiots who in the mid-90s invested in AOL or Webcrawler vs Google or Yahoo. If life only life had a respawn..."

Oddly enough my uncle worked for AOL back in the 90's and they would sell employees stocks 1 or 2 times a year. He would buy it and it would split and split again. He got out before they went down and he made a pretty nice wad of cash out of it. Investing in AOL wasn't a bad decision, not selling at the right time would have been :)
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Edited 10 y ago
SFC Mark Merino. Trust your own judgement about people, places and organizations. Before you fall in love, agree to get married, and work hard to bring a new child into this world . . . be absolutely certain you know the two of you are compatible and want to grow old together. Remain focused . . . treat others as you would want to be treated . . . experience each moment . . . and do what you can do to make those around you feel safe, secure, healthy, happy, fulfilled, and comfortable. Warmest Regards, Sandy
SFC Mark Merino
SFC Mark Merino
10 y
Wow. I hope everyone gets a chance to read this response. Great answer.
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SSgt K Ehlers
SSgt K Ehlers
10 y
Beautifully stated!
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