Who Enlisted or took a Commission for the purpose of getting away from where they lived?

2019-09-22T07:59:03-04:00

After reading some comments this morning on a post, I became curious. I Enlisted with the express purpose of getting away from Fayetteville NC. When told at MEPPS that Jump School was one of my options, I said No, thank you, trying not to be stationed at Bragg, you know getting away from here. Any body else?
TSgt David L., Lt Col Charlie Brown,
SGT James Murphy, CPL Dave Hoover,
CPT Jack Durish, Cpl Jeff N.,
SSgt Boyd Herrst ,SGT Private RallyPoint Member,
SPC Gary Welch, Maj Robert Thornton,
CPL Douglas Chrysler, Maj Marty Hogan,
LTC Private RallyPoint Member, SGT Gregory Lawritson,
MSgt Robert "Rock" Aldi, PO1 John Johnson,
MSgt David Hoffman, COL Mikel J. Burroughs,
CW5 Jack Cardwell, PVT Mark Zehner

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Sep 22 at 2019 8:00 AM

2019-09-22T08:00:11-04:00

I was trying to get away from Houston Texas. Ended up in San Antonio after tech school in Witicha Falls, LOL

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Sep 22 at 2019 8:03 AM

2019-09-22T08:03:55-04:00

I enlisted to improve myself and to get out of the house.

Response by CW5 Jack Cardwell made Sep 22 at 2019 8:09 AM

2019-09-22T08:09:19-04:00

I did. Nothing wrong with where I lived, just wanted a change. Recruiter wanted me to go to Ft Bragg, 45 miles from home. I said nope and ended up at Ft Bliss, TX. What a change !

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 22 at 2019 8:46 AM

2019-09-22T08:46:19-04:00

I guess I was just finding myself, getting our of school, moved to and worked in Houston a few years, and then enlisted. My father and all my uncles are WW II vets, so I felt a responsibility to serve, I'll never regret it.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 22 at 2019 9:36 AM

2019-09-22T09:36:53-04:00

That's a really interesting question, honest; I've just gotta give that one some serious thought...sometimes, I encounter threads on here that can be quite thought-provoking, yours was most definitely one such instance, certainly, for real....

Response by CW4 Craig Urban made Sep 22 at 2019 10:20 AM

2019-09-22T10:20:47-04:00

As a cw3 they tried to send me to Bragg. To send equipment to the Sudan. I declined and said sent me to the Netherlands

Response by SGT Matthew S. made Sep 22 at 2019 10:37 AM

2019-09-22T10:37:29-04:00

While that wasn't a part of why I joined the military, it was for a member of my Platoon at Ft. Riley. He was from NE Kansas and joined the Army to see the world... and spent his garrison career at Riley. Irritated him to no end, too.

Response by MSG Greg Kelly made Sep 22 at 2019 11:23 AM

2019-09-22T11:23:24-04:00

I hated my home life. we never stayed in the same place longer than a year. And Mr. Kelly was an abusive asshole.

Response by PO2 Michael Martin made Sep 22 at 2019 11:41 AM

2019-09-22T11:41:35-04:00

OH yah. my mom worked nights and my dad wasn't around. I had an uncle that was in the navy and we talked. When I was old enough, I enlisted. I was going no place fast so what the hell. Unfortunately it was when Viet Nam was going strong. I came back so I'm very lucky and Blessed

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 22 at 2019 11:59 AM

2019-09-22T11:59:10-04:00

Growing up in VA and being surrounded with all branches, I joined because I was always fascinated with the military, was part of family tradition, and I wanted a chance to travel the world and go to Germany. Going from job to job without any benefits while trying to make a decent paycheck was way too frustrating for me, and I am an extremely patient person.

Response by CPL Bob Wiersema made Sep 22 at 2019 12:51 PM

2019-09-22T12:51:17-04:00

I did, just to get away from the life I had lead as a teen. I knew if I did not, I would eventually end up in prison, or dead. One of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. My time in the Army, among other things, gave me the time to "grow up" and remove my head from my posterior! lol

Response by Maj John Bell made Sep 22 at 2019 1:23 PM

2019-09-22T13:23:33-04:00

I liked Tucson just fine, but I wanted to see foreign countries... on the taxpayers dime.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Sep 22 at 2019 1:27 PM

2019-09-22T13:27:08-04:00

I have subscribed to the theory SMs run away or too something when they join the military.

Response by SSgt Terry P. made Sep 22 at 2019 2:21 PM

2019-09-22T14:21:34-04:00

SGT Private RallyPoint Member Liked Tennessee,still do,joined because my younger brother joined(delay program) and then got spooked before he went. He was discharged in Marine basic and i was left,so much for being my brothers keeper. I have no regrets not even VN.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Sep 22 at 2019 3:17 PM

2019-09-22T15:17:12-04:00

While it was not my express purpose, I did want to get away from certain actors, and or environment when I joined. Although the primary reason I joined was the honor of service, coupled with the adventure. I never regretted a day. Thank you for your service.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 22 at 2019 3:17 PM

2019-09-22T15:17:32-04:00

I always wanted to serve, however, I made some dumb choices in high school and realized there weren't too many prime options for me in my area right out of high school. NG offered me an active duty contract and I couldn't wait to get out and see the world.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Sep 22 at 2019 3:39 PM

2019-09-22T15:39:22-04:00

Quick research shows 2.7 million fighting in Vietnam, of those, 700,000 were draftees.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 22 at 2019 4:07 PM

2019-09-22T16:07:11-04:00

Didn't enlist to get away from home, but it was the best thing I ever did in my life.

Response by PO1 Jerome Newland made Sep 22 at 2019 5:23 PM

2019-09-22T17:23:02-04:00

Had an abusive step dad. In our last fight I pinned him. 2 weeks later I signed up for the delayed entry program. 5 days after HS graduation I was gone.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Sep 22 at 2019 7:51 PM

2019-09-22T19:51:43-04:00

75 percent of the recruits from areas of Rural Poverty, Appalachia being the big one around here, and I would guess about the same for Black and Hispanics from inner city slums. It's been a way out for Eastern Kentucky since WWI. The choices were Coal Mines, Moonshine or Moving down the line. The Service offered a paid way out.
My Master Sergeant Father was from Wolfe Co, Kentucky, habitually in the top 50 lowest median incomes in the US.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Sep 22 at 2019 8:39 PM

2019-09-22T20:39:09-04:00

It wasn’t so much as where I was living,it was more how screwed up I had made my life in just nineteen years old,barely graduating High School,heavy drinking,bad crowd,etc,lucky for me a bunch of NCOS and Vietnam straighten out some of the rough edges.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Sep 22 at 2019 11:50 PM

2019-09-22T23:50:02-04:00

I wasn't trying to get away, per se. But once I left, I never intended to go back - and I retired 9 hours away from "home."

Response by SSG Jose M. Hernandezsanchez made Sep 23 at 2019 1:08 PM

2019-09-23T13:08:37-04:00

I enlisted to get away from things that could get me in jail or killed back in Puerto Rico. Now that I look back at that live, I'm glad I made the right choice. Now, going career was not my primary intent, but ended liking the life, and been a videographer.

Response by GySgt Kenneth Pepper made Sep 23 at 2019 1:40 PM

2019-09-23T13:40:17-04:00

I definitely was ready for a change of scenery. California, Japan, back to California, New York, back to California, Minnesota, then twilight tour was Hawaii.
It took several years for me to develop an appreciation for where I came from, and I eventually moved back after retiring. Now I never want to leave.
I also know a few guys who got stationed close to home. Too close. They all ended getting out after one tour, or after getting jammed up.

Response by Jennifer Lee (Doerflinger) Hill made Sep 23 at 2019 10:08 PM

2019-09-23T22:08:56-04:00

I joined to grow up & get out of my parent's house. I wanted to learn & I didn't have a car (or license!), & while I've lived in a few different places, I wanted MORE! Our wee town had no work available & the nearest town was 33 mi away. Additionally, I wanted to join to continue a tradition on both sides of our family of military service. Unfortunately, when I collapsed under PTSD no one told me to NEVER EVER EVER go to a counselor/psych on base. Thus, I lost my TS w Crypto clearance & knew my life was over. (Yep! Melodrama!)
I know so much more, now, & wish I could have gone back & done it over, but hindsight is 20/20.
It took me a very long time to come to grips with everything & I'm in Counseling, again.
Overall, life is very good. I just wish that, as part of one's last day in Basic, everyone would be told that being proactive regarding one's overall mental health must not be done with a military counselor/psych!

Response by SPC Lorrita Morgan made Sep 23 at 2019 11:10 PM

2019-09-23T23:10:42-04:00

Not exactly but when the paternalistic recruiter filled out my paperwork for Ft Lewis, WA and cook Mos, I decked him. It was 18 months later when a wiser recruiter let me choose my own adventure.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 29 at 2019 7:50 AM

2019-10-29T07:50:22-04:00

I did. Ended up back here anyway.

Response by CPT Rell Spratley made Dec 11 at 2019 11:56 AM

2019-12-11T11:56:39-05:00

I commissioned just so that I could get out of Fort Stewart where I was stuck at for 9 years since I was caught in that cycle of deploying, resetting, and then deploying again. I figured that the only way to get out of it was dropping an OCS packet and Bam!, a year later was commissioned as a 2LT and was finally released from Ft.Stewart lol

Response by PO3 Marykatherine Moran made Dec 12 at 2019 5:09 PM

2019-12-12T17:09:27-05:00

I did. I was not raised in a good home. The Navy gave me stability, a fabulous education from making my bed to getting the best technical schools an enlisted woman could have at that time. And I walked away with a solid foundation, a plan in mind for the future, and fortitude to see it through.