Why did you join the military? Why did you leave?

20 straight and out the gate plus 2 degrees.

My Older Brother joined and then I followed

My father gave me 3 options Go to College, make As and Bs and I'll pay for it, Make C's and D's and you'll pay for it or Join the Military, I'll said I'll join the Military, He said he was kidding, he wanted me to go to college but that wasn't my thing and I was plenty tired of school and I sucked at it. I joined the Navy and went back to school except it was in something I was good at and something I enjoyed. They took an Electronic Mischief Maker and made me a Telecommunications and Communications Security Technician. I got to go to school for my chosen field also went to school on the PDP-11/70 System, Minor Repair of Xerox Equipment, OJTd on the LDMX Computer System and associated Equipment, Went to Telecommunications Managers School and Tactical Intelligence School. I got to be the Forest Gump of Military Intelligence just like Forest Gump appearing in those pictures at significant parts in history. When things went Weird and History was made I was somehow involved. I will recommend the Life as long as I suck air. Best Job in the World is a Navy Spook. Diverse Experience, Want to see the World! Join My Navy!

There were two primary reasons. The first was that I didn't believe that I could get into college ( it turns out I was very wrong). The second is that I always knew I wanted to join. My family has a history in the military. Granted, most of my family was Army and I went Navy, but still...

Part of it was for country but to be frankly honest I just wanted to jump out of whirlybirds and blow shit up.

My grandfather was one of the "old guys" when he was already in his 20s when the draft hit for WW2.

You grow up seeing a silent, first-generation American (my great-grandparents where Irish immigrants) hobble around on 1.5 legs, and you learn at a young age that the only thing that keeps the scary world at bay is loyalty amongst family and citizens.

A sense of duty and responsibility toward my country.

Joined becasue I always wanted to serve, got posted on the border in Germany first thing, what a thrill and a mission, had all the best opportunities, got the best slots and the most awesome duties along the way, winning an Army competition and much more, Forest Gump story comes to mind, everything went my way for over 7 years...until ODS, after the Gulf and the transition form the Cold War to the "new Army" with cutbacks, spending cuts and no real mission, I saw no reason to stay in as the "busy duty" we were doing everyday had ZERO meaning. I needed a mission and I still do t this day. I got out at 8, in 1993 I stepped off base in my dress greens in Schweinfurt, Germany and drove to Berlin where I started a civilian life and still have a residence there to this day.
Steady on!

I first joined the military and an enlisted nuclear electronics tech.   As i sat in the schooling, i saw officers that led in a way as to detract from good order and discipline.  However, i did see a lot of officers that i looked up to and wanted to emulate.  After the first part of my schooling, i decided to take the officer commissioning route.  Now i want to be able to lead those who are in my charge the way that the officers at nuke school led me. 

when I was in sixth grade Desert Storm started we had pen pals that were soldiers and Marines over there. I found out about the sea cadet program and joined it for the next four years. I decided that I wanted to become a pilot but I didn't do very well at math and instead of going through the Academy I would move up from the ranks I turned down my endorsement and signed up for the Marine Corps when I was in 11th grade. I was in the delayed entry program for a year before I went to bootcamp, I had the time of my life. I left boot camp as a lance-corporal because of my time in the sea cadets when I was in combat training I twisted my ankle but I made it through. I had some troubles while I was in pensacola resulting in a rank reduction to private, I was able to get meritorious PFC from A school then meritorious lance from my next school and if i hadn't gotten into trouble I would have been assigned to the president's plane but instead I went to cherry point, NC and spent another year walking around with bone chips in my ankles. They had me on a med board and gave me several different jobs basically doing nothing then they decided to just admin separate me. Now I am still quite lost, even after fifteen years, I had planned on being a lifer. Now I am falling apart literally. I think of the trade centers and the war on a daily basis and all my companions that have been over there, and wish I was still in. I feel like I let my friends down by not being there ! As for the political crap I think it sucks that this have gotten so off base with everything they need to be doing but as members of the armed forces we do what we are told. I envy you being able to do what you do on a daily basis teach your charges well and respect for what they do. Thank you for your service to this great country.