5 of the Worst Reasons People Enlist in the Military

Pay wasn't great as a non-rate (E-1 $467/mth, E-3 $680/mth), but when you factor in free food, free place to stay, health care, no living expenses other than laundry and toiletries, it looked better to enlist than work for minimum wage around $2.70/hr (abt $440/mth) in 1979. Earned a $200,000k engineering education on the taxpayer. Traveled to Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Netherlands, Portugal, Bermuda, and all over the Caribbean. Met famous people; Pres. Ford, Ted Turner, Walter Schirra, Amazing Randi, and others. Lived in New Jersey, Connecticut, New York City, San Diego, Florida, and New Orleans while in uniform. All this in eleven years. Not a bad life.

I ain't got nowhere else to go!

I don't know what may have changed since I was active duty, but I got free food (yes it sucked a lot) and did pay rent for 4 years. So the minimum wage I got was basically spending money, or saving money.

I did see the world. Toured in Germany, visited France, Italy, Greece, Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands...something I would not have done without the help of the military.

Getting a job. The army made it possible to afford the university education I needed to work in my profession.

I never had the desire to yell at folks just for the sake of yelling.

I think this article was written by a jaded individual or at least with some ignorance