Why did you choose or not to make a career in the military?

I joined because I believe that every American should find a way to serve the country, and this was a way that suited me. A side benefit was that I had an interest in all things military, and I had a chance to do a lot of things you can't do in civilian life. Once I went active duty and had a family, it provided stable employment with decent benefits that would enable me to support my family. Yes, I've missed important days and events, but service and sacrifice are often found together. All in all, it's been an interesting 27 years.

I joined during the Viet Nahm era because I was classified 1A by my friendly local draft board. As long as you were 1A you couldn't get a good job, a car loan etc. Everywhere I went, such as a job interview, the first question was, "What's your draft classification?". 1A ended the conversation.

I did my four years in the AF, but I was a punk and always in trouble. My reenlistment briefing was, "You're not going to try and reenlist are you?"

Funny thing is that in the end I wound up giving the DOD another 30 years as a civil servant.

Chose to make the Navy my career, then chose not to.

Intended to go for thirty when I enlisted (1949).

But three years at the Naval Photographic Center, where sea duty and transfers were waived, convinced me that thirty years of Washington was no career for me.

When I signed my DD-214 in 1953, LT Odenath joked "Congratulations! You've just reupped for six!" (I knew better, of course.)

"If you want me back," I said, "you'll have to burn the swamp and sift the ashes."

Number one reason I got out was that I wanted to get into a career in Refrigeration (Which is what was promised to me upon enlistment, but you know how that worked in the 60's), and as a Loadmaster on C-130's they wanted me to stay in that career field. If I re-upped, I couldn't cross-train. Loadmaster was a super great job, but not much you can do with it outside the service.
I got out in '70, and started in working on industrial low temp, and very large ammonia refrigeration systems. Temps on 500+ hp freon compressors down to -100, and ammonia systems with 12" liquid lines, and multiple 16" suction lines. That job fed my family very well (and bought a lot of toys) for well over 30 years, with a substantial retirement.
With 632 landings and takeoff's on C-130's in-country, and finding a few bullet holes in the planes during inspections between runs I wasn't scared, but did feel I was pressing my luck. Always figured that the Lord only gives you "so many" safe take off's and landings in a war zone. And with 2 young daughters and a great wife at home....

I look back now, and I still feel I put in my time, and made the right decision to get out when I did.

While on one of my first leave periods in my hometown (1971, Eau Claire, WI), I stopped in to a bar in uniform for a drink (essentially emancipated minor status). The other fellas there were talkative, giving advice and telling tales BUT the thing that stuck with me was that nearly each one stated whether or not they were happy with their decision to 'get out' of the service.

Without exception (as I recall) once the fella had reached 20 years since his join date he stated he wished he had stayed in the service, the ones that hadn't achieved the 20 year mark yet varied in response with most saying they were happy they got out.

I figured they were telling me something... That and I was pretty damn sure I was going to work until I was old or dead and I may as well work for the Navy and get 1/2 pay and medical for life then continue working for someone else. Seemed like a no-brainer to me. I stayed for a little over 21 years retiring in 1992 with a little over 1/2 pay and TriCare Prime medical.

Nice. My dear Father was drafted to Korea, a first gen Italian "wimp" with two sisters by his own admission. He went in young (19), plump and with a business (THE hot dog/hamburger stand in town that he worked at in high school and was soon later to buy from the owner via cash flow) to leave behind. He left Korea a Master Sergeant with two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. He has an incredible series of photos (three pearl shelled albums) that tell the tale of his time there. Some photos are absolutely brutal, other are whilst on R&R. Just great stuff. His photos are a fascinating story and as my older brother and I grew up he would pull them out of "his box" every couple of years and we would recall the stories. This he has done with my three sons as well. They are always left stunned as they mix war with the fact that a man after can be so gentle. Dad is 85 coming June. Dad's words always rang clear growing up, "If I knew you would come back alive I would want you to experience war". Right or wrong, when we hit the age he pushed us towards college as he became disenfranchised. He viewed the "whining" of the Vietnam vets as "whining" and did not grasp the big picture. War was war in his simple mind I suppose. In fact, he didn't care. Anyway, this is as it was.

Never was peace time military material, preferring sweat and blood to spit and shine.

Sometimes I wish I would have stayed in for retirement, but deep down inside, I know I would have been dead long before two decades were up.

I was set to make it a career but wounds changed that, They sent me on my way after only 6 years.

Joined to do 4 years. Ended up doing 20 and change. I liked the travel and the opportunities to do cool stuff by volunteering for the special assignments. Not having a family to worry about, I was always looking for interesting assignments every two years.

USAF, AFOSI, 1977 to 1997

After my initial four year enlistment, I had ideas of staying for at least 20 or more. In fact I was with MI out in Colorado and wanted to put in my Warrant packet, cross train with the MP's and go into the CID. However, a very small minded Company commander didn't see things that way.......his only concern was that it would take him six months to replace me (with all of my clearnaces and access).

There was also a certain "Company" trying very hard to recruit me at the same time so I told the CO that I was not going to re-enlist.

I agree with Dan......sometimes a "Peacetime" Army can really suck. You have no way of weeding out the bad apples........

Was getting divorced and there was no way in hell I was going to let the ex raise my kid in MI while the Navy had me in DC on the next hitch.

SAME SAMO. "Safe" assignments were full of chickenshidt.

If you tried hard enough, there were non-poultry-feces assignments to be had, even in "peacetime"

Thought about doing more than 4 years, but, state department offered too much money to stay in.

Growing up as a dependent, knew I'd spend time in the military, if nothing else, as an expectation...

But nothing was 'going on' so I did not get to complete the training I wanted, as they were doing RIF....

And Since growing up as a dependent, I'd already spent "military time" getting moved all around the planet..

Considered going back in during Desert Storm, but it ended before it got started.. so that kaboshed that...

By the Way Ed, great story about your Dad...

When you see him, give him the Campfire Best Regards and thank him for his service for us...

I grew up in a time when literally everybody had been in the military, including both my parents. The Korean War was raging and WWII was still recent news. Being in uniform was simply part of my makeup. Cub Scouts, then Boy Scouts, then Civil Air Patrol before finally getting to ROTC and the real Air Force.

When the Air Force started kicking pilots out of the service after Vietnam, I cross-trained into a different career field, then left active duty but decided to stay in the Reserves "just in case." Reserve duty turned out to be both painless and promising, so I did 13 years of that, for a total of 23 years of service.

There you have it enlisted out of high school volunteered for FMFPAC did a full tour in RVN and extended for six months. Went in for the second extension and they kicked me out of country. So I got out not a big fan of spit and polish. I went Leo and became a charter member of the new County Bomb Squad. Had to have something interesting to do.

I joined during the Vietnam war because I felt a strong desire to serve my country. Some of us do, others don't. And yes, Bruce Springsteen is totally out of touch with Veterans. He is still lost in the 60's, and still doesn't get it that many of us actually believe in and want to serve our country.

I wanted to start a business! Worked out well!

As an aside...I wouldn't trade my time in the military for 3 PHDs!!

A "part time career. I was USAF and the WVANG and retired with 30 years and 4 months service. I did far more than the "one weekend and month and 15 days a year".

I enlisted, AF, with the full intent of doing 20+

To make a long story shorter, I signed for 4, and they offered me an early out, 14 months early as I recall.
Some Graham-Ruddman budget crap?

Anyway, I stayed, still was pretty positive on going the distance.

At the end of my 4, re-enlistment guy (with feet up on desk)
says to me "Weeeel, you haven't anything on your record that would prohibit you from re-enlisting, so what are you gonna do? (big yawn)

Have to say, in my youthful tender feelers phase, I was a little butt hurt by the whole attitude of the AF.
This is in the time when they were putting folks out on the fat boy/girl program left and right. I was skinny as a rail so it didn't affect me, but left a bad taste, the was some of my friends were treated.

I went home, went to college on my GI bill.

For the best I suppose, I had developed a pretty hard drinking problem, my liver wouldn't have lasted 20

Joined to go kill ragheads at 25yo. I did do that exact thing. I survived, met my wife on leave. Got married and decided it was best to raise my family back home in NE instead of Cali or NC.

Was told in Sept.'66 I was at the top of the list for draft in Nov., so in Oct. I enlisted in the AF. Gave them 5 years. As an E-5 there were 26,000 ahead of me for that next stripe. Was time to go home.

I joined for the personal test, to "see the elephant." I joined way too late, going through Airborne School and the Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP) at the age of thirty. Next thing you know I am watching old Vietnam Vet pilots of the Ohio Air National Guard doing bombing runs on the Commandancia if Panama while I was splitting duty time hunting for PDF and working my behind off in support details. Two two hour breaks a day for six days with the constant smell of JP4 and sweat, and the occasional smell of blood and burnt bodies. I had met men who were heroes. Some of them were dead two weeks later. Some left families behind them and there is nothing that can heal that wound. LG Downing chatted with me during a lull in the day and gave the most inspirational talks I will ever hear. I worked for and with heroes (F*** Salon.com). I had a purpose.

It got into me, like a tame dog tasting the wild. I could never go back to being a true civilian and most civilians where I came from (San Francisco) wouldn't let me anyway. But too many injuries, a faithless wife, and a country that elected Bill "I loathe the Military lifestyle" Clinton led to closing the door on my Active duty career. I tried the Reserves/Guard and made many friends but it was not the same. So in the end I have squandered my life and am struggling with the remnants of it.

At the risk of being maudlin, I really appreciate you guys on the Campfire. I have met only one of you but you are all a surrogate support group that kind of gives me the feelings of the cameraderie I had in the service. And Thank you for loving America, even if she is as faithless and mercurial as my girl.

I didn't want to bounce my kids around.



Travis

I was going to make a career of it. However, after Vietnam and Zumwalt, the Navy went to hell. They were going to take away our Dixie cup and bellbottoms and make us look like the other branches. They were going to take away tradition. The all New Navy. I didn't want any of it. The funny thing is that had I stayed in all of this would have taken care of itself in time. Hindsight.

Jim

Well said, and ditto...

I was 1A, was going to be drafted anyways. Took the lesser of 2 evils or so I thought. Got sent to RVN anyways.

I gave them four years. I got to do Tet. I lost too many friends I went to school with. I left because too many [bleep] in the same uniform I wore needed shot. I gave serious consideration to going to DC and getting the ones who needed it more.

To get paid to do a fun job. The idea of being a combat leader seemed fun. I hunted as a kid and really like to shoot.

After being promoted and becoming an XO, it became obvious that the army was going to be 20 years of mind numbing long hours as a staff weinnie except for company command. Time for grad school!

i joined right after high school because the job market was dismal and i was bored scheeit-ess. got real lucky with job and assignments and considered it a career until i ended up at the pentagon. a buck sergeant working in the NMCC is as low on the totem pole as you can get. locked in there for 6 years and realizing how f'd up it was, i got out while the gettin' was good.

When i was 18, my dad told me, "At the end of the summer, before your sibs go back to school, you will either join the military and move out, get a job and move out, or go to college and move out. Catch the common theme?"

So, I enlisted and left for basic the day before my sibs went back to school.

I was active duty for ten years enlisted, the got my degree and became an officer. Ten years as an NCO and now 28 as an officer.

I came in to get out of the house. I've stayed because of the people I serve with, and the country I serve. I will retire soon with 40 years combined active, reserve and Air Guard service.

It will be hard to leave the suit of blue where I have made my home.

i was under the control of the war criminals Johnson, McNamara and Westmoreland. i succembed to their power, and got out as a worthy individual.

a ton of others elected to vacate the US and move to Canada. i respectfully declined that option, what with the cold weather and all. later, ol Jimmah gave that whole crowd that wanted it, a free walk. a free walk, what a concept.

if only my Father had been rich, influential, and well connected. oh well. i didn't kill any babies, but it wasn't my fault that i didn't.

War is Hell. those folks who glamorize it are Agents of the Debil, imho.