warwhatisit good for wrote:
I just wanted to know if anyone has ever joined the military out of strong patriotic duty and regretted his/her decision once they got in?
The reason I ask is that I currently have a great job, with a very stable company. I grew up relatively poor and have worked very hard to get to the position I am in. The problem is I can’t get over the feeling that I should at least give a few years of my life to protect the freedom that I enjoy. I assume there is loads of BS and bureaucratic red tape.
Anyone have any similar experiences?
Thanks for any input…
I'm a career Navy officer and still serving. I took the oath in June 1983. At that time, I had no idea if I would like the Navy or not. I did have a sense of patriotic duty I wanted to fulfill, and I was very aware of the opportunity being offered to me with an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. In my 4 years at Annapolis, there were times I absolutely hated it and thought there would be no way I would serve a day beyond my service obligation. Yet once commissioned and out in the 'real Navy', I matured quite a bit and came to love serving this country as an officer. I have had amazing experiences, been to many places, and endured many hardships. In the last 22 years I have spent over five of them away from my family. But through it all, I have honestly come to appreciate my service as an honor and a blessing. When I leave it, it will be with the conviction that it was a life well spent serving something greater than myself.
One of the motivations for joining the military should be patriotic, selfless service. If that isn't part of it, you're making a mistake. Of course it's a two way street, and we should be offering you something in return: skills, experience, etc... But no one should come to the military with a 'me first' attitude.
Of course, there are many ways to serve your country without joining the military. The military is not for everyone. For starters, being a productive and law abiding citizen is patriotic. Helping in your community is patriotic service. Checkout the American Volunteer Corps if you want many ideas on how to serve the country in other ways.
Our military is full of thousands of great people. Men and women who in many cases could do far better financially on the outside, but who choose the service life instead. There are Americans who do not appreciate this and simply hate the military, but in my experience these are in the minority by far. Most Americans appreciate that talented people choose the military life.