what is it like to join the army
Joining the military, for almost, tin exist a life-altering decision.
Some guys and gals know it from the start: they strive to be a part of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines from a very young age.
Yeah, even the Declension Guard too.
Others, on the other hand, aren't too sure if it's the right thing for them.
We've compiled this list of the peak 20 reasons why you lot should join the armed services, and 7 reasons you should NOT.
This listing is based on a recent poll we conducted, where we asked those that are currently serving in the military / did serve what their primary reasons for joining were.
Hither'due south a quick snapshot of that poll:
| Reason | Percentage (# of votes) |
|---|---|
| Serve Your Land | 17.78% (24 votes) |
| Larn A New Skill or Trade | 11.85% (16 votes) |
| See What You're Made Of | 11.85% (16 votes) |
| Get Out Of Your Hometown | 9.63% (thirteen Votes) |
| Travel | 8.89% (12 Votes) |
| Go far Shape | 8.xv% (11 Votes) |
| Save Money | seven.41% (10 Votes) |
| GI Nib | 6.67% (ix Votes) |
| Honor A Family Tradition | v.93% (8 Votes) |
| Become Feel For A Civilian Career | 5.93% (eight Votes) |
| Other | five.91% (8 Votes) |
Hopefully, this listing volition help guide you in the correct direction if you've been on the fence!
Top xx Reasons To Join The Military
#1. Serve Your State
If you feel a sense of patriotism or duty towards the American people, joining the military is a bully option.
Once you've served, you lot'll exist filled with a sense of pride.
In that location's nothing similar walking around in your uniform and having someone thanks for your service.
#2. Go far Shape
The concrete demands of Bones Training and the daily workouts the military machine requires are an added do good to joining.
You'll develop cardiovascular and muscular strength that you didn't know you were capable of having.
Plus, if your job is physically demanding—retrieve infantry—it is your job to be in your best.
Let me put it like this: you'll be getting paid to workout.
#3. GI Bill
In the The states, the boilerplate cost of an in-state undergraduate degree is around $twoscore,000.
For out-of-country, it is closer to $100,000. However, if you utilize the GI Neb, not merely will your tuition be waived, yous'll likewise get paid to acquire.
The living stipend is based on the zip code of your school.
In San Francisco, for example, yous'll make $4,398 a calendar month to get your degree.
The GI bill is i of the best reasons to bring together the military, by far!
Related Article – Summit xv Military machine Schools For Boys And Girls
#4. Be Part of Something Bigger Than Yourself
Most of us go through our daily lives working towards something that is going to benefit united states.
As a member of the military, you'll have the opportunity to serve a crusade that affects the whole world.
When people dorsum dwelling talk about the war overseas, you'll have a immediate perspective to add to the conversation.
#five. Earn Respect and Adoration from Your Peers
I tin't tell you lot how frequently my friends innovate me to others by mentioning my service in the Army.
Almost ever, I get the same reaction.
Wow. That'south really admirable of you lot.
I never brag almost it, but, to be honest, it always feels good to hear.
Not to mention, everyone ever wants to buy me a beer.
#6. Accolade a Family unit Tradition
Maybe your Dad or Mom served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines, and yous want to brand them proud.
Sometimes, military legacies attain a few generations dorsum. Post-obit in the footsteps of a relative can instill a great sense of pride.
Additionally, your family members will be able to advise you on how to be successful while serving.
#vii. Feel for a Specific Noncombatant Career
The majority of jobs in the military will directly transfer to the noncombatant world.
For example, if you lot program on pursuing a job in law enforcement, serve a few years in the military machine police.
Not to mention, having armed services experience on your resume typically goes a long way with employers.
A background in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines shows leadership ability and a stiff piece of work ethic.
Bank check out some of the best jobs available in 2020 below:
All-time Navy Jobs For Civilian Life
All-time Army Jobs For Civilian Life
#viii. Travel
Getting to travel is probably 1 of the outset reasons people think of when because joining the military.
In improver to the obvious places—Iraq and Afghanistan—service-members get to go all over.
The US military has international bases such every bit Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland and South Korea to proper name a few.
Stateside traveling can be just as exciting. There are military bases in Alaska and Hawaii.
Related Article – List of Regular army Bases in the US
#9. Become Out of your Hometown
Hometowns can exist keen. They're comfy, familiar, and full of people you know and trust.
But they can also be traps, and hopping in a motorcar and taking off is expensive.
Joining the armed forces is a great selection if you're looking to get abroad from habitation.
#10. Medical Care
Healthcare is 1 of the most controversial topics today.
No matter your position on the subject, i thing is clear: a visit to the doctor is expensive!
The military provides free and height-notch, full health coverage for its members and their families.
Personally, I met more than a few guys who were ecstatic to finally get their teeth fixed.
#11. Save Coin
If you're looking to go rich, the armed forces is not the best pick for you (run across number i below).
Notwithstanding, since the military provides you with everything you demand, it is besides a unique opportunity to save money.
If you're conscious of your money, information technology's possible to serve and get out with a comfortable savings account.
#12. Gain Worldly Perspective
Y'all'll get to exercise a lot of traveling in the military.
However, one thing I didn't mention is the benefit of all that traveling. Exploring the world and experiencing cultures and people different from your own is the all-time way to gain perspective.
Imagine seeing how people live in the mountains of Afghanistan.
Later on that, you'll have a new appreciation for the comforts many Americans take for granted every twenty-four hours.
#xiii. Learn a Skill/Trade
Joining the military doesn't mean that you have to become an expert shooter or warrior.
In that location are hundreds of unique positions in the military, and many of them apply to the civilian workforce.
You lot can learn every trade, from how to exist a mechanic, driving heavy equipment, to the ins and outs of cryptology.
Check out total lists for the diverse careers bachelor in each branch beneath:
Army MOS List
Navy Ratings List
Marine Corps MOS List
Air Forcefulness AFSC List
Coast Guard Ratings Listing
#14. Friends for Life
Spending every day for an entire year with the aforementioned guys tin can exist stressful.
The flip side to that is that you'll create bonds with people that volition last the residual of your life.
You lot'll take friends that will spotter you lot grow and become married, and friends you lot can call when times get hard.
The people I met in the military make all the suffering I endured worth it.
#15. Early Retirement
With a parental waiver, you tin can actually bring together the military at just 17 years of age.
Now, it only takes 20 years of service to become eligible for retirement.
That ways that yous could collect a alimony, have full health coverage forever, and start a whole other career before you're 40!
Related Article: 15 Best States For Military Retirees And Veterans
#16. Meet People from All Over the US
The U.s. is a huge country, and the people that encompass it differ greatly depending on where they're from.
When you join the military, you'll meet people from large cities and towns of a few hundred.
People from the country, people from the suburbs. Some people that grew upwardly poor and others that grew upward rich.
#17. VA Home Loan
With the VA Home Loan, veterans can purchase a home for zero coin down. Additionally, many of the purchasing fees are waived.
Information technology was hard for me to imagine purchasing a home before I joined the military.
With the VA Home Loan, I found a keen business firm, and I didn't have to wipe out my savings or go into debt to make my dream come true.
#eighteen. Modest Business organization Help
Like to the VA Home Loan, the VA also supports veterans who are interested in starting a pocket-size business.
Here's a direct quote from the Small Business Administration website:
SBA programs provide access to upper-case letter and training for small business opportunities. They can also connect veteran small business owners with federal procurement and commercial supply chains.
#19. Learn Construction and Bailiwick
No matter what your specialty in the military is, your fourth dimension in the service volition instill in y'all a strong piece of work ethic.
The military does not believe in quitting, and laziness on the job is never tolerated. It can be hard at times, but e'er worth it.
When you lot exit of the military, employers volition run into someone who works hard and can be trusted to get the chore done.
#twenty. Run into What Yous're Made of
The armed forces has a limitless amount of challenges if pushing yourself physically and mentally interests you lot.
There is a myriad amount of schools that you tin sign up for, like Airborne School, Air Assault School, or even Ranger School.
Additionally, there are always higher tiers of operations y'all tin endeavour out for, like Ranger Battalion, Navy SEALs, Light-green Berets, or even the peak-secret Delta Forcefulness.
Related Commodity: Green Berets Vs. Rangers Vs. Delta Force: Some MAJOR Differences
seven Reasons To Non to Join the Military
The unproblematic fact of the thing is that the military is not for everyone.
In my time, I met some guys that merely should take never signed up to join.
The following is a list of reasons to NOT bring together the military:
#1. To Become Rich
Different from number 11 to a higher place, the military is not the occupation you lot desire if getting rich is your ultimate goal.
Pay for enlisted soldiers starts at merely $1,600 per month (that'south nether $20K a twelvemonth).
For E-5 Sergeants with a few years of service, the pay barely doubles that.
Even though the opportunity to save a lot of your income is available, getting rich isn't going to happen.
Check out the ranks and pay for each branch below:
Army Ranks and Pay
Navy Ranks and Pay
Air Strength Ranks and Pay
Marine Corps Ranks and Pay
Coast Baby-sit Ranks and Pay
#2. To Kill Someone
This is really one of the biggest reasons why guys want to bring together the armed forces, although information technology's a chip misguided.
Though I wanted to seek revenge for my fellow countrymen and women that died in 9/xi, I drew a clear distinction betwixt that feeling and wanting to kill.
I was prepared to take a life, simply I never wanted to.
If you want to join to know what information technology's like to kill, y'all've watched too many movies, and real soldiers are going to laugh in your face.
#3. On a Whim
Joining the military is a huge life conclusion and not one that should be taken lightly.
Whether or not y'all plan on signing upwards for one of the combat-related jobs, you will be signing away at least three years of your life.
Where you alive, how you get to wearing apparel—for a few years, these decisions are not upwardly to y'all.
Recall it over.
#iv. To Print a Girl (or a Guy)
Let's just keep this i short, shall we? Yous become to Basic Grooming and come out physically fit.
Related Commodity: How Difficult Is Army Basic Training?
Yous go off overseas and come back with a worldly perspective. You're a meliorate person all-around.
What's the girl/guy back home been doing since you've been gone? Moving on.
You should as well.
#v. If You Want Command Over Where You're Going to Alive
Earlier I joined there was a rumor that I become to write downwardly my top 3 preferred duty stations.
Unfortunately, that's just patently incorrect.
The military places its members where it needs them, hence the term "service."
It takes years of serving and moving upward in rank until you become whatsoever say in where you tin can alive.
#6. If You Really Tin't Imagine the Thought of Complete Structure
If you can't imagine being told what to exercise, where to become, what kind of tattoos yous tin can have, and how to clothes every day, don't join.
Additionally, the rank construction in the military is a one-way road. No exceptions.
Your leadership should never belittle you lot.
All the same, there will be times when y'all are expected to take verbal and/or physical penalisation.
On superlative of that, y'all are not allowed to give your side of the story.
#7. If you don't similar exercise
It should get without saying that the military is going to demand that you run, push, pull, sit-up, and climb on a regular footing.
While some jobs need more than others, every soldier, Marine, Seaman and Airman is expected to pass physical fitness tests.
You don't need to be a stud to succeed in the military, but if you really hated P.E. in high schoolhouse, I don't suggest joining up.
Ofttimes Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are some of the benefits of joining the military?
Some of the near pop benefits of joining the U.s. military is the job training, educational assistance, steady paycheck, health coverage, and housing benefits. See a total listing of the benefits hither.
What are the requirements to join the armed forces?
Requirements vary between branches, but overall, you must be between 18 and 34 years of age, have a high school diploma or equivalent, no serious medical issues, exist physically fit, and able to laissez passer the ASVAB with the minimum score.
Which military branch is the best?
While each co-operative offers unlike opportunities, well-nigh airmen will say that the Air Forcefulness offers more than for those interested in applied science. Recruits interested in combat or a future in security would prefer the Army or Marine Corps.
What are the healthcare benefits of joining the military?
Agile duty service members and their families get free medical care under TRICARE. Retirees can receive free health intendance from the Veterans Administration, while honorably separated members tin can receive low-cost intendance if they run across the income caps.
Will the military pay for college?
The military offers several ways to help pay for college, which is specially useful if you're just graduating High Schoolhouse. The GI Bill provides upwardly the 36 months of schoolhouse while on active duty and for 15 years after. Active duty members besides receive 100% tuition assistance for career teaching.
Decision
If yous've been thinking about joining the military, just are unsure where to start, check out this commodity.
It gives a solid breakdown of what life is like in each branch of the U.s. military machine, and is a tremendous resource.
In whatsoever result, there are enough of practiced reasons to bring together the military.
It's all a matter of figuring out where your priorities are, besides as weighing the pros and cons in your own electric current life situation.
Hopefully, this article helped guide you in your journey!
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Elie Piha served equally a paratrooper in the United states of america Army from 2008 to 2012. He used
the GI Beak to graduate from UC Berkeley where he majored in English. He
currently works as a writing tutor, a freelance author, and a bartender, is
completing a novel based on his time in Afghanistan, and is pursuing
graduate school.
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If yous click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no actress toll to you. I only recommend products I take personally vetted. Larn more than.
Source: https://www.operationmilitarykids.org/reasons-to-join-the-military/
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