former us amy soldiers please...?

Question

i'm a college student writting an analysis paper on what soldiers are really signing up for when the enlist. i'm targeting this to men and women who are out of the service for various reasons. any help that's goven would be greatly appreciated.
thanks, AnnaMarie

Answer 1

Gonna do a report and you can't even spell Army it's only a 4 letter word

My Father is a WW1 vet served combat in germany, WWII he helped build subs for the Navy

My 1/2 brother was in germany and then shipped to Korea for another 6 years

My sister was in quartermaster Corps in Mo. for the duration of VietNam

I served in Germany during the Berlin Wall build up
Sgt 16th Sig Btn


From some one that served The Major problem with the US Military is the US Congress trying to Micro Manage the Military like they did in NAM, there are too many stupid SOBS that have no concept of the US Military ( Bill Clinton is #1 Idiot )

Answer 2

I'm still in...but I'll answer anyway.

I enlisted in 1990, because the Army had my dream job. I thought i was going to love it, but I soon found out that as a lower enlisted, your dream job also entailed scrubbing toilets, mopping/buffing floors (hate it!), picking up cigarette butts when you are not a smoker, and getting chewed out by piss poor leaders who use their rank to make up for their own insecurities. In 1994 I waved goodbye to Germany (loved it!) and came back to the states to earn my degree.

Used my GI Bill money to start the degree, but found out that the National Guard offered tuition assistance...so I joined up again...this time it was not my 'dream job' but rather a unit close to my house. Hated it even more, but the money was a necessity, and the tuition assistance was a big benefit.

So, finished my bachelors degree...what to do now? I found out that a unit that once again held my 'dream job' was in the area I wanted to move to...I move, and get back into my field. STILL hated it, (what's wrong with me?), but due to circumstances beyond my control (ha!) I finally started to make rank. I went to the Army leadership schools for enlisted folks and started to learn that the Army doesn't actually teach their sergeants to be jackasses, rather they just pick that stuff up on their own, usually due to poor mentoring on the behalf of their own mentors. The more I learned about Army leadership, and values, the more hooked I became...Due to my time in service (I was 9 years as an E-4) I made E-7 in the minimum amount of time, and made it my goal to mentor Soldiers and other NCOs in proper leadership. Worked well, and I found it quite rewarding. But, in my particular unit E-7 was the top rank I would achieve, so...

..fast forward 7 years, I decide (at the ripe age of 35) to go officer in the Reserve. That's where I'm at now, and I still love it.

Overall, I joined for the college $$$ and the opportunity to do what I love...Thus far the Army has paid more than $40,000 to me in GI Bill, student loan repayment, and tuition assistance for my undergrad and masters degree. I have 17 years come August, and only 3 away from a pretty nice (about $1500/month in today's dollars) retirement at age 60, along with TRICARE for life, which essentially is medial coverage until I am elligible for MEDICARE and then a MEDICARE supplement after that. If MEDICARE goes away, I am confident that TRICARE will step up to the plate for retired veterans in one way or another.

I also have to say that I have not seen Iraq, and I know that I am in the minority in this. Things might be different in my outlook if I had, and perhaps I still might.

Answer 3

I enlisted for a bunch of reasons, but primarily because it was a family tradition, my 3 older brothers and my Dad all served. At the time, I wasnt thinking that tho, I was thinking about all the places I would see and all the things I would get to do, plus I was 19 and a newlywed and I honestly needed the beneifts the service provided.
I cant speak for everyone, but I know alot of guys doing what I was (airborne) did it for the excitement, the thrill of doing it...

Answer 4

AnnaMarie, here you go
I was 21 years old when my girlfriend left me, my two year old beautiful German Sheperd named Ginger was run over by a little old lady that worked at the bakery and killed right in front of me, I had nothing to live for after that, living in a town of 5 thousand out in the country where there is no work, I decided to do what I always wanted to do, Join the Army.
I enlisted in 1981 and found that the Army was meant for me, i married and had a little girl in 1984, I was divorced in 1991 and decided to get out of the Army and be with my little girl as I was given soul custody of her. I tried many things but they have always failed, my daughter means more to me than anything, but after 911, when she hit 18, I signed back up in to the Army National Guard, I was 43, in no time I found myself in Afghanistan, sponsored two orphanages there, and along with the many things ive done in my life, these were the greatest, serving ones country and doing good, what more can a man want,respect comes to mind, my family is proud of me and many of my nephews have followed my path, but above all else AnnaMarie, the love for ones country, the chill you get when you here our star spangled banner play, and the pain you feel when one of ours has been killed in action, thats why we serve, and I hope you do good with your analysys project.

Answer 5

I want to serve and here are my reasons:
freedom isnt free so I want to do my part in securing it, its a challenge in the constant struggle of life, a way to be all I can be, a huge selfless sacrifice, puts life in perspective knowing you could die (just like how when foreigners come to america from an opressive country they appreciate the freedom so much more) having your life on the line helps you to appreciate life more, I said also that personally its a challenge, the conflict of good and evil, you really live.

Answer 6

I've still got a few months left, but basically I enlisted because I wanted to do my part in helping to defend the country.

Answer 7

One of my close friends is planning to enlist as soon as she can, because she will have to pay her college tuition herself.

Answer 8

What a rude thing to write about. You cant just ask around, you have to know them and know what they go through.