During basic training and tech school, I remember being asked repeatedly why I had chosen to enlist in the United States Air Force. I, like most enlistees, gave the quick response of “To serve my country sir!”. The truth is that my real reasoning was more complex. I had wanted to see the world and further my education. The job I had been working was not satisfying to me and I desired to be fulfilled professionally, financially, and educationally all at the same time. Simply put, I had desires and I saw the Air Force as a means of fulfilling those desires at the time.
We all have stories about why we chose to enlist or for some what led us to commissioning. A close friend once told me that when he was a teenager and 911 happened he had wrote to the Marine Corp and even through they told him he was too young (15 at the time), they kept in touch with him for the next three years. For him that was the reason he enlisted; to be part an organization that did not write off his interest just because he was too young. My father enlisted in the Army because he wanted to leave his hometown and see the world while being successful. My mother enlisted in the Navy because she was tired of struggling with dead-end jobs. My father-in-law enlisted twice during Vietnam because he felt he had no other career options.
Regardless of the reasons why, all veterans chose to serve. Even a friend of mine who was offered the choice of jail time or Army enlistment made a choice. Yes his alternative option may have not been an ideal one, but he was still given a choice and he chose to serve. That one choice might have had an impact that you could never imagine. You met and befriended people you would have never had a chance to interact with otherwise. You saw locations and sights that some only dream about. For better or worse, your decision to enlist has affected your life. It is subjective as to whether the effect has been beneficial or not.
Do you ever regret the choice to enlist? While I sometimes regret the path I took and some of the resultant choices, I never regret the decision that led me to walk into the recruiters office. The decision resulted in me losing a ton of weight, making some new friends, and living in cities I did not even know existed. It resulted in me having career options when my service ended and paving the way to establishing a great life for myself and the family I recently formed.
I want to thank you for your service. I also want you to thank yourself for your service. Thank yourself for making the choice to be more then what you were. You chose a path that many would not. A path that may not always lead to greatness but tries to promote it every step of the way. Keep that in mind next time someone asks you why you enlisted.
