My entire life since high school has general revolved in some way around the Army. I have served as an enlisted Soldier in Military Intelligence, a junior officer in the Infantry, and now as a more senior officer in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. Because of this background, I am frequently recommended by friends and family to individuals who are thinking about joining the military.
The first thing I tell individuals who are considering the Army, is how much I enjoy serving. I can't imagine where I would be today without the values, training, opportunities, and mentorship I have received during my time in the service. I also have achieved a fair amount of even just materialistic success because of opportunities the Army offered me. College scholarships, G.I. Bill, reasonable pay, job training, etc., and from this perspective alone I would recommend the military to anyone.
The second thing I tell them is that if you grew up knowing what you wanted to be, or if you have a plan, then go ahead and follow that dream. But if you are unsure of what to do next, not sure about college or how to apply, or not sure of who or what you want to be, then you should give the Army some serious thought. The above sentence describes who I was going in to my senior year, and while I am not proud of my lack of direction, it was the reality of who I was and where I was at that time in my life. Thankfully for me, I decided to look into the military, and it changed my life forever in a thousand or more positive, healthy ways.
Early on, most people I talk to are surprised at the vast variety of jobs that are available. Not everyone has to be a “trigger-puller” or infantryman. You can be a medic, a military policeman, a computer specialist, a paralegal, or literally a thousand other jobs. I encourage individuals to just go in to see a recruiter and ask to see the list of jobs. For the more modern age, go online. As of the time I write this, the link is: http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs.html But you can also just google “army jobs” and see for yourself. I challenge anyone to go through the list of jobs and not find at least 10 or so that seem really appealing and interesting to you.
The third thing I tell the younger individuals is that despite how it may seem at the time, the four years between 18-22 are going to go by pretty fast. Those that I talk to who are already 22 or older just nod their heads in agreement. And those four years could be used to teach you so much about yourself. It will give you opportunities to meet people from all across America and maybe even around the world. Just seeing how other people act and live will change who you are and open you up to ideas you might never have thought of. You still have to choose to surround yourself with people who are good role-models and that make positive healthy choices, but there are an abundance of those in the military who fit that criteria and are willing to help you make good choices too.
The last thing I tell them is that while the Army will set you up for success, you will still have to take the steps yourself. You will have to work hard, not quit, learn to work as a team, and learn to respect individuals for their skills and not judge others on their sex, race, or sexual orientation. The reason however is a real one. The world we live in is a dangerous one. You will quickly learn to value those who do their jobs as professionals and who are as dedicated as you to being their best. You will learn to value people based on things that matter like the decisions they make and the actions they take.
Finally, I tell them that if you join, if you serve honorably, then when the time comes for you to leave the service you will always be able to say, “Yes, I served my country. I was in the Army.” And no one ever can take that away from you. That is something I will always say with pride. Maybe one day they can too.
If you are thinking about the service, quit thinking and take the next step, contact a recruiter. Contacting a recruiter doesn’t mean you’re obligated to anything, it just means you want to know more. So take the step. Having the initiative to take action and make the call, knowing that you need all the information you can get to make a smart informed decision, these steps alone demonstrate at least two of the baseline qualities the Army is looking for in today’s Soldiers..
--Major Kevin B. Shriner
*This blog was written in partial completion of the Intermediate Level Education course for the Army.
