Do you see yourself as a caring, dedicated, and hardworking person? Someone to be respected and looked up to? When you look in the mirror each morning, do you like the person looking back at you? Have you ever wanted to explore new, exciting and colorful cultures all around the world? Do you see yourself eventually earning an Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's degree, maybe even higher, in your life? If you can answer yes to all of these questions, let me tell you about something you will probably thank me for later: the U.S. military. Joining the U.S. military can be an outstanding choice for many people because of the opportunities for respect that can be earned, personal growth that can be attained, educational advancement that can be pursued, and possible networking.
First off, joining the U.S. military, no matter the branch, and surviving through the rigorous training and lifestyle can earn you the respect of many people around the country and the world. I know from personal experience that just joining, simply signing my name down on the dotted line, earned me the respect of many of my family and friends. Many of them, for one reason or another, couldn't join the army like I did, or any other branch of the military. Some even wanted to despite some of the foolish legal choices they may have made in their youth or even early adulthood. Beyond the respect of the people back home, once you have joined and completed your initial training and go to your first duty station and unit assignment, you are starting to earn the respect of your peers and superiors. Though it isn't shown right away, many of your potential co-workers, particularly war veterans in recent years, would look at you how they looked at me when I joined: something to the effect of how they appreciated and respected my willingness to put everything on the line for the ideals the different branches of the U.S. military stand for.
