Future and what it holds

[echo]

i was thinking of future plans and i was considering either being an environmental scientist off the bat or joining the marines and then becoming one. are there any ex-military on here that could share their experiences? i’ve always kind of admired the marines and everything and i’ve really considered it for awhile but idk. last time i mentioned it my family laughed at me, so…

[EyelessDoll]

@echo
Hello there!
It’s great to read your post regarding future plans; it’s always nice to see someone considering their future. Although I do not have any experience regarding the marines, I think it is great you want to work as an environmental scientist it truly is an important line of work, and I admire you for your goals!
Best of luck to you!
Sending well wishes

-Eyeless

[leonafan000]

I’m so glad you were thinking of future plans!!!

[Sledge]

Hey @echo! Ben Sledge with staff here at HeartSupport. Myself and @HS_John are both veterans. John was a Marine and I spent 11 years in the Army. Both of us were in Iraq (and I was also in Afghanistan) so we can give you some insight.

Personally, I think everyone should spend two years at a minimum serving in either the military or Peace Corps. It helped me grow into the man I am today and I learned about brotherhood, camaraderie, and forced me to grow up as well as gave me amazing opportunities and paid for my college. Everyone in the military has a love/hate relationship with it though. It’s some of the best times, and also some of the most tedious BS you’ll ever deal with. But in the end I’m so thankful I did it as it opened many doors for me (and looks great on a resumé too)

A few misconceptions to address. Joining the military does not mean you’ll see combat. In fact, only 10% of troops see combat. Troop drawdown has also led to less deployments. Unless you plan to get into special operations, that will be the case. You can pick a career that will literally empower you for the future. There’s jobs ranging from logistics to media to intelligence to satellites to aircraft maintenance. Hell, they’ll even pay for you to become a doctor or lawyer!

My family wasn’t fond of me joining, bu respected my decision. My brother also joined too and my parents are grateful that we had that experience now. You’ll also make some of the best friends you’ll ever have (and for life). Often it can get a bad wrap, but the military is a really great starting point. It’s hard and you’ll suffer, but the character you’ll develop is worth it.

Hope that helps!

[HS_John]

Hey Justbunnys (and thanks @Sledge for tagging me),

The military may or may not be for you - we can provide some pretty great advice, but ultimately it’ll be up to you and what you decide as best. Additionally, Sledge and I have been “out” for 10 years or so, so our experiences may differ wildly from what you’d experience if you joined now.

I read you post and I see a little of where you’re coming from. When I was 18, I had barely scraped through high school and didn’t know what to do with my life. I decided to join the military, and after that I decided to join the Marine Corps infantry - the hardest one I could find.

What followed was a 4-very intense love/hate with the Marines. I loved becoming a man early, traveling the world, learning cool things like how to operate a grenade launcher, and making friends who I now consider brothers and who know me better than most others in my life do. But, I developed a deep hate for the Corps - a resentment and loathing of how it operated and how little sense it made to me.

10 years later I’m still coming to terms with my service (as are most Vets), and I would be down to speak more about it if you like.

And I want you to know - people laughed at me too!