Joining The Army Changed My Life (Pt. 1)

If I had to name just one thing that had the most impact on my life as an adult, it would be my decision to enlist in the United States Army. With absolutely no regrets, I will say that the military was the best decision I've ever made.

As an 18yr old fresh out of high school without a parent-funded college nest-egg, I had very limited options for furthering my education that didn't involve putting myself into debt with student loans. I eventually landed a job as a server at a high-end retirement home, getting paid $16/hr at 18. I lost sight of my goals and balled out instead of saving. Long story short, it took a long-time boyfriend's infidelity to point me in the direction of getting out of town and getting my own shit together. All it took was that "Be All That You Can Be" commercial to come on and I was enlightened.

Enlisting

The Recruiter

I remember contacting the phone number from the commercial and leaving my information for a local recruiter. My family were totally against it, so he offered to talk to me away from their influence, laying out all the benefits I'd be entitled to. "Wow, the Army sure is nice!" Let's do this!

ASVAB Test

Testing for the ASVAB was just like the SAT's. Your score determines which jobs you get to pick from and train for. Post high-school education achieved will determine which rank you enter service as.

Physical Fitness Test

I was supposed to do 10 push ups in a minute, run 1 mile in 10 minutes and 40 crunches in a minute. I failed everything, and was 5lbs overweight! They wouldn't let me sign my contract until I passed. My recruiter came weekly to test my progress, and after about a month I finally passed.

Leaving

My family was scared shitless. The War on Terror had just began and they didn't want me to be a part of the mass recruiting they had going on. Needless to say, I went on anyway. My recruiter escorted me to my flight to North Carolina.

TO BE CONTINUED...