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Old 09-10-2007, 07:40 PM   #5 (permalink)
passthru
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Location: Portland, OR
Let me try and play devil's advocate on your points:
The pros of enlisting:

* I may die with my best friends

* I get beat (in some ways, literally) back into shape ..instead of in a more casual way

* I get all my living expenses paid for - food, board and cloths are provided to me, so I don't have to worry about rent, expenses, etc. ..If half of your expenses are already paid for, this isn't a great deal. Especially since afterwards you'll have been through violence instead of an education.

* I get free college credits, though they aren't in my preferred major. ..How is that a pro if they won't apply to your major?

* The Air Force will pay my tuition after Technical Training School, so I can get that Biology degree I so much crave - though I will have to wait longer ..You're already on scholarships, so this just means you'll have to wait longer for your degree.

* Businesses love to see military experience on resumes, so I get a leg up for the future ..Are you sure the places you'll be working with your biology degree will care about your military experience? Given, most people respect military service.. but will that be applicable to biology?

* I get to try something new, as my life at the moment is less than exciting ..There are lots and lots of very exciting things you can do that don't involve being shot at, exploded, etc., and those things also don't go against your ideals like helping "Bush & Co." does.

* I get to keep an eye out for my friends, since we will all get deployed together ..You could also keep an eye out for them by persuading them not to travel to such a dangerous place.


The cons of enlisting:

* I leave my family, as the base we're all going to is in North Dakota, and my family lives in Florida. ..You'll be with two of your best friends and will make new, very close, friends.

* I lose my very comforting scholarships, though I can more likely than not get some of them back as a transfer student ..Find out your chances/the procedures to get them back, if it's easy there's not much of a con here.

* I leave my music/books/computer behind during boot camp ..You won't have time for those things anyway, you'll be very busy assimilating.

* I get beat into shape ..The military will make very sure you're in shape, which sounds like a good thing if you haven't been able to keep yourself as fit as you'd like.

* I can't participate in Tilted Politics any more ..You sure? Maybe not as often, but soldiers do have some Internet access.

* I lose the security/assurance I have here ..Whatever you lose in the meantime may be offset by your experiences and the relationships they build for your future.

* I aid Bush & Co. in their quest for world domination ..In the military you follow orders without hesitation, such disturbing thoughts as these won't occur to you.

* There aren't as many hot Cuban girls in the military in North Dakota as there are in a South Florida university. ..Hmm I'm not sure I can counter that one.

You can probably guess my general opinion. I think that if you actually take any of our subjective thoughts into account instead of knowing you want to join and telling _us_ why, you're not sure you want to be in the military. You should be sure you want to be in the military before joining, and you are the only one who will have made that decision.
That being said, if you want to join, I would suggest waiting to complete your bachelor's degree. I think it would be much better to enter as an officer.
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