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Advantages of joining the military
Benefits of joining the military essay
Benefits of joining the military essay
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To some people, it is only noise but to me, it was a whole new world. I can still remember the first time I heard a round whiz past my ear, the cars passing by, or SSG Blue yelling at me to get down. At that moment, I realized that I was not training anymore. I was made aware that everything and everyone were out to kill me. I kept telling myself, “I shouldn’t be here.” Mentally, I can hear my mother in the background crying just as the day she did when she found out I joined the military. My life was not the same nor will it ever be the same. In my first combat tour I learned the importance of life, how to mentally prepare myself for the worst outcomes, and I learned how to be a great leader. In my hand I held a two page paper with a list …show more content…
printed black and white.
Private first class Pena, Jesus deploying to Iraq. My heart was racing, lungs felt as if they were about to burst out of my chest, and my hands were shaking so rapidly that the paper could be heard from 25 feet away. My name is Staff Sergeant Pena and this is my story of my first combat tour. I was the guy who took life for granted. I wasn’t given much growing up but I did not appreciate the things I was given. I blamed my family for everything that went wrong in my life. I thought that by joining the military I would be some kind of hero; like the ones you find in comics or that I was going to be superior to everyone else. In actuality, it made me felt less of a person. My family did not know the experience I was …show more content…
about to embark on nor could I tell them. The things I did were not something I was proud to go tell anyone especially to my mother. Hearing my first round whiz past my ear was something I would never forget. I cannot remember the day exactly but I do remember that I was not supposed to leave the gates for another week. Mentally, I was not ready. I can hear the fights going on outside the gates, the explosions almost every hour, or the rockets that continuously landed inside the base. It did not matter because it was my turn to go out. Our mission was to establish security so that the Iraq army can put down barriers that were previously blown up. Only 20 minutes after driving outside the gates, we received contact. I was the one that the enemy was aiming for. My section sergeant SSG Blue yelled, “Get down they are shooting at you.” Instead of getting down like I was supposed to, I scanned to see where it was coming from. I wanted to see who it was that was shooting at me. I never got to see where it came from but I did get to see where the rounds were hitting. A tree that was right next to where I placed my knee for security had multiple of rounds stuck in it. As I slowly lay down I begged God to get me out of there alive. I promised that I was going to appreciate life more and I would go back home and apologize to everyone I ever hurt. I was never a religious person but, that day I prayed. I did not know how to pray so I just spoke as if I was speaking to a friend. About a half hour later the fight was over. It was as if someone turned the light switch off because they just stopped shooting. When I got back to my room, I just laughed. I could not believe what just had happened to me. A small part inside me just wanted to cry. At that moment I realize that life was so precious. Life had more meaning to it than just blaming everyone. It did not change my religious views but I did believe that someone was out there watching out for me. The little scared boy was no longer there because I was ready for the next mission, I knew what to expect and how to prepare myself for it. As time went on I continued to mark an x on my calendar.
I woke up every morning wishing I was home already. Instead, I woke up to Sergeant Red telling me to get up. He was not the greatest noncommissioned officer (NCO) but he taught me a lot about preparing myself mentally and physically for the worst outcomes. One thing he said that stayed with me was, “Hey man, when it is your time to go then it is your time to go.” Small words but they were honest words. In war you cannot dwell on the mission or any mistakes that you have made. All you can do is learn from them mistakes and try not to make them again. I do not consider myself a hero or superior to everyone else but I do find myself to be determined and dedicated. Every time we were being briefed on the next mission I looked around the room to see if everyone was ok. I looked for that one individual who was deep in his thoughts that he did not even pay attention to the brief. I would pull them to the side afterwards and just have casual conversations with them. Once we laughed and forgot about the mission we would look at each other and know exactly what the other person was thinking. “Are we about to go out there again?”, “Is this my time to go?”, or “Is this going to be the last time I see him?” We did not look at each other as friends; we looked at each other as brothers. Every time we prepared for a mission we helped each other to make sure everyone had the right equipment. We made sure that everyone’s weapon was
working properly and we made sure that everyone was prepared for what was about to happen. I remember telling myself before every mission that, “If I die today then so be it, but if I live through it I will live a better life.” At the end of my tour I was ready to get out. I had spoken to some police officers about me entering into the academy as soon as I was out of the army. That day never came. I was convinced by a friend that I should stay in because they were getting ready to deploy again. I promised myself that I would become a leader and share my experience with my soldiers so that they can be prepared for what was to come when they deploy. I use to think that the rank of sergeant was just given to you. It was just a pay raise from the army because you have been in so long. I was already deployed when I received my promotion. But, it did not change my mentality. As a Specialist I was already sharing my experiences with other soldiers. Now with my SGT rank I was leading in the front. I was able to step outside the box and see the expressions on their faces as we prepared for our missions. It was the same expressions I had during my first deployment. I knew what they were thinking and I knew how to prepare them for it. Being a leader is not about the pay or caring about you. It’s about caring for the soldiers around you. Making sure they are trained to the best of your ability so that they can accomplish the mission and be a better person. I do not think anyone is mentally ready for war. We just learn to live with it. As a leader I know that I will not affect everyone but my goal is to find certain individuals and train them to the best of my ability so that they can someday be great leaders. Outcome I joined in 2006 right out of high school. I had the mentality of some punk kid who did not care about anyone but himself. I deployed with some of the greatest men I have ever known. I continuously speak to them now and as I look back I thank the army. It has completely changed my life. It made me appreciate life more and the people in it, it has made me mentally prepared for the worst outcomes; including death and it has made me the leader I am today. I do not look back and regret joining the army. I look back and thank the army for giving me an experience that only I and few others can only understand. Life is short and we must enjoy every bit of it because you never know when it might be your last. The impact we leave on others today, will better the futures for others tomorrow. I leave with a quote, “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” Marcus Aurelius
As Marines, we have a well-known motto “One Team, One Fight” that creates an image of strong unity that everyone regardless of rank or size plays an important role. Everyone is necessary to complete the mission. In this book, one particular Marine, (then) Captain Bill Barber, has a story that since has become a crucial tool used as teaching material today for multi-level Marines everywhere. This book serves as a testimony to Captain Barber’s will in the midst of extreme opposition and sets the example of the for mentioned mindset
military members who share harsh, traumatic, or even funny events obviously become closer through the bond of a mutual experience. This is particularly true for Marine infantry; many Marine are brought up in different areas of the US, with different values, ages, religious and political beliefs. However different we all might look on the outside, the fact that we’ve all been through good times and bad with each other makes us closer than any civilian could understand. After being a Marine, I find that I’m close to, and always will be, than my civilian friends who I’ve known for years. Along with this, Pressfield talks about how, under all the glory and allure of fighting for one’s country exists the real reason that warriors fight; for our brothers in arms. Political beliefs, government stances, and flags go out the window, only to be replaced by concern for the safety and well-being of the men to our left and right. All of these things are reasons why it is difficult for civilians to understand what it’s like to be a warrior. This is perhaps embodied best in our motto, Semper Fidelis; Always Faithful, to our brothers and those who depend on
As our forefathers before us stated, ‘‘No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as “The Backbone of the Army (“The NCO Creed written by SFC Earle Brigham and Jimmie Jakes Sr”). These words to the Noncommissioned Officer should inspire us to the fullest with pride, honor, and integrity. The NCO creed should mean much more than just words whenever we attend an NCO’s school.
Once again I met new officers, new platoon leaders, new fellow soldiers, and a new home. After we were settled in we were given a tour of the base and its shooting ranges. Once again my life
I spent three years in the U.S. Army. I always knew that one day I would join, but I wasn 't given the chance to finish what I started there. I gained a very unique perspective of the world. I was injured halfway through my first tour and subsequently I was medically discharged against my will. When I was transitioning out, there were many briefings I was required to sit through in order to complete the process. One of the most memorable was the resume writing class. If a soldier decided to attend and pay attention, I think the most important thing they would have learned is to never have a single plan. You should always have at least five plans for each important transition in life. These plans should all carry equal weight. Your time should
... to be the backbone of the Army unless I am willing and able, to do what is right at all times. I must be the standard-bearer. I must be beyond reproach. I must, at all times, conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the corps, the military service, and my country, regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I have recited a creed daily that embodies what makes an NCO. I have lived by that creed and always placed the needs of my soldiers above my own. I have sacrificed in times when I should not have. I have made sure those around me are better off than myself whenever I was able. What I mean with these hollow words, what I hope rings true from the message I am trying to convey, is that I have LIVED with integrity. I have EMBODIED integrity, even when it meant it would harm me; because no one is more professional than I.
Your days consist of walking, running, and shooting, but in these three years I have been thankful enough not experience a whole lot of shooting. I’ve tried to stay out of trouble and keep safe for Sammie and Faith’s sake. That is, until my last day over here. I was supposed to be out of Afghanistan in twenty-four hours, all I had to do is lead one final convoy through a village. Coincidentally it was the same village I had watched Tom Butler die in four years prior. A group of five soldiers and I were guarding the last humvee when we fell far behind the group. Segregated that’s when the insurgents say their opportunity. They threw two grenades at the vehicle and blowing it up. The heat felt from the flames of the wreckage were unbearable. I managed to get the five guys and myself into a small food store before the thirty plus insurgents came out of the surrounding buildings. I put a call in to base giving them the coordinates of where we were. The officer on the phone told me he couldn’t get someone out there for at least five minutes. Five minutes went by when I finally heard the sound of the chopper’s blade in the distance. As soon as they heard the helicopter, the insurgents started to close in on us. No one in my platoon would make it out alive if someone didn’t do something. I saw only one way out for the majority of us, and it didn’t end well for me. I grabbed my pen and paper from my pack and
I was told about the good and hard times that I would face. But what I looked forward to the most was to be surrounded by soldiers who were much like me. These soldiers would lift me up to success. I could then help them when they need it. If I could have talked to my younger self today I would tell of the great experiences and how to deal with the struggles I would face. But no one knows what the future may hold. I believe you should always be prepared and stand your ground, no matter what.
On July 27th of 2015 I decided to embark on a journey that would change my life and who I am forever. July 27th, 2015 is the day I left home to start training to become a Marine. As soon as my feet hit the sand at MCRD San Diego I felt a change right away, I wasn’t the same person I was when I left home. While in boot camp I went through many changes, who I was or who I thought I was no longer mattered. Marine Corp boot camp training was one of the most difficult milestones in my life. Unfortunately two months in I suffered an injury to my hamstring and was discharged to receive surgery and therapy before I continued training. Even though I failed to graduate I still learned and picked up on the many things the Marine Corps tries to instill into their recruits. Many of the things I learned I can use and apply in life and in college.
I grew up in a small town and after I graduated high school I wanted more in life than a 9 to 5 job; I wanted to see the world. I had a few friends that had joined the military and had come home to visit with exciting stories about their experiences. I noticed a change in a few of them; they seemed to walk a little taller, maybe act a bit more mature. This, along with the intrigue of life outside of my small town, drew me to consider joining the military. I met a recruiter in Lakeland Florida in July of 1989 and a few months later on September 26th I raised my right hand and took the Oath of Enlistment. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into.
In the beginning it was great. Everything was new and exciting. Whenever I went on leave I couldn 't wait to get back to work after only a few days. The years passed and all the new and exciting things became old and boring. I began going on back to back deployments and I started to get really burned out. When I went to my twenty year high school reunion I got a chance to see what life as a civilian could be like and I wanted that. I no longer wanted to move when the army decided that they needed me some place. I wanted to put down roots and I couldn 't really do that while I was in the army.
Over the years I have had many opportunities to work on basic mentorship with my junior NCOs and Soldiers, just like SSG Johnson taught me throughout the 1980’s. I have tried to minimize my mistakes and maximize my time with Soldiers, teaching them how to soldier, teaching them how to lead, teaching them how to live as responsible human beings and Stewards of the Profession. The legacy I would like to leave behind is that Soldiers come first, everything else follows.
I remember the day that I left for boot camp. I was terrified. My stomach was queasy, my head was cloudy, and every time I imagined what was about to happen to me, I started to cry. It was an incredible leap I was about to take. The mental preparation was the most difficult part. I had no idea what to expect. I had heard many horror stories about the things that occur in Boot Cam...
"The core of a soldier is moral discipline. It is intertwined with the discipline of physical and mental achievement. Total discipline overcomes adversity, and physical stamina draws on an inner strength that says drive on." - Former Sergeant Major of the Army William G. Bainbridge
Army life can be very challenging and a life changing experience. It was very challenging and life changing for me. I was raised by my Grandparents they did everything for me so this was a wakeup call for me on life. An independent person was not I, so I had problems with the changes about to come. Army life is constantly demanding and constantly changing without notice. Although the travel was exciting, army life for me was very challenging because I had to learn to adapt to a new system, to share my life with other soldiers, and to give up many of the comforts of home.