Why did you join the Army?

[Jarhead0331]

...probably not for the same reason as this recruit...

The reason Americans enlist in the military is long and varied, but the motivation offered by this new recruit to his drill sergeant may be a first.

The handwritten note was posted to Reddit a few hours ago by Basic Combat Training (BCT) Drill Instructor Looney82. These are the career soldiers in the green campaign hats who receive raw recruits from every imaginable background in the country. Looney82 has a sterling reputation on Reddit that lends itself to believing the letter is genuine.

A drill sergeant's job a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week gig in the Army called "Walking the Trail". It's prestigious and demanding, but challenging and considered an integral part to a successful enlisted career. This drill sergeant was looking to get an idea of why his new Privates joined the military and asked for a paragraph or two outlining their motivations.

This young soldier has been in uniform no more than a few weeks, is sleeping no more than a few hours a night in a large bunk bed filled room with up to 60 or so other recruits. He or she is getting woken up to pull watch, is learning how to use an automatic rifle, a belt-fed machine gun, a rocket launcher, a claymore mine, six types of hand grenades, and a grenade launcher.

http://www.businessinsider.com/bct-drill-sergeant-us-army-lord-of-the-rings-letter-really-private-2013-2

...on second thought, knowing the company I am in over here, maybe you did join for similar reasons... :o

[bayonetbrant]

http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=4411.msg107955#msg107955

;D

[Longdan]

A question I ask myself regularly.  Some things do not have an answer that we want to know.

[Centurion40]

http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=4411.msg107955#msg107955

;D

Yeah, but his penmanship is above average.

[Longdan]

His composition and English skills are at a grad student level.
What is that guy doing in the army?

[Centurion40]

Adventuring!

[Shelldrake]

To carry on a family tradition...and for the stories.  ;)

[Centurion40]

I did it 'cause I thought that it would be cool and help with getting chicks.  And there is a family military tradition as well.

[Airborne Rifles]

And he's coming to a unit near you! :D

[bayonetbrant]

he's more in danger of coming your way than my way... ;)

[Airborne Rifles]

True.  Seems like he has the right mindset for the job and a sophisticated sense of humor to boot. 

[Greybriar]

Why did you join the Army?

Because I received one of these:

[btrain]

I think the "adventurer" above is just having his little joke while he's inside, like "Poncho Man" here:

http://www.strategypage.com/gallery/images/ponchoman.pdf

Brian

[Martok]

Why did you join the Army?

Because I received one of these:

Sonofa...  I didn't know that!  And here all this time I thought you were a volunteer. 

[Greybriar]

Why did you join the Army?

Because I received one of these:

Sonofa...  I didn't know that!  And here all this time I thought you were a volunteer.

There were a lot of us "drafted volunteers" back then. The all-volunteer army didn't come about until after I was discharged.

But my father and two of his brothers were drafted in World War II and a third brother who was already in the army had his period of enlistment extended, so you could say it was a family tradition.