SHOULD I CONSIDER A CAREER IN A MILITARY SERVICE?

SHOULD I CONSIDER A CAREER IN A MILITARY SERVICE? • ITS AN ALL VOLUNTEER FORCE • YOU MEET PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, ALL RELIGIONS, ALL CLASSES, ALL RACES, ALL BELIEFS • ON DUTY 24/7 365 DAYS A YEAR • ITS NOT FOR EVERYONE

WHO IS THE “APPROPRIATE VOLUNTEER”? “ IT MAY BE LAID DOWN AS A PRIMARY POSITION, AND THE BASIS OF OUR SYSTEM, THAT EVERY CITIZEN WHO ENJOYS THE PROTECTION OF A FREE GOVERNMENT OWES NOT ONLY A PORTION OF HIS PROPERTY, BUT EVEN OF HIS PERSONAL SERVICE, TO THE DEFENSE OF IT.” GEORGE WASHINGTON

REASONS NOT TO CONSIDER A MILITARY CAREER Andrew J. Bacevich, a professor at Boston University and a Viet Nam veteran, points out that while “minority and working – class kids might serve; the sons and daughters ofthose who occupy positions of influence in the corporate, intellectual, and academic, journalistic, and political worlds have better things to do.” MILITARY VETERANS HAVE BEEN THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF: THE NEW YORK TIMES, CAMPBELL SOUP, CBS PRODUCTIONS, CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, CHRYSLER CORPORATION, EQUITABLE LIFE INSURANCE, EXXON CORPORATION, FIRST NATIONNAL BANK, FORD MOTOR COMPANY, FORTUNE MAGAZINE, GENERAL MOTORS, MERRILL LYNCH, MORGAN GUARANTY TRUST AND TIME INC.

REASONS NOT TO CONSIDER A MILITARY CAREER “ I’VE RAISED MY SONS TO BE SENSITIVE TO OTHERS, AND TO BE CRITICAL THINKERS, SO I DON’T THINK THEY’D BE WELL SUITED FOR THE MILITARY” President Bush announced on Friday that the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration, will be awarded posthumously to Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham. In April 2004, Dunham was leading a patrol in an Iraqi town near the Syrian border when the patrol stopped a convoy of cars leaving the scene of an attack on a Marine convoy, according to military and media accounts of the action. An occupant of one of the cars attacked Dunham and the two fought hand to hand. As they fought, Dunham yelled to fellow Marines, "No, no watch his hand." The attacker then dropped a grenade and Dunham hurled himself on top of it, using his helmet to try to blunt the force of the blast.

“ American culture has brought us to a place where feelings matter most, our personal choices and beliefs are sacrosanct, and those choices identify us as a consumer and exemplar of life’s experiences. In this sort of world it is hard to understand the military world. Military people don’t - can’t – make personal choice central. They don’t choose their missions or even where they live” from: AWOL The Unexcused Absence of America’s Upper Classes from Military Service – and How It Hurts Our Country REASONS NOT TO CONSIDER A MILITARY CAREER

“No country can have a military unless people who serve do so for the sake of the country, rather than measuring each action taken by the government to see if they can approve of it or if it seems true “to me”. … The military remains one of the few places where one cannot opt out of one’s commitment when the terms of fulfillment become difficult. I do not remember in my oath that I said I will protect and defend the Constitution when I feel like it.” military chaplain in Iraq from: AWOL The Unexcused Absence of America’s Upper Classes from Military Service – and How It Hurts Our Country

WHAT DO YOU GET FROM A MILITARY CAREER? • MEDICAL BENEFITS • 30 DAYS PAID VACATION • UPWARD MOBILITY - PROMOTIONS • TRAVEL • HOUSING ASSISTANCE • $400,000 LIFE INSURANCE • RETIREMENT AFTER 20 YEARS • ADVANCED EDUCATION

WHAT DO YOU GET FROM A MILITARY CAREER? I am the first American born of my family, which migrated here in 1968. We were financially challenged but that’s all. All my life I had been told by my family we came here for a better way of life for us, their children. I distinctly remember when I was seventeen; my uncle said to me, “You’ll have every opportunity to become anything you want. You are an American Citizen! Two months prior to graduating high school, I enlisted in the U.S. Navy’s Delayed Entry Program, rather than going to college as my family expected. I felt at the time it was my responsibility to pay back what our country provided for us all. … I left the military, and hold degrees in engineering and business. But when people visit my home, the place they gaze upon each time is my shadow box of medals, and I remember, and feel the pride I felt when I first enlisted. The critics of the military will never know what we in the military family share. Michael Marguliz

WHAT DO YOU GET FROM A MILITARY CAREER? “ My military experience has probably given me more discipline and confidence that adversity can be mastered. As for why I stayed – protecting civil and human rights around the world for those in need has been part of my family’s ethic in light of my father’s own experience as a Jewish refugee.” Peter Teil (Princeton 1985)

WHAT DO YOU GET FROM A MILITARY CAREER? “I believe that a large part of my personality and leadership style extend from what I learned in the military. As a woman, I learned to stand up for myself and to expect to be treated equally with men. I learned that I can do more than I think I can. I also learned a lot about leadership and people.” Jeanne Dorweiler (Princeton 1993)

WHAT DO YOU GET FROM A MILITARY CAREER? “ I volunteered to serve, driven by the immigrant spirit to give something back to the country that had given so much to my family and me. Bookish, shy, and a sheltered son; the military, with its emphasis on leadership development, moral and physical courage, and command presence and voice opened my eyes to the vast possibilities of life.” Louis Caldera President of the University of New Mexico and former Secretary of the Army

…However, after two years at the Academy, I learned that military personnel did not solely enforce policy through force. In addition, military personnel acted as the ambassadors to the world through stability and support operations abroad, leadership of America’s sons and daughters at home, setting the example of leadership for civilian executives, and were the pinnacle of ethics for the country.” from: AWOL The Unexcused Absence of America’s Upper Classes from Military Service – and How It Hurts Our Country WHAT DO YOU GET FROM A MILITARY CAREER?

I love feeling part of the U.S. Army. Joining changed a lot of things for me, and it formed my character. I learned confidence, toughness, how to fail gracefully, how to win as a team…the positive experiences are priceless. I would encourage any woman who really wants to challenge herself to join. Rhodes Scholar from: AWOL The Unexcused Absence of America’s Upper Classes from Military Service – and How It Hurts Our Country WHAT DO YOU GET FROM A MILITARY CAREER?

“ THE HIGHEST OBLIGATIONAND PRIVILEGE OF CITIZENSHIP IS THAT OF BEARING ARMS FOR ONE’S COUNTRY.” GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON

SHOULD I CONSIDER A CAREER IN A MILITARY SERVICE?