The Military: My Thoughts

By Michael Crook

Be all you can be. Full speed ahead. The few, the proud. We've all heard the catch phrases different branches of the military use to recruit trainees. If you're like most people, you probably keep flipping through the channels.

For me, the Army was the one and only choice for military service. When I saw the commercial over two years ago, I didn't even think about money, bonuses or assistance with college tuition. I picked up the phone and gave them my information. Within two days, I got a call from a recruiter at the Northfield recruiting station, and from that point on, my life changed.

First of all, it wasn't easy for me to enlist in the Army; I was underweight, and I had some legal issues pertaining to child custody to resolve. But, I finally shipped out to Fort Benning, Georgia.

That was a bittersweet day for me. I was finally in the Army, after two years of paperwork and trying to get my weight up to standards. At the same time, however, I was leaving my girlfriend behind. I was very homesick for the first week, but quickly learned to deal with it and keep my feelings in check when I found I wasn't the only man experiencing those feelings.

To my dismay, after a mere two weeks at Fort Benning, despite the fact that I passed every test required to ship to a basic training unit, I was told I was medically unfit for training. On May 7, a month after I left, I walked back into the Philadelphia airport and happily into the waiting arms of my girlfriend, but on my way to being out of the Army.

To this day, I am fighting to get back in, through a congressional inquiry and any existing appeals processes. Granted, it has only been a little more than a month since I've been out, but it feels like an eternity.

My reason for sharing this is simple. It's apparent that too many people are taking military service for granted.

The various branches of the military must practically bribe people to join in the form of sign-up bonuses (mine was $3,000, but I'm being quite honest when I saw that didn't cross my mind when I made the phone call), assistance with college money, and other benefits.

These things are all well and good,but they are not good reasons to join the military. Whether it be the Army, Marines, Navy, the Air Force, or the Coast Guard, our country wouldn't be where it is today without the valuable service of the countless men and women who have served.

Many people in Southern New Jersey and elsewhere don't stop and think about the pride that goes along with serving. I can't describe the pride that I feel every time I see the flag being raised. I felt it a privilege to salute while the flag was being retired at dusk. I can feel the mutual pride and respect when I salute an officer or observe a salute being rendered.

Every time I hear the national anthem or the Lee Greenwood song "God Bless the USA," I feel pride in my heart. At the same time, I feel sadness, because I know I'm not on the training field finishing my basic training as I should be. I feel jealousy fill up within me every time I pass a serviceperson in the mall or elsewhere.

In a few cases, I've stopped and spoken briefly with them and reminded them how privileged they are to be serving our country.

And that is what people should think about when they sign up for the military. It's not just about the pay, the benefits, the "perks." It's mainly about defending our country and making sure our freedom stays intact.

"Freedom isn't free" may be a cliche, but it is very true. Many people, men and women, have died to ensure that we can listen to the music that we do, say whatever we want, and have all the various freedoms that we exercise practically every day and take for granted.

Perhaps in November when we observe Veterans Day, and when next May brings Memorial Day, we can think beyond the day off of work and school and remember not only the people who have died in service to our country, but also the countless others who voluntarily leave behind their loved ones to serve in the military.

(Written in 1999)