Opened Eyes

[KaRtOoN]

For the longest, I was the type that hated the Army. I saw it as another way to be ordered around..way to be 'kicked around by the man' so to speak. When ever I heard someone talking about joining I would go and try to disuade them saying things like "Don't waste your time and youth living a life in the Army." and other things similar to that. My father was in the Army and told me great things about it.. he was discharged for doing somthing he wasn't supposed to and after leaving he worked hard labor to support us, which he barely did and I guess that might have had somthing to do with why I thought like that,even though my father was still greatly respected and never had a bad thing to say about the Army and what it offered. Eventually I was arrested and sent to a training school, then to a military camp put in a quazi military program to 'reform' me and was givin the chance to obtain my G.E.D. and/or High School Diploma, which I achieved getting my Diploma. The base was Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. When I graduated from there and came back home, all of my friends and some of my family had just went down hill, doing drugs and getting arrested for numerous crimes..everything and everyone I knew had changed since I had last been home and I hated it. Even the girl I had loved and been with for 3 years wasn't the same person I knew. I went a long time keeping to myself, working full time at a job I was destined to lose. Went a long time doing that..working and keeping to myself. I felt I was at a loss, "What would become of me?" I would ask myself. I only saw one choice..the Army. I dredded it but I thought again.. what else am I doing with life? So I researched it. Much to my surprise it wasn't the slave drive I thought it was..but more like a massive group of heros fighting hard to defend this country and its people, me who hated them. They are defending us relentlessly, even in the face of those who cast shame on them as I did. I am proud of those soldiers... of every single one. So now here it is..what brings me here..I just now registered to the forums and is seriously concidering enlisting. My life now is a wasted one... I want to turn it around to defend this country, "be all that I can be" and I thank the Army and all the brave soldiers in it for fighting so hard for this country and offering a new life to me, a head start for the rest of my life. Thank you so much.

~Sincerely~
Michael