Make a difference

Last year, the Heritage Foundation came out with an interesting study on the "economic demographics" of enlisted personnel in the U.S. military. One fact that surprised me quite a bit was the fact that 75.5% of enlisted recruits come from homes with incomes of over $40,000, and that the upper and middle-class are over-represented in total number of enlistees.

I was always under the impression that military recruiters targeted low-income kids with little economic opportunity, since the military could offer a stable job and a place to stay. My dad and uncle (who both enlisted as teenagers) came from a lower working-class background and didn't have how going for them coming out of high school. Still, I think the military influenced both of them for the better. My dad ended up making a career out of it, serving 21 years in the Air Force (he still works for the military as a civilian.)

I also know of many who chose to enlist even when they had other (arguably better) options. Take, for example, the cases of Pfc. Track Palin (son of Governor Sarah Palin):



or Lance Cpl. James McCain (son of Senator John McCain, pictured here with his older brother Jack, a recent Naval Academy graduate.)



Both young men came from well-to-do, successful families and opted to skip college in order to serve their country. Now that's an admirable sacrifice. People can blog about terrorism and the war all day, but the ones who really make a difference are the ones who wear the uniform.

I guess that's the reason why I'm joining the Army. That, and the fact that I'm already used to the lifestyle of moving around every few years. The Army is paying for my education, which is nice, but I could probably make more money as an engineer in the private sector. The Army is a good career though. It's got great benefits. When I finish my active duty commitment after four years, my base salary will be about $60K a year, and that's not including housing allowances, medical coverage, etc.

Will I want to separate from the Army once my obligation is up...or will I want to make a career out of it? It's way too early to answer that question.

Right now the big question is what branch I will request upon commissioning. More on that later.