military then college?

ucsd_ucla_dad
Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:07:06 +0000

Regarding the comments on the safety aspects of being in the military - one should be objectively informed on this as opposed to taking an uninformed simplistic comment like the one a ‘student’ posted on this thread. Take a look at the odds of being killed, being wounded, getting stationed in a war zone, etc. When doing this one needs to do so according to the different branches of the military. Many people not familiar with the military in general seem to usually think of the soldier as an Army or Marine on the front lines with an M16 or riding in a tank and would be surprised at how low the casualty rate is for those in the Air Force, the Navy, CG, and even for those in the Army or Marines in a time of war. While one certainly takes a risk in the military depending on one’s particular duties and what’s happening in the world at the time (and a number of the ‘jobs’ are inherently somewhat risky whether there’s a war on or not - fighter pilots, seals, special forces, parachuting, etc.), it’s not as high as most people unfamiliar with the military seem to think.

One shouldn’t enter the military with rose-colored glasses but they should also arm themselves with objective data about the real risks, how the different branches function, the different jobs in each branch, etc. to make an informed decision.

On top of this, to the surprise of some people, there are actually those who want to join the military to serve their country despite the risks. I’ve known a number of them and am happy there are people willing to do this voluntarily.

I wonder if the OP made a decision on this.