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Being a member of the United States Army should be a qualification for life itself. Life is one big aptitude test anyway, so why not up that score with a few years of Army brawn under your belt. Service to your country will bind you to this sacred ground, in a way, which you will never be able to duplicate.

It is only fair to say, I am writing this from my standpoint as a former military wife of eight years. Our military years were an extraordinary period. I hold tight in my heart, those memories and I am a proud American who sees the US Army as an opportunity, not a gamble.

There was no doubt in my husband's mind; enlisting in the US Army was exactly what he needed to do to find a jumping off point in life. We lived in a typical small town, which offered just about nothing, as far as a decent job went. The best bet around was to work your way up the ladder to foreman in a local wood shop. A prospect that held appeal for some guys, but not especially appealing for my husband, who wanted an education, but lacked the financial means.

It is probably not much different today in small towns across the country. The cost of education is through the ceiling. Unless you have a degree in some capacity, your chance for launching a successful career is slim. The more things change the more they stay the same. Easily, joining the military was the perfect option for my husband. It provided him a gateway to the future and an honorable manner in which he could give back to his country.

I realize, when my husband entered the Army, it was during peacetime. The year was 1974, I believe. Would he have enlisted if the US were in conflict, as it is now? Of course, he would. The years he was in the military may have been peaceful on the outside, but he was busy learning about terrorism on the inside. Funny how preposterous I thought that term was back then.

Although he is a quiet man and somewhat reserved, his years in the Army provided him a renewed sense of himself. He inherited a complete understanding of spirit. He also learned what it means to honor yourself, your fellow soldiers and the country you call home. The education he received was truly second to that.

Our two beautiful daughters were born in military hospitals: One at Fort Hood, Texas and the other in Heidelberg, West Germany. We made lifelong friends and learned valuable lessons. There are boxes and boxes of amazing memories from the military years. I cry every time I hear the National Anthem. Consider the US Army; I promise you will have no regrets.

Learn more about this author, Cathy A Montville.
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