by T. Scott Randolph

Created on: August 16, 2010

When you choose a career in the military, you will find that the sacrifices usually outweigh the benefits. Does this mean that it is a bad choice? Of course not. The military is not for everybody.

What are some of the benefits? You will have the best medical care available. This is both for you and for any dependents that you may have. If you get sick while stateside, all you have to do is go to the base hospital. It won't cost you anything. The same goes for your wife or husband as well as children. If you happen to get in injured while deployed while at war, times have changed. With the medical capabilities we have today, your chances of survival are much better than any other time in history. If we look at the number of causalities from the entire time we have been in Iraq versus the number of casualties during Viet Nam, they are much lower. This is taking into account that we have had ground forces in the Middle East since at least 1990.

Another benefit is the retirement time line. If you join the military at 18 or 19 (which is a normal age) you can spend 20 years in the military and retire with a pension by the time you are 40. There are not a lot of companies out there that put this option on the table. Job security is another benefit. Of course not everyone is able to reenlist, and it gets harder the higher you move up in rank, but the military will always be around.

One final benefit with the military is you get to travel all over the world. Of course some of the places you may be sent aren't advertised at the local travel agency, for the most part you will remember the good places over the bad. Depending on the state you are from, you have multiple options to continue your education once you decide to get out as well.

The sacrifices are many. You will be far away from home and loved ones for long periods of time. More than likely you will be put in harms way (this is the purpose of the military after all, to fight). You will be uncomfortable. You will be colder, hotter, more tired, and hungry than you thought possible. You will learn new levels of pain. Is this all bad? I don't think so. There is a saying in the Marine Corps (other services use it as well): whatever doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. I believe this to be true. No matter what job I have done since the military, all I have to do is think back and I realize I have been through much worse.

You will not get rich in the military. While it is a steady paycheck, money is not the motivation to join. You will prove things to yourself. You will form bonds with people from all over the country that you would have never had the chance to meet. You will learn the true meaning of respect and trust (both of which are earned, never given). When your life is in the hands of another soldier or sailor, that is trust.

Do the sacrifices outweigh the benefits? Yes they do. If you look at the long term, the military can make you a better person. It will instill confidence and pride within yourself that other jobs can never do. No matter how long you stay in, you will always be a veteran that served your country when it was needed. It takes a certain type of person to willingly pick sacrifice over benefit. Are you that kind of person?

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