If you hadn't made the choice to go in the military what do you think you would have done instead? Did you ever regret your decision?

SSgt Harvey "Skip" Porter — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 15:48:11 -0500

For me never one regret whatsoever. It was a wonderful and very much rewarding journey.

Peace!

Response by SPC Joseph Wojcik made Mar 8 at 2018 4:24 PM

SPC Joseph Wojcik — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 16:24:25 -0500

I don't know, I'd probably become something lame like a lawyer or a doctor.
Do I have any regrets? Not really, but I get the feeling that I wouldn't have such a hard time job searching if I weren't a veteran (I think there's some discrimination going on).

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Mar 8 at 2018 4:26 PM

LTC Stephen C. — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 16:26:51 -0500

No regrets, SSgt Harvey "Skip" Porter.

Response by MSgt Danny Hope made Mar 8 at 2018 4:30 PM

MSgt Danny Hope — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 16:30:36 -0500

No regrets

Response by LT Brad McInnis made Mar 8 at 2018 4:34 PM

LT Brad McInnis — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 16:34:37 -0500

Would have been a police officer, no regrets!

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 8 at 2018 4:37 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 16:37:11 -0500

SSgt Harvey "Skip" Porter I did my research and joined of my own free will. I do not regret my decision. I do regret the loss of friends, and fellow brothers.

Response by LTC Greg Henning made Mar 8 at 2018 5:25 PM

LTC Greg Henning — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 17:25:37 -0500

It was a great ride!

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Mar 8 at 2018 5:41 PM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 17:41:04 -0500

None, if I hadn't of joined the military, I'd probably be a skidrow bum by now.

Response by MAJ Jim Steven made Mar 8 at 2018 5:45 PM

MAJ Jim Steven — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 17:45:34 -0500

No regrets. My parents made me go to college after high school (looking back, I needed to work a year and pay some bills so that I might be a more serious student).
My college only had Army ROTC. I talked to recruiters about enlisting, but instead went ROTC. I got serious about it when I was offered a scholarship around sophmore year.
Plenty of chances to get out...but just went forward. Now, I am retired. Made a few sacrifices, never got married, lost touch with friends....but, I do feel that I could not have been more successful by NOT joining...

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 8 at 2018 6:45 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 18:45:31 -0500

No regrets, best thing I ever did in my life, In the early 1970's, if I didn't go into the Army, I would have ether been dead, or in jail for drugs like many of my friend did.
But, I still wished I made it to Woodstock in 1969.

Response by Maj John Bell made Mar 8 at 2018 6:53 PM

Maj John Bell — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 18:53:19 -0500

I was well on my way as a set designer and prop restorer at old Tucson. It wasn't until I made 1stLt that my military paycheck exceeded my Old Tucson paycheck as an 18 year old with 4 years experience.

No regrets, but always wondered how that would have played out.

Response by SGT Matthew S. made Mar 8 at 2018 7:07 PM

SGT Matthew S. — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 19:07:40 -0500

No idea. The military was where I was meant to be at that point in my life, whether I liked it or not. Without that time, I certainly wouldn't be who or where I am today. Wouldn't trade a bit of it, no matter how unpleasant.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 8 at 2018 7:28 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 19:28:47 -0500

No regrets.

Response by SFC Greg Bruorton made Mar 8 at 2018 8:14 PM

SFC Greg Bruorton — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 20:14:08 -0500

No regrets at my enlisting. The city of Detroit was wasting away and my girlfriend, I thought, would stay by me. Six months down the road she had hooked up with someone else and that opened a different path for me--which I grabbed.
I did miss out on many events in my close family because I was elsewhere, and that I regret, but overall, my decision to go in the Army was the best avenue for me.

Otherwise, I may have continued in the house painting and music business with a wishy-washy girl.

Response by MSG Louis Alexander made Mar 8 at 2018 8:57 PM

MSG Louis Alexander — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 20:57:50 -0500

Funny to even think about it for you see I was a draftee, that’s right, that guy who got a draft notice. Trust me, I wasn’t at all thrilled about it for if I hadn’t taken a break from school, this wouldn’t have been happening. I was about to graduate with another five months to go before receiving my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. And like most guy’s my age, wanted to begin making insane amount of money, but as fate would have it, it didn’t materialize at that particular time in my life. So, after speaking with my Father about how I should have and didn’t do etc. I decided to do my duty. Twenty-four years later, I retired from the U.S. Army. Do I have any regrets? None. During my service I completed my Bachelor degree and upon retiring walked into a State Police vacancy where I attended and graduated from the state police academy and worked as a State Policemen until I again retire in 2012 as a Captain. Since then I’ve grown much older, tired, decrepit and moody in my ways, but hey, I’m still here. I guess what I’m trying to say is stick with it, eventually everything will fall into place.

Response by 1LT William Clardy made Mar 8 at 2018 9:11 PM

1LT William Clardy — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 21:11:46 -0500

I honestly don't know what else I would have done. Wanting to be a soldier had always been in my blood.
That's not to say I never had regrets. I've always had a love-hate relationship with the Army, and there were several times when I looked forward to getting out, or was just plain fed up with the less-than-stellar aspects of some units. But in the long run, I always seem to relearn that I'm one of those folks who fits best in a military culture, even if I my attitudes still make me an odd fit there.

Response by SGT Joseph Gunderson made Mar 8 at 2018 9:37 PM

SGT Joseph Gunderson — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 21:37:45 -0500

I would have gone straight into college and then commissioned in the military.

Response by CW3 Jeff Held made Mar 9 at 2018 12:30 AM

CW3 Jeff Held — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 00:30:23 -0500

No regrets! Hard to say what I would have done. I was a farmer - could have stayed with that. Good with my hands so I would have figured something out.

Response by SFC Stephen Atchley made Mar 9 at 2018 8:00 AM

SFC Stephen Atchley — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 08:00:46 -0500

No regrets. I suppose I'd have gone to college if I hadn't joined the Army.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 9 at 2018 8:21 AM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 08:21:12 -0500

Tough one. I'd like to think that if I had opted not to serve, I'd have attempted to start a business and a family much earlier in life. On the other hand, I think it is more likely that if I had the chance to go back...I'd choose another service, as opposed to choosing not to serve. Not that I don't honor the Navy for what it did for my life, but there have been many times I can logically see that I'd have had more success and fulfillment in another service, and likely enlisted rather than commissioned.

Response by MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P made Mar 9 at 2018 10:00 AM

MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 10:00:53 -0500

SSgt Harvey "Skip" Porter - From a very young age I knew I wanted to join the military. I didn't settle on the Air Force until almost time to enlist, but I knew I'd be joining. The only regret I have is that I wish I could have served a few more years.

Response by SFC Dennis A. made Mar 9 at 2018 12:40 PM

SFC Dennis A. — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 12:40:55 -0500

I'd do it over again in a heartbeat. No idea where I might have ended up but I'm sure it wouldn't have been near as good as it turned out by joining.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Mar 9 at 2018 11:12 PM

SN Greg Wright — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 23:12:06 -0500

I would have fallen into a life of crime and drugs with my father and brother, who were both pressuring me to help them in their endeavors. I refused. So I joined 1. Because I'm 3rd gen Navy and 2. to get away from them. So no, no regrets. My biggest regret is not staying in and doing a full career.

Response by SMSgt Lawrence McCarter made Mar 10 at 2018 11:22 AM

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 11:22:52 -0500

i have no regret about joining the Military and I think it helped Me prepare for life beyond. I could have gone to college and even though I was an honor Student in High School not sure i'd of done the same esp as I would not have had the same monitoring by parents as when I lived at home. I grew up in the Military and gained a focus and figured out where i wanted to head. As a High School student I had no idea. I did go on to college and graduated with a BS degree. My Military career transitioned into My civilian career from Military Police to civilian Police. I was able to do things and learn things and go places in the Military as a civilian would not have happened, it was a great experience.

Response by Sgt David G Duchesneau made Apr 17 at 2018 3:52 PM

Sgt David G Duchesneau — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 15:52:59 -0400

I would do it all over in a heart beat! I was 17 when I signed up and I would change a few things, but overall, I would of still volunteered to join instead of waiting to get drafted even though I knew I would eventually end up deployed to Nam. That part of my life will always be with me as I did lose many of my friends and fellow Marines and they will live with me forever. It was one hell of a journey!

Response by SPC Kyle De Wolf made Apr 17 at 2018 7:52 PM

SPC Kyle De Wolf — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 19:52:31 -0400

For a long time I regretted that I had joined the Army, and I still wouldn't do it over again, but I can't disown all the friends I made or all the experiences that I had, or the person that they made me turn out to be. I wouldn't recommend it though. Join the Peace Corps.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Apr 17 at 2018 8:12 PM

SGT Philip Roncari — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 20:12:04 -0400

I really had no choice it was either straightening my dumb assed life out or joining” Cowboy” in the weeds.

Response by PO1 Brian Austin made Apr 17 at 2018 9:59 PM

PO1 Brian Austin — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 21:59:37 -0400

No regrets at all. I enjoyed my time in. I have a wonderful wife, three wonderful kids and made some lifetime friends because of it. It went by way too fast.
If i hadn't joined i probably would've done something stupid. I'd probably be dead, incarcerated, or in a gutter somewhere.

Response by SGT Randy Bordner made Jun 26 at 2018 7:44 AM

SGT Randy Bordner — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 07:44:09 -0400

I volunteered for the army when I was 18, knowing I would probably be in the infantry in Vietnam. More than once when I was RVN I thought "I must be an idiot!". However, I believe my experiences as a soldier reinforced my core values and taught me to persevere through difficult times instead of giving up. I truly believe it. I have always been proud of my service in spite of others opinions to the contrary; especially in the Vietnam era. I'm no John Wayne but an American who did my very best. Until the day I die; I will be a soldier at heart.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 8 at 2022 1:54 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 13:54:28 -0500

No regrets about joining. But many regrets about staying as long as I did.