One of the things I regret in life was that I didn’t take advantage of the education program they had while I was in the Marines. They would have paid for 80% of a 4 year college. Actually, it is to their benefit to have educated marines. Moreover, an enlisted man has a chance of becoming a commissioned officer, which benefits the Marines and the marine.

Moreover, in as much as possible, they went way out of the way to make sure someone working on a degree has all the time they can provide. It is impossible to say how many hours I spent waiting for things to happen. This is time I could have spent studying.

Now, as the title says, I said that to say this. For those unable to afford college, the service is not that bad. It is quite conceivable that after a four year hitch, you might very well be on your way to getting your degree.

And besides. You might decide you like the service. Some folks do you know. I would have stayed in but I just wasn’t a good leader. If I stayed in, I was looking at having to lead. Nonetheless, if a person has the drive, a person can do well for himself. By the way, he can also do some good for our country too.

As an aside, you can learn how to lead. And the world is always looking for people who know how to lead.

On the other hand, like me, you can find out that you don’t like to lead.

If nothing else, try the reserves or national guard. It will let you get your toe wet so you see if you like it or not. Indeed, joining the reserves before going regular has many advantages. If I knew what I know now, it is the way I would have done it. A year or two in the reserves right out of high school would have worked out very well before going regular. It is one of those things they like to keep secret.