I should preface my experience by saying that I joined in 1996 . There were no imminent wars or threats at that time . Personally , I didn ' t feel like I had great scholarship opportunities for college . I was a slightly above average student , not a superior athlete and male caucasian . I wanted the best opportunity to make it through school without crippling student debt . That started my serious look at military possibilities . I decided to join the United States Marine Corps due to MOS availability and some family influence . The recruiting process and boot camp altered my perception of that calling though . By the time I was out of boot camp I wasn ' t just looking for college money , but felt a real sense of patriotism and pride in my service . It was a tough decision when I decided to get out after four years . I often still wonder if I made the correct choice .