Did your miliitary services change the way you eventually lived your life. Was it different than...

[madville]

18. I needed a job I couldn't easily quit

I had 10 different jobs between 18-21 years old, finally joined up, needed something I was required by law to show up to I guess.

It taught me some work ethic I guess, stuck with it 21 years. I was mostly focused on maximizing my benefits when I stayed after my first enlistment, I got a degree at no cost with Tuition Assistance, my son used 13 months of my GI Bill and graduated technical college debt free. I have my retirement pension, worth about $2400 a month, get another $1997 a month in tax-free VA compensation.

I also worked some years as a federal civilian for the same service I retired from and got vested in the FERS pension, that will only be a few hundred bucks a month when I turn 62 though. I have a second(or third) career now in the technical field I was trained for in the military, I am building another pension with it and will also take social security at age 62.5.

I think more than anything it taught me to set myself up for retirement with government pensions and health plans, by 62.5 years old will have 5 different checks coming in (not counting my TSP, 401k, and Roth withdrawals) sorry for driving up the deficit lol.