Started at 19 in the ND Air National Guard from 90-02, went AD Navy 02-10, AF Reserve 10-17. I joined to blow things up, get away from a girl, and do a bit of travel. Signed for 6 and stayed for 20 more. Played both enlisted and officer sides of the fence and I would absolutely do it again. It was a good fit for me. I learned about God, life, love, hate, joy, sorrow, costs vs. benefits, friendship, betrayal, loss, leadership, followership, success, failure, goals, discipline, truth, lies, politics, pleasure, and pain. I learned what I wanted and what I didn't want. Saw the world. Saw both the beautiful and the ugly sides of many things. Learned much about myself and other people, what's important, and what's NOT. Military service even taught me why people should avoid military service. I try to steer as many young people AWAY from military service as possible. IMO, there are better ways to gain the knowledge and experience I gained through the military that don't involve the numerous negative aspects of being in the military. If they insist on serving, then I try my best to make sure they serve in a manner that most benefits them, instead of serving like the recruiters and others tell them to serve. That's what military service did for me.