Get used to waking up early now. Workout in the early morning. Eat breakfast by 0800. Lunch at 1130-1230 Dinner at 1700. This is going to be your schedule during basic and most of the time will still be followed during your active duty. Does this sound reasonable to you?

This isn’t summer camp and no matter what you have heard, you don’t just show up and collect a pay check. This isn’t hitting the easy button. The benefits the military provides you are earned and not just given. You are a 24/7/365 service member. You are expected to perform your job, train all the time, and deploy when told to do so. You may or may not get to go home for the holidays. You will miss birthdays, anniversary’s, graduations, weddings, and other special events if you are on mission or deployment. This is not to scare you or to deter you. On the contrary, this is to help you prepare and understand the sacrifices you will have to make. What have you been told about the day to day activities?

Mom’s are gonna cry, Dad’s will swell with pride, your friends may not understand. Joining the military is a huge step and change for everyone. Your friends are going off to college or starting out in the work force, while you sign up to do what only 1% of the country will do. You will move away from your home, but you will make new friends that understand what you are going through. Your family will not understand your stories, but they will think you are a war hero just because you are in. It’s a weird thing going home to your civilian friends after you have gone through the training and learned the military culture. The good news is, you won’t turn into a robot (unless you want to), but it will give you a different insight. How do you think you will handle leaving home for the first time?