Hologram
09-15-08, 10:31 PM
So I'm finished up my NROTC package tonight, and I just got finished writing the "Why you want to be a Marine officer" essay. I figured I'd post it for a little bit of moto for anyone who wants to read it and maybe I can get a few suggestions for it to make it even better (and thus improving my chances at the scholarship), so here goes:
The reason that I chose the Marine Corps specifically as the branch to join has been elusive at best. Whenever somebody asks me “Why the Marines?” I have to really search my soul to find a real answer to appease their curiosity. It’s not that I don’t really want to join the military, but more that my decision is a calling that can’t be put to words in a way that would sound reasonable to most people. After some real soul searching, I believe that the real reasons for my wanting to become a Marine Corps officer boil down to two simple things: the mental challenge and the professionalism.
The mental challenge of being a Marine Corps officer has always intrigued me. Even as a little boy, I enjoyed playing armchair general games and found the strategy of deploying and moving troops in the field fascinating. While these games were obviously nothing like the real thing, the seeds were planted. Now, as I’ve grown and matured, I’ve become even more fascinated with the possibilities of this mental challenge associated with being an officer, such as maintaining troop welfare, tactical and strategic movement, and so much more than I could list here, or even conceive. These possibilities are the driving force behind my desire to be an officer in the Marine Corps. Obviously, I could find the potential for mental challenge in any branch of the armed forces, but my specific desire for the Marine Corps is addressed in my next point: professionalism.
The Marines, and in turn the Marine Corps, have always been known for their professionalism, and this professionalism is shown in everything they do. It’s their elitism, their passion for everything that they do, their strict adherence to history and tradition, all these aspects stem directly from their discipline and professionalism. But the most important part of the Marines’ professionalism is their ability to always get the job done, even against seemingly insurmountable odds. From Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima to Chosin Reservoir, the Marines have shocked both ally and enemy by winning the unwinnable battles and defeating the undefeatable enemies. It is this Marine Corps, this elite branch of warriors that I can only hope to be invited to lead, both in peace and in war.
The reason that I chose the Marine Corps specifically as the branch to join has been elusive at best. Whenever somebody asks me “Why the Marines?” I have to really search my soul to find a real answer to appease their curiosity. It’s not that I don’t really want to join the military, but more that my decision is a calling that can’t be put to words in a way that would sound reasonable to most people. After some real soul searching, I believe that the real reasons for my wanting to become a Marine Corps officer boil down to two simple things: the mental challenge and the professionalism.
The mental challenge of being a Marine Corps officer has always intrigued me. Even as a little boy, I enjoyed playing armchair general games and found the strategy of deploying and moving troops in the field fascinating. While these games were obviously nothing like the real thing, the seeds were planted. Now, as I’ve grown and matured, I’ve become even more fascinated with the possibilities of this mental challenge associated with being an officer, such as maintaining troop welfare, tactical and strategic movement, and so much more than I could list here, or even conceive. These possibilities are the driving force behind my desire to be an officer in the Marine Corps. Obviously, I could find the potential for mental challenge in any branch of the armed forces, but my specific desire for the Marine Corps is addressed in my next point: professionalism.
The Marines, and in turn the Marine Corps, have always been known for their professionalism, and this professionalism is shown in everything they do. It’s their elitism, their passion for everything that they do, their strict adherence to history and tradition, all these aspects stem directly from their discipline and professionalism. But the most important part of the Marines’ professionalism is their ability to always get the job done, even against seemingly insurmountable odds. From Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima to Chosin Reservoir, the Marines have shocked both ally and enemy by winning the unwinnable battles and defeating the undefeatable enemies. It is this Marine Corps, this elite branch of warriors that I can only hope to be invited to lead, both in peace and in war.