thedrifter
03-27-07, 11:24 AM
I didn't join the military; I joined the Corps
By Anthony Camacho -
Posted : April 02, 2007
In conversation with people, it inevitably comes up that I am in the Marine Corps Reserve. The person I'm speaking to may tell me he served in uniform also. If he says, "I was also in the military," I take my chances and guess he was in either the Army or the Air Force.
I'm almost always right. Sometimes, you hear that phrase from someone who used to be a sailor, but not very often.
But now I hear Marines talk about when they "joined the military." While deployed last year, I read an article about a Marine pilot who had received an award; in the article, she spoke about why she "joined the military."
I didn't join the military. I became a Marine.
The thought of joining the military never entered my mind as a young adult, but the goal of becoming a Marine was constantly there.
I had offers from the other service branches, but that isn't what I wanted to do. I never looked at any bonus money or special schools.
I wanted to become a Marine and, since I had thought about it for years, my recruiter didn't have to sell me on anything - I was his recruiting dream come true.
I became a Marine for everything the Corps stands for and then some. I did it because Marines were, and still are, the best our country has to offer; because the pride shown by Marines is second to none when compared to the other branches of the service; because around the world, Marines are respected, revered and held in awe.
I did it because of the camaraderie and the brotherhood of being a member of an exclusive group whose bonds extend well beyond the uniform.
In the civilian world, being a Marine has made me some lifelong friends and allowed me opportunities because Marines take care of other Marines. We're family.
I have met former devil dogs who perhaps didn't have an illustrious tour of duty, but the pride in their voices tells me, and everyone else, they were Marines.
This intense bond we share, the title we earn, the pride we have about being the best aren't found in any other branch of the military.
When former Marines see my license plates, they give me a shout, a nod, a wave or say "Semper fi" to me. I have yet to witness that from former members of the other branches of the military - I've never heard a "Hooah" or an "Aim high" shared in passing on the street.
So, Marines, please remember this: If you had just joined "the military," you wouldn't have earned the title, the pride, the heritage, the history or the legacy that you now carry with you.
I don't know about you, but I didn't join the military. I became a Marine.
---The writer is a reserve master sergeant who spent the first four of his 22 years as an active-duty Marine . A civilian police officer, he is the military adviser for a Reserve Naval Mobile Construction Battalion.
By Anthony Camacho -
Posted : April 02, 2007
In conversation with people, it inevitably comes up that I am in the Marine Corps Reserve. The person I'm speaking to may tell me he served in uniform also. If he says, "I was also in the military," I take my chances and guess he was in either the Army or the Air Force.
I'm almost always right. Sometimes, you hear that phrase from someone who used to be a sailor, but not very often.
But now I hear Marines talk about when they "joined the military." While deployed last year, I read an article about a Marine pilot who had received an award; in the article, she spoke about why she "joined the military."
I didn't join the military. I became a Marine.
The thought of joining the military never entered my mind as a young adult, but the goal of becoming a Marine was constantly there.
I had offers from the other service branches, but that isn't what I wanted to do. I never looked at any bonus money or special schools.
I wanted to become a Marine and, since I had thought about it for years, my recruiter didn't have to sell me on anything - I was his recruiting dream come true.
I became a Marine for everything the Corps stands for and then some. I did it because Marines were, and still are, the best our country has to offer; because the pride shown by Marines is second to none when compared to the other branches of the service; because around the world, Marines are respected, revered and held in awe.
I did it because of the camaraderie and the brotherhood of being a member of an exclusive group whose bonds extend well beyond the uniform.
In the civilian world, being a Marine has made me some lifelong friends and allowed me opportunities because Marines take care of other Marines. We're family.
I have met former devil dogs who perhaps didn't have an illustrious tour of duty, but the pride in their voices tells me, and everyone else, they were Marines.
This intense bond we share, the title we earn, the pride we have about being the best aren't found in any other branch of the military.
When former Marines see my license plates, they give me a shout, a nod, a wave or say "Semper fi" to me. I have yet to witness that from former members of the other branches of the military - I've never heard a "Hooah" or an "Aim high" shared in passing on the street.
So, Marines, please remember this: If you had just joined "the military," you wouldn't have earned the title, the pride, the heritage, the history or the legacy that you now carry with you.
I don't know about you, but I didn't join the military. I became a Marine.
---The writer is a reserve master sergeant who spent the first four of his 22 years as an active-duty Marine . A civilian police officer, he is the military adviser for a Reserve Naval Mobile Construction Battalion.