Why I Joined the Armed Forces
“I was a senior in high school on September 11, 2001. I went to the recruiting station the next day. I wanted to be part of the suppression of future terrorist attacks. I tested well enough to go a number of directions in the military, and the infantry was the most attractive option to me. I felt like I was at a crossroads: I could sit and watch others do the heaving lifting, or I could do the lifting myself.”
- **Chris Newsome, Vice President of Candidate Acquisition and
Sergeant (E-5) Airborne Infantry 11B2P, U.S. Army**
“I thought long and hard about joining the military. My family (my father and my uncles) all served in either the Army or Air Force. So, by my junior year of college I was set on joining the military. I wanted to serve my country. I wanted a challenge. I wanted to be “different” than my buddies that I grew up with.”
- **Larry Slagel, Chief Operating Officer and
Captain (O-3), U.S. Marine Corps**
“I saw ‘Top Gun’ when I was 12 and a year later attended a wedding where the best man was an F-14 instructor pilot. He talked to me about all the ways Americans can serve in the military and fly pointy-nosed jets. That ultimately led to me applying and being accepted to the Naval Academy when I was 16.”
- **Tim Mossholder, Digital Marketing Manager for Candidate Aggregation and
Lieutenant (O-3), U.S. Navy**
“At a young age I learned a deep understanding and respect for the men and women who came before me and served this great nation, especially those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. I felt then, and still do, that while we aren’t always perfect, we live in a great country. I saw it as an honor to follow in their footsteps and serve my country. I knew around my sophomore year of high school that the military was becoming more of an option for me. Not long after 9/11, I joined the Delayed Entry Program for infantry basic training at Ft. Benning, Georgia upon my graduation from high school.”
- **Adam O’Toole, Director, Military Relations and
Sergeant (E-5), 11B Infantry, U.S. Army**
“I needed to grow up and develop some leadership managerial skills for my future. I wanted to see new places, travel, make some money and defend this great country.”
- **Robert Mulvihill, Director, Military Relations and
Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy (Retired)**
“I wanted to follow in my family’s footsteps, serve my country and pursue a new challenge. I also wanted to do my part, become an effective leader and make a difference, while accomplishing/ overcoming new challenges.”
- **Heidi Miller, Candidate Experience Manager and
Captain and Platoon Leader/ Executive Officer/ Administrative Director (BN S1), U.S. Army, USMA 2009**
“My grandfather, my father and my brother had all served in the military before me, and I felt a civic responsibility to service. I was enrolled in college, but deep inside I knew that it wasn't where I belonged. I needed a tough opportunity to challenge and discipline me, so before school started, I joined the Marines. I wanted an experience that would allow me to travel, become cultured and challenge me to my core.”
- **Matt Disher, Director of Support Services and
Sergeant (E-5) and Combat Engineer/Squad Leader, U.S. Marines**