Military is a very good choice for some people after high school. There are many steps in joining the military. First you must research your options. You have 5 choices: The Air Force, Navy, Army, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.  We have a total of 1.46 Million active personnel in the United States military. The United States Army has 561,984 personnel in active duty, with 205,000 in reserve. The Army’s motto is “This We’ll Defend”. The United States Navy has 321,053 personnel in active duty, with 106,188 in reserve. The Navy’s motto is “Honor, Courage, Commitment”. The United States Air Force has 329,638 personnel in active duty, with 68,872 in reserve. The Air Force’s motto is “Above All”. The Untied States Marine Corps has 200,827  personnel in active duty and 40,000 in reserve. The Marine Corps’ motto is “Semper Fidelis”. Lastly is the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard has 41,873 personnel in active duty, with 8,100 in reserve. The Coast Guard’s motto is “Semper Paratus”.

The military is also scary. You’re putting your life on the line for our country. With that taken into consideration the armed services also has many benefits. For example, they pay for your college education after your service is done, help you out in later in life, and automatic health insurance for yourself and your family. If you’re an active duty member your family gets automatic housing on base. During your service you get to experience very different things, good and bad. You can get to see the world and help and protect people.  

One of the students at Ipswich High School, Kylee Power, is enlisting in the United States Navy. Kylee made the bold and brave choice to choose military for her life after High School. When asking her why she chose the Navy instead of the other military branches she answered “I have always wanted to travel and the Navy goes everywhere. They pay for schooling and I was never apart of anything in school, but I wanted to feel apart of something now. They set you up for retirement and other things later in life. They really help to set your life on track along with amazing experiences”.

The next question I had for her was what part are you most excited about? “Leaving Massachusetts, moving out, starting brand new, having a real job, and being important” she replied. What department/ Job would you like to have in the Navy? Kylee replied with; “Intelligence Specialist. I will be working with top secret information, processing, and analyzing information”. Finally If you could pick a place to visit in the Navy where would you go? “I want to be based in California, so I will be going to ports in Japan and other places over seas, but Japan would be so cool to see” said Kylee.

Although the Military isn’t for everyone, it should be taken into consideration. The military services are so rewarding; you’re fighting for your country and the services instill a sense of self pride. You make so many people proud and the Military offers so many benefits after your commitment/term is up. Military is an option that should be considered by many; the benefits are much greater than the cons. Kylee is one of the few in the graduating class of 2014 to be joining the armed services. We all know that she will do amazing and make her country proud.