Expert: Aaron Shifferly - 5/6/2011

Question
Hello Aaron.

I have achieved a lot in my life and I have no regrets in my life, but the one thing that has been always haunting me on a subconscious level is joining the military. My parents are former Israeli soldiers and when they moved to the US years later, I was born and became interested in the possibility of becoming one myself. Now, at age 37 I am torn between joining the military or establishing a new career that will financially change my life. But at the same time, I think nothing can be greater than to serve for one's country and for the greater good, providing that the reasons for joining the service of any branch is for a just cause. For instance, I don't think the war in Iraqi is a just cause, but the war in Afghanistan is worth fighting for. And in light of the recent news of bin Laden's death, it has made me feel an even stronger inclination to join up. And yet, there is still so much that I haven't seen and experience such as to travel around the world and establish and create a family of my own. The thing is, it is the possibility of getting killed in Afghanistan is what worries me. To clarify, I'm not afraid to die, I understand that all living things must die and that death is part of life, and I'm at peace with that since I consider myself to be a spiritual person. But what worries me is that I would hate to die before reaching my fullest potential. This decision to join the military would not be as hard if I had a wife and family of my own. At least this way, if I am killed in action, my legacy is ensured. Then I read from a yahoo discussion forum that people in the US have a greater chance of getting killed in their own country with the increasing crime rate compared to being killed in Afghanistan.

1. What are my chances of getting killed in the US compared to getting killed in Afghanistan?

2. Considering that we haven't won a major war since WW2, do you think that will be the same case for Afghanistan?

3. What is the minimum requirement to stay in the service?


Best regards,

Julian

Answer
1. Your chances of being killed overseas are minimal but real.  I don't know your chances here as they depend on many variables, such as where you live.  I would venture that living in NYC increases your chances versus living in Nebraska.
2. I can't speculate on what the case for Afghanistan is, just that we are going to be there through at least 2014 and probably longer than that.  We are the best military in the world, and will reach any goal that is set for us by our political leadership.
3. 4 years is generally the minimum but, again, it depends on the job you select.  Certain jobs that have long training periods require a longer contract to offset the training period.