Expert: Rod Powers - 12/30/2007

Question
Hello Rod,

So I will be graduating from UT Austin with a BBA in Accounting and a BA in History.  I have a year left.  There are a couple accounting, consulting and industry careers I was into...however, the military has always been of great interest to me.
If I were to join, I know I would probably want to go in as an officer.  My only motivation is to serve my country.  But I know I don't want to turn the military into a career (unless it turns out that I love it beyond all belief which is a possibility).
I know that after military service I either want to go into business or further my education with a grad degree and work for the State Department.
I've done tons of research on all five branches of the military and think that either the NAVY or the Coast Guard may be the right fit for me.

Based on my long-term interests...would you recommend the military to me and if so, what branch (out of the 5) do you believe offers the best opportunities for my aspirations.

In the end, even though I want to serve my country...I don't want to regret any decisions.

Thanks for the help!

~Michael

Answer
Hi Michael,

I get questions like this all the time.

Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is that no one can tell you, or advise you as to whether Military service might be best for you, or -- if so -- what Military service may be best. That's an individual decision that only you can make.

I would recommend two of my articles: "U.S. Military 101" at: http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/military101.htm and "What the Recruiter Never Told You" at: http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/joiningup/a/recruiter.htm

These two articles may help you decide on whether or not Military service is "right" for you, and -- if so -- which Military service might be best for you.

For more information about the United States Military, feel free to visit my U.S. Military information site at: http://usmilitary.about.com Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com