I Would Be Stupid Not To

I WOULD BE STUPID NOT TO

From the time I was very young, all the way through my senior year of high school, my mother, and every other adult I knew always stressed to me how important it was to choose a career that you would be happy with. A job that you did not dread to venture off to everyday, and in order for me to make that happen, I need to continue my quest for a higher education by working towards a bachelors degree. Up until I got married three years ago, I was not planning on attending college because of my passion for the military which requires nothing more than a high school diploma. I shipped off to Basic Training two weeks out of high school, and have had a blast doing everything from jumping out of planes, fast roping out of helicopters, going to sniper school, and being a sniper team leader during a combat deployment in Iraq. All of these things may sound really exciting, but none of them out weigh the enjoyment I get from spending time with my wife. Being married in the military is very tough not only on you, but your spouse as well do to the twelve to fifteen month combat deployments currently going on in Iraq. She has always been my number one priority in life, and putting her through the stress of me being in a combat zone for fifteen months at a time, just because I am having fun doing my job seems selfish to me. So I have decided to compromise my love for action in the military to going into a safer, somewhat similar field in the civilian sector. That is why getting a college education will be an important, and necessary tool for my future.

I am currently in the middle of a fifteen month deployment in Iraq, and up until recently I have had several hours of down time every day. I realized that instead of wasting my time watching movies, checking my email ten times a day, and going to the gym twice a day I could be working on my education. Since my decision now is not to be a “lifer” in the military I need to start preparing now to ensure that I will be a successful and competitive candidate in the federal job market as a civilian.

Once I have ETS’d, (end term of service) out of the military, I plan on having kids which is another reason I have decided to attend college. I do not want to have to worry if I will be able to provide for my family, and I know obtaining a college degree will help me achieve that goal. Some of the deciding factors for whether or not now would be a good time to start on a college degree heavily out weigh the alternatives. I have had ample time to complete some schooling while here in Iraq, and the opportunity to finish a bachelor degree before I get out of the Army will definitely help me out when applying to different federal agencies. The temptation to blow off work, and go spend time with my friends and family is not there, and this is the first time in my life that I have actually found a college degree that is interesting to me.

While working towards a bachelor in homeland security, I hope to place among the most qualified persons in whatever position that I apply for in the future. Even now in my current employment, (sniper team leader) I feel that it is important to strive to achieve professionalism