My Life as a Soldier

For nearly all my life, I wanted to join the military. However, I was big fat fatty; which prevented me from joining as a young adult. However in my later 20's, I shed the weight and was then able to join.

How it Started

As I noted, I was too heavy to join the armed services at an young age. However, I began a weight loss journey in my mid to late 20's. My solo journey lacked an important resource, knowledge. I had minimal resources at the time to get the knowledge. Yes, the internet was around, but it wasn't the same as it is today. This was a time before YouTube and any form of social media.

So one day, I stepped into the Army Recruiting Office in Bolivar, just to ask about what the Army did for physical fitness. I wasn't even thinking about joining. However, after a few visits this turned into, 'the reserves may be a good idea,' because my family of four was barely living paycheck to paycheck. And then ...

After conversations with the silver tongued recruiter, the idea of regular Army seemed better and better for my situation. Yes, he got me 'hook, line and sinker'.

So the process began, the recruiter took me to the National Guard Armory in Springfield, where I took the ASVAB. I scored in the 98th percentile, with my GT score of 126 (150 max). By this measure, I was qualified for any job in Army. So then a few weeks later, I was off to MEPS in Kansas City.

My MEPS experience was not quite as kind to me. The physical exam was fine, no problems there. Selecting my Military Occupational Specialty is were the challenge arose. I was gunning for 18X (Special Forces Candidate) , which I qualified for, but... the term 'needs of the Army' was thrown in my face.

Despite having score high on the ASVAB, the Army did not take kindly to the fact that I was a high school dropout with a GED and no college. Therefore, they only offered me 3 positions:

'Motor Transport Operator' (88M)
'Petroleum Supply Specialist' (92F)
'Culinary Specialist' (92G)

With some negotiating I was able to get them to offer me 'Water Treatment Specialist' (92W). Alas, the offer was only good if I joined the Reserves instead.

I did not want to be a cook. Recruiter told me that 92Fs tended to have a lot of TDYs, which was not the best for a family man. So 'Motor Transport Operator' it was.