Recruiting Wars

The following is a speech I presented on February 5, 2009:

“In human affairs of danger and delicacy successful conclusion is sharply limited by hurry. So often men trip by being in a rush. If one were properly to perform a difficult and subtle act, he should first inspect the end to be achieved and then, once he had accepted the end as desirable, he should forget it completely and concentrate solely on the means. By this method he would not be moved to false action by anxiety or hurry or fear. Very few people learn this.”
~ John Steinbeck, East of Eden

I learned this. Some lessons take multiple failures to embed their morals. I’ve rushed to several goals while not stopping to think. But attempting to enlist in the military forced to me to learn this lesson once and for all.

About two years ago, I became a lost, young man. I had left my first job out of college and had no desire to continue in the field of journalism. Without employment, my mind had time to wander. It occurred to me that I believed in what the military accomplished. And since they’ll hire just about anyone who wants a job, I began the enlistment process into the Air National Guard. As this was a part-time job, I also applied for full-time citizen employment.

The process proved long – too long for a 24-year mover-and-shaker like me. I landed a full-time job before I could complete my enlistment process and couldn’t pass up the opportunity in order to enter boot camp for a shiny part-time government job. So my frangible passion to serve faded.

“In human affairs of danger and delicacy successful conclusion is sharply limited by hurry.”

By default, this turned out to be the correct decision.

“So often men trip by being in a rush.”

My recruiting officer did not actively pursue me. Why? Because the Air Force and Air Guard have a surplus of applicants. Only the best and brightest get into this military branch. I would have been a lowly peon for six years had I joined the Air Guard. The only way to advance would be to join the Air Force full-time and strive toward an officer’s commission. As the passion for my new job subsided, my ache to become a serviceman resurfaced.

“If one were properly to perform a difficult and subtle act, he should first inspect the end to be achieved…

I needed more information about what I was getting into.

…“And then, once he had accepted the end as desirable…”

This is where I forced myself to stop. What did I want out of the military? Where did I want my career to go? In the meantime, I had discovered I wanted to become a lawyer. So how do I practice law in the Air Force?

“…He should forget it completely and concentrate solely on the means.”

Turns out I can’t. Anyone that has ever been arrested cannot serve a legal function for the Air Force or Air Guard. When I was 20 years old, I drank a beer, was pulled over and thrown in the slammer – the whole nine yards. It didn’t matter that my troubles were behind me. It didn’t matter that our three most recent presidents have abused alcohol, marijuana and/or cocaine.

Disillusioned and frustrated by this arduous and fruitless journey, I turned to the Navy. Those recruiters had me signing paperwork and ready to enlist in two days. During that timeframe received a panicked call from an officer recruiter telling me the enlistment recruiters would take me completely away from my goal of becoming a legal officer. Snake-bitten, the enlistment recruiters came back at me with an overwhelming amount of information to the contrary. This was last week.

“By this method he would not be moved to false action by anxiety or hurry or fear.”

I threw up my hands and said I need the whole story. I’m not listening to any more recruiters. I spoke to former enlisted men. I spoke to officers. I spoke to former officers. What would really happen to me if I joined full-time? How can I reach my career goals while still in service? Actually, beginning law school is my first step. Only then would my next step of entering the military come around. So enlistment is out of my mind, and the integral first step has my complete concentration.

“Very few people learn this.”