Enlisted in USN at age 17, served 6 years for the most part on the USS DETROIT

LOL. Today is my birthday. Now retired. Signed up..attested at age 16 just before my birthday and entered service age 17 on January 5th a few years back. Well actually a lifetime ago. Crazy, crazy years. Married at 19, Vietnam experience with two young kids and wife at home. One kid was only a month old. How dumb is that? Would I do it all again...Shit yea!
A footnote. A number of years ago I decided to give all of my medals to my wife as she desrved them as she had to put up with a load of army garbage It wasn't long after that she passed over from cancer. What a brave chick. My heart still goes out to her.
blah, blah, blah
A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all of you vets out there. May all your troubles be little bits of resin and plastic and power to your scapel and paintbrush.

I was 22 when I joined the Army

I joined when I was 17. And I'm retiring from the Canadian Forces now at 30. Did one tour in Afgahstain. I was attached to US Army 10 Mtn Div while on tour. Fun times.

Climb for Glory!

Regards,
Tom

1972, I joined US Army at 17yrs old. My father agreed to my enlistment. 101st Airborne. 3 yrs in the Army and then 4 yrs in the US Air Force. Best yrs. of my life.

Enlisted in the US Army a few days after I turned 18 and retired from active duty 26 years, 2-1/2 months later!

"All this an' a pay check, too?! Oh, hale yea... Where do I sign?"

I joined up when I was 16 years old. I got on the train to the Army Apprentice College Chepstow on the 12th Sep 1976. It was a Tuesday. 23 years and 90 days later ,a Sunday, I retired from the Army at the age of 40. I am and always will be a Sapper, a member of the Corp of Royal Engineers. A gentleman by Royal decree

I was 17 when I joined Alpha Company, 2nd platoon, 39th Infantry regiment, FT Jackson, SC. I went to 74C AIT at Fort Gordon, GA. I served with the 666th Transportation Detachment (I believe they were disbanded around 2007 now the 821st Transportation Bn or something)in Topeka, KS. I deployed with the 445th CA BN, Mountainview, CA to Northern Iraq in April 2005 until June 2006. I reclassed as a 38B in 2007. I then deployed with the 418th CA BN to Southeast Baghdad in late 2007 until November 2008. In 2012, after 13 years of service, I deployed to FT. Living room. My current project is rebuilding all the equipment my teams and I used while deployed. Some of which includes: M998 with welded armor, M1025 with welded armor, Toyota Hilux(?) crew cab(My team only used these inside FOB Danger due to the 2005 restrictions), M1114 Frag kits 1-7(we used various models so I'll need to look at a few photos to get the armor right). I've forgotten more than I'll ever remember. Finally, we were given a few M1151's at the end of my first tour and during my second. I don't believe I'll be modelling any jamming devices as I'm not sure what still is/or isn't Secret/no forn. This may help me explain it to my wife, son and daughter--

Sorry guys. Meant to say 2nd PLT, A Co, 2nd BN, 39th Infantry Regiment. After 16 years, I guess I'm getting a little foggy.

I joined the british army in 95 at the age of 16 and joined the royal engineers as a fitter re did 4 years left for the wrong reasons and had roughly 5 years as a civi then rejoined which is my currant employment.

Was conscripted at 18 had no choice in the matter thought me a lot of things got out at 20 would I do it again ?No

17 but no choice or you join or you join... ....if I could choose I would not have done but meet the same friends for a few weeks each year for 15 consecutive years it is amazing

Raised my right hand just a couple days into being 18yrs old...three days after high school graduation.
Flown down to Ft. Jackson, South Carolina for Reception and a week later bused down to Ft. Benning, Georgia for Infantry OSUT for the next 3 months.
Got the "Blue Cord" and couldn't imagine doing anything else for the rest of my life other than soldiering. Made a career of it and raised a family off of it. Retired after 21 years (the wife finally had enough)!
Stay active in the American Legion, VFW and DAV these days.

I joined the Air Force in the Spring of 2000 when I was still just 17 and entered the Delayed Entry Program (DEP). I couldn't ship out until August of that year however, my parents made me stay at home after graduating high school in May until after my sisters wedding at the end of July.

I ended up serving 6 years and 11 months with my first duty station being Ft. Riley KS ("there's no Air Force at Ft. Riley" 2001 - 2003), followed by Camp Casey Rep. of Korea (2003 - 2004), and finally Ft. Wainwright Alaska where I would deploy to Iraq twice (can't say I missed those two winters; 2005 - 2007 when I got out).

I also followed up this Federal service with about four years of State Defense Force (state guard, the literal State Militia 26 states in the US still have) while I lived up in the Fairbanks area (most of what we did was preparing for disaster relief should the National Guard be occupied, which is still a high probability given rotations in out of Central Asia and the Middle East).

I joined at 17 halfway thru my senior year. Mom and my stepdad sat at the table with the Army recruiter, Navy recruiter and the Air Force recruiter was on the speaker phone. I went army cause my granddad was a soldier, my dad was a soldier (his last tour was as a drill sergeant at the same base I would do my basic training at 14 years later) and my stepdad was a soldier. I was born in an army hospital. I bled olive drab. Went to basic at 17 years old 2 months after graduating H.S. (hint never let your drill sergeant know it's your birthday). Loved it. Miss it to this day. Even tho I got out a 100% disabled vet.

17 turned 18 in Basic Training and 19 at Udorn RTAFB Thailand where I lost my virginity and learned to drink. Retired at age 37. Those were the good old days.

Almost 25 years old-went to barracks after my University graduation.I was older than any of the lieutenants in my company and was called "Ol' Man" by my fellow soldiers.Spent 3 unforgetable months,receiving Border Guard Duty and Signal training.Fell in love with the area I was stationed then and visit it at least once a year.

Joined the Bundeswehr in 1985 at the age of 21. Served 4 years, first year as a gunner/loader on a Leopard 2A4 and then 3 years as a truck driver on a MAN 5 to gl in the transportation group of the Bataillon. My unit was Panzerbataillon 83 in Lüneburg. The unit doesn't exist anymore, neither does the barracks ....

Torsten

I enlisted in the US Army when I was 17 and "celebrated" my 18th birthday in basic training at Fort Leonard Wood.

Shame.

Went in the ARMY at 16. My dad signed for me.

I enlisted Regular Army shortly after high school graduation and turning 18. Finished my last enlistment in the Guard just shy of 24 years later. Good times and hard times. The BS is mostly forgotten now.