Should I Stay or Go?

[TheGreatSatan]

As of next month I will have been in the military for 10 years. I served 5 years in the Marine Corps on Active Duty, 3 years in the Air Force on Active Duty, and 2 years in the Air National Guard.

I have a chance if I want to volunteer to go to Iraq for a 6 month deployment. I'm a cop in the AF, and I'll either be guarding planes or working in a prison (I really don't want the latter). Like I said though it's voluntary (for now).

If I choose to go, I'll have to stop going to school, even though I'm set to finish my Associates Degree next semester. So should I volunteer or not?

[public_eyesore]

its a hard subject for us to help you with. Im seriously thinking of joining the armed forces when i get out of high school. I think is the opertunity is still open after you finish your BA, and you feel like you still want to go then all power to you. I dont know you but most colleges say you cant not have classes for a certain amount of time, and most people dont want to make up the classes. WE support whatever desicion you make.

[onelegout]

If you realy want to get out there and do something important, why not quit the military and go to africa for 6 months and work for a charity?

[Rankenphile]

In all honesty, I believe that you should finish your education, or at least this phase of it, before you volunteer. The way things are going now, I do not believe that we will be finished with our Iraq campaign for quite some time, which will allow you the time you need to complete your education, receive your degree, and re-enlist if you still feel the strong need to do so.

I will keep my personal politics out of this, as it is a personal decision you need to make. Just remember that the degree you get would be for life, and would be very helpful to you after your tour is completed. Also, I do not know how things are now, as far as the military's stop-loss policy, but I have a number of friends that enlisted for short tours and were unable to leave after their time was up, because of the stop-loss.

Whatever you do, let us know. If you go, you'll be missed, and we will have you on our minds.

Also, what onelegout says does have some merit - why not spend some time volunteering closer to home while you finish your degree? I know Red Cross can always use more man-power, and I'm sure that there are other organizations that could use your strength and wisdom close to home to allow you to fulfill your school obligations and still receive the fulfillment that community service provides, before you went back to the military.