By Kyle Richardson |Staff Writer|

The military has been known as a place that some people may run to escape their problems or reality.

I myself have pondered the idea of enlisting in the military at the beginning of my college career.

After high school or even in the early years of college, someone who may be undecided about what they want in their future may choose to join the military.

Though, many may think that the military is a place full of people “escaping” or “undecided” with life goals, I would have to say it is a place where people are going because they know what they want to be and do.

“I enlisted because I didn’t know where I was going with junior college. I needed to be part of something big. I wanted adventure and I wanted to travel. Most of all, I wanted to be proud of what I was doing with my life,” stated student James Glenn.

Glenn, a former Navy Riverine Marksman, enlisted when he was 20 years old and served for eight years.

The military is not a place that people run to because they do not have a direction, but because they know they want something more.

It is a full-time paid job, with the opportunity to travel, and even get an education.

For those who do join the military, it is not as easy as you may think.

More than one in five recent high school graduates is not academically qualified to enlist in the U.S. Army according to edtrust.org.

With that in mind, those who might be running to escape something possibly may not even be able to pass the exam to enlist.

I have had many friends who have joined the military in response to having an undecided future.

After a short time in the military, they all soon found stability in their life and look to have a bright future.

They are all working full-time as well as getting an education.

Enlisting is a way to learn different trades that may lead to other brighter futures.

“The military taught me a lot about myself. It tested me mentally and physically like nothing else I could have experienced. It humbled me greatly,” stated Glenn.

“It gave me ideas and tools to shape my life like I would have never known … It shows you the best and the worst of human nature, and it taught me lessons on life that I will never forget,” concluded Glenn.

Growing up in Oceanside, Calif., which is a military town located directly south of Camp Pendleton, I was told to join the military almost every day by my father and grandparents until the day I started going to college.

Even at the end of my college career, my grandmother still continues to encourage me to enlist in the military once I earn my degree.

For many, the military is a lifestyle that is embedded within them.

No one is running away from their reality or future—rather they are taking initiative to make their own future bright.

For many, enlisting in the military is a last resort, but for others, it would be the first and best decision they would ever make in their life.