I graduated from high school in May 1979 and decided not to go to college. I didn't know what I wanted to do in life anyway, so why waste money in attending college just for the sake of attending? It turned out that the only thing really being wasted was my life. And, I wasn't the only one to notice. My parents, especially my dad, were getting tired of seeing me flounder and also tired of me living in their house as I neared 20 years old.By December I was still living at home and working at a local drug store. Dad had frequently suggested I join the military but that sounded like a horrible idea. I mean, the only thing I didn't like about living at home was Mom and Dad telling me what to do. The military sounded to me like a whole lot more of the same. However, Dad told me a story one day that caught my interest.Dad said that, when he was in the Air Force in the late 1950s, he was sent on a temporary assignment to Puerto Rico. During the several hour flight in the cargo plane from his base in Texas, he had the opportunity to spend time with the plane's loadmaster. He learned that the loadmaster loved his job, which consisted of supervising the rear of the plane (cargo and passengers). He especially enjoyed having visited over 30 countries in four years of flying.Dad then encouraged me to talk to an Air Force recruiter about being a loadmaster, but I instantly thought about basic training and how awful that would be. I declined. But, Dad persisted by saying that maybe I could just listen to the recruiter and make a decision at a later time, so I agreed.My dad and I went to the U. S. Air Force Recruiting Office in nearby Fort Wayne where the recruiter explained the loadmaster position to me as well as the requirements for getting the job. One of those requirements was to score high enough on the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) and he suggested I take it. He said there was no commitment involved but, without the test, there was no sense in continuing to discuss being a loadmaster, so I agreed.My ASVAB score was high enough to be considered, so the recruiter told me that I should take the required physical examination at the MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) in Indianapolis. He said there was no committment involved but, without passing the physical, there was no sense in continuing to discuss being a loadmaster, so I agreed.On December 31, 1979, I traveled to Indianapolis where, along with several other recruits, we took the physical exam. After passing, we were herded into a room with a podium in front of a couple dozen chairs. There were flags on each side of the podium making it look very official. We were told that we were in the room because we had passed the physical and were now going to be given the opportunity to enlist. Somehow, this whole process seemed orchestrated from the start. I knew the most logical thing to do was to decline the enlistment and go home and think about it so that I could make a rational decision. But, I also knew what the decision would be. My life had no purpose the way it was and the Air Force offered the opportunity for adventure and excitement, as well as the opportunity to make a difference in the world. I made the decision, took the oath and was placed on delayed enlisted that day.On April 11, 1980, I returned to MEPS for in-processing. Unfortunately, my suitcase didn't make the trip as I'd left it at the bus station back home. My parents made a special 200-mile round trip just to bring it to me. The next day I flew off to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio to begin the adventure (see All-Expense Paid Vacation in Sunny San Antonio! ).It's been many years now since I was in the Air Force, but I think about it often. I was able to visit more than 30 countries in four years, just as the loadmaster years before had done. Not only that, there were many adventures that I'll never forget (see International Incident International Incident, Part 2 , and In-Flight Emergency! ). I'm proud of my service and miss that time in my life. I would encourage any young person who doesn't have a plan for what to do with his or her life to consider the military. It can be a very rewarding experience.