Recruiters Are Sharks
Are they really? The media and anti-war idjits in this country would have you believe two things: the services can’t meet recruiting goals and recruiters are sharks who will sign up anyone. The simple fact is that those cries are coming from people who have never served, much less even know where the local recruiting office probably is. The fact is that people are joining the military in growing numbers and choosing to stay in past their first terms. And some are going through great pains to get in.
Army and Navy recruiters took one look at 330-pound Ulysses Milana and told him to forget about joining. “‘You’ve got to lose weight,’” Milana remembers them saying. But Marine recruiters were willing to work with him as he began his weight-loss journey in December 2007.
Now, 11 months later, Milana is 140 pounds lighter as he leaves Monday for Parris Island, S.C., to begin boot camp.
Notice in there that no one forced Ulysses to lose the weight. No one forced him into the Marine Corps. He knows that as a Marine he will most likely be required to serve in a combat zone and defend our nations interests and his fellow Marines. Instead of taking the easy route and using his weight as an excuse as to why he couldn’t join, he did what he had to so that he could lose weight.
I say good luck to Ulysses and a big THANK YOU for signing up to serve the greatest nation on the face of the earth, regardless of what those people have to say.
A former culinary student, Milana said it was a challenge to give up favorites like pizza and hot wings, but cracking open a cold beer after work was perhaps the toughest guilty pleasure to abandon.
“It was really hard. You see all your friends drinking beer, and you’re like, ‘Oh, man, I want one,’” he said. But his determination kept him on track, and he would head for the gym or don a head lamp and go out for a run.
He should serve as an inspiration to many people!
Mickey
November 18th, 2008 at 7:32 pmyes, what an inspiration. Thank you
Claire
November 19th, 2008 at 11:57 amI am always amazed at people’s attitudes toward recruiters. The local recruiting station has been my “base away from base” while my husband was gone. The guys there helped answer my questions and helped out when they could. I think that too many people forget that these guys are soldiers too, and the majority of them are probably veterans (in our offices this is true).
Great post and that young man will make a great Marine. He obviously has the determination, stamina and moxie!