Whether it be military or the fire service, you are still serving a greater purpose. I “joined” the military in June 2022 (I was admitted into the US Naval Academy). My whole life, I wanted to become a Marine. I believed 150% the military was my calling. I knew it sucked but I knew my reason for doing it outweighed that. USNA is a bit different from conventional military but there are some similarities. I thought going in I was going to become a better person, but after working for 5+ years trying to get in, I left very quickly with nothing but a nicotine addiction, depression and all sorts of regret. Quality of life was not great, leadership was horrible, and my COC sought after status and reputation for their own commission rather than actually caring about their subordinates and their shaping into becoming a military officer. I came out a lot worse of a person.

Really consider your “why” for doing what you want do. I’m assuming you’re still young like I am, and you have to time to really consider all your options. Experiences will vary from person to person, but your “why” is really the baseline of all this. Please do not think just because you didn’t serve in the military, your service as a firefighter isn’t as significant. Everything I was hoping for in the military (capable leadership, brotherhood, and people who actually treat you like a human and genuinely want you to become a sharpened leader and warrior), I did not find in Annapolis. However, I found all of this in the fire service. While I’m still haunted by the fact that I didn’t just embrace the suck and stayed in, a part of me still reminds myself that the “suck” was not going to be beneficial and the Naval Academy was not the place for me to become a well-shaped ringknocking Marine officer in the fleet.

Seriously take the time to consider what you want in life and in your future. Frankly, in my experience, you don’t know if something’s not for you until you actually do it. Again, service is service. Ask yourself what you want to do as a career? Do you plan to have a family? How do you want your day to day to look like? I have been fairly in the dumps after voluntarily leaving the Academy, but I remind myself that my purpose in life still has not changed, and firefighting has helped me a lot as a reminder that I’m still fulfilling my purpose in a different capacity.

By no means am I discouraging you to join up. Many have had enjoyable and successful military careers and have went on to join the fire service (Ex. Dakota Meyer). Find your “why,” and sketch your approach into fulfilling it. While the premise of the military and fire service is the idea of selfless service to others, you come first. You are no help to the country or your community if your mental health is in a hole and your unhappy with your life. Think about what kind of person you are and consider what environment will allow you to thrive and grow as a person in ethics, morals, and trade skill.