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I am an infantry platoon leader in the U.S. Army.

I started as a lieutenant.

I'm currently on leave, but while I was deployed, I was a platoon leader. As a platoon leader, I was in charge of about thirty guys. Taking care of them was my responsibility. I was in charge of everything from their health to their training. I'd get them working out in the morning, prepare them for combat, and even monitor their salaries and bills. Just about every aspect of those thirty guys' lives was my business.

One year. During that time, I grew really close to all of them. I still visit and hang out with many of them, even though our tour is over.

It varies daily, but overall we were front-of-the-lines and tip-of-the spear. We saw a lot of action as the first to enter dangerous scenes. We did security missions, raids and offensive attacks. There are many different branches of the military, but we did a lot of the duties that people interested in the military romanticize about.

When we first deployed, we were stationed in Kuwait. The sole purpose of our time in Kuwait was to acclimate my platoon to the heat. It is so hot in the Middle East that the human body needs time to adjust. While we were there, we received our ammunition and final equipment. After two weeks in Kuwait, we shipped out to Iraq, where we stayed the rest of the deployment.

The area where we were stationed was very rural and poor. We were surrounded by canals at all times, and it was really difficult for me to get a good sense of location. It was a very agricultural area with many farmers. The people there were generally educated until about the sixth or seventh grade level. In that area, additional schooling is unaffordable and simply not practical.

I was fully aware that something could happen at any time. It's a harsh reality of being stationed in that area, but you learn to accept it. There are always roadside bombs or snipers that could take someone out without notice; it happens often. That knowledge made me sharp, though. After a year in Iraq, it's easy to get sloppy. If you are sloppy around people that are trying to kill you, it makes their jobs that much easier. I never felt as if my life was in immediate danger, but staying out of my comfort level kept me from putting myself in unnecessary danger.

While I was deployed, the military was my life. I had a little free time and my own personality, but concerning what I physically did, it was 99% of my life. Even now that I'm on leave, it still shapes so much of what I do. My haircut, my clothes and my workout regimen all stem from my commitment to the Army. It dictates where I can and can't go, my job, my salary and even my retirement.

When I was a little boy. I was probably about twelve years old when I really became fascinated with the Army. I loved watching military strategy, weapons and history shows on television. Guns, machines and tactics all really appealed to me. The desire to be in the military has always been there. I went to college to play football for a year, and then left pretty dissatisfied. My old feelings towards the military came back, and I finally made my dream a reality.

I wouldn't change my choice to enlist for the world. The Army has given me so many opportunities that I would have never had at any other vocation. I could never have afforded the amount of travel and education I have received at my age without the benefits received through the military.

The Army will not force anyone to get anything beyond a high school education. A cool thing happens if you enlist and are willing to continue your education, though. The Army will work with you extremely closely to make sure that you receive a great education for very little of your own money. To become an officer, a college degree is required, but the Army will make sure that if you want it, you will get it. If you say yes, someone will hold your hand throughout the entire process, showing you how to apply, how to get money, and how to excel in class. The opportunities are there and are very user-friendly.

Everyone has different time frames and finances. Some people do ROTC while they are in college and then serve once they are out. Others jump right in after high school. Others have a career path set before they decide to enlist. The best thing to do is to talk to an Army recruiter. The only catch is: their advice needs to be taken with a grain of salt. They are there to sign people up. You need to talk with them only after you have made a fairly strong idea of what you want before you visit them.

Overall, the full adjustment took place in about a year. By the time you start waking up every day ten minutes before the alarm goes off, the transformation is well underway.

There is no light-bulb moment. After a year in, though, I finally noticed the degree of my change. My transition from college to the Army was fairly shocking. You can anticipate it all you want, but it will still be a stretch. Fresh from a college lifestyle, the contrast was rough. I had to go work every single day at 6:00 a.m. I could never be late, hung-over, or even tired. We all have deadlines and time frames, but it wasn't like a retail store where you can call your manager and tell him that you will be a minute late because of traffic.

It is a constantly changing schedule. There were days where I got about three hours of sleep and was expected to get up and start working. Other days, I could get a solid eight hours of sleep. As for our actual schedules, at 6:00 a.m., P.T. starts. P.T. is physical training, and we start our days with a series of push-ups, pulls-ups, jogging and Army jujitsu. After a couple of hours of that, we get an hour to clean up and get breakfast. Next, everyone goes off to do his or her own duties. Duties could include cleaning weapons, strategy classes, general Army education and infantry skills.

A lot. That is one good thing about the military: everybody's Army experience is different. Even fellow platoon leaders that were stationed in similar areas to me have completely different occurrences. There are so many different jobs to do that everyone finds a place where they fit well.

Within the Army, it is difficult to maintain friendships with people back home. You are constantly moving around, and you're isolated from the rest of the world. Within the Army, though, it is completely different. Everyone is in the same situation. You get really close with your group of guys for two or three years with the understanding that each of them will be relocated. Friendliness is almost engrained in the Army society. Everybody I've met has been really eager to let me join them in anything they do, because each of us has been the "new guy" so many times that we understand what it feels like. There are very few cliques or exclusive groups. I always compare it to rushing a Greek system in college. You are moved around through so many different houses in such a short time that you learn to make friends quickly. In my case, it's cities and bases instead of fraternity houses.

At first, it was odd. It felt great not to be on a regimented time schedule. After a couple years though, the schedule becomes semi-comforting. Suddenly, I realized that everything I learned in the Army is ingrained in me now. I appreciate what I do there and why I do it. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy going out with friends and sleeping late, it's just that I don't dread going back to the Army lifestyle.

Well, the bottom of the ladder officer would be a second lieutenant, making about $30,000 a year. After eighteen months, there is a promotion to first lieutenant, who would see about $35,000 to $40,000. Within four to five years, someone in the military could be looking at about $55,000 a year in salary.

It is a different type of salary. The $50,000 that someone earns in the military equates to about $75,000 if you include benefits. One big benefit is health care; I can get any part of my body worked on at any time for no charge. If I get married, that applies to my wife. Should I have kids, it applies to my kids, as well. Few jobs offer that kind of coverage. It takes years in the corporate world to get that, whereas I received it the second I joined. If you are trying to save money, you can always live in the barracks. If you have a family, they will provide you with a house. That is, if you want to live on base. If you want to live off base, the government will give you money to do it. The coverage even includes $3,000 a month for food, on top of the normal salary.

Twenty years of Army service is expected from every soldier. Guys that joined the army at 18 can comfortable retire at 38. Few people stay in beyond the twenty-year requirement; generals are about the only long-term people. I'd say about 80% of people leave after the twenty years.

I've never had anyone be disrespectful to my face. Most of the time people are really understanding and curious. They thank me for my service. People are always very supportive and want to hear a first-hand account. People constantly want to hear about Iraq from a front-of-the-lines perspective.

Yes and no. My life is the military, as I said earlier. Now my free time is definitely my free time, and I do exactly what I want to do within that free time. Unfortunately, the Army dictates when my free time occurs. Luckily, I got into this career because I knew that, while it was a huge commitment, I would still enjoy it. It's that old saying, "If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life." That logic served me well.

You really have no say in where or when you go. When my skill is needed in a certain area, I have to be ready to ship out and start working. Only extraneous circumstances would change that. My friend's wife had a miscarriage right before he was supposed to deploy. He got some time off to console her and make sure that everything at his home was OK before being deployed. As far as seniority, after being deployed a couple of times, you get to choose from different deployment locations. It is not a huge list, but it gives you a little bit of say as to where you will go. My analogy is always with class scheduling. Freshmen all take the same core classes dictated by the University. After that, as you accrue more hours, the more diversified classes are available to you.

The one thing you never see on Army commercials or movies is the level of commitment that is required. I love my free time, but when I'm at work, I am completely isolated. I can't take a break to call my girlfriend or text someone in between duties. Even things that most people take for granted are not possible in the military. I can't run down to the deli and grab a sandwich when I'm hungry. I have to work until the job is done or until my superior gives me a break. Some days, I am expected to work for a solid twenty hours. During that time, I can't think about anything else but work, or I will screw up.

I would say that the pressue affects me more positively than negatively. It forces me to either focus or know that I will let my team down. It can get annoying at some times, but it teaches me to attain a certain level of perfection in my performance.

My uncle was in the military, and is probably the one that got me thinking about it when I was younger. He was in the guard, and it interested me. One of my mom's friends was also in the military for twenty-four years, and I respected him a lot.

Night vision is something that I really like. It is amazing to have perfect vision in the dead of night. On that note, the thermal scope on my rifle really intrigues me. Special Forces get to use a lot of videogame/movie technology that is unheard of, but I get pretty normal gear. Snipers, M4s, pistols and machine guns are all pretty standard to work with. I was in complete awe of a gun that shoots bullets the size of my hand.

Absolutely, and this is why so many people join the forces. They know that this is a "corporation" that has a very low likelihood of going "out of business." The promotions and salaries are all very standard and precise. Doing away with corporate favoritism and games is a big plus for most guys that joined.

That is a tough question. There are people that are very intelligent that don't do well in the Army. The issue is their mentality. Their attitude type cannot handle this kind of pressure and job. At the same time, there are people that need help tying their shoes; when they get into uniform, however, they become super-soldiers. These are the people that are not very educated, but understand the mindset it takes to be a solider. If one thing could point to success in the Army, I'd have to say attitude. If you have the desire to excel in the Army, you will excel. There are three main criteria to indicate those that do well. If you are physically fit, intelligent, and have a desire to succeed, you will do well.

Those who enlist for the money or to blow things up. Those could each be considered perks depending on your interests or tastes, but they can't be the ends to what you are doing. Instead, they are the means by which you try to make the country safe and secure. There is too much pressure, stress, commitment, work and bonding to be a flakey soldier and survive.

Very seldom. I knew pretty quickly that the people around me wanted me to succeed. We are all in the same boat: we are dedicated to the country. There is good money in this industry, but it doesn't make it all worth it. There has to be a little extra sacrifice, and that is a common bond that most of us shared.

That is a large reason why many people could not handle the military. The way that fellow soldiers and I survive is the understanding that we are serving a greater good. I can put up with an angry squad leader when I personally know that I am protecting the people I know and love back home. It outweighs any verbal abuse. All service members sacrifice a lot, but they know they are doing something good for their country.

Probably not. At least at this point in my life, I've had such an intense job that the monotony of a desk job would kill me. When I'm fifty and my knees and back are shot, I'm sure I'll adjust. I worked an intelligence desk job in the Army for a while and I couldn't stand it. I joined the infantry so I could be out all over the world, experiencing these confrontations first hand.