Johnathan Walker

Lesson 7
Career Explorations 2

1. Q: Which Military Branch are you interested in joining? Why do you want to join this branch?

A: The military branch that interests me the most is the Marine Corps. I want to join this branch because
it appears to be the best branch for people who want to lead others and work in the field rather than on
a ship or military base.

2. Q: Do you have any friends or family in the military? If so, which branches are they in and what
advice do they have for you?

A: My grandfather and mother were both in the military. My grandfather was in the Marine Corps
during the Vietnam War and my mom was in the Army during the Afghanistan War. The advice that they
both had for me was to consider doing college while I am in the military and to take advantage of the
benefits the military has to offer.

3. Q: Are you interested in enlisting as active or reserve? What is the difference and how does it
affect your service?

A: I am interested in enlisting as active. The difference between active duty and reservist is that active-
duty Marines work 7 days a week all year long, while the reservist only work one weekend every month.
Another difference is that people who work active duty can retire after 20 years of service while
reservist retire at the age of 60 with more than 20 years of service. Enlisting as active duty affects my
service because it gives me a higher chance of being put into leadership positions and allows me to
retire from the military early.

4. Q: Are you interested in serving enlisted or as an officer? What is the difference and how does it
affect your military career?

A: I am interested in serving as an enlisted Marine for my first 4-year term. After my first term is done, I
plan to reenlist as an officer. The difference between an officer and an enlisted Marine is that officers
command the people they overlook, while enlisted Marines follow the orders given by the officer. Being
an officer and enlisted Marine are both stressful positions because they require a lot of mental strength
when it comes to getting a job done.

5. Q: Have you already started speaking with a recruiter? What has that process been like and
where are you at in the process?

A: I have started talking to a Marine recruiter. I am almost done with the process, and I already have my
ship date to bootcamp. The process has been fun because I get to work out with people who want to be
Marines. It is also interesting to see the amount of motivation these people have.

6. Q: Have you started to prepare for or taken the ASVAB? What were your results and how do you
plan to improve your areas of weakness?

A: I have already taken the ASVAB at the Military Entrance Processing Station. I passed the test with a
score of 50. The areas that I need to work on are arithmetic reasoning and general science. I plan to
improve on these areas by studying the ASVAB study guide and watching ASVAB videos.
 Johnathan Walker
Lesson 7
Career Explorations 2
7. Q: Have you started to prepare for or taken the Physical Fitness Test? What were your results
and how do you plan to improve areas of weakness?

A: I have taken the Initial Strength Training test with my Marine recruiter. I passed the test with 20 pull-
ups, 80 crunches in under 2 minutes, and a 1.5 mile run in 11 minutes.

8. Q: How are you physically training for the physical fitness test and boot camp?

A: Every Thursday I train with my recruiter to prepare me for bootcamp. We do PT at a park for 2 hours.
I also train on my own time by doing calisthenics, which is workouts that require your body only. The
calisthenics I do are pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, and a run.

9. Q: Where do you see yourself in five years? In ten years?

A: I see myself as a Marine officer in 5 years. In ten years, I see myself as a drill instructor for the Marine
Corps.

10. Q: What happens if you find that you do not want to make the military a career or you are
forced to leave the military early? What is your back up plan?

A: My back up plan is to become a police officer. Being in the military would give me a higher chance of
having a good position in law enforcement.