According to the New York Times in 2013 less than .5 percent of the U.S population serves in the armed forces. Thats all 6 branches: the Navy, the Army, the Marines, the Air Force, the Coast Guard, and the National Guard combined. It surprised me when I found this information last year because the military was, and still is, such a big part of my life. Just about everyone in my family is in or has been in the military. When I was still in elementary school my aunts and uncle were still active duty so I remember sending them care packages and waiting for them to come home. I remember going on base to go to the commissary, which is the grocery store on base, and the PX, which is where you get clothes, toys, etc., on base, every week. Growing …show more content…
My Dad was a sergeant in the Marines and my mom was a SK3 meaning she was a third class store keeper, which is part of supply for the Navy. The Marines don’t play games which meant my dad didn’t either. “Do this” meant “do this” and it better be right or you’ll be doing it till is it right. Cleaning my room was the same as a field day for the Marines. Field day for the Marines is a Thursday night room cleaning to prep for an inspection friday morning that is required to go way beyond the point of clean to ridiculous things like no ice in your freezer, no water in your sink, no hygiene products in your shower, etc. For me that meant no dust anywhere. Top of doorways, ceiling fans, top of my tv, shelving. All books had to be upright; they couldn’t be stacked. The walls had to be wiped from ceiling to floor. When I thought I was done I had to let him know so he could check my room and if I missed anything I had to fix it before I could do anything else. Sleeping past 9 meant you were wasting the day away, and really you should be up by 8, and laying around on the couch all day became less of an option as I got