No Debt But Two Tours In Iraq

Produced by HuffPost's Eyes & Ears Citizen Journalism Unit as part of the HuffPost College Student Debt series.

I am a 24-year-old freshman and I am going to graduate when I am 27. When I do though, I will be debt free. It only took four years in the Marines. It sucked and was hard work but it was totally worth it to get free college tuition. There is the hard way and the easy way and sometimes the hard way is better off in the long run.

Comments

[shweigant]

11:07 AM on 03/11/2010

when i said "it sucked", i meant it was hard and grueling. i had a lot of great times and meet some really great guys. i didnt mean that i regretted doing it. it was the best decision of my life.

[floodberg]

09:16 PM on 03/09/2010

You'd have to fight with me, Robsolo. Someone with determination, financial skills, patience, and four years of military experience is worth his weight in gold. That military experience may have "sucked," but it changed who you were; made you tougher, stronger, and streetsmart. I worked (mostly two jobs) for 5 years before law school (paid in full before I started, and still had enough left over to buy a house with a 40% down right afterward) and was so disappointed in my fellow students, who were younger, had very little work experience, had no financial skills and thought that they were God's gift to the world. If you go to grad school, you'll find it much easier than you thought.

Good luck in everything you do. Kan. motto: Ad astra per aspera: loosely translated, A rocky road leads to the stars.

[robsolo]

04:34 PM on 02/27/2010

If I had a business I would hire this guy before any of the other people I see on this site.

I don't understand how you can have a $40,000 - $100,000+ student loan on an Arts degree or graphic design or teaching degree. It just doesn't make sense.

Obviously this guy thought ahead. By the end of it he will not only have a degree but some serious life skills to go along with it.

'I'm betting that you will find college a pieceof cake compared to being a marine in Iraq.'

I'd agree.

[sarah frank mma]

09:01 PM on 02/25/2010

Good for him. We should all strive to get ourselves out of debt. I have been using several blogs to help me. Like http://www.livefrugallyordiebroke.com

[jasev01]

03:33 AM on 02/25/2010

I'm sorry but i don't feel bad for this. He mad a good deal compared to many of us. If they will take away my debt for 4 years in the military I'd be happy to go. Great to serve your country not so great to complain and say it sucked and you did it just to get free college. No one forced it on you, you could be slaving under student debt like the rest of us.

[monkeymuggs]

03:58 PM on 03/16/2010

Yeah Jasev, unless you come back home with 1 leg and 1 arm.
Then perhaps you may not feel it was worth it.

[jasev01]

04:20 PM on 03/16/2010

Exactly my point, he made the choice to gamble his life. i didn't make it for him, now he is saying boo hoo for me. I don't feel for this guy

[Rendrag84]

11:47 AM on 02/24/2010

You make it seem as if it is a bad thing to be debt free by virtue of having the honor to serve our country in the military. It kind of insulting and disgusting for you to be providing this impression to the rest of the world your experiences in service (to include your deployments) is somehow a ‘debt’. You should really reconsider the position of success and opportunity you occupy in life and be grateful. People work to pay off debt and you chose a line of work in military. People who join the military and serve our country are not ‘owed’ anything by public. You have choices in life, you have control over these choices and baying like a sheep because of them would seem – ahem – below your education?

[jch1972]

02:03 PM on 02/24/2010

I think you should take the 10 seconds to re-read his post.

[skullman]

07:53 AM on 02/24/2010

The best of all the signs that I saw here. I too finished college almost debt free because of the GI bill. I served in the mid 70's however and didn't have to fight in a war.

You will find that you are a little older and a lot more mature than most of the other students. The average students cannot imagine what you have experienced. If there is a group for veterans on your campus you might want to check them out. I'm betting that you will find college a pieceof cake compared to being a marine in Iraq.

[ShanniC]

08:20 PM on 02/23/2010

Congratulations! Thank you for your service to our country.