Surprisingly, I am considering rejoining the U.S. Army Reserve. Today, when I went to lunch, I stopped into a recruiter's office to ask about getting copies of my military personnel records. In trying to determine where I should look for these records, the recruiter asked about my background. He then asked if I would like to get back on board. I told him that I am 30-something years old and have bum knees. He told me that the Army is looking for prior service personnel to return to service in the Reserves and that, if I sought medical treatment for my knees and took a physical, a reserve unit would likely work with me.

So, I have asked my wife to think about this. It would mean one weekend a month, 2 weeks in the "summer" by way of time commitment. I would receive pay as a Staff Sergeant with 11 yrs of service. In addition, I would also receive a $7,500 signing bonus for a 3-yr contract or $15,000 for a 6-yr contract. It's beginning to sound really attractive to me.

To be honest, I miss my time in the Army. While I am fully cognizant of the problems I've had in the Army/Reserves, I do miss the good times I've had.

What do you think? Should I? Anyone out there, prior service, rejoin the military lately? Please, tell me what you think.