Should You Join the Military? 5 Pros & 5 Cons (Veteran’s Honest Take)

Should you join the military? I served 6 years in the Army National Guard. Here are the 5 biggest reasons NOT to join, and the 5 benefits that actually set me up for life. Most people join the military as a last resort, and most don’t know how to use the benefits once they’re in. In this video I give you my honest take as a National Guard veteran: the stress, the pay (it’s not what you think), what Guard and Reserve service does to your civilian job, what it does to your body, and why you don’t get to pick where you go. Then the good part: the GI Bill and free college, active duty covering your housing and food, enlistment bonuses, VA disability, and the VA home loan with $0 down. I’m filming this from Fahrenheit Spa in Phuket, Thailand. VA disability pays you anywhere in the world, and the VA’s Foreign Medical Program covers service-connected care abroad. If you’re going to join, join with a plan. Chapters 0:00 Should you join the military? 1:42 Con #1: It’s extremely stressful 3:33 Con #2: The pay isn’t what you think 5:59 Con #3: Guard/Reserve can wreck your civilian job 7:14 Con #4: Your body pays for it 8:27 Con #5: You don’t control where you go 9:20 Pro #1: Free college (GI Bill) 10:56 Pro #2: Active duty covers your basics 11:48 Pro #3: Enlistment bonuses 12:36 Pro #4: Document everything (VA disability) 14:58 Pro #5: The VA home loan ($0 down + house hacking) 16:08 Using your benefits while living abroad 16:28 DM me + STS Clothing 2026 numbers mentioned in the video VA disability (veteran alone, tax-free): 10% $180 · 30% $552 · 50% $1,133 · 70% $1,808 · 100% $3,939 per month VA loan: $0 down. The funding fee is 2.15% on first use, waived if you’re rated 10% or higher. Post-9/11 GI Bill: 6–18 months of active service = 60%, 36+ months = 100%. Housing is paid at the E-5 BAH rate for the school’s zip code. Drill pay: an E-4 makes about $419–$509 per drill weekend. Not legal, medical or financial advice. Only report real conditions. Check current rates on VA.gov. Need help? 📸 Instagram: @santiagothewiz. DM me for help with your VA disability claim, or for ad and social media management. 👕 STS Clothing, a sobriety clothing brand: stsclothing.com Do it scared. Do it tired. Do it sober. 📍 Filmed at Fahrenheit Spa, Phuket: @fahrenheit.phuket Are you thinking about joining, or already in? Drop your questions in the comments 👇 #Military #NationalGuard #ShouldIJoinTheMilitary #GIBill #VALoan #VADisability #Veteran #ArmyNationalGuard #MilitaryBenefits #ExpatVeteran Tags (for YouTube Studio’s tag box): should i join the military, pros and cons of joining the military, joining the military 2026, national guard pros and cons, army national guard, national guard vs active duty, is joining the military worth it, military benefits, gi bill, post 9/11 gi bill, va home loan, va loan no money down, house hacking va loan, va disability, va disability rating, enlistment bonus, military pay, drill pay, veteran honest review, veteran living abroad, veteran in thailand