Adrenaline
Author: Ark
Excitement comes as a surprise to one relatively unaccustomed to life-threatening danger when presented a choice between safety and risk.
Though PsyOps may carry less danger than, say, an infantry soldier -- it seems a good bit more "on the edge" than Public Affairs, which began as my first choice when looking into joining the military.
The more I read about it, the more interested I become. More than Public Affairs -- which I was trained to do in my time at college, working on the university newspaper, and more than teaching -- which I was educated to do at college, the activities PsyOps engages in come naturally to me.
My adviser in college once described my "quiet brand" of leadership. This is true. I do not like to raise my voice, bark orders, or even directly tell people what to do -- though at times, these are part of the burdens of leadership -- instead, I believe the duty of a leader is to inspire others to shine at even the darkest of times. I lead by carefully managing interpersonal tensions, friendships, even rivalries to drive others to do their best without needing to be told to do so -- outside threats are dealt with in similar manners, by identifying their weaknesses and either subtly exploiting them over time or striking decisively and subversively, a well-placed word, idea, or action that weakens their resolve or mental defenses enough that it crumbles beneath their own weight.
"Manipulative" would be a negative (and likely accurate) way to describe these methods. That does not necessarily mean the ability needs to be used negatively. The Army actually has PsyOps listed as a critical MOS right now, which means that once I finished my training I would likely be able to employ my talents. If I had an opportunity to end an inevitable war with the least amount of bloodshed possible, then maybe I can truly do some good by joining the Armed Forces.
Beyond that, the Navy has yet to call me back, nor has the Air Force made any attempt at all to contact me. My brother, who wants to join the Air Force, is going to meet with the recruiter on Monday -- I figure I will stop in and talk as well, but I really don't want to drag my feet on things. As is normal with humans, behind initial excitement lies initial fear -- that natural response happens in all things that bring change. I want my name on a contract before I have a chance to worry about consequences I can do nothing about.
That being said, I will likely make my decision next week, after meeting with the Air Force recruiter, assuming the Navy recruiter still hasn't gotten hold of me. Still, PsyOps sounds like it really is what I was born to do. Guess we'll see.
