know this you also know that your part in that struggle will mean many kinds of service to the cause of freedom and you will consider that service a part of citizenship you know that you should include military service in your thinking in your life plans that you should plan for service and take steps toward getting ready for your service life but then it all seems so remote so distant from your life in school with your friends you may say why worry about all laugh now well then when should you begin thinking about service here are three fellows who are thinking about that question suppose you began david well you said something about why worry now i'm working on right i graduate in june and then but everything changes so we tell you can your service and then i guess it's a different story i can't see any use in trying to plan anything until the last minute and you're planning may be useful you know i have an idea that lots of things course if you're not so lucky so long fella thanks for the encouragement johnny who was it sent you have years to wait well no sophomores do and juniors that's what i thought last year but i'm sure go fast all of a sudden you wake up with service staring in the face and then me well suppose we see what we can find out together johnny what do you really know about life and service what is it like oh you get basic training you learn how to handle a gun and to get the breaks while you get into some special training school learn a trade course if you don't get the break well but that basic training is pretty sure isn't that what do you know about that mike what about you well you get to wear a snaffle uniform the girls go for that for a nice pretty nice i think it's pretty rough you have to work hard and thank god as well i know my dad's worried he thinks i'm not ready for well for life and service you know something i don't think we really know much of anything about life in the service let me try to help you a little i think i think of a barracks a big plain wooden building which you share with lots of others think of your own bunk your own corner but you must keep neat and orderly think of having no privacy no chance to be by yourself i think of long days of hard physical effort think of growing growing growing until your feet ache in your shoulders say think of intense mental effort to think of studying hard and you have to make good think of learning all kinds of new skills and learning them fast think of being homesick terribly homesick and lonely think of acting under orders quickly obediently intelligently without questioning think of meeting new faces hundreds of them making new friends think of time on your own away from home with no one but yourself to guide your conduct whatever else it is life in service is demanding it demands top physical condition it demands emotional balance and stability it demands a well developed set of moral standards well david and those things hold true in every branch of service under all conditions mike service isn't all a pleasant lark there are many things to prepare for johnny there are so many things to be done that you'd be wise to start immediately yes even though service seems years away i know one place to start that's finding out about service we sure don't know much can you get station we asked them do you think we could visit i can't really see what it's like with a let's see em and then one you could try finding out couldn't you but let's just say that you're right mike one of your first steps is to get information especially information about the services then what's next maybe you should check up on yourself well i mean if you're going to have to study hard and harvest think how good you are studying now yes and then practice up on learn to do better what do you say johnny  chancellor rush johnny i have a lot to do you have such a big job ahead of you that it's time to begin now i think johnny one of the steps we've discussed find information about the services check yourself see how well you fit in develop yourself get ready to fit in better and i'd like to add one more start now because there's so much to be done for example you'll want to read and study quite a bit about service besides your other studies you may want to replant some of your courses here in school you want to have a general physical exam and perhaps take steps to build up your physical condition that takes time you know you might check yourself emotionally how well do you get on with strangers how readily do you make new friends can you stand being away from home what can you do if you have problems here well johnny you can see that there's quite a bit to be done i see start now physical exam study about the service plan courses i wonder if i could talk to my counselor sometime today can you i'm go starting now you can build up physical and durrance even if you're in good health now you can surely stand a regular program of exercise you can learn responsibility ever have a part time job it might be a good idea for you you're going to stablish better contact with your church the guidance and moral support you get there will be valuable to you later on yes mike there are many things you juniors can do starting now and there are things to do learn responsibility learn to work with people get a part time job that sounds like a good idea doesn't and i've got a lot of studying i want to do to i guess i'll be pretty busy so i put me on the spot all right these guys are pretty lucky in a way that they have some time i don't have much time i really better get busy let's see find information check yourself develop yourself start now well there are a lot of things i want to know about service that we all have question let's work on finding the answers as a check to myself well i just had a physical exam that maybe i better have my teeth examined to and i haven't fixed up if they need to develop yourself get ready in school now is the time to begin now is the time to begin