Brian Threat: When my uncle came back from overseas, it was always a big event. Coming up, I wanted to experience that too, so my first duty station was actually overseas because he advised me, “hey, go experience the world.”

Lee Gray: You get to see the world, experience different cultures, and you get paid. Every two to three years I was going to a different country, and it was exciting. And, as Brian said, when I came home it was a big event because I had new stories or new tales to tell from my adventures. So, I wanted him to experience that also.

Brian Threat: The military also opens a lot of doors. You meet people from all around the world and it opened my mind up to different cultures, different foods, different people and the way they do things. That’s a big reason why my first tour was in Korea. And my second tour was in Germany, because I wanted hear a different language, I wanted to learn different languages, I wanted to mingle with people from different places.

Lee Gray: I think travel is an education on its own. And it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. You think you have life all figured out in Pensacola. And then when you get out, and you’re serving with people from all over the country, you realize that you were living in a bubble and a lot of other people are bringing their little small bubbles to the unit. And after you serve together, you start to break down those barriers.

Nathanael Kruse: Since being in the Coast Guard, I've been stationed in three different bases, and I've been able to travel to over ten different countries. I went to Cozumel, Mexico, I've been to St. John's, I've been to St. Martin, I was able to go to Crete, Greece, and experience some amazing culture there, meet some amazing people, and I was also able to go to Djibouti, Africa, where I was able to experience some amazing sights.

Then I'm able to come to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where I'm able to see some of the amazing architecture they have here, some of the old forts, such as El Morro, be able to go along the boardwalk there and see some amazing sunsets or just go into town and spend some time with my friends, walking around admiring the sights and grabbing something to eat and drink.

Also there's the rainforest here that is one of the most beautiful things that I have seen in my life. I'm able to go through and see all the greenery, see the wildlife and just experience and take that all in. It's an amazing thing.

As a kid, I never expected to, you know, be traveling to all these places, and I'm only 25 years old. So the Coast Guard has given me the opportunity to experience so much, see so much — different cultures, see how people live, going to different places, and it's a very rewarding experience.

Did you know, service members can receive free admission into national parks?

Active duty service members and most reservists and National Guardmen qualify. You can obtain a free annual pass at most national parks with a military ID.

Head off and discover everything our Nation's national parks have to offer!