The Marine Sergeant made famous in FULL METAL JACKET
Growing up, Ermey was known as a mischievous teenager. This behavior continued to progress as he got further into his teenage years. He was frequently in trouble with the law, arrested twice by the time he had turned 17. He was charged with criminal mischief both times, and the judge then gave him an ultimatum — Go to jail or join the military. He was allowed to choose which branch.
This was the start of Ermey's dedicated 11-year service to the United States. It was 1961, and 17-year-old Ermey chose to enlist in the Marine Corps. His recruit training took place in San Diego, California, allowing him to travel down the coast and gain new experiences. It was during this time that he worked in the aviation support field. A few years passed by, and then he became a drill instructor in India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion. This position lasted from 1965-1967.
The path could've been very different for Ermey. He later admitted that the day he joined the Marine Corps, he didn't know anything about them, but simply saw a cardboard cutout for the Marines as he was leaving a Navy recruitment office. It was a random draw, because his first selection didn't work out for him. His father, John Edward, grew up in the Navy, so it was in his nature to follow suit. However, because of Ermey's troubling past, he was not accepted into the Navy.