Barack Obama wanted to join the US military - Telegraph Barack Obama has said he considered joining the United States military when he left school but decided not to because the Vietnam war was over and ".. but keep in mind that I graduated in 1979 we weren't engaged in an active military conflict at that point. And so, it's not an option that I ever decided to pursue." The aspiration was not mentioned in either of his two volumes of memoirs. Sure you did, I mean 1979, was the cold war over? The US Embassy hostages in Iran, was that a different 1979? Soviets had invaded Afghanistan, but that was 1978. Yep, I remember 1979 well, peace and harmony around the world, no need for anyone to join the military...