Why do Tayo and Rocky join the Army? - In what ways do they and the other young Native American men benefit from their armed service?

Tayo and Rocky join the Army because Rocky wants to join and because they both want to travel. They both hoped to find a sense of excitement, belonging, and identity. Both young men were not ready to see the Philippine jungle and the death that is all around them. Tayo cannot bring himself to shoot Japanese soldiers because they all resemble his uncle Josiah.