Can some military guys help me with my decision??

[wwmost]

ok, im just about to graduate high school and ive decided to go into the marine corp or army. im going to go to school for 4 years to become an officer when i enlist. is that the smart thing to do? ofcourse my parents dont want me going into the military but they arent stopping me and are supporting me with whatever i do. my mother was in the navy for a little and my father was in the navy for 24 years on the Uss milius so ive lived on bases my whole life and always thought about going into the military. now i need to decide what branch i want to go in. what are the benifits/negitives of both? im not trying to make a mistake here thats why im asking. i would love to do infantry or somthing with tanks. there are soo many jobs that my recruiter i talked to said. i dont know what to pick. any help guys? :beer:

thanks,
kevin

 

[SLOW95]

Dude unless you plan on being in for a long time, I would think about doing something else besides your choices dont get me wrong when I first came in (Marine Corps) I wanted to be a grunt but well now im a Air Traffic Controller. My point is have something to help you incase you say f this after your first term.

 

[VenomGTX]

ROTC all the way if you wanna be an officer. IMO.

 

[wwmost]

Dude unless you plan on being in for a long time, I would think about doing something else besides your choices dont get me wrong when I first came in (Marine Corps) I wanted to be a grunt but well now im a Air Traffic Controller. My point is have something to help you incase you say f this after your first term.

thats why i want to go to college first to have a degree incase i say f this. and its too late for ROTC. im a senior in high school.

 

[Rochard]

Go into the Marine Corps. Period.

The oppertunities for advancement and training in all services are pretty much the same. However, forty years later if you say "I was in the Army" everyone will be "that's nice, thank you for serving". If you say you were in the Marines everyone is instantly impressed.

Yesterday I attended a funeral for a man who had been in the Army for twenty years. There was two older former servicemen there, one Army, and one former Marine. I spent some time talking to the Marine and he told me he had been in the military police, motor transport, Intel, and when he retired he was in accounting. He did a little bit of it all while he was in. After he left the Marines, he opened up a small accounting firm doing people's taxes and made a killing. He lived well.

Go into the Marines. It will be the best decision you will ever make.

 

[HURTNEM]

The Best advice I can give you is TALK TO YOUR FATHER! He did 24yrs in the miliatary, so he understands EXACTLY what's going on. Also, no one on here has more concern for you than your own parents and they were both in the military, so we can't tell you anything they can't. Talk to your parents and let them help guide you down the right path!!!

 

[wwmost]

thanks for all your advice. trust me ive asked my parents tons of questions. thought i wuold have another opinion. they just want me to get an education first before anything. and my parents also told me to do somthing in the military that would pay off in the end when i retire. also my parents talked more about the marines then the army. any other advice?

 

[DaveHutch]

Go into the Marine Corps. Period.

The oppertunities for advancement and training in all services are pretty much the same. However, forty years later if you say "I was in the Army" everyone will be "that's nice, thank you for serving". If you say you were in the Marines everyone is instantly impressed.

Yesterday I attended a funeral for a man who had been in the Army for twenty years. There was two older former servicemen there, one Army, and one former Marine. I spent some time talking to the Marine and he told me he had been in the military police, motor transport, Intel, and when he retired he was in accounting. He did a little bit of it all while he was in. After he left the Marines, he opened up a small accounting firm doing people's taxes and made a killing. He lived well.

Go into the Marines. It will be the best decision you will ever make.

im sorry but dont listen to this guy.

NO OFFENSE...but you make it sound like he should choose something based on the response he gets from others. BIG mistake.

but look at what he wrote....just because this particular marine had a great career in whatever he did, that may be because he is a go getter, and will stop at NOTHING to be successful. you cant say" the marines made him that way."..its all about your personal goals, accomplishements, and determination.

i know many people in the army and AF like me, that are go getters outside of the military world, and live great. i am in the national gaurd, and have two active duty marine friends.

after their 6 years is up, they are getting out. they dislike it.-

again, personal choice.

+1 on talking to your dad.

i would say figure out what you want to do, and choose the best service to help you get there. any way you go, you are serving your country and cannot go wrong. good luck.:beer:

 

[DaveHutch]

thanks for all your advice. trust me ive asked my parents tons of questions. thought i wuold have another opinion. they just want me to get an education first before anything. and my parents also told me to do somthing in the military that would pay off in the end when i retire. also my parents talked more about the marines then the army. any other advice?

i would say if your leaning towards the marines, get your degree and get a job in the corps that will help you after you get out. get in as an officer, then maybe later join the reserves to keep benefits and experience, and also along the way you will get an amazing civilian job.

:beer:

 

[SWThomas]

I love the Marine Corps. It's the best thing that's ever happened to me. I really enjoy what I do and leading Marines is one of the greatest privelages an American can have IMO. Besides, I would never have met my lovely wife and had our gorgeous little girl. I feel truely blessed every day I'm allowed to wake up and put on my uniform.

Unfortunately there are a lot of shit-birds in all the services. Motivated Marines like me are getting few and far between now days. The best thing to do is decide what branch you want to go in and take everything you learn in boot-camp to heart. The biggest problem with Marines today is that they forget the values taught to them in boot-camp. I still remember every single thing I was taught in boot-camp and I apply it to my every day life. I guess that's why I have been able to thrive in the Marine Corps. It's not hard to be a go-getter and impress people when you're doing what's expected of Marines and you're amongst a bunch of shit-birds. You're going to stand out no matter what.

 

[yosemiddysam]

Well I have been in the Marines for 12 and 1/2 years and I will have to say that I do not regret one minute of it. I joined one month after i graduated from high school at the ripe age of 17. In the past twelve plus years I have been to the following countries, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Hawaii, Spain, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Persian Gulf, Quatar, Al Asad, and I am sure I have forgotten a few and damned near every state within the U.S. If you love to travel then the Corps is the way to go. I would highly suggest you go to college and become an officer. The enlisted route is not bad but the pay and benefits as an officer is soooo much better. I will not tell you that the Marine Corps is the best branch for you to join however. I think every person fits the branch more than the branch fits them. Becoming a Marine is the best feeling one could feel but if you are not right for the Marines then it could be only temporary and you will regret it for the rest of your life. Think long and hard about what you want to do in any branch because as the saying goes.....be carefull what you wish for........ The Marines could have you getting shot at and required to return fire within 8 months of enlisting. If that is for you then so be it. As an officer you will be the one responsible for the people under you. its a big challenge but you will have training involved. Nothing like first hand knowledge but training none the less. I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck in whatever choice you take.

 

[PuffAdder03]

Join the Army! If you want to be pissed off all the time and be treated like s*** then join the Marines. But if you want to some kind of freedom(not much, but some) then join the Army. I'm in the Army and I just got back from Iraq for the second time. I've talked to Marines and they don't like it. They joined because of those stupid commericals. The military is nothing like the commericals. The Army has more to offer. If you want to be compeletly free to do what you want join under a Special Forces option or even Ranger option. I'm thinking of reenlisting into the 75th Ranger Regiment. As an officer you are instantly put into a leadership role(with leadership courses of course) and can just as easily be a go getter as that marine that guy was talking about. The Army is doing the majority of the work in iraq and afghanistan but the marines get more credit because of this "image" they have. In my opinion the only thing they have on the Army is the dress uniform and that's it. And maybe a little bit better shooters. As an officer you make more money, have more power, get put into leadership roles(company level, battalion level, bridage level, & etc), and whatever else officers get. I personally don't care to be an officer. Enlisted is just fine with me. The enlisted do majority of the work in the Army anyway. Officers take the credit. But either way you go be it Marines or the Army you will still get all the benefits of the military even after you get out as long as it's under honorable conditions. And whatever you do make sure it's really want you want to do because you will hate yourself for a long time if you don't make the right decision.

Army Strong!
LOL!

 

[Juruense]

It is always better to go into the reserves or an ROTC program and see if you like it first.

After I finished basic training I went back home as I was in the Army National Guard and I was glad to be able to do so. You are free to switch to active duty at any time in the reserves/guard but you are not free to get out of active duty once you sign up for that.

Take it slow and think it out carefully. The decisions that you make at this critical juncture in your life are the ones that will determine your path in life. I also think your father should be your primary information resource and that you should seek his guidance as much as possible.

Also, Army > Marines

 

[nastynivek]

SWThomas is right on point.

It's what you make of it, all depends on your attitude and determination. Regardless of which branch you join, remember why you joined, motivate yourself, and don't let the shitbirds infect you with their BS.

Good luck to you regardless of which branch you choose.:beer:

 

[DaveHutch]

SWThomas is right on point.

It's what you make of it, all depends on your attitude and determination. Regardless of which branch you join, remember why you joined, motivate yourself, and don't let the shitbirds infect you with their BS.

Good luck to you regardless of which branch you choose.:beer:

thats probably one of the best posts to listen to.:rockon:

 

[Blown03_GT]

I'm going on 6 years in the marines and if you are going to join I would definitely recommend going the officer route. I would say take plenty of time to really make sure you want to commit the next 4-6 years of your life to the US Gov.

The Marines really is what you make of it. I've had good years and bad years but for the most part I've enjoyed my time. I don't see myself re-enlisting again after this term is up, but thats because the skills I've learned while I was in will provide a much better living for my family in the civilian world, and I'm not very enthused about the Corps new combat physical fitness course getting instituted this June.

I'm sure I'll get flamed on for that by some of the other Marines here, but if I really wanted to do that kind of crap I would have been a grunt.

 

[FordMustangLove]

coming from my brother and freind who enlisted this year..

"dont listen to marine recruiters, they are full of it, "

READ about.com\military... trust me

all my marine friends hate the marines, tis why im navy enlisted lol

 

[Rochard]

im sorry but dont listen to this guy.

NO OFFENSE...but you make it sound like he should choose something based on the response he gets from others. BIG mistake.

but look at what he wrote....just because this particular marine had a great career in whatever he did, that may be because he is a go getter, and will stop at NOTHING to be successful. you cant say" the marines made him that way."..its all about your personal goals, accomplishements, and determination.

i know many people in the army and AF like me, that are go getters outside of the military world, and live great. i am in the national gaurd, and have two active duty marine friends.

after their 6 years is up, they are getting out. they dislike it.-

again, personal choice.

+1 on talking to your dad.

i would say figure out what you want to do, and choose the best service to help you get there. any way you go, you are serving your country and cannot go wrong. good luck.:beer:

I mentioned I went to a funeral yesterday. It was for my best friend. His father, who has passed away, spent twenty years in the Army. My buddy John was also Army, as was his older brother.

It's called "Esprit De Corps". It's something that only a Marine would understand.

You missed the point of what I said. The branches are more or less the same. You want to be an MP, Motor Transport, fly an airplane, or be an accountant, well, all branches of the service has the same options - and in some cases use the same exact schools.

The difference is twenty years after the fact I'm still proud to say I am a former US Marine.

 

[Rochard]

The Marines have done so much with so little for so long that they can now do anything with nothing forever!

 

[Marc]

Don't count any of the services out. One cannot survive without the other in battle. You will get diehard 1-sided service members that will degrade the other services and have nothing but praise for their own. I have been in the Air Force 23 years and respect all my fellow service members in all branches of the military. I realize we are all a fine working machine and have to work together or the machine will fail. Figure out you want to do exactly in the service, approach all recruiters and see who has the best offer for you.

Thanks for thinking about serving your country!