Should i join the Army or Marines?

[Recon by Fire]

Okay, wasn't gonna' go there, but since some insist on promoting one over the other:

My experience in numerous joint missions with USMC combat troops were that although motivated, they were not real bright, nor could they even manage to follow simple opords. Refraining from firing on friendly recon elements when conducted a planned passage of line would have also been nice too.

There are high speed troops in any service you choose and low speed high drag losers also. Combat arms tend to attract the better guys IMHO but you can get stuck with some knuckleheads at times. Just stay away from the basic line troops in either and you will be better off.

I would concur and go officer if possible 9I was enlisted also). But after O-2, you can expect any line experience to start diminishing quickly Lieutenants get the fun as Platoon leaders but then it sucks if you only want the first line thrills. Although some higher ranked officers still get in on the action: We used to have an O-6 (Colonel) Chaplain (of all things!) who was very high speed and loved to find his away among the scouts for missions. He always happened to find an available M-16 too and was never without his trademark TOMAHAWK! on his LBE. He would even swear in church during services too, LOL.

[hardr0ck68]

Recon: You keep referancing combat arms troops. What exactly does that mean? as you describe it, it seems that combat arms are the better choice for someone like me (who would like to see combat but live through the experiance). But yeah what is a combat arms unit?

Thanks guys you are helping me out ALOT here!

[sgt_easton]

Like a lot of other people on here, I was never in the Army or Marine Corps. But, I have 6 years in the Air Force (Air National Guard) and have served with or known people from most of the branches.

I started out one weekend a month, two weeks a year. I went to college full time, and worked at the base one weekend a month.

Sept. 11th came, and now I work there full time, on active duty.

Question: What is your college degree in? And, is this something you'd like to do in the military? Does it exist in the military?

Along those lines: It's a really good idea to pick a job that has a direct equivalent in the civilian world. A job as a bullet catcher (or leader of them) won't give you that. For example, my job title is Avionics Guidance and Control Specialist. Basically, I fix everything in the cockpit of a KC-135R (That's a refueling tanker.) If/when I decide to get out, or my active duty period ends, I can go work for a commercial airline doing the same thing, or any number of other electonic-related jobs.

If you want to see action, there are plenty of jobs that do in the Army and Marine Corps. For instance, my friend that just came back from Iraq (he's Army Reserve) saw some. His job is Civil Affairs - working with the public utilities, fire departments, etc., on a administration level. He's going to school for a BA in business administration. His Army job and civilian degree complement each other.

Also, you should think about not just going the "full-time" route. You could join:
Army Reserve
Army National Guard.
Marine Corps Reserve

Please note: Some of these branches have their own recruiters. For example: The Army active duty recruiter won't be able to tell you about the Army National Guard. In fact, he'll probably bash it.

A lot of people look down on the Reserve/Guard (especially active duty folks) without reason. I can tell you this: when my unit deploys somewhere (read as: go to not so fun place somewhere in the world) we ALWAYS have a higher mission success rate than the Active's. Always. This is due to two main reasons: A lot of people in the Guard/Reserve have college degrees (not just officers), and we cut out a lot of the bull that active duty has. We concentrate more on our jobs than say, having a perfect uniform. Also, the Guard/Reserve dosen't rotate bases like active duty does. I'll be stationed at my base for my entire carreer. This causes troops to know their specific job better, know management better, and just know more about how everything works.

In closing, please consider the part time forces. I don't know how many people I've heard say "The Guard? What's that? I can do this one weekend a month?"

[Boski51]

Okay, wasn't gonna' go there, but since some insist on promoting one over the other:

My experience in numerous joint missions with USMC combat troops were that although motivated, they were not real bright, nor could they even manage to follow simple opords. Refraining from firing on friendly recon elements when conducted a planned passage of line would have also been nice too.

.

The Marines are second ONLY to the Air Force with Enlisted members with college degrees or some college background prior to joining. The Army is dead last. I am sure you may have had a bad experience with a squad or maybe a platoon.

I served over 15 years ago and I am sure a lot has changed. However, if he wants to lead a group of motivated and focused professionals, he needs to aim for a top notch unit-Army or USMC.

I would not even consider the Air Force unless you go Para-Rescue. Air Force is just like being a civilian, but you get to play with planes.

Good Luck.

[Recon by Fire]

Hardrock: If you are considering Infantry, that is Combat Arms. Combat Arms is simply any MOS (job skill) defined specificly for combat. Nothing against combat support and other support elements but they dregs that join up often infiltrate those echelons. They will even end up in some of the combat units but stick to the higher dedicated units and you can avoid those losers.

Boski: I know there are some darn good Marines out there, but for 8 years I did joint missions with MEU and FAST and every time I ended up just shaking my head in disbelief. There is always one in the crowd who ruins it Have no fear, we just hid our problem children out of sight to as not to embarass ourselves in front of the Marines, LOL.

[sgt_easton]

The Marines are second ONLY to the Air Force with Enlisted members with college degrees or some college background prior to joining. The Army is dead last. I am sure you may have had a bad experience with a squad or maybe a platoon.

I served over 15 years ago and I am sure a lot has changed. However, if he wants to lead a group of motivated and focused professionals, he needs to aim for a top notch unit-Army or USMC.

I would not even consider the Air Force unless you go Para-Rescue. Air Force is just like being a civilian, but you get to play with planes.

Good Luck.

Now I know there are only a few AFSCs that deal with being in the action. But, calling myself and my fellow airman civilians that play with planes? That's uncalled for.

You owe roughly 368,000 people an apology.

[devildog]

Now I know there are only a few AFSCs that deal with being in the action. But, calling myself and my fellow airman civilians that play with planes? That's uncalled for.

You owe roughly 368,000 people an apology.

hey, it wouldnt be the military without some ribbing fellow plane jockeys and squids and the like. if you were in the military, any branch, you should have some thick skin....

[hardr0ck68]

This is quickly becomming the funniest thing i have ever started! But please everyone lets keep this as civil as possiable so it doesnt get locked up!!

My degree is in secondary education social studies; so execpt for knowing some of the finer points that have paved the way for the amazing F -up that is the mid east today my degree offers me nothing execpt the chance to become an officer.

As for going reservist, i wouldent mind it so much if i currently had a job i liked. I dont teach yet (im not afraid, i just feel way to young to be back in a highschool). So yeah i would need more income than just one weekend a month. Im kinda thinking that enlisting (even if i never see combat) will help me finally see myself as an adult; not just a kid who can legally drink.

Ok so tomarrow i got to talk to a recruiter again. Can you guys give me some suggestions for questions i should be asking?

Im intrested in moving around and would like (at some point) go to japan (i have been told the Marines have several bases out that way); so long as i can take my woman (we will hopefully be married by then). So what should i ask the recruiter about? when i mentioned all this to her before she said "yep you can apply to be stationed in japan, and if you serve there in a long term (3 year i beleve she said) posting your wife would be allowed to come as well." She dident really offer up much in the way of details or anything, i would like to be able to ask cery direct nail her balls to the wall kind of questions.


THANKS FOR EVERYTHING GUYS!!

[Recon by Fire]

I don't believe the USMC post in Okinawa is accompanied... In fact, any combat arms route you go...plan on being gone from your precious for sometime. You WILL be deployed in the Middle East. Military life is not very codusive to a happy marriage. It is difficult and many do not survive it. I had one marriage that was a casualty to the military (partly) and I chose my second marriage over my military career (11+ years and still happy).

[hardr0ck68]

i figured that i would end up in the mid east for a bit at least. Thats not a problem, and the woman (while not happy) seems like whe is willing to be seperated for some time. I was kinda hoping however that i would be somewhere she could live with me (i dont care where, and neither does she) at some point before my contract is up.

How long is deployment in the mid east? Am i silly to think that i will only be there for a year or 18 months?

[sgt_easton]

i figured that i would end up in the mid east for a bit at least. Thats not a problem, and the woman (while not happy) seems like whe is willing to be seperated for some time. I was kinda hoping however that i would be somewhere she could live with me (i dont care where, and neither does she) at some point before my contract is up.

How long is deployment in the mid east? Am i silly to think that i will only be there for a year or 18 months?

That's not too far off. At a time, that is. You'll be going back every other year or two.

...unless you're in the Air National Guard. The Guard got smart: we deploy to crap areas only about 4 months at a time, tops. And that's once every few years. But, this isn't what you want to do if you want to see action. Sounds like Army or USMC is what you want.

[lazebum]

go MARINES im in the Marine and im going BOST to become Mustang so mabey il see you around

[Recon by Fire]

I'm not real sure how long they are running rotations for, depends on the units rotation and the individual soldiers length of enlistment, reenlistments, etc... The ones I talked to in Iraq have seen anywhere from 6 months to over a year. Some finish one rotation there, go back to the US, get reassigned to another unit and return right back. Others will swap from a rotation in Iraq to Afghanistan, or vice versa.

[Vex]

I don't believe the USMC post in Okinawa is accompanied...

Marine Corps assignments to Okinawa are mostly unaccompanied--mostly. It all depends on your job. If you are going to be in a MEF (Marine Expeditionary Force--combat unit) then you should probably expect to be unaccompanied.
There are several Marine camps on Okinawa; however, there are a couple of places in mainland Japan that you can serve.

I spent 5 years stationed on Okinawa (Air Force)

[Boski51]

Most of the men in my family served in the Air Force. The Air Force is a completely different military service-you must admit that. You have more 9 to 5 jobs than any other service, you stay on the nicest bases in the service, you get some of the best food and you have some of the best funding in the US military. The Air Force is unlike the Navy, Marines or Army. Your mission is much different-you cover space for God's sake. Heck, you even get ICBMs!!! I love the missle corps saying "Give us the zip code and we'll do the rest!"

Trust me, when you come from a ground pounders point of view, the Air Force IS like being a civilian in uniform.

Semper Fi!