Military question... retired or current
My son is looking into joining the military what branch do you recomend and why?
Any input good or bad will be appreciated.
Any input good or bad will be appreciated.
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No branch of service has more pride and espirit de corps than the United States Marines. 0 -
Sailors have more fun.
United States Navy, 1979-1991.
[:D]0 -
Why...the United States Army, of course. 0 -
Air Force. No question about it.
Rob
MSgt, USAF, retired0 -
Air Force of course
Because I did. I dont like water any deeper than I can touch bottom which leaves out Marines & Navy.
I dont like marching or long long walks on sone remote beach which leaves out the Army.
no really if he is a high tech type, the air craft thats coming out, need people to fix them, the old days like F-100 anyone could spark chase, not any more/.0 -
Check them all and see who comes closest to what he wants to do. See who offers the best schools and training. 0 -
army all the way..[:)] 0 -
If he is a good student, I would recommend the Naval Nuclear Program of the US Navy. It is a 6 year hitch instead of 4, but 2 years of this will be boot-camp and schooling. He will receive an excellent education and get a lot of good experience to secure a very good paying job when he gets out. If he decides to stay in, the shore duty opportunities are very good as well. It is not for everyone, mainly because it involves a lot of studying and long hours, but it is worth it.
JMHO.0 -
We need people on Border Patrol or Coast Guard in my opinion. 0 -
USMC.
Then I won't have to hear him tell me "I almost joined the Marine Corps once."
I'm really getting sick of hearing that.0 -
quote:Originally posted by JamesRK
Check them all and see who comes closest to what he wants to do. See who offers the best schools and training.
This is the best advice he could possibly receive! He needs to be planning on life after his service, starting now!0 -
Dave
how are his foreign language skills or computer skills?
The hot career fields in the military right now are the Intelligence arenas. If he can pick up a good language fairly well (say Farsi, Russian, Chinese or any of the dialects of the middle east) the Air Force has a great Linguistics Intel school. If he is good at computers and can interpret maps, then we also have a great Imagery Intel school.
The Army and Navy also have a load of Intel slots and we are now doing joint training at our schools with them.
Is he good at video games? NO JOKE!!! If he is he can talk to the Air Force recruiter about getting into the career field that deals with flying the Unmannded Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and the Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV)...this truly is the way of the future for the military to gather intel at close ranges and to pinpoint specific targets. I watched these guys in Iraq...the UAVs gave us great video feed to know where to go (or not go in some cases).0 -
.....Why the US Coast Guard. They are not a US Code Title 10 Military Force.....and only become a US military force when a declaration of war is announced but....
Today they are considered a military force and deployed globally by Presidente Bush.
The US Coast Guard....America's other military force.0 -
Dumb Question Marine Corps Of Course.
But in reality what does he like to do what is he good at each Service has its own Niche were people fit in.
A service Often over looked that has really earned my respect Coast Guard the Crew of the Rough water rescue off the Oregon Coast is some of the best in the world. They really take pride in what they do.
But still am Partial to the Marine Corps after serving 20 Years with them.0 -
50 Years from now he will have wished he was in the corps...USMC 0311 0 -
My life as a Marine Corps Grunt didn't teach me any high-tech job skills.
It taught me a far greater lesson, Brotherhood.
For me, there was only one real choice.....I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.0 -
The AF is a good choice if he has a specific job in mind that he'd qualify for. Do not let him enlist "Open/General" because he WILL be a cop and AF Security Forces is the bottom of the barrel as far as AF personnel go. 0 -
Like the other grunts said, the Marine Corps won't teach you many fancy skills, but you'll be proud the rest of your life!!!
SEMPER FI!!!
0211 64-740 -
If your son is already committed to a particular branch of the service, then my advice would be to not attempt to change his mind. Then do what James said where schools and training are concerned. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by cce1302
USMC.
Then I won't have to hear him tell me "I almost joined the Marine Corps once."
I'm really getting sick of hearing that.
now thats funny, I never hear that[:D]0 -
Navy has the best schools
Marines have the best brotherhood.0 -
While I am partial to the Army because that is what I was in, I recomend that he deside what type of jobe he wants to do and see which branch will give him the best deal (ie: bonuses and such) for that job.
All the branches seem to have thier specialties in different areas but when it comes down to doing the job at hand it takes an equal roll from all the branches!0 -
Greetings,
First let me express my thanks and graitude for his courage and desire to serve his country. I know as a parent, you must be very proud of him.
As far as which branch to reccomend. I would say that depends on his individual likes and dis-likes. His strengths and weaknesses. if he has a desire to see alot of the world. Visit many far away places, then I suggest the U.S. Navy. If he is not so much of an adventurer, I would suggest the U.S. Air Force. Many Air Force personnel are able to do a 20 year career at one location. As far as the Marine Corps goes ... (Navy Infantry) I have th highest respect for their brotherhood and esprit d corps!
I am not familiar with the Army. i am sure many soldiers here will give thier opinions.
Machinist Mate 1st Class, United States Navy (Retired)0 -
When I was in HS, and forced to take the ASVAB to get out of 11th grade, I made the mistake of nearly acing it. Had every recruiter in the world coming for me...
If he is considering joining just for the sake of something to do and joining, then I'd say USMC.
If he wants to get "something" out of it, then I'd say the AF has the highest tech training, etc.
Note - I ended up not joining, although if I had it would've been the USMC. Already had college, etc. paid for, and there just didn't seem to be enough other benefits in it for me. Hindsight, I sorta wonder how I would've turned out, but then I wouldn't have met my wonderful wife and had my 2 fantastic kids. Don't regret not joining, but at times wish I had...0 -
quote:Originally posted by iwannausername
When I was in HS, and forced to take the ASVAB to get out of 11th grade, I made the mistake of nearly acing it. Had every recruiter in the world coming for me...
If he is considering joining just for the sake of something to do and joining, then I'd say USMC.
If he wants to get "something" out of it, then I'd say the AF has the highest tech training, etc.
Note - I ended up not joining, although if I had it would've been the USMC. Already had college, etc. paid for, and there just didn't seem to be enough other benefits in it for me. Hindsight, I sorta wonder how I would've turned out, but then I wouldn't have met my wonderful wife and had my 2 fantastic kids. Don't regret not joining, but at times wish I had...
Sorry to say this is the only one that pisses me off. For you then must not know anything about the Marine Corps. I am trained as a heavey Equipment Mech and belive it or not I still work at what the Marine Corps Trained me today. Not all Marines Are Grunt as a Matter of fact they are the Minority. Its those that support the grunt who have the training. Remember the Marine Corps Has an Air Force of its own So they get the best of training also.0 -
My Dad was a Marine and served 3 tours in Vietnam, after his third tour he left the Marins and joined the Army. When it came time for me to join I was going to go into the Marines as I Spent my High School years in Marine JrROTC and I spent a month of every summer as a Devil Pup at MCRD San Diego. My Dad told me that if I joined the Corp he would disown me. He said that the standard of living was much better in the Army and that he wanted the best for me. So I went Army. However the greatest standard of living and the lowest physical requirement is in the Air Force. From my family, during my generation, there have been 14 of us who joined the service, out of that group only one joined the Air Force and he is also the only one who did not leave the service without some form of service connected disability.
So what is the best for your boy? I'll agree with Kevin:
quote:I recomend that he deside what type of jobe he wants to do and see which branch will give him the best deal (ie: bonuses and such) for that job.0 -
quote:Originally posted by 46270
quote:Originally posted by cce1302
USMC.
Then I won't have to hear him tell me "I almost joined the Marine Corps once."
I'm really getting sick of hearing that.
now thats funny, I never hear that[:D]
quote:Note - I ended up not joining, although if I had it would've been the USMC. Already had college, etc. paid for, and there just didn't seem to be enough other benefits in it for me. Hindsight, I sorta wonder how I would've turned out, but then I wouldn't have met my wonderful wife and had my 2 fantastic kids. Don't regret not joining, but at times wish I had...
Now you've heard it.0 -
quote:Originally posted by JamesRK
Check them all and see who comes closest to what he wants to do. See who offers the best schools and training.
he's right, as much as pride in your individual branch counts, so does having a marketable skill when you get out. as a former marine, i did pretty well with the training i got in avionics, but i could have received similar and in some cases, better, training in other branches. i await the barrage of angry posts from ground-pounding marines. as my cousin (who served in both the marine corps and navy) once told me, "air-wingers are as soft as sailors." so just tell your son to keep an open mind. bottom line is, serving your country is noble no matter what branch.0 -
quote:JamesRK
Advanced Member
USA
8127 Posts
Posted - 01/26/2008 : 8:18:53 PM
Check them all and see who comes closest to what he wants to do. See who offers the best schools and training.
You should always listen to an old salt. I think that today the Army truly has the most to offer anyone joining. College money, promotion potential, hundreds of career fields, you could be stationed anywhere in the world, etc.
I was in the Navy for Ten years, and it was really, really great. Having personally made three deployments with Marines, once spending a few years in a 1/2 Navy 1/2 Marine Corps unit, and then going onto instructor duty, where we had both Navy and Marine instructors, and students from all branches, but mostly Navy and Marines, I think I know pretty well how the Marines operate as well as the Navy.
I have personally seen Marines CO's make decisions in war zones that were harmful to the fight, but appropriate to the Marine corps traditions. It is dangerous, ignorant, and gets people killed. I witnessed it a number of times.
The Navy, Army, and Air Force are a much more fluid fighting unit in SOME cirumstances.
The Marines come to win according to Marine Corps tradition.
The Navy, Army, Air Force come to win PERIOD!
I'm do not want that to sound disrespectful towards the Marine Corps, but that is the truth as I expierenced it for ten years.
Some of my best friends, and greatest guys I have ever met were/are Marines, so please don't think I'm picking on them, because I am not.
If he wants to be infantry/mechanic/cook/intel/computer tech/ or whatever, encourage him to do what HE WANTS. Then make sure he has some form of job guaranteed in writing that is something he is interested in, and make sure he gets some college money out of it.
Best of luck to him, and really he's going to enjoy his service no matter the uniform he's wearing.0 -
I always thought it'd be fun to be the administrative head of Playboy Service(s) - Local 132, Las Vegas - for a few days, at least!
[:D]0
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