The Army or The Marines

[obito777]

I can respect that.

Thanks, that's all I really want

 

[bruce lee was uchiha]

promotion rate varies for everyone, i would talk to a recruiter before you decide to not do the navy, they can even work with you on the swimming. but anyways, personally i hate the marine corps. its done a lot of good for me but, its definately a lot different then i thought it was going to be. Its not all about "being the best" and its not some sort of giant fraternity that recruiters make it out to be. there are a lot of things that you end up doing, non-job related, that recruiters dont tell you about. for an example, working parties. you get tasked out to go help people or your unit with seemingly pointless stuff. I'm currently stationed somewhere where i am not even doing my job. im an e-4 and i picked up my rank in 2 years. That is about 6-12 months faster than most people within my job. promotions from e-1 to e-3 go by time in service/time in grade. after 6 months of being a pvt (e-1) you pick up private first class (PFC) from there it takes 9 months to pick up Lance Corporal (e-3) after that you wait 6 months to rate a "score" this score is dependant on things such as physical fitness, rifle qual score, and the marks your chain of command give you to rate your proficency and conductivity as a marine. Regardless of how high your score is, if you get into a job that has a high "cutting score" you wont see e-4 for a long time. My cutting score was fairly low, so i picked up fast. the cutting score is dependant on your job.

summary: if your trying to climb through the ranks in the marine corps, you need to pick a good job and make sure your recruiter gives you that job! do not sign an open contract!!! and more likely than not you will spend most of your time doing non job related stuff. things they dont tell you about such as: uniform inspections, gear inspections, room inspections every friday morning, picking litter up from around the barracks, etc.

I recommend you talk to a navy recruiter and see what they can do for you, seeing as though the marine corps as a swim qualification in boot camp as well and it is not the easiest thing in the world, despite what recruiters say. (6 out of my 35 man platoon failed the swim qual.)

 

[DocThao]

join the Marines

doesn't matter what branch you join tho . . . you're going to get deployed

this idea that the Marines is more dangerous than the Army makes no sense

not every single Marine is infantry just like how not every single person in the Army is infantry

join the Marines b/c they pride themselves on being badasses

 

[bruce lee was uchiha]

and i forgot to answer your other question...

I joined because i had a friend who wanted to join. we went to see a recruiter together (mind you i only wanted info, a smart man looks at all his options).
I took a pre-asvab and scored pretty high and he explained all the jobs id be able to pick from, it got me pretty excited, and also there was a kid i knew from school working in the recruiting office as an assistant and he talked the marine corps up pretty big (little did i know, he was getting extra points for "recruiting" me)
marine corps recruiters will hide the truth and only enlighten you on the glory man. do lots and lots of homework on it!!! and im always here if you got questions

 

[bruce lee was uchiha]

join the Marines

doesn't matter what branch you join tho . . . you're going to get deployed

this idea that the Marines is more dangerous than the Army makes no sense

not every single Marine is infantry just like how not every single person in the Army isn't infantry

join the Marines b/c they pride themselves on being badasses

It is not a 100% you will deploy, thats not true at all. BUT! you better sign that dotted line knowing in your mind that there is a possibility that you may deploy and be ready to all that you can to ensure you and those around you come back alive. Even if you choose a support element related job, do your part to the best of your ability to ensure you did everything you could for those on the battlefield.

 

[obito777]

and i forgot to answer your other question...

I joined because i had a friend who wanted to join. we went to see a recruiter together (mind you i only wanted info, a smart man looks at all his options).
I took a pre-asvab and scored pretty high and he explained all the jobs id be able to pick from, it got me pretty excited, and also there was a kid i knew from school working in the recruiting office as an assistant and he talked the marine corps up pretty big (little did i know, he was getting extra points for "recruiting" me)
marine corps recruiters will hide the truth and only enlighten you on the glory man. do lots and lots of homework on it!!! and im always here if you got questions

I see, thanks for being awesome and answering my questions bro. I'm thankful

 

[DocThao]

It is not a 100% you will deploy, thats not true at all. BUT! you better sign that dotted line knowing in your mind that there is a possibility that you may deploy and be ready to all that you can to ensure you and those around you come back alive. Even if you choose a support element related job, do your part to the best of your ability to ensure you did everything you could for those on the battlefield.

i don't know anybody in the military who didn't deploy at least once after 4 years

also all recruiters lie

 

[Aim64C]

So just give me your 2 cents on what I should do.

I'll be pretty frank. It doesn't matter what branch of the military you join - it's not going to be exactly what you expect it to be.

I'll also caution you - the military is getting absolutely slaughtered by budget cuts. That is having very negative impacts on the climates at many commands (since 'office politics' and other such things tend to keep the douche-bags hanging around and put them in charge of things).

The only branch that has not been inheriting copious amounts of mismanagement has been, largely, the Marines. They still have some integrity to the way they do things. All of the other branches have flooded the enlisted ranks with micro-politics and highschooler/fraternity mindsets.

Just giving you a heads up. If you join because you actually want to do something and have pride and professionalism, you'll find yourself frustrated at how so many levels of the chain of command lack it.

The military can be great (particularly when you are in a good command that has somehow escaped the tidal wave of nonsense that has been plaguing others) - it's one of the few places that will hire you based on your potential as opposed to your accomplishments. You'll be given a test (called the ASVAAB) that will attempt to grade you on your intuitive understanding of different things. Based on these scores, they will attempt to place you into jobs.

Each branch has a different process for how they determine what your 'job' will be (don't let it get to you - your first and quintessential responsibility is to be a janitor - and it is what you will spend most of your time doing, in one capacity or another). I blew their silly little test out of the water, so the Navy let me pick what I wanted to be (they pestered the hell out of me to get me to try and join the nuclear program... I know what a nuclear reactor is and didn't much enjoy the prospect of babysitting a bunch of gauges where the sun doesn't shine). Not everyone got to dictate the terms of their enlistment.

Regardless of what they say or what you do - you are under no obligation to do anything until after you've signed an enlistment contract. If you can - find someone who works in the administrative side of the branch you are looking to enlist in, and have them look over your contract (or have them tell you what to look for), before you sign it.

Many portions of the enlistment process have improved - but the fact of the matter is that you will, likely, never see your 'enlistment advisor' (or whatever title they assign him/her) again. There are still people who get told all manner of things about what they are signing up to do... but their contract does not actually guarantee any of it.

Any piece of paper you receive in the military; make a copy of it and keep it in a file.

Any piece of paper you give to someone in the military; keep a copy of it, yourself, and note the date, time, and person you gave it to (mostly after you're through the cattle-drive phases of boot and specialty training). Stuff gets lost. 'Office politics' also plays a role in the disappearance of many objects and documents. So it's in your best interest to be able to drop names and dates if you're getting pegged for someone else's shortcomings.

My whole military record was lost for about two years. Then it magically appeared, again, when they were doing a record purge and I received all of my old papers. It didn't really end up hurting anything, since I had a bunch of copies of stuff and they kind of rigged together a new record as necessary - but it was still a bit concerning.

 

[bruce lee was uchiha]

and the whole skills with weapons thing can be done outside of the military bro. you can go shoot 100 rounds from a 9mm for like 110$ or something in that area of cost at a local shooting range. And even purchase your own pistol. they go for like 250-700$ depending on quality, and if you spend over 700, you might as well just invest in a rifle!!! e-1 paychecks are normally like 600-650$ if i remember correctly, so all these prices may sound like a lot but believe me its not bad. don't pick marines or army only because you want to play with weapons! once you shoot a rifle and a pistol a few times, and can hit a target about 30 feet out, your then in a position where you can confidently protect your home and family.

 

[DocThao]

I'll be pretty frank. It doesn't matter what branch of the military you join - it's not going to be exactly what you expect it to be.

I'll also caution you - the military is getting absolutely slaughtered by budget cuts. That is having very negative impacts on the climates at many commands (since 'office politics' and other such things tend to keep the douche-bags hanging around and put them in charge of things).

The only branch that has not been inheriting copious amounts of mismanagement has been, largely, the Marines. They still have some integrity to the way they do things. All of the other branches have flooded the enlisted ranks with micro-politics and highschooler/fraternity mindsets.

Just giving you a heads up. If you join because you actually want to do something and have pride and professionalism, you'll find yourself frustrated at how so many levels of the chain of command lack it.

The military can be great (particularly when you are in a good command that has somehow escaped the tidal wave of nonsense that has been plaguing others) - it's one of the few places that will hire you based on your potential as opposed to your accomplishments. You'll be given a test (called the ASVAAB) that will attempt to grade you on your intuitive understanding of different things. Based on these scores, they will attempt to place you into jobs.

Each branch has a different process for how they determine what your 'job' will be (don't let it get to you - your first and quintessential responsibility is to be a janitor - and it is what you will spend most of your time doing, in one capacity or another). I blew their silly little test out of the water, so the Navy let me pick what I wanted to be (they pestered the hell out of me to get me to try and join the nuclear program... I know what a nuclear reactor is and didn't much enjoy the prospect of babysitting a bunch of gauges where the sun doesn't shine). Not everyone got to dictate the terms of their enlistment.

Regardless of what they say or what you do - you are under no obligation to do anything until after you've signed an enlistment contract. If you can - find someone who works in the administrative side of the branch you are looking to enlist in, and have them look over your contract (or have them tell you what to look for), before you sign it.

Many portions of the enlistment process have improved - but the fact of the matter is that you will, likely, never see your 'enlistment advisor' (or whatever title they assign him/her) again. There are still people who get told all manner of things about what they are signing up to do... but their contract does not actually guarantee any of it.

Any piece of paper you receive in the military; make a copy of it and keep it in a file.

Any piece of paper you give to someone in the military; keep a copy of it, yourself, and note the date, time, and person you gave it to (mostly after you're through the cattle-drive phases of boot and specialty training). Stuff gets lost. 'Office politics' also plays a role in the disappearance of many objects and documents. So it's in your best interest to be able to drop names and dates if you're getting pegged for someone else's shortcomings.

My whole military record was lost for about two years. Then it magically appeared, again, when they were doing a record purge and I received all of my old papers. It didn't really end up hurting anything, since I had a bunch of copies of stuff and they kind of rigged together a new record as necessary - but it was still a bit concerning.

Hooyah Shipmate

nice to see a fellow Corpsman

 

[bruce lee was uchiha]

there have been plenty...i'd even be willing to bet atleast 40% of the military doesnt deploy.

 

[Aim64C]

and the whole skills with weapons thing can be done outside of the military bro.

That is true.

I would recommend taking a firearm safety course, however, that is based in proper discipline with a weapon.

The military spends more time teaching people to not fire their weapon than to fire it, it seems. Safety and discipline is a huge emphasis.

That said - you can certainly get that outside of the military. It is a bit more difficult to get the tactical training outside of the military, however (though you may be able to by going through a militia).

e-1 paychecks are normally like 600-650$ if i remember correctly,

You must be registered for see links

For an E-1 with less than 2 years of time in service, the monthly pay is $1516.20 before tax. You're paid on the first and the fifteenth of every month, so that's roughly $750 (before tax) every two weeks.

That is base-pay, mind you. Certain regions will have cost of living adjustment (COLA), Basic Allowance for Sustenance (BAS)... the only way you're getting Basic Allowance for Housing as an E1 is if you're already married (BAH), and if you are - you'll be entitled to Separation pay while deployed. Some areas are authorized Per-Diem, but that is only in areas where government afforded messing is not available - and that varies by region (protip: Per-diem for the UAE is something like $125 per day - or $4K per month).

don't pick marines or army only because you want to play with weapons!

Special Operations commands (such as the Naval Special Warfare and Naval Special Weapons Development Group) have first-priority recruiting. Meaning if you ask to join them, and they say: "sure, we want you" - you're theirs, regardless of what command you are in, what rate you are in, etc.

I've been kicking myself for not following up with the recruiter for the Naval Special Warfare Development Group when I hit my reserve command and the brakes got slammed on. I develop weapons and special-use technological applications as a way to defeat boredom. Getting paid to do it for real (not just in my head and on paper) would be a dream come true (only way it could be better is if I could have my own business doing it).

once you shoot a rifle and a pistol a few times, and can hit a target about 30 feet out, your then in a position where you can confidently protect your home and family.

To be fair - there is something about the military climate and culture (particularly after you've been deployed as a grunt) that does make you better at being a vanguard. Things that once caused you pause or grief don't phase you, anymore. You tend to be a bit more assertive, even aggressive in some instances where you used to be passive.

You realize that you are making the conscious decision to be 'civil;' that the 'criminals' and other things that go bump in the night get by merely on their ability to intimidate a naive and placid society. You see their arrogance compounded on top of arrogance ... and hunger for the justifiable (within the confines of said naive society) opportunity to illustrate that they exist merely because you have not chosen to destroy them.

Or maybe that's just me. I dunno.

 

[Aim64C]

Hooyah Shipmate

nice to see a fellow Corpsman

I hate to disappoint you - but I'm not a Corpsman.

I'm currently with... well - they just became CORIVRON (used to be MSRON until they decided to merge that with the riverines).

Which is even more interesting, as my rate is AT: Avionics Technican (I-level, no less).

Things get crazy in the reserves....

 

[Darthlawsuit]

If you want combat go marines, if you want better gear and more free time go army. Summary of what my friend in the marines told me over time.

 

[Keyblade Master Roxas]

If I were you I would join The United States Marines. I'm currently a Poole right now, my recruiter is leaving so I'm getting a new recruiter. One thing my boyfriend (fiance) told me (He's a Marine by the way, he's a 0621 Radio Field Operator) don't believe what the recruiters tell you, they tend to sugar coat things. I'm not a Marine yet, I don't know how it'll be like for me, but I have friends plus a fiance who's Marine, they don't regret joining at all. They have a strong character, pride, and that title stays with you forever, and yes you sometimes work all day doing nonsense, but it is what it is. It's the Marine Corps. Quick tip, whatever you do, DO NOT go in as an open contract. Tell your recruiter that you don't want an open contract. Marines don't have jobs that has to do with like Docs, so if you want to be like a Corpsmen, join the Navy. Oh and come on, I mean which one sounds better, for example if someone asks you what branch you enlisted in, I'm a soldier, I'm a airmen, I'm a sailor, I'm a MARINE. <3 Don't say you'll be there for 20 years, because you havent been there yet. Pick wisely ; )

PS: RAH~

PSS: STAY MOTIVATED ALWAYS.

 

[DocThao]

I hate to disappoint you - but I'm not a Corpsman.

I'm currently with... well - they just became CORIVRON (used to be MSRON until they decided to merge that with the riverines).

Which is even more interesting, as my rate is AT: Avionics Technican (I-level, no less).

Things get crazy in the reserves....

ahh i should've known those were Type IIIs

I automatically assumed it was MARPAT

 

[Keyblade Master Roxas]

I hate it when people say "Oh don't join the Marines they die faster". Don't listen to those people they believe what the movies and shit says. Every single branch is one. They all go to afghan, they all die for there country. If you want to join the Marines, then join. If you want to join the Army then do it. Don't let anyone tell you what to do. Whatever you pick, I'm sure your family will be proud.

 

[bruce lee was uchiha]

If I were you I would join The United States Marines. I'm currently a Poole right now, my recruiter is leaving so I'm getting a new recruiter. One thing my boyfriend (fiance) told me (He's a Marine by the way, he's a 0621 Radio Field Operator) don't believe what the recruiters tell you, they tend to sugar coat things. I'm not a Marine yet, I don't know how it'll be like for me, but I have friends plus a fiance who's Marine, they don't regret joining at all. They have a strong character, pride, and that title stays with you forever, and yes you sometimes work all day doing nonsense, but it is what it is. It's the Marine Corps. Quick tip, whatever you do, DO NOT go in as an open contract. Tell your recruiter that you don't want an open contract. Marines don't have jobs that has to do with like Docs, so if you want to be like a Corpsmen, join the Navy. Oh and come on, I mean which one sounds better, for example if someone asks you what branch you enlisted in, I'm a soldier, I'm a airmen, I'm a sailor, I'm a MARINE. <3 Don't say you'll be there for 20 years, because you havent been there yet. Pick wisely ; )

PS: RAH~

PSS: STAY MOTIVATED ALWAYS.

1.) don't take advice from a poolee
2.) make an educated choice, dont pick one that "sounds better"
3.) military training is equivelant across the board, which is why job schools (MOS training) is done on a mix of bases, i was trained for my job at an army base, and aviation based jobs get trained on an air force base. military job training is its own thing. dont think if you choose a certain branch that you will be trained for a certani job better.
4.) you will get a feeling of fulfillment and pride with whatever branch you choose.
5.)im a Corporal in the Marine Corps and fully encourage you to look at all of your options, and once again suggest to start with talking to the navy recruiters, then airforce, then finally marine corps. Don't take advice from someone who hasnt even been to boot camp yet.

 

[Keyblade Master Roxas]

It's all opinions. You didn't need to send me a message stating I have a misguided view on the Corps.
\

 

[Amantius]

Honestly, Joining the Marines is like signing your self up for the worst possible shit you can think of. Why? Because anywhere in the world where the dangerous shit happening, things that are not on the news yet, trust me, they will send you there.

Join The Air force.

That's what i'm doing when i grad in two months.