Wanting to enlist, torn on options

NinjaBum

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Like other have said already. It is going to be harder now to join the military then the past 10 years. We are drawing down our forces and kicking out people now. Hell the army is suppose to QMP /QSP. 29k. This month alone.

The pentagon did say they wanted to become more of a quick-response Naval and Air power-focused military. I'd suggest Navy or Air Force, just realize the time of them accepting every swingin' dick is at an end. If you have visable tats, you now get compared to all the willing bodies who don't have tats. Record? That's gonna make things more difficult than it is for all the other people who have clean records.

I will tell you, before, they used to beg people to stay in. Now, they have slashed most bonuses and have taken this line of thought- "It's a privilege to be in the military. You're lucky we're letting you stay. You'd better not screw up, and be on top of your game or we're booting you."

Also, realize there is a waiting list for the Air Force at present. I don't know about Navy.
 

Vigilante375

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I'm in the Army, I've been a Soldier for 12 years. I have never in my life wished I was in another branch. The military as a whole is what you make of it. In my earlier enlisted days, yeah quality of life wasn't spectacular, but as you increase in rank life gets better. Most people that enlist in the military are just starting out in life, you can't expect a 19-20 year old to be living in the lap of luxury, that tells me you have some sort of misconception or sense of entitlement.

Jobs, the Army has more MOS's than I know about. We all aren't Artilleryman and Infantry here. I'm in Afghanistan right now and we have computer techs, mechanics, cooks & signal guys that keep this place running. Those computer tech could easily take the necessary certification course and make big bucks in the civilian world. While myself and the IN walk out the front gate to the "front lines".

As far as common sense, muzzle velocity's, unit history, mottos, are important because we are Soldiers first, and MOS's related occupations 2nd. A good Soldiers knows his job and knows the Army Standards. Out here we get called to support convoys because so many mechanics, truckdrivers and anyone else on these CLPs don't know how far their rifles will shoot. Don't know how to work the .50 in the turret of their trucks. The stuff they teach in basic training isn't enough anymore. Yeah give Soldiers familiarization by pulling a trigger. Ask them to tear it down, and perform functions check and they are clueless. It's all about standards that could keep you alive.

Yea I understand that about staying alive, being soldiers 1st and MOS 2nd is just a joke to me because I was not a 11B or infantry based MOS but a 35F then changed to a 94F, still the same job, and I know the same or more as a Infantry person because of the people I support/worked with. And seen the same, if not more, as a Infantry person would but I also knew my MOS (which was a electronic technician) better than anyone else.

I'm not trying to boast or start an argument but like I've always heard too you only get out of the Military what you put into it. So if you're a lazy, just doing what you're told Soldier then you will get out with nothing but what you know of the Military which means nothing in the Civilian world. But if you do what you need to, go the extra mile to learn other MOS stuff, take advantage of the free College/schools the Military offers and you will be way better off once or if you get out of the Military.

Find out what you want to do in the Military and find a job that will suite you for what you want to do. I enjoyed the time I had in the Army but, as they say, I got out to do bigger and better things. Thank you 82nd Airborne for making me realize how ridiculous the Military can be, especially for anyone E-6 and below.....and never once was I in trouble or "that" Soldier, well AIT but who doesn't get in trouble there. I did what I was told, where I needed to be and did a little extra to learn things that would get me a good job once I got out. The camaraderie of people I dealt with in the Military will be missed but I need to learn not to talk or say things I could in the Military now....thats the hard part.
 
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MrWesson22

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The only true part of the first paragraph is the last sentence. How long were you in the Marine Corps to come to those conclusions?

I have been in the Army for 7 years (11B). I was never in the USMC, but between my old squad leader and two very close friends, I know people with over 30 years of combined experience in the Corps (all 03 series). Unless you're in a specialty unit, you're basically not getting airborne school. And how exactly is a Marine going to be assigned to an Army unit (Rangers/SF). The USMC didn't even have a unit under SOCOM until a few years ago (because they didn't want to give up control, but I digress). I wasn't bashing the Corps. I was addressing the stupidity of a previous post.
 

DaleM

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I have been in the Army for 7 years (11B). I was never in the USMC, but between my old squad leader and two very close friends, I know people with over 30 years of combined experience in the Corps (all 03 series). Unless you're in a specialty unit, you're basically not getting airborne school. And how exactly is a Marine going to be assigned to an Army unit (Rangers/SF). The USMC didn't even have a unit under SOCOM until a few years ago (because they didn't want to give up control, but I digress). I wasn't bashing the Corps. I was addressing the stupidity of a previous post.

I got my Naval Parachutist badge jumping with Force Recon guys from OV-10s. Went through the 'bloody" ritual.

Most Marines were attached and not assigned to SO units. Not many jumps occurred during any of the recent wars, a few HALO jumps with the Kurds and other special missions.

MARSOC is doing fine now.
 

MrWesson22

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That's awesome, Dale. I'm not in the spec ops community, so I can't speak for all that (though I do know plenty of those who are). That was all in response to the asinine comment earlier about how Army is just for those who are too pussy to join the Corps. I was giving examples of opportunities more commonly available in the Army. The OP doesn't sound like he'll end up in combat arms anyway, so it really doesn't matter.
 

Black*Death

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USN or USMC...Army is for people who can't hack the Marines...USAF is for people who really DON"T want to be in the military....

I know I will hear about this one from others..

Since this came from the internet is must be true.


Joke dude...You know(or maybe you don't) all the branches joke with each other...That's all it was.
 

MrWesson22

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Joke dude...You know(or maybe you don't) all the branches joke with each other...That's all it was.

My apologies then, Black*Death. I am fully aware of inter-service rivalry and joking. I just missed that you were joking on this one. Besides, we all know Marines think they're God's gift to mankind and that everyone else sucks. :lol1:
 

97_TXCobra

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ive been in the army 5 years now and if i was given the choice id go Af in a heartbeat...just a better quality of life and honestly a better quality of people...there are alot of nasty dirty people in the army...thats just my 2 cents
 

Matts00GT

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Yup....The thing about Marines that separates them is their Bearing... it almost unmatched by other services IMHO...motivating at times...

Being in the Marines is sooo great...that most of them change to other branches of service after their initial contract.
 

NinjaBum

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Being in the Marines is sooo great...that most of them change to other branches of service after their initial contract.

I've ran into quite a few ex-marines in the Army and all of them act like they are still Marines. I had some crazy soldier come up to me after I joked about what would happen if someone started singing Halls of Montezuma instead of the Army song during one of our assemblies. I sang a few lines during the break while joking with a friend and this guy overheard me and goes "Hey, I was in the corps, and I don't appreciate that! That's just disrespectful!" "Uh, well you aren't in the Marines now, you're a soldier, which means you probably couldn't hack it. The Army song is your song now so get over it."

It was a little ridiculous.

Yea I understand that about staying alive, being soldiers 1st and MOS 2nd is just a joke to me because I was not a 11B or infantry based MOS but a 35F then changed to a 94F, still the same job, and I know the same or more as a Infantry person because of the people I support/worked with. And seen the same, if not more, as a Infantry person would but I also knew my MOS (which was a electronic technician) better than anyone else.

I do think it's humorous guys in every other MOS think what an 11B does is child's play and they do the same thing just cause they've kicked some doors in and walked on patrols. You might have done some of the same things, but I guarantee it wasn't anywhere near as smooth and efficient as a trained infantry squad. If it was otherwise, then everyone would just have other MOS's and become infantrymen when needed.
 
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DaleM

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They are...until they receive their IQ results.

Or having their parents take paternity/maternity tests. Depending on which parent has them at the time they kick them out.

BTW I love Marines! Best team team players. The only place where a Lance Corporal can lead a squad of any service. NCOs are top notch from my experience.
 

ssj4sadie

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ive been in the army 5 years now and if i was given the choice id go Af in a heartbeat...just a better quality of life and honestly a better quality of people...there are alot of nasty dirty people in the army...thats just my 2 cents

The grass is no greener on this side my friend.
 

ssj4sadie

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Or having their parents take paternity/maternity tests. Depending on which parent has them at the time they kick them out.

BTW I love Marines! Best team team players. The only place where a Lance Corporal can lead a squad of any service. NCOs are top notch from my experience.

I wish that were the case with the AF. There is not a day that goes by that an NCOs responsibility is not eroding away. Even SNCO have lost a lot of their "power".
 

04SloSnake

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My apologies then, Black*Death. I am fully aware of inter-service rivalry and joking. I just missed that you were joking on this one. Besides, we all know Marines think they're God's gift to mankind and that everyone else sucks. :lol1:

What can I say, it's hard being on top.
 

only a gt

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Seems to be a good number of hooahs in here that are upset that they Aren't Ready to be Marines Yet. :D
 

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