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i recently graduated from high school . im interested in intelligence and Mechanic arts?
thanks to everyone who is helping me with this processes.
i understand the military is a huge step for me , i opt to go this way instead of going to nyu.
ima take a long hard look in to the branches, and i do qualify for any of 4 services.
Lets see. You want to join the millitary but are not sure where you will fit in. Then join the Navy. Case closed.
Why? Because you are Navy?
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Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE
The Navy has all the Aircraft carriers, Battleships, Destroyers, Tankers, Sea going Hospital. The Navy has all the ships.
The Army can land on most of these? Been there done that...
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Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE
The Navy has its own airforce and they can land on the ground or the sea.
And the Army cannot?
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Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE
The Navy has its own army, they call them Marines. (I know its another branch but guess who delivers the Marines to where they need to fight.)
The Army does not?
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Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE
The Navy has its own construction company called the Construction Battalion or SeaBees. I grew up near the home of the Pacific SeaBees in Port Hueneme Ca.
Ummm Yea, the Army calls them Engineering units....
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Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE
The Navy has its own special forces, The SEAL's
Hummm...the Army has the 160th, Special Forces, and the Rangers....
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Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE
The Navy can train you to be an Engineer
So can the Army....
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Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE
The Navy can train you in advanced electronics and BioMed Engineering.
So can the Army....
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Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE
The Navy has its own criminal investigation unit, Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Yep, the Army also has CID....
Sorry SOON2BNSURPRISE, but everything you have said is also true for EACH respective branch...
Just from your post your Navy, or retired Navy...we all have our back ground...but to say what you said....come on man...
I think AF is the better way to go for an enlistment. They are more serious about education. You can earn a bachelor's degree while in service and they will pay for 80 percent of it. If you can CLEP/test out of some courses, you still get credit. My son did this. The AF is also a tech service. They have a large intel element. I would stay away from Army and Marines and would advise my sons on that. I spent 25 years Army. As for Navy, long deployments at sea and less than pleasant mainland bases would steer me from that. Coast Guard is different but you might find yourself on an ice breaker or in some remote part of the country with not much to do.
I think AF is the better way to go for an enlistment. They are more serious about education. You can earn a bachelor's degree while in service and they will pay for 80 percent of it.
I believe he is talking about tuition assistance, which shows how old his info is b/c it is no longer 80%, but 100%. Also, this is offered by all branches as well. Ollie 1946, you said he should not do Army or Marines but did not state specifically why. Do you mind stating it?
Full disclosure, I am a Marine recruiter, I'm also a 2nd gen Marine, both my parents are Marines.
All of the tangible benefits of all the services are the same. What I mean by that is pay, medical, and education. Even some things that seem exclusive to one branch you can typically get the same thing a different way in another branch. A couple of examples, the AF will state how they are the only branch with their own community college. But every other branch, including the AF, has civilian four year schools that offer classes to serviceman aboard their bases and online. Also the Army, Marines, and Navy transfer your military training to ACE certified credits while the AF converts it to CCAF credits. It's all the same thing in the end though.
All of the services are tech and intel services. The majority of peopel I've put in the Marine Corps have been aviation, electronics ,mechanic or intel. Typically a combination of the two :-p (aviation electrician, signal intelligence, crytpologic linguist, aviation mechanic). In fact I've personally enlisted exactly one infantryman since I've been recruiting, not so coincidentally he's also the only person I've put in that's been deployed.
With the things you are looking for you can't make a wrong choice, just make sure whoever you go with will give you what you're looking for.
On a side note what did the Marine recruiters say that made you feel they were over exaggerating the benefits?
in the pools it seems like air force is the preferred branch, im surprised about that, i really thought either the army or marines would really lead the way.
ultimately i believe i might take the intelligence career path or straight technical. i really like the mp/sf and anything with intelligence
The Army and the Marines are both cutting back in big ways. The Navy and AF have been doing so for some time now. I would not advise someone to enlist in a service that was about to undergo some serious personnel turmoil.
Yes, I was talking about tuition assistance and am glad to hear it is now 100%. I stand by my position that the AF is more cooperative and supportive of their personnel getting more education. Also, that it is a tech service at a higher degree than the Army and Marines.
I have nothing against the Army or Marine Corps. I admire the Marines immensely. However, the OP asked for advice and my advice is to go AF if you can get in and get into a field you want. Typically, the quality of life at AF bases is superior to all others.
But, if the young man is attuned to pride in self, in military, in service and tradition; then he cannot beat the Marine Corps.
It has been my long time experience, over 6 decades, that young men who are attracted to the Marine Corps don't really have to be talked into it. They have something inside of them that makes them want to go that route.
I'd recommend taking the asvab...sitting down with each service recruiter. Then if possible, go to the nearest service installation w/the recruiter and ask to speak candidly to some young people.
To each his own...but if I were to pick one--Air Force...best support system, least deployments, and best education (CCF) and facilities. Coast Guard would be a close second, only because you are interested in Law Enforcement. It would be a toss up amongst the other services--each offer great things. Sit...talk...walk...and listen. Go with your gut--but do your homework. Good luck and good choice!
I refrained from stating my opinion on what branch I think the OP should join in my first post, just b/c I think it's personable choice and when you know, you know. Based on everything he's posted so far I'd reccomend AF b/c that's what it seemed that spoke to him more. In his particular situation and based on what limited exposure I've had to OP on the forum, he seems the type that'll be happy with whatever he decides. He just needs to make a decision and understand why he's making it to ensure he get what he wants from it.
The things i find it hard to abide, and these are things I deal with on a daily basis because I recruit in an AF town are antiquated and inaccurate views of the branches. Many that may have been true at one time, but are no longer so. The services are more alike than they've ever been, in fact I can see in the not-so distant future there basically being two services. Navy with the Marines being more deeply integrated into that service. And the Army with the AF being more deeply reintegrated into that branch.
Some inaccuracies especially as it deals with the AF, since that's what you're talking about.
Education: From what I've seen the AF is real big on you getting education as it relates to you job, but not as supportive of outside interests. The Maine Corps is supoortive of education in general to the point where you get additional points toward promotion (Marines are promoted on a point/merit system) based on the number of college and military courses you take. Every unit has an education officer who's job is to facilitate Marines getting into the classroom. Education Officer is someone every Marine must check-in with upon reporting to a new unit. Not only is your military training good for college credit, but also good toward Journeyman certification. USMAP Enables Service Members to Receive Journeyman-level Civilian Certifications
Your comment on it being a tech service, the AF is the only branch (on ship aside) that has servicemen who's whole job is to pass out towels in the gym. It's the only branch where you can find yourself in Afghanistan or Iraq before going to your tech school. Also on the tech service note alot of the tech jobs the AF once had are now done mostly by civilians, like IT. Treu the MArine Corps has NMCI, but I still have a young man in Cali right now at computer repair school and another at Information Systems Specialists Course. The AF has about 150 jobs, the Marines have over 300. Strangely enough, our largest job field is aviation. Over a 1/4 of Marine Officers are pilots (about 5,500/20,500), the next closest would be infantry officers with less than half that number. Even on the enlisted side over 75% of our jobs are non-combat related, and most of the upcoming cuts are coming to the combat related jobs.
This info comes from the 2010 Marine Corps Almanac, which is published annually in the Concepts and Programs Book.
I will say there may be a few more advanced jobs a the top level in the AF (and the Navy as well) because of Nukes, but the likelihood of actually getting a technical job is higher in the Army, and Marines, and Navy. Also if someone wants the medical field or clergy the Marines don't have that. I always like to say, the Navy takes care of our bodies and souls while we take care of everything else.
As far as quality of life, this is definitely something that used to be true but doesn't really hold water today. It was true as recently as 9 years ago when I got married and lived on based housing. I lived in a duplex that had it been a single family home it'd be considered small. Today they are all torn down and large spacious townhouses better than you can find out in town have taken their place. It seems to me the AF has kind of rested on it's laurels in this regard and has sat still and even taken steps ackwards at many bases, while the other branches have move forward. Especially in the lean recruiting/retention years in the mid aughts where the war was at it's speak and the economy was great and the money was flowing. The Marines and the Army especially turn an eye toward QOL as a means of retention. Public-Private ventures have been a boon in this regard as well.
I'm currently at an AF base and it's the worst base I've ever been too. Things I used to being free, like the pool, cost here. Everything is more expensive. At my last Base movie tickets were $2 for adults, $1 for kids. You could get two games of bowling, including shoes, and lunch at the bowling alley for $6. Here the movie theater $6 and the bowling is more as well.
At the Op it's not real surprising that the Marines and Army have the lower numbers on your poll. The attitude of the Marines and Navy in general and the Soldiers on this board is more of one if you decide to become one of us we''ll support you, but we're not going to tell you what to join or to join us. It's a decision you have to make for yourself because you are the one who has to live with it. That said, I'm sure everyone here will be happy to continue to answer any questions you might have, including me, to help you come to your decision.
disclaimer: took a while to write this and I didn't proof read or spell check and I've been honoring Lord Admiral Nelson, who I'm about to go shed a tear for, so I apologize for any bad grammar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ollie1946
The Army and the Marines are both cutting back in big ways. The Navy and AF have been doing so for some time now. I would not advise someone to enlist in a service that was about to undergo some serious personnel turmoil.
Yes, I was talking about tuition assistance and am glad to hear it is now 100%. I stand by my position that the AF is more cooperative and supportive of their personnel getting more education. Also, that it is a tech service at a higher degree than the Army and Marines.
I have nothing against the Army or Marine Corps. I admire the Marines immensely. However, the OP asked for advice and my advice is to go AF if you can get in and get into a field you want. Typically, the quality of life at AF bases is superior to all others.
But, if the young man is attuned to pride in self, in military, in service and tradition; then he cannot beat the Marine Corps.
It has been my long time experience, over 6 decades, that young men who are attracted to the Marine Corps don't really have to be talked into it. They have something inside of them that makes them want to go that route.
I don't sense that in this OP.
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