[Comet]

I feel like this forum should be renamed to e90armydudes

[radix]

I went Marine Corps. Although lambtron named several reasons for joining, I'll only name those that are near and dear to my heart.


1. The fraternity. Joining the Marine Corps is something that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Marines police their own and look out for one another. You will have a metric shit ton of people that will look after you as if you were your own brother for the rest of your life. There are shitbag Marines, no doubt, but the good ones will take care of you, or at least help you to unfuck yourself should you become fucked. Personally, I will do all that I can to help a fellow Marine out at the drop of a hat, no questions asked.

2. The identity. Call it brainwashing, I don't care. If you are a Marine you hold yourself to a higher standard in every last little thing you do, because anything else would be a disappointment to your beloved Corps. Seriously, this sounds like brainwashing, I know it does. I don't deny it, but if you want to be a Marine, you'll just have to learn to accept it. Substandard performance doesn't cut it. This instict is instilled in you in basic, and if you have NCOs that are any good, it will continue for the rest of your natural life.

When times are bad, you'll remember that you need to unfuck yourself. The Corps. is a constant source of strength and ambition to me. When I'm in pain, I remember that it will pass, or I will get over it, whichever comes first. When I begin to put on the slightest bit of extra weight, I remember that I must PT myself until I feel like dying, because Marines are not fatbodies.

3. The opportunity. Employers like to hire people that can hit the ground running. A good Marine will not give up just because something or someone stands in their way. I was a 2631 (ELINT Analyst) on active duty myself. Upon leaving active duty I was making upwards of six figures in the IT industry within five years, sans college. Should you decide to stay in for 20 years and retire, you'll get a nice pension. All your medical and dental expenses will be paid for. You'll get a nice monthly paycheck until the day you die for your service (granted this is true for any branch).

4. The history. You will become something much bigger than yourself. I won't ramble on about this, but I still research Marine Corps. history to this day.

Again, call me brainwashed, I don't care. I've drunk several canteens of my own vomit for my Corps. I've had my leg and my face sliced open for my Corps. My left foot still hurts like a bitch every time I run more than 5k, which I do three times a week. I probably lost a portion of my hearing for the Marine Corps. Although not primarily a shooter by MOS, I've personally made decisions that have resulted in some pretty serious consequences. I've been off active duty for seven years now, and I still miss it. I put eight years in my Corps., and I should've put twenty in. I personally can't think of a better large organization of its size the world. I owe almost every opportunity I've had to my beloved Corps., and I've done well enough for myself considering that I've never been to college.

If given the opportunity I would not hesitate to put two rounds center mass in any asshole that threatened the life or well being of one of my brothers, in a heartbeat, and if that didn't work, I'd do my best to make the third pull of the trigger count as a headshot, or die trying.

Semper Fi

[jhv]

Originally Posted by radix

I went Marine Corps. Although lambtron named several reasons for joining, I'll only name those that are near and dear to my heart.


1. The fraternity. Joining the Marine Corps is something that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Marines police their own and look out for one another. You will have a metric shit ton of people that will look after you as if you were your own brother for the rest of your life. There are shitbag Marines, no doubt, but the good ones will take care of you, or at least help you to unfuck yourself should you become fucked. Personally, I will do all that I can to help a fellow Marine out at the drop of a hat, no questions asked.

2. The identity. Call it brainwashing, I don't care. If you are a Marine you hold yourself to a higher standard in every last little thing you do, because anything else would be a disappointment to your beloved Corps. Seriously, this sounds like brainwashing, I know it does. I don't deny it, but if you want to be a Marine, you'll just have to learn to accept it. Substandard performance doesn't cut it. This instict is instilled in you in basic, and if you have NCOs that are any good, it will continue for the rest of your natural life.

When times are bad, you'll remember that you need to unfuck yourself. The Corps. is a constant source of strength and ambition to me. When I'm in pain, I remember that it will pass, or I will get over it, whichever comes first. When I begin to put on the slightest bit of extra weight, I remember that I must PT myself until I feel like dying, because Marines are not fatbodies.

3. The opportunity. Employers like to hire people that can hit the ground running. A good Marine will not give up just because something or someone stands in their way. I was a 2631 (ELINT Analyst) on active duty myself. Upon leaving active duty I was making upwards of six figures in the IT industry within five years, sans college. Should you decide to stay in for 20 years and retire, you'll get a nice pension. All your medical and dental expenses will be paid for. You'll get a nice monthly paycheck until the day you die for your service (granted this is true for any branch).

4. The history. You will become something much bigger than yourself. I won't ramble on about this, but I still research Marine Corps. history to this day.

Again, call me brainwashed, I don't care. I've drunk several canteens of my own vomit for my Corps. I've had my leg and my face sliced open for my Corps. My left foot still hurts like a bitch every time I run more than 5k, which I do three times a week. I probably lost a portion of my hearing for the Marine Corps. Although not primarily a shooter by MOS, I've personally made decisions that have resulted in some pretty serious consequences. I've been off active duty for seven years now, and I still miss it. I put eight years in my Corps., and I should've put twenty in. I personally can't think of a better large organization of its size the world. I owe almost every opportunity I've had to my beloved Corps., and I've done well enough for myself considering that I've never been to college.

If given the opportunity I would not hesitate to put two rounds center mass in any asshole that threatened the life or well being of one of my brothers, in a heartbeat, and if that didn't work, I'd do my best to make the third pull of the trigger count as a headshot, or die trying.

Semper Fi

this is most genuine post i've ever seen

[ghosthi32]

Originally Posted by jh valley

this is most genuine post i've ever seen

[oct1285]

Originally Posted by e92justin

Not some half assed shooting techniques thatll get you killed in combat, provided by the army.

speaking from experience are we? why don't you just shut the fuck up since you haven't even spent one minute in the military.

Since this thread has already been hit by the marine recruiters, I'll just say this, I have the utmost respect for each branch and the jobs they do. Every branch plays a role and I personally believe no one branch is more important than another. Whether you're a infantryman in the army or the marines you're going to get your fair share of deployments and time in the sand.

[FStop7]

I know some pretty cool duders from every branch of the service. That said the Marines I know are all very much alpha dogs. I know alpha dogs from the Army, for example I was friends with a Ranger who was just as assertive as any Marine. But I also know guys frm the Army or Air Force who are not alphas. Not so with Marines. Every single one I know has a streak of competitiveness and aggression that is very distinct. It can sometimes get on my nerves, but it's how they are trained and has served the USMC very well over the years.

Oh and recruiters are full of shit about everything.

[lambtron]

Originally Posted by radix

I went Marine Corps. Although lambtron named several reasons for joining, I'll only name those that are near and dear to my heart.


1. The fraternity. Joining the Marine Corps is something that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Marines police their own and look out for one another. You will have a metric shit ton of people that will look after you as if you were your own brother for the rest of your life. There are shitbag Marines, no doubt, but the good ones will take care of you, or at least help you to unfuck yourself should you become fucked. Personally, I will do all that I can to help a fellow Marine out at the drop of a hat, no questions asked.

2. The identity. Call it brainwashing, I don't care. If you are a Marine you hold yourself to a higher standard in every last little thing you do, because anything else would be a disappointment to your beloved Corps. Seriously, this sounds like brainwashing, I know it does. I don't deny it, but if you want to be a Marine, you'll just have to learn to accept it. Substandard performance doesn't cut it. This instict is instilled in you in basic, and if you have NCOs that are any good, it will continue for the rest of your natural life.

When times are bad, you'll remember that you need to unfuck yourself. The Corps. is a constant source of strength and ambition to me. When I'm in pain, I remember that it will pass, or I will get over it, whichever comes first. When I begin to put on the slightest bit of extra weight, I remember that I must PT myself until I feel like dying, because Marines are not fatbodies.

3. The opportunity. Employers like to hire people that can hit the ground running. A good Marine will not give up just because something or someone stands in their way. I was a 2631 (ELINT Analyst) on active duty myself. Upon leaving active duty I was making upwards of six figures in the IT industry within five years, sans college. Should you decide to stay in for 20 years and retire, you'll get a nice pension. All your medical and dental expenses will be paid for. You'll get a nice monthly paycheck until the day you die for your service (granted this is true for any branch).

4. The history. You will become something much bigger than yourself. I won't ramble on about this, but I still research Marine Corps. history to this day.

Again, call me brainwashed, I don't care. I've drunk several canteens of my own vomit for my Corps. I've had my leg and my face sliced open for my Corps. My left foot still hurts like a bitch every time I run more than 5k, which I do three times a week. I probably lost a portion of my hearing for the Marine Corps. Although not primarily a shooter by MOS, I've personally made decisions that have resulted in some pretty serious consequences. I've been off active duty for seven years now, and I still miss it. I put eight years in my Corps., and I should've put twenty in. I personally can't think of a better large organization of its size the world. I owe almost every opportunity I've had to my beloved Corps., and I've done well enough for myself considering that I've never been to college.

If given the opportunity I would not hesitate to put two rounds center mass in any asshole that threatened the life or well being of one of my brothers, in a heartbeat, and if that didn't work, I'd do my best to make the third pull of the trigger count as a headshot, or die trying.

Semper Fi

+1, very well put.

Ahh, I love our rich history. Of the many things that set the Marine Corps apart from the other services, our history has to be one of the greatest. I especially love how it is ingrained in your brain from the moment you step on those yellow footprints. I absolutely love reading about the history of the Marine Corps, and all of the stories of the Marines who came before I. Like radix said, you will become part of something much bigger than yourself, and the feeling is indescribable.

[DiRTyDeLuX]

Former Ranger turned Attack pilot here. Watch the following videos then decide.

ATTACK!

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If I was younger I'd still be Rangering the fuck on.

[DiRTyDeLuX]

Everything in the videos I posted is absolutely true.

[ragingclue]

Rule #1: Don't listen to anyone who is an active recruiter. Get all your info from people who have served, and served well (the bad apples will never be any good for advice). Recruiters are (generally) a form of businessman who only looks at you as a number towards a quota, and doesn't give a shit if you aren't making the right choice for yourself. Also, don't listen to what they have to say about the other branches. All branches do have their stereotypes for one reason or another, but the recruiters will do anything to keep you from walking into the office next door.

Rule #2: Don't go 0311 unless you know for a fact that's what you want to do. There are a lot of skilled MOS positions in the Corps which give you invaluable training and on the job experience. If your ASVAB allows, go into a high-skill profession.

Rule #3: If you do indeed decide to go infantry in the Corps, I hope you like cleaning weapons and carrying a lot of shit a long way very often(humping)....

Rule #4: Don't go into the military expecting it to make the rest of your life "easier". Between the work you have to put in while in the military, and the work you'll put in transitioning to a civilian life will be more than you'd put in otherwise. This is especially true if you go through the process as a grunt.

Rule #5: You have just as much of an opportunity to screw your life up as you do to improve your life. Fucking up in the service is bad, and there are many ways to fuck up; you'll be surrounded by people who can't behave to save their lives (this can be fun at times though). You can accumulate offenses that wouldn't mean too much in the real world, maybe at worst you'd get fired, but in the military, they're going to give you a black eye you'll carry around with you for life. Nobody wants a Big Chicken Dinner. And while they're processing you out, they'll make your life plenty hellish. Keep that in mind.

[radix]

Originally Posted by ragingclue

Rule #1: Don't listen to anyone who is an active recruiter. Get all your info from people who have served, and served well (the bad apples will never be any good for advice). Recruiters are (generally) a form of businessman who only looks at you as a number towards a quota, and doesn't give a shit if you aren't making the right choice for yourself. Also, don't listen to what they have to say about the other branches. All branches do have their stereotypes for one reason or another, but the recruiters will do anything to keep you from walking into the office next door.

Rule #2: Don't go 0311 unless you know for a fact that's what you want to do. There are a lot of skilled MOS positions in the Corps which give you invaluable training and on the job experience. If your ASVAB allows, go into a high-skill profession.

Rule #3: If you do indeed decide to go infantry in the Corps, I hope you like cleaning weapons and carrying a lot of shit a long way very often(humping)....

Rule #4: Don't go into the military expecting it to make the rest of your life "easier". Between the work you have to put in while in the military, and the work you'll put in transitioning to a civilian life will be more than you'd put in otherwise. This is especially true if you go through the process as a grunt.

Rule #5: You have just as much of an opportunity to screw your life up as you do to improve your life. Fucking up in the service is bad, and there are many ways to fuck up; you'll be surrounded by people who can't behave to save their lives (this can be fun at times though). You can accumulate offenses that wouldn't mean too much in the real world, maybe at worst you'd get fired, but in the military, they're going to give you a black eye you'll carry around with you for life. Nobody wants a Big Chicken Dinner. And while they're processing you out, they'll make your life plenty hellish. Keep that in mind.

Great post. This is 100% true. In particular, if you make a commitment to the service, you'd better not be a fuck up.

[TheLegacy]

If you want some very detailed advice in life, the military, and the ups and downs of Army and Marines. I invite you to PM me... No need to fill this thread up.

And I'll explain the path to go from military to LE or federal LE

[Digital.James]

There's nothing like being an Army Paratrooper. I've got nothing but respect for the Marines. I've served with them overseas and bled with them. I still work with a lot of Marines and we're one team. Not sure why all the disrepect for the Army. You can't go wrong with either branch, both will open lots of oppurtunity. Infantry is great if that's your thing, but the Army offers a wider variety of job options, so you can pretty much pick whatever you want that interests you. Like another poster said, if a recruiter says a certain job is not available, walk out. He's lying. Once you walk out he'll call you and say okay okay I can get you that job.

You should also check out what the promotion points are for promotion in that MOS. Certain jobs have lower points which will help you get promoted when the time comes. Something every new recruit should do. Some people get stuck in jobs where the promotion points are 798 and never get the oppurtunity for promotion.

You should also think about what you want to do in the overall scheme of life. If your goal is to become a cop, be a MP. If you want to fix radios, or work on computers, become a radio system matainer. Working for the CIA or DIA? Try intel.

As for training, the Army is getting better. But when it comes to advanced training, what you'll get when you get to your unit, it's great. Similar Marine and Army MOS's go to the same schools, including Airborne school

But above all that, if you want to be bad ass. Become a special operations trooper, and see the world in a light that truly opens your eyes.

-Airborne

[radix]

Originally Posted by FStop7

Oh and recruiters are full of shit about everything.

Not all, but most of them. My recruiter would tell me like it is. Hell, my recruiter was probably one of the most interesting recruiters in the last half decade. I personally saw him tell officers and even a SgtMaj. to go fuck themselves. He told me all about combat, war, and the loss of a third of his platoon. He didn't mince words. The guy smoked 2 packs a day, had to be pushing 50, and still ran a PFT time of less than 18:00. To be honest, he was one of the most interesting people I've ever met, and didn't bullshit me in the slightest. His name was SSgt. Daniel K. Mulvihill.


http://www.hill488.com/pictures.html

Pictured center here:



TIME magazine article on it here:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...837227,00.html

Basically, he and 15 other marines, along with a couple of corpsmen were engaged by a battalion (around 300) NVA (North Vietnamese Regulars). The ratio was approximately 20:1 in favor of the NVA. My recruiter lost six members of his platoon that died in fighting that at times degraded to hand to hand. My recruiter also took a grenade fragment through a couple of his teeth IIRC. Craziest shit I'd ever heard. Years later, I had to google his name just to be sure he wasn't bullshitting me, it turns out he wasn't.

After 30 years of service he was still only a SSgt. Why? Because he had the nasty habit of telling his superiors to go fuck themselves I'd guess. If you've seen the movie Heartbreak Ridge, this guy was the real life GySgt. Highway.

Oh, and inb4 csb.

[ragingclue]

Originally Posted by radix

Not all, but most of them. My recruiter would tell me like it is. Hell, my recruiter was probably one of the most interesting recruiters in the last half decade. I personally saw him tell officers and even a SgtMaj. to go fuck themselves. He told me all about combat, war, and the loss of a third of his platoon. He didn't mince words. The guy smoked 2 packs a day, had to be pushing 50, and still ran a PFT time of less than 18:00. To be honest, he was one of the most interesting people I've ever met, and didn't bullshit me in the slightest. His name was SSgt. Daniel K. Mulvihill.


http://www.hill488.com/pictures.html

Pictured center here:



TIME magazine article on it here:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...837227,00.html

Basically, he and 15 other marines, along with a couple of corpsmen were engaged by a battalion (around 300) NVA (North Vietnamese Regulars). The ratio was approximately 20:1 in favor of the NVA. My recruiter lost six members of his platoon that die in fighting that at times degraded to hand to hand. My recruiter also took a grenade fragment through a couple of his teeth IIRC. Craziest shit I'd ever heard. Years later, I had to google his name just to be sure he wasn't bullshitting me, it turns out he wasn't.

After 30 years of service he was still only a SSgt. Why? Because he had the nasty habit of telling his superiors to go fuck themselves I'd guess. If you've seen the movie Heartbreak Ridge, this guy was the real life GySgt. Highway.

Oh, and inb4 csb.

Well ooh-frickin-rah.

That's some motivating shit right there.

[sb335is]

Originally Posted by ragingclue

Well ooh-frickin-rah.

That's some motivating shit right there.

holy shit.

[richeerich03]

Marines..

Being in the Navy, I spent my first couple of years in a marine/navy f18 squadron.. I got to say that that was a group of cool people.. If I stayed in, I probably would have switched over..

[TheLegacy]

I do agree the Corps has am outstanding history. I have a lot of friends that are Marines and I've done a lot of training with them. They are squared away, love their discipline. However the Army has a large selection of MOS to chose from and the Army has some outstanding units with a lot of history also. For example near and dear to my heart, 1st Cav Division.

[bosstones]

Originally Posted by oct1285

... I have the utmost respect for each branch and the jobs they do. Every branch plays a role and I personally believe no one branch is more important than another.

+1

Originally Posted by Digital.James

Not sure why all the disrepect for the Army.

+1 I have my flame suit on since I will admit that I am full time civilian. I chose instead to serve my country a different way and take pride in it. I've met and worked with some pretty cool people and been a part of things that, by far, most people never will get a chance to much less even know of.

In the end, as I see it, each branch has and serves a function. I've spent enough time on bases for and/or worked with all 4 branches and have come across enough 'clowns' on all of them so I don't see the point to single out any one branch in particular.

In the end, the decision as to what branch the OP decides to go with is, IMO, a highly personal decision and I would hope he is not solely basing it off what he read on an internet car forum.

On a side note, if anyone has been to LeJeune anytime in recent years, I couldn't help but lol at the dress code signs at the BX. Nothing wrong with the inappropriate female attire depicted on it, either.

[sysfailur]

Originally Posted by DiRTyDeLuX

Former Ranger turned Attack pilot here. Watch the following videos then decide.

ATTACK!

Dirty: How long have you been flying? I'm a 64 driver and IP, A and D qualified. She may be a fucking pig, but I love her.

OP:

Frankly, you need to make a few decisions. If you're 100% sure that you want to make a career out of the military, then soldier the fuck on and pick the MOS that sounds like the most fun.

If you think you're going to ETS at the end of your contract, then I would suggest selecting an MOS that will allow you to springboard into the civilian sector. The point here is that certain employers won't value a prior service infantryman as highly as they would a former SIGINT analyst, for example.

[DiRTyDeLuX]

Originally Posted by sysfailur

Dirty: How long have you been flying? I'm a 64 driver and IP, A and D qualified. She may be a fucking pig, but I love her.

8 years. Did the Longbow transition in '04.

Dude why not go to college? The military PAYS YOU to go to college. And you come out as an officer rank. You're going to be serving in the military anyways so why not go to college? What if the police thing doesn't work out? You'll always have a college education under your belt. Look at the trend nowadays, having a college degree will help you greatly in the future, even more so when you turn 30 +