You are more average than you think. Nearly half of my company of 50 infantry Marines has some college time before enlisting in the Marine Corps. 2 of them have degrees. 2 of them just got accepted to the US Naval Academy to become officers. 15 of them had regular, well paying jobs before they joined. 8 of my first term (less than 4 years enlisted) are over 26 years old. Out of that 50, 6 of us are career types with at least 12 years in the Corps. The other 45 are Sgt to PFC.
They are not dumb. They are all leaders. They will all hike past the point of exhaustion, ruthlessly study to kill other human beings, and succeed in war for no other reason than they don’t want to be the guy who lets his buddies down.
There is a tradition and a sense of history in the Marine Corps that no other service has. We are known for one thing…being good at war. If you want a job that pays off in the civilian world, become an aircraft mechanic in the Corps. If you want a job that you will never forget, be the hardest thing you will ever do, serve with the finest Americans you will ever meet, and monkey stomp the enemies of our country, become an infantryman.
“A country that strictly separates it’s soldiers from it’s schollars will have dumbass’s fighting it’s wars and cowards running the country.”
That’s a nice quote, but I had to spend several minutes correcting it before forwarding it to a friend. It seems that they taught grammar and humility equally well at your esteemed high school. Before you enlist, learn that there is always someone smarter and always someone harder, than you.
About myself:
Enlisted after HS; 13 Years Time In Service; currently contracted for JAG upon BAR passage.
As several people already noted Navy corpsman are medics for the marines. If that’s what you think you might want to do this is how it works. After boot you go to corps school. Your first duty station is going to be a hospital for 18-24 months. All corpsman do this bc they want you to have some experience before being sent to a ship or with the marines. While at the hospital you will be required to pass the national registration for EMT and take an emergency vehicle operator course to drive ambulances. You’ll get other certs like CPR/first aid instructor and if your lucky acls.
At the end of your tour if you choose to you’ll go to field medical school for 2 or 3 weeks and learn to apply your skills in the field. Once there you may get to go other schools, like how to drive a humvee, medivac operations, etc. or if you’re really gung-ho try out for battalion or force recon. The responsibility of a corpsman is tremendous, you will often work without a medical officer present and have potentially life or death decisions to make packaging the sick and injured. I enlisted when I was 18 and left when I was 22. I met some the greatest people in those years that I have ever known either before or since leaving.
To give you small idea of the history of corpsman in the picture above there are 5 marines and 1 hospital corpsman (pharmacist mate at the time) raising the flag at mt. suribachi.
[quote]swabby wrote:
As several people already noted Navy corpsman are medics for the marines. If that’s what you think you might want to do this is how it works. After boot you go to corps school. Your first duty station is going to be a hospital for 18-24 months. All corpsman do this bc they want you to have some experience before being sent to a ship or with the marines. While at the hospital you will be required to pass the national registration for EMT and take an emergency vehicle operator course to drive ambulances. You’ll get other certs like CPR/first aid instructor and if your lucky acls.
At the end of your tour if you choose to you’ll go to field medical school for 2 or 3 weeks and learn to apply your skills in the field. Once there you may get to go other schools, like how to drive a humvee, medivac operations, etc. or if you’re really gung-ho try out for battalion or force recon. The responsibility of a corpsman is tremendous, you will often work without a medical officer present and have potentially life or death decisions to make packaging the sick and injured. I enlisted when I was 18 and left when I was 22. I met some the greatest people in those years that I have ever known either before or since leaving.
To give you small idea of the history of corpsman in the picture above there are 5 marines and 1 hospital corpsman (pharmacist mate at the time) raising the flag at mt. suribachi.[/quote]
Good Post, but your info is a little antiquated.
There’s a war on, so once you graduate Hospital Corps school there is a strong chance of going directly to Field Medical Service School and right to a Marine Corps unit. Non of this 12-24 month waiting in a hospital bullshit that I had to do when I joined back in '94. It’s better the way it is now I think. You don’t learn anything in the Hospital that’s worth a damn in the field anyway, and in a hospital you have to deal with Politics, politics politics… Never fun when you’re a junior Sailor.
Might as well start off by admitting that I am biased, as I am in the army. The marines are a great organization, and do alot of things well, but the army provides alot more opportunities for Soldiers. As some peopler have said, if you want to be a medic, you’re better off in the army or navy. The army has some great programs, and we need medical personnel more than ever. You should see some of the bonuses they’re giving to nurses and PA’s. the army also offers some great training.
First off, good on you for wanting to do something worth while with your life. I just got out of the Marines after 4 years and one deployment to Iraq. In this day and age, if you’re going to join any combat related field, go Marine. No offense to you Army guys out there, but from what I saw where I was, the Army did not adapt to the unique surroundings well and paid for that. The Marines are flexable and have the best training for war.
If you want to be a medic, join the Navy and be a corpsman, you will then be a Marine’s best friend.
Don’t knock the grunts. I garrutee you that after 4 years in the Corps you will be wishing you were a grunt because that’s what all POGs (people other than grunts) do. They make excuses as to why their job is important…“I SUPPLY you.” “I COOK for you.” “I do your PAPERWORK.” What I’m trying to say is, you will have a fulfilling experience as a grunt. Some of the skills you will get will be marketable. The police would love to have a guy trained in weapons and urban tactics. They would love to have a guy who has non-lethal weapons and tactics training (think Security Forces option here…).
I did 2 years Security Forces and 2 years straight grunt. The grunts have 4 options: Rifleman, Machine Gunner, Mortar Man, Assaultman (that was me). Don’t think for a second that you won’t use your brain in any one of those jobs. Try to do the math on a mortar system to plot the trajectory of a round. How much time fuse do you need for a 5 minute fuse on your charge? That’s math bro. You will learn leadership and people skills working in the grunts as well. I was lucky enough to be sent to Arabic Language training before I went to Iraq. I ended up dealing with a lot of families out on patrol.
If you tried college for a year and didn’t like it, then just join the Corps. It won’t be a bad decision. I’m out now and in school and half the time I’d rather be back in blowin some shit up. Hell, I might go back after a few years of this shit. With $40,000 GI Bill money (I only had to put $1800 into the program) I’ll be going to school for free. And it’s one hell of an investment. I can’t tell you how many people come up to me when they find out that I was a Marine and shake my hand and thank me. It’s a good feeling. It’s great for networking, and people love to hire former Marines.
It’s not a bad choice. Go for it.
DD
PS: If you join the Marines as a grunt, there’s a chance you could go to Combat Aidsman course. It’s more advanced first aid training.
10count… what standards are you refering to? You work on aircraft and we ALL work on aircraft Navy, Marines, Army. You consider SP as SF, we consider Seals, Force Recon,Ranger SF. So you had a Hooch and we had tents did you hear me complain? Most schools are now JOINT TRAINING except for specialized for each branch. If you are looking for a medical field once again choose Army medic, Corpsman or go into “SF” and you will be trained in all aspects of War, Communication, EOD, Weapons, Land Nav. and the list goes on…
[quote]Habitual wrote:
10count… what standards are you refering to? You work on aircraft and we ALL work on aircraft Navy, Marines, Army. You consider SP as SF, we consider Seals, Force Recon,Ranger SF. So you had a Hooch and we had tents did you hear me complain? Most schools are now JOINT TRAINING except for specialized for each branch. If you are looking for a medical field once again choose Army medic, Corpsman or go into “SF” and you will be trained in all aspects of War, Communication, EOD, Weapons, Land Nav. and the list goes on…
[quote]10count wrote:
Habitual wrote:
10count… what standards are you refering to? You work on aircraft and we ALL work on aircraft Navy, Marines, Army. You consider SP as SF, we consider Seals, Force Recon,Ranger SF. So you had a Hooch and we had tents did you hear me complain? Most schools are now JOINT TRAINING except for specialized for each branch. If you are looking for a medical field once again choose Army medic, Corpsman or go into “SF” and you will be trained in all aspects of War, Communication, EOD, Weapons, Land Nav. and the list goes on…
YUT!!!
YES they did complain [/quote]
Yeah it’s always a common complaint when you put Air Force and Navy/Marines together.
I remember one jaunt I had in Japan where we were staying in some ok barracks, but the AF aircrew that were flying us to Australia got put up in a hotel because our living quarters were “substandard…”
No wonder the AF guys get a bad rap over that kind of stuff. It’s not their fault though, they’ve just always been spoiled like that so they don’t know any different.
I joined the Army after I got my BS from college to get some discipline, a good background and to be honest, to have fun and a lot of sex. I found out later that the Air force has more women and the most beautiful girls than any other branch. Also the Air force has better facilities (gyms,barracks mess halls…and did I say girls?). If you want to have a nice job after you get out of service, then join the Air Force they have better job that you can actually use in the civilian life. If you want to travel the world and have a lot of sex in different countries then join the Army. I spend 10 yrs in the Army and I lived in Germany,South Korea,NC and Hawaii. A lot of sexxxx on Hawaii and Germany…don’t get married right away and enjoy it
I second everything devil351dog said.
I’m a former Marine 67-70, yes viet vet.You will think of your time spent in the Corps with great fondness and Pride the rest of your life.Why goe second best go Kick ass.
Semper Fi
[quote]10count wrote:
just like my self everyone has there own opinion, i am a proud member of the USAF. i have been in for three years and running and really enjoy it. im an SF member (a cop) i just spent 8 months in iraq. im going to tell ya when you first find out your going you get those feelings in your stomach, but when you get there its not that bad (depending on were you are) most air force jobs only go over sea’s four 4 months at a time and not every year most SF members can expect to go every year for 6 months or more. army goes for a 12-15 months on an averg,
i don’t know much about the marines or the navy exept the navy is usually the medics for the jar heads if you have an IQ keep your eye looking at the air force if not do army, navy and then the jar heads. that order is also a better way of life. some would say the air force is civilians in uniforms sound good to me : )
if you can stay in school and get a 4 year degree that would be better. better jobs much more money and respect. if you have any questions i will do my best to help you out
That last one didnt go through all the way. I just wanted to say I agree with 10count 100%. I am a 3 half year Security Forces member as well. I have worked with pretty much all the other branches, and I think your best bet would be Air Force. Specially if you do Medical. Another option you can take is go guard/reserve, and if you like it just sign up for active duty, but if you dont like it at least you wont be stuck doing it full time. Also not sure about other branches but In my career field I have tons of oportunities to go to pretty much any school I want. Ex: Air Assult, Ranger, Counter sniper, etc… Go to all the recruiters and find what you like best
A couple of things:
One branch’s training is no more applicable to the civilians world than another. If you are trained as a medic/aircraft mechanic/etc, the civilian community doesnt care if you were trained by the Army or the Airforce. The training is the same.
If you want to do airborne, air assault, Ranger, etc. then join the Army. Those are Army schools and Army personnel have priority in them. Not every job in the Army is eligible for Ranger school. Definitely do not join the Airforce on the off chance you may get a shot at one of these.
Decide what you want. If you want to make a career then talk to people who have at least reenlisted before and finished a term. Talk to recruiters, but only believe half of what they say. Do research. If someone is telling you something that just doesnt sound right…it probably isnt.
Im pretty biased. I had 9 years as a reservist before going active Army in 95. I enjoy my job in the Army and there is nothing Id rather do. But you have to decide what you want. You’re the one who will have to live with the decision…for a few years anyways.
everyone talks about the army and the marines having all of these combat type jobs or special trainig - they do, but the airforce also has some special force jobs(PJ, combat controlers, tack P just to name a few) they also come with a little bit of extra cash to put in your pocket
as an SF member the oppertunity for pre ranger and ranger school, airborne, air assult, and counter sniper school come up all of the time
i have nothing against my sister branches. they have there own oppertunities to do something great for your country
This kid registered on 16 Oct and now has a total of one (warning)long post to his name. It doesn’t look like he has been back to reap the benefit of our responses or carry his end of the conversation. All the same, it’s great to see how many Marines are on this site.
[quote]harris447 wrote:
“If I die in some sand box in a country that I don’t care about fighting for my country, I will felt like my life was worth living.”
Honestly…that is the stupidest thing I’ve heard in a long, long time.
Go to college. Read “Catch-22” a couple more times. [/quote]
You can’t see what he means, because you have flies in your eyes.