Marine itch....

[Bullshop Junior]

When I turned 18 I had this bad itch to go and join the marines. The girl I was dying talked me out of it. The last few weeks ive had the itch to go join again.....same girl doesnt want me to, since she is pretty sure I'll get killed.

What are the pros and cons of joining any of the army devisions, and what are y'all's general thoughts on it..?

[M-Tecs]

Air Force and Navy treats its personnel better than the Army or Marines. I am coming up on 30 years in the Air Guard. Joining the Air Guard was one of the best decision I have ever made.

[Love Life]

Girls like Marines better than dog faces. Just saying.

Pick a non combat MOS and your chances of being killed, maimed, or captured decrease dramatically.

Marines also have better looking uniforms, are tougher, girls like them more, and are generally better than the Army, Air Force, and Navy combined.

[Alvarez Kelly]

Your marriage will suffer greatly. I believe a stint in the armed forces can only help a young man, but once you are married , you have to think of her too. If you have other options, I recommend you don't join the military ranks. The first few years are the hardest on you and your entire family.

I have personally seen entirely too many marriages destroyed by the hardships military couples have had to endure.

[Bored1]

All depends on your age and eligibility. May not even be an option. I had the same itch to join up. Tried the army, couldn't due to some eye issues and a few previous arrests (no felonies however). Army suggested I try the Marines, so I did. Everything was good to go, just needed a medical waiver for the refraction of my eyes, and a criminal history waiver due to 2 DUI's (was 20 and dumb, one got dropped but was told that due to suspended inquisition it was still counted). Marines promised they would get it done as long as everything else panned out. Well passed all the other physicals and everything, however somehow they couldn't coordinate getting both waivers valid at the same time. Got one, after it expired got the second I needed, couldn't get the first again supposedly. After about a yr I quit trying and moved on with life.

Point being that it may not even really be an issue, talk to a recruiter and see what happens, then you will have concrete yes or no's as to your eligibility. IF your are eligible then you can make the decision.

[AlaskanGuy]

Usmc will put hair on your chest sir, but talk to your dad first... He could give you great advice... I liked the usmc much better then the usra, but getting the job you want would be more difficult. Be sure you know what you want to do in the service first Daniel, then go see recruiters from both branches.... Try to get into a field that you can use when you get out as well... I was a 62Echo in the usra, heavy equipment... Then when I got into a fight with a D9, and lost, ended up at walter reed for 8 months, they wouldnt let me stay as a engineer.... So i learned computer stuff and stayed in for another 5 years, came out with a skill that was highly useable... Medical stuff is great as well, like radiology and such is a skill you can get a job in any place in the world, and keep you off the front line..... But just dont join up till you make that trip to the pawn shop....

AG

[Love Life]

Plus you make more as a Mcdonalds manager than you do as a boot PVT or PFC. Oh, wait. We can't say boot anymore because feelings get hurt.

If you are physically fit, have a strong mind, solid ethics, and are of solid character then a 4 year tour with Marines may be good for you. Just understand that it can be hard on a marriage.

Join the Marines if you want to.

[Bullshop Junior]

I originally wanted to get into the snipers, but not so much anymore. I know my dad doesnt much care for the idea..

[AlaskanGuy]

Yea, not much you can do with sniper training once you are out... Get into something you can take with you when you get out.... Sniper training could actually get ya kilt...

[Bloodman14]

I didn't mind being an instrument of policy (cold war for me; got out in '90 after The Wall came down), but being a victim of the politics and bureaucracy just did not work for me. I chose to retain my ability to think independently, which the armed forces hates. YMMV.

[M-Tecs]

Marines also have better looking uniforms, are tougher, girls like them more, and are generally better than the Army, Air Force, and Navy combined.

They’re more modest also:popcorn:

[Bullshop Junior]

They’re more modest also:popcorn:

Was that supposed to be purple?

[Love Life]

Getting into STA an then getting selected to attend Sniper school is not a given. You'll come in as an infantryman (Mortars, Machinegunner, Assaultman, TowGunner/Javelines, Rifleman). You will then try out for STA once you hit an actual infantry unit. If you're good, you may be a Scout Sniper by the time you hit your 2 1/2 to 3 year mark. Infantry is great and all because you do cool stuff, but when you get out you really aren't that marketable. However, Infantry is legit. True BAMF.

There many jobs in the Marine Corps. I have several buddies on Recruiting duty who can give you the legit scoop and I can give you all the pointers you need so you don't get hosed by YOUR LOCAL Recruiter.

[gmsharps]

It doesn't matter which service you join. It will be rough on a marriage. A lot of marriages can't stand the seperation and if the wife is not happy it makes life very tough as you probably already know. Remember only 1% of the US ever joins the military. It's an elite club. All branches have their quirks. Find the job you want and go for it. Once you are in, to change your MOS can be difficult. Get a MOS that you can transfer those skills to a civilian job. The military is not for everybody. Your body will suffer and later in life it will remind you of your youth and the abuses you put it through. You will learn discipline that has bypassed a lot of the current generation. You will be looked down upon by your own countrymen for your service and employers will not give you the time of day because of your service, just one of the byproducts. It's getting better nowdays just depends on who you talk to. You will get to travel and see parts of the world that most folks only read about. You will learn what freedom is all about and why it is worth protecting. You will develop skills that you will carry for the rest of your life whether as simple as learning to get along with people and working as a team to taking initiative and getting the job done. Good luck on your search and remember life is not guaranteed you could be ran over crossing the street as easy as taking a bullet in some far away land.

gmsharps

[pretzelxx]

It is what it is. Be prepared for it to be soft, but stupid. Very stupid

[wgr]

i spent my time with the 82nd airborne loved it.marines are tough so are we

[tomme boy]

Do it before you get to old and injured so you can't join. Hate to say it, but women come and go. Do what is right for you. No matter what service you enter, you will be a better man when you return. The Marines are going to be the hardest out of all of them. Air Force is going to be the easiest and least stressful. You can always tell a marine when talking to them. It is how they carry themselves and act. At least I can tell anyway.

[462]

This old vet enlisted in the Air Force a few months after high school graduation. Wanted to be a jet engine mechanic, but ended up as a weapons mechanic. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no equivalent civilian occupation for someone trained to load all kinds of really cool and highly destructive munitions. Volunteered, and arrived in-country four months after Tet. Proud to have done the job and the time. No regrets at all.

Told my wife, on the morning of September 12, 2001, that if I was 18 I'd be talking to the Marine recruiter. To paraphrase Hondo Lane, sometimes a man just has to do it. She understood.

Can't tell you what to do, but I think every man should do some military time.

[uscra112]

My brother joined the Army during 'Nam. He signed under a program that guaranteed him training in a specialty of his choosing. He chose computers. They gave him four months training after basic, then assigned him a deuce-and-a-half computer to drive for the rest of his time. He did a tour in Thailand, then they shipped him to Germany. By then he was so disgusted that he never left the base, (and he LOVED beer!).

[MaryB]

With the current downsizing I would not join at the moment... plus the current political climate is not friendly once you get out. Cut in bennies like education etc.

[freebullet]

I would also say its not a good time to join. That doesn't mean you shouldn't though. Most don't make it to sniper school, it has a long list. Make no mistake your family WILL sacrifice a lot. It's a noble thing to do.

With the current bennies and people getting booted out I'd say your better off finding a career path that affords less risk, sacrifice, and better pay. Think about what you are truly passionate about and look for a path that leads there. Being young the world is your oyster though it may not seem so at times, you have time on your side.

[Echo]

This old vet enlisted in the Air Force a few months after high school graduation. Wanted to be a jet engine mechanic, but ended up as a weapons mechanic. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no equivalent civilian occupation for someone trained to load all kinds of really cool and highly destructive munitions. Volunteered, and arrived in-country four months after Tet. Proud to have done the job and the time. No regrets at all.

Told my wife, on the morning of September 12, 2001, that if I was 18 I'd be talking to the Marine recruiter. To paraphrase Hondo Lane, sometimes a man just has to do it. She understood.

Can't tell you what to do, but I think every man should do some military time.

My experience was similar. I joined the Texas ANG while a freshman @ UH, then joined the regulars that summer. Got into guided missiles, stayed @ Lowry AFB as an instructor, made a couple moves (not many bases for guided missile types at that time), went to OCS, got into computers, and retired after 20+ years. My electronic experience (can't fool me on vacuum tubes) and computer stuff (led the group that tested the ARPANET) stood me in good stead later on - but of course, computers have ran away from me, since I haven't kept up. FORTRAN, COBOL, ARTIC, Pseudocode, Basic, and Assemblers were in my repertoire - once - no more.
Got married to my HS sweetheart a year after I enlisted. We made 13 moves in service. I'm a fortunate man to have had her by my side for 55 years. She passed away Sept 1, 2010. We enjoyed our Service life.
But the discipline and management experienced in Service have done me well. I recommend the military experience to all young men and women.

[Ajax]

I would also recommend service to any young man or woman. You will do a lot of growing up real fast. I did 17.5 years in the Navy and was medically separated. It was the most fun i have had my whole life. I do recommend you make it right by your wife. Just remember when it rains Army and Marine Corps change their socks, the Navy and Air Force go inside! :kidding:

Andy

[Pb2au]

BJ,
Your path through life is always going to be an interesting one. If someone had told me 20 years ago that I would be doing now what I am for a living, I would have scoffed at them. But again, life is an interesting journey.
Thoughts to ponder,,,,
1) Your path has lead you from Alaska to Texas, consider for a moment why you took that leap.
2) As others have said, consider what the armed services can give you to serve you later in life. Meaning, what training in the service can you capitalize on later in the modern job market. A really good friend of mine was a tank mechanic in the Army and through that base he was able to trade on those skills.
3) Really drill into the "why" you are considering the military. Is it a spur of the moment yearning, or something that is legitimately deeper in meaning.
4) Take a truly dispassionate look at your relationship with your significant other. Is that bond strong enough to deal with the separation, anxiety, etc. I have traveled for my job for a long time, and I and others can tell you it will task your relationship, make no bones about it. From 2001 to 2005 I was on the road for about 95% of each year. From '05 to now, I average about 70% away from home. It is not easy, and the odds of you being on the other side of the planet are much higher than mine.
5) Definitely keep mining the folks here for real world experience in the military. They are in the know on how it really is in the Service.

I wish the best of luck to you sir. Just be honest with yourself with your thinking. The road of life is not easy, but it is always interesting.

[Bulldogger]

Happy Squaw, Happy Teepee. Favor your better half, I say.
Bulldogger

[square butte]

Ask God what he wants you to do

[Boz330]

I think every young man would benefit from a stint in the service. I think it was one of the more defining times in my life. But if your wife doesn't want you to go, there is a real possibility that the time away may ruin your marriage. A hardship tour will keep you apart for a year at a time.
Not to bad mouth the Marines but rank is tough to get and that is money. When I was in I knew a lot of Marines that transferred to the Army because they could make rank quicker.

Bob

[jaydub in wi]

Getting into STA an then getting selected to attend Sniper school is not a given. You'll come in as an infantryman (Mortars, Machinegunner, Assaultman, TowGunner/Javelines, Rifleman). You will then try out for STA once you hit an actual infantry unit. If you're good, you may be a Scout Sniper by the time you hit your 2 1/2 to 3 year mark. Infantry is great and all because you do cool stuff, but when you get out you really aren't that marketable. However, Infantry is legit. True BAMF.

There many jobs in the Marine Corps. I have several buddies on Recruiting duty who can give you the legit scoop and I can give you all the pointers you need so you don't get hosed by YOUR LOCAL Recruiter.
The above post is spot on. As a former 0351 anti tank assaultman, I can tell ya the infantry isn't for everyone much less the snipers. I had a chance to join STA platoon years ago, but didn't as I had a gravy driving job and I was getting "short".
If I were married, I would consider the reserves. Active duty military service destroys most marriages.... Ask me how I know.
If you want anymore info PM me and we'll talk.
PS GI bill helped this former grunt find a good career in the civilian world

[jaydub in wi]

I would also recommend service to any young man or woman. You will do a lot of growing up real fast. I did 17.5 years in the Navy and was medically separated. It was the most fun i have had my whole life. I do recommend you make it right by your wife. Just remember when it rains Army and Marine Corps change their socks, the Navy and Air Force go inside! :kidding:

Andy
On the 1st night of boot camp, The drill instructor said we were going to be changed forever. No matter how hard you may fight it, you will be changed

[Blammer]

I would recommend you join up while you can. You won't be sorry. I would recommend you be a Medic. You'll have practical skills that you can use to get a job once you get out.

What ever you choose to be once you get in, sign up for all the classes you can.

You will not regret it.

Once you are a Vet, you have more benefits you can use on the outside.

[jcwit]

On the 1st night of boot camp, The drill instructor said we were going to be changed forever. No matter how hard you may fight it, you will be changed

Ain't that the truth. I had 2 older brothers who told me to go with the flow, & do what you're told. Worked well and yes I was changed for life all for the better IMO.

[M-Tecs]

Just remember when it rains Army and Marine Corps change their socks, the Navy and Air Force go inside! :kidding:

Andy

Not true at all (at least for the AF), we plan for the future better than that. If it looks like rain we go inside.:kidding:

On a serious note asked yourself what you want out of the experience. If your want to be a BAMF your path is clear. If you are looking for education/training and a long term career that choice will most likely take you on a different path. Over the past 30 years I have counseled many young men and women. The ones that choose the path of education and a long term career have been happy with their choice. The ones that wanted to play with the cool toys like artillery or the ones that wanted to be BAMF not so much.

One more plug for the Guard and Reserve. You still get the training and some of the benefits without most of the negatives listed above.

[ShooterAZ]

Not all marriages are adversely affected by joining the armed forces. In fact, some are strengthened by it.

[Blammer]

not all marriages are adversely affected by joining the armed forces. In fact, some are strengthened by it.

true!

[osteodoc08]

Daniel,

I had the opportunity to join the Air Force or Navy during medical school and they would have paid for my schooling. At the time I had my EX talk me out of it. Wish I would have. I wouldnt have minded having the opportunity to serve and then have less loan indebtedness than I do have now. Now that I've got a few kids and a spouse at home, I've thought of the reserves, but the idea of being away from my wife and kids keeps me from doing it. If I wait too long, the age limit will keep me out.

My advice is if you do join, live off the government the best you can and save every penny they give to you.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

All depends on your age and eligibility. May not even be an option. I had the same itch to join up. Tried the army, couldn't due to some eye issues and a few previous arrests (no felonies however). Army suggested I try the Marines, so I did. Everything was good to go, just needed a medical waiver for the refraction of my eyes, and a criminal history waiver due to 2 DUI's (was 20 and dumb, one got dropped but was told that due to suspended inquisition it was still counted). Marines promised they would get it done as long as everything else panned out. Well passed all the other physicals and everything, however somehow they couldn't coordinate getting both waivers valid at the same time. Got one, after it expired got the second I needed, couldn't get the first again supposedly. After about a yr I quit trying and moved on with life.

Point being that it may not even really be an issue, talk to a recruiter and see what happens, then you will have concrete yes or no's as to your eligibility. IF your are eligible then you can make the decision.


With the current downsizing I would not join at the moment... plus the current political climate is not friendly once you get out. Cut in bennies like education etc.

This may be tough to hear...
but what have you got to offer the Military ?
Mary hit the nail on the head...the military is downsizing, they probably won't take just anyone during these times.

I tried joining in 1985, that was during another downsizing era. My experience was much like Bored1, I hadn't finished my post High school Electronic tech schooling and I had High blood pressure and I was about 10lbs overweight. I was told how to "get around" these issues. I came back three times, rejected each time. I believe I just didn't have anything special to offer them (like a 4 year college degree, as I heard that a couple times), and as much as the recruiters tried, I just didn't measure up.
BUT...
If your gonna try, GOOD LUCK !
Jon

[Love Life]

the 1st question: Will you be qualified to be a Marine? With the down sizing, the standards have tightened up considerably.
The down sizing: If you can get in, the down sizing probably won't hurt you. Get in, stay within standards, submit for reenlistment early, and you shouldn't have too many issues.

The Marine Corps: Ahhh. I can talk on this subject for hours.

Let me start with boot camp. You'll roll into the Recruit Depot (Parris Island or San Diego, but you can't be born on an island and raised by bears in San Diego...), you'll be immediately greeted by a Drill Instructor (DI) who will be screaming at you. The screaming will continue for the next 3 months. The DI's are not there to be your friends, they are not their to be your father, they are there to break you off and teach you instant obedience to orders. They are there to make you into a Marine. To them you are just a number. Seriously. I was Recruit #66.

Over the next 3 months you will be physically and mentally broken off until you emerge out of the other side as a freshly minted Devil Dog. A Marine. During boot camp you will put your left sock on right now. Take your left sock off right now. put your left sock on your right hand right now. Get on your face. Push. PUSH! PUSH!!!!!! Sound off. Louder. LOUDER! LOUDER!!!! You will move your footlocker a gazillion times. You will be quarterdecked, pitted, and crushed. It's ok. It happens to everybody.

You will learn close order drill. You will learn military knowledge. You will learn how to fight, shoot, and bayonet stuff. You will be constantly tired and hungry. Your head will be shaved once a week by the most evil "Barbers" in the world. You will be called scum. You will be told to die. You will be crushed. It's great!!!

However; nobody will put hands on you.

You will have no facebook. No twitter. No skype. No phonecalls. You will have those old fashioned things called letters which you will avidly read over and over again at night with your red lense moonbeam once the DI goes into his hut. I'll tell you. When you get a letter from your sweet heart with a bit perfume on it, you will feel as if somebody just handed you a stack of $100 bills!!

Then as you progress you will get better at things and you will be crushed less. Then...then you will do the culminating event. The crucible. After your 2 1/2 days of the crucible you will have your warrior's breakfast and head to the parade field. On that day you will be handed your Eagle, Globe, and Anchor. For the 1st time you will be called MARINE!!! You just may cry like a girl. It will be a moment in your life that you will never forget. You will have earned it with your blood, sweat, and tears.

After boot camp you will get 10 days of boot leave where you get to go home and show off your uniform (and how ridiculously skinny you are) to your family friends. You will regale them with stories that they will never understand.

After boot camp you will report to your MOS producing school. If infantry then you will go to ITB and be indoctrinated in cool weapons and the tactics necessary to kill the enemy before he/she kills you. At the other MOS schools you will learn your MOS.

MOS school is refreshing after boot camp. You are treated somewhat like a person. You can buy pizzas, get tattoos, have some weekend libbo to spend with your wife.

After MOS school you will hit what is lovingly called "The Fleet". It's a whole new world. You get libbo every night. You are treated with much more respect. However; you are still booty mcbootband so you'll be sweeping the floors, hauling the trash, and doing all the menial tasks that your leaders used to do. If you go infantry get ready for humps, field time, long nights, dumb stuff, long times away from the Mrs. etc.

If you are non-combat then you will probably work a 0630-1730 job. Home everynight to kiss mama on the mouth. As you progress through the ranks you will get better pay and bennies. The most important part is, if you are good, you will get put in leadership positions. I remember being a 21 year old fireteam leader with 4 Marines who depended on me and was accountable for thousands upon thousands of dollares worth of gear. Then I became a squad leader and had 11 Marines and 1 Corpsman. It's great!!


I have had a great time. I have done things that people can only imagine. However; it has not always been grits and gravy. there have been terrible times. It's all what you make of it.

If the above interests you then go talk to a Recruiter. Not everybody can be a Marine. Not everybody can serve in any branch of the armed forces. if you can, then go for it.

[jmort]

Good post Love Life. Great summation of the transformation of man into Marine.

[beagle]

BS.... Many good thoughts and good advice on here. I served 23 years in the Army and was really happy and felt I was doing some good for our country and met many good people. If fact, when you join, you're adopting another lifelong family.

Marriage and the Army is a **** shoot. Works for some but not for others.

Forget being a sniper. It's glamorous looking but does nothing for you at retirement. Instead, choose something technical. I chose the aircraft armament field and got a good education in electronics, hydraulics and mechanics that has served me well. And get it in writing. I'll hear people say, no advancement in that field. I retired after 23 years as a CSM which is pretty unusual. Look for the better units. I served 8 years in the 101st and was happy as we were in the field and deployed all the time. I highly recommend it as they're always going places and doing things. Less BS and more satisfying. The 82nd is the same way as well.

But, as has been pointed out, GIs are not popular right now because out CIC is a touchy feeley guy and is looking to cut benefits.

It's a good satisfying life and you'll get plenty of opportunities to shoot. But, it has its hazards and you have to live with it and its your decision and your life so "Choose wisely, grasshopper"./beagle

[Bloodman14]

Hey, LL, that's what I went through in Army basic at Ft. Benning, in a camp called Harmony Church (nope, no harmony, no church)! We were housed in old WW2 barracks, from June through September, '88. We may as well have slept outside.

Anyway, BS Jr., it will most definitely be a life changing experience. As did LL, I was Infantry, and had a GOOD time playing with all kinds of guns; the down side was that there are no civilian world jobs that require that kind of skill. So, I was a steel worker for the better part of 20 years, and am now in school to be a Surgical Tech. My body just can't throw steel around like it used to.

Whatever you decide, I do wish you the best.

[Bullshop Junior]

the 1st question: Will you be qualified to be a Marine? With the down sizing, the standards have tightened up considerably.
The down sizing: If you can get in, the down sizing probably won't hurt you. Get in, stay within standards, submit for reenlistment early, and you shouldn't have too many issues.

The Marine Corps: Ahhh. I can talk on this subject for hours.

Let me start with boot camp. You'll roll into the Recruit Depot (Parris Island or San Diego, but you can't be born on an island and raised by bears in San Diego...), you'll be immediately greeted by a Drill Instructor (DI) who will be screaming at you. The screaming will continue for the next 3 months. The DI's are not there to be your friends, they are not their to be your father, they are there to break you off and teach you instant obedience to orders. They are there to make you into a Marine. To them you are just a number. Seriously. I was Recruit #66.

Over the next 3 months you will be physically and mentally broken off until you emerge out of the other side as a freshly minted Devil Dog. A Marine. During boot camp you will put your left sock on right now. Take your left sock off right now. put your left sock on your right hand right now. Get on your face. Push. PUSH! PUSH!!!!!! Sound off. Louder. LOUDER! LOUDER!!!! You will move your footlocker a gazillion times. You will be quarterdecked, pitted, and crushed. It's ok. It happens to everybody.

You will learn close order drill. You will learn military knowledge. You will learn how to fight, shoot, and bayonet stuff. You will be constantly tired and hungry. Your head will be shaved once a week by the most evil "Barbers" in the world. You will be called scum. You will be told to die. You will be crushed. It's great!!!

However; nobody will put hands on you.

You will have no facebook. No twitter. No skype. No phonecalls. You will have those old fashioned things called letters which you will avidly read over and over again at night with your red lense moonbeam once the DI goes into his hut. I'll tell you. When you get a letter from your sweet heart with a bit perfume on it, you will feel as if somebody just handed you a stack of $100 bills!!

Then as you progress you will get better at things and you will be crushed less. Then...then you will do the culminating event. The crucible. After your 2 1/2 days of the crucible you will have your warrior's breakfast and head to the parade field. On that day you will be handed your Eagle, Globe, and Anchor. For the 1st time you will be called MARINE!!! You just may cry like a girl. It will be a moment in your life that you will never forget. You will have earned it with your blood, sweat, and tears.

After boot camp you will get 10 days of boot leave where you get to go home and show off your uniform (and how ridiculously skinny you are) to your family friends. You will regale them with stories that they will never understand.

After boot camp you will report to your MOS producing school. If infantry then you will go to ITB and be indoctrinated in cool weapons and the tactics necessary to kill the enemy before he/she kills you. At the other MOS schools you will learn your MOS.

MOS school is refreshing after boot camp. You are treated somewhat like a person. You can buy pizzas, get tattoos, have some weekend libbo to spend with your wife.

After MOS school you will hit what is lovingly called "The Fleet". It's a whole new world. You get libbo every night. You are treated with much more respect. However; you are still booty mcbootband so you'll be sweeping the floors, hauling the trash, and doing all the menial tasks that your leaders used to do. If you go infantry get ready for humps, field time, long nights, dumb stuff, long times away from the Mrs. etc.

If you are non-combat then you will probably work a 0630-1730 job. Home everynight to kiss mama on the mouth. As you progress through the ranks you will get better pay and bennies. The most important part is, if you are good, you will get put in leadership positions. I remember being a 21 year old fireteam leader with 4 Marines who depended on me and was accountable for thousands upon thousands of dollares worth of gear. Then I became a squad leader and had 11 Marines and 1 Corpsman. It's great!!


I have had a great time. I have done things that people can only imagine. However; it has not always been grits and gravy. there have been terrible times. It's all what you make of it.

If the above interests you then go talk to a Recruiter. Not everybody can be a Marine. Not everybody can serve in any branch of the armed forces. if you can, then go for it.

Boot camp sounds like my first oil field job.....

[Love Life]

Then go forth and earn your Eagle, Globe, and Anchor. Join the ranks of the few. If everybody could do it, then everybody would be a marine. Not everybody can do it.

[NavyVet1959]

I'm ex-Navy myself. When I was in, the Navy had a saying, "If the Navy had wanted you to have a family, they would have issued you one with your seabag". I suspect that is appropriate for the Corp also. Depending upon your MOS, your chance of being put in harm's way could be rather remote. Only a small percentage of the military is directly involved in combat -- it takes a lot of support personnel to maintain the equipment and do other support operations.

I had considered going into the Corp, but ended up in the Navy instead due to injuries to my knees from football and motorcycle wrecks. Besides, my father had been in the Navy, so I guess there was the expectation of following in his footsteps. If you are physically capable of going in the Corp, I would say to go for it. As they say, "Once a Marine, ALWAYS a Marine". You never hear that sort of thing from the other branches -- we're either ex-Navy, ex-Army, ex-Air-Force, or ex-Puddle-Pirate. :)

Personally, I believe that every young man (and maybe even every young woman) should do at least a few years in one of the military branches. It teaches a certain level of discipline that they are unlikely to get elsewhere. I dropped out of college and ended up in the Navy. When I got out of the Navy, I dropped back into college and it was a lot easier than when I had previously been in there. I had already experienced "real life" and the antics of the college kids with their partying and whatnot just did not appeal to me.

I took boot camp in San Diego in January and it seemed to rain nearly ever day during boot camp. I had previously thought that Southern California was *supposed* to be sunny and not rain.

[Love Life]

If you want to really travel, join the Navy and get sea duty. In the Marines you travel to Camp Lejeune, San Diego, Hawaii, and Japan...unless you are on a MEU or going for training which doesn't really count as travel because you don't get to have any fun.

I joined the Marines for travel. I got travel alright. I traveled to Kuwait enroute to Iraq...twice. I traveled to Manas enroute to Afghanistan. I went to the field in a bunch of other states, but all that travel sucked because you were doing field things.

[Harter66]

I was never GI mat'l ........ I was far to willing to work in the muck up to my axx and drive a job through until it was finished ........ and today if needed I'd lay down in the mud and do what needed doing.
I never served , I married the USAF, Her sister was a USN lifer and her younger brothers were USCG (the over looked service) and a Marine. I've spent most of 20 yrs shipping AA&E for them all .

I believe my oldest son who is going to Army boot next month said it best to the USMC recruter '' I can join the Army ,Navy, Airforce or Coast Gaurd or BE a Marine'' . I thought he was foolish to give up a safe home w/ a lake view and a do nothing minimal skills $24/hr job and leave his wife and daughter for the service ,in June he'll be 29. But to change his mind would be akin to driving nails in concrete. His younger sister and brother did USN and Army 6yr hitches as well. In the family tree we have sea sick privates all the way to CIC.

Why all of this ? So that when I say you spent several yrs in Alaska learned to shoot like your life depended on it ,there is little to pound home there. The service ,any branch,is a good choice , I should have gone .
You have to answer a couple of questions of youself.
Do you have a skill set to use you enjoy now?
Are you doing this to gain the above ?
Do you believe in your family support ?

If you're comfortable w/the answers above then you're ready to jump in ,go for it. As an old man the DI is going to hammer you for being the big brother and the school boys are going to look to you as a big brother. Remember there are very few folks signing up over 21 let alone over 25 (compared to the enlistment gross numbers).

This is more or less what I told my sons and daughter when they went in,and what I told my son last week.

[willie_pete]

Just remember one thing. In the Navy, Army and Marines they shoot at the enlisted people. In the Air Force they shoot at the officers.

WP

[dualsport]

Just do it. With any luck at all, life is long, you have plenty of time. It sounds like you've thought about it a lot. Bust a move. My guess is you will second guess and or regret not going for a long time. The old 'path not taken' deal could haunt you. Service in any branch is honorable and worth doing. Go have an adventure. Civilian life will always be here when you get home. You'll be the guy that went, not the guy who stayed home. Check out the Navy CBs.

[MrWolf]

As others have said, look at what you have already done - Alaska to Texas and brought your luv with you. You might want to give that some time to develop. If you are going to be a team, then you both need to decide what your future together will be. There were a few things I would have liked to have done when I was younger but I had met my future wife and tempered some of them. I was never military so I cannot speak to that life or commitment. I can speak to the commitment that needs to be made for a marriage to work and to keep your best friend happy. I can honestly look back and say I have had a great life, marriage, kids, etc. If the man upstairs wants me now I can honestly say it was a good life.

[Dale in Louisiana]

When I turned 18 I had this bad itch to go and join the marines. The girl I was dying talked me out of it. The last few weeks ive had the itch to go join again.....same girl doesnt want me to, since she is pretty sure I'll get killed.

What are the pros and cons of joining any of the army devisions, and what are y'all's general thoughts on it..?

There are only TWO branches of service, the Army and the Navy. The Air Force is a corporation and the Marine Corps is a cult.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I'll say the same thing others have said: The further you stay away from the point of the spear - combat arms - the vastly lower chances you have of dying, just like staying away from nasty-looking bars in the bad part of town. If you wanna be safe, don't go there.

However, as many have said, service in combat arms is a great way to 'come of age'.

dale in Louisiana
(former Army tank commander, drill sergeant, etc. etc.)

[Love Life]

Cult?

[Blammer]

Make sure your recruiter puts in writing on a contract WHAT YOU want.

Recruiters are GREAT LIARS, they will say ANYTHING and they will say NOTHING and let you assume lots that is wrong.

Get what you want in a contract and you'll be set.

[Love Life]

Ask for enlistment bonuses. I know when I came in they offered a $3,000 infantry bonus, but you only got it if you asked for it. I'm an idiot and did not ask for it. I found out about it at SOI....

Don't let them pull the "Oh, we don't have that MOS available, but we have slots in the band" line either.

[Bullshop Junior]

Cult?

Someone sounds offended. I would bad mouth the marines in front of this guy.

[Bullshop Junior]

Ask for enlistment bonuses. I know when I came in they offered a $3,000 infantry bonus, but you only got it if you asked for it. I'm an idiot and did not ask for it. I found out about it at SOI....

Don't let them pull the "Oh, we don't have that MOS available, but we have slots in the band" line either.

What is MOS?

[Alvarez Kelly]

MOS is Army/Marine speak for your job. Same as AFSC in the Air Force. Career fields are identified by numbers and letters.

[s mac]

I forget what it stands for but is your job description.

2 years US Army, 11 bravo

[M-Tecs]

MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) - Air Force Specialty Code AFSC

[ole 5 hole group]

Boot camp sounds like my first oil field job.....

Go forth grasshopper and be judged, just remember, receiving an ELS or a General Discharge just doesn't cut-it.

Lots of good advice has been given but adapting to south Texas and cutting the mustard there and ultimately becoming an "oil man" might be your best bet, as the job has many opportunities for career advancement with great pay and "travel" opportunities, if you have the qualifications and the "right stuff".

[Love Life]

This was my experience.

I got married on 28 December, 2005 after I got back from my first deployment to Iraq. I reported to Infantry Squad Leader Course on 4 January, 2006. I graduated a couple months later. As soon as I graduated we went to A.P. Hill for weeks of training. We came back for 2 weeks and then shipped out to 29 Palms for 1 1/2 months of training. After we came back from 29 Palms we shipped back to A.P Hill for more training. We came back and lived in the field in and around camp Lejeune. We got on the plane and flew to Kuwait in September 2006 for our deplyment to Ramadi Iraq. We came home in May 2007.

From when I got married to when I deployed to when I came home, I spent about 5 weeks with my new bride for our 1st year of marriage. We have been married for a long time now.

It can be tough, and you need to know what you are going into. If you have not taken the ASVAB, then I HIGHLY suggest that you start studying as your ASVAB score will directly influence whether you can enlist and then what jobs you can have. There are many veterans on this forum, and a ton of knowledge to be had. Be smart when you talk to your recruiter and have him show you everything he can in writing. It'll suck for him, but oh well.

The Marines will let you go as far as you want as long as you hold up your end of the bargain. Just be prepared. It is it's own world and over the years you will find that you really can't relate with your old friends and aquaintences anymore. You will live in a world full of acronyms and meat eaters. It will be some of the best and worst times of your life.

If I could go back in time knowing what I know now, I would still raise my right hand and swear the oath!! I might pick tanks over infantry though....

[Bloodman14]

MOS=Military Occupational Specialty
CMF=Career Military Field

I did 3 years as 11B, 2 years in Germany, bringing the Cold War to an end. Watching the Wall come down helped me to realize what it meant to be An American Soldier. Drive On!

[bruce drake]

Just remember one thing. In the Navy, Army and Marines they shoot at the enlisted people. In the Air Force they shoot at the officers.

WP

They shoot at Officers as well. Good Officers are there in the stink with the troops.

Bullshop Jr. The Marines is a different service from others. You've said your wife has concerns and it is understandable. Its going to be a new world for her and you once you graduate from Boot Camp and finish your MOS training.

Since you are from Alaska and currently in Texas, you'll go to San Diego Recruit Depot for your training. I'm a Parris Island Marine myself. That's one thing Marines share amongst themselves...ribbing each where they were trained. The sayings such as The Original is the Best and Real Marines are made in the Swamps reflect that the Dago Marines get sunscreen and sunglasses issued to them when they aren't licking ice cream cones bought for them by their Drill Instructors... ;)

But seriously, once you do get assigned a duty station, visit the Chapel and ask for the Women of the Chapel organizations for your spouse. Its a strong resource for the wives when we go out on deployments. Especially for the new wives who are new to the military.

Also understand that there are ways to go into the service with a stripe on your sleeve. recruiting 2 friends to join you or being an Eagle Scout will get you Private First Class along with any college credits you might have in your transcripts/experience.

Do not be too concerned about that as you will not be paid until you graduate Boot Camp anyways so the money will just sit there until you are off the Depot heading home for your 10 day boot leave.

That also brings up something that does impact your family unit. No pay for up to 3 months until you graduate. Is there a support structure in place to help you offset your missing income until you graduate? Does your wife have a job that can support her and your families bills while you are at San Diego? Do you have the funds to cover the cost of moving her to your first duty station after you complete your training? The military will not cover that cost. They will cover any moves after that first move but not the first one.
And if your first duty station is in Okinawa or Hawaii, than you are required to have your family command sponsored for being overseas so going there as a Married Marine may be unaccompanied until you save enough funds to fly your family overseas and complete the forms for Command Sponsorship (Do the forms first thing after your arrival and get your command approval before paying for any tickets overseas. Without Command Sponsorship , you will not get Housing Allowance to pay for an apartment out in town but the rent and utilities would come out your base pay.

Coming into the military with a spouse is a challenge but it can be done IF you do your proper preparation ahead of time.

Bruce

[catmandu]

Join the Marines if you want to be a Marine.
Join the other services if you want to be in the service. All are many notches above what I see walking around in Wallmart and I would be proud of any who have served. And like life - its like a peanut sandwich, some days you eat peanuts, some days you eat shells.
By your leave Chesty,

Paul in WNY

[Love Life]

Since you are from Alaska and currently in Texas, you'll go to San Diego Recruit Depot for your training. I'm a Parris Island Marine myself. That's one thing Marines share amongst themselves...ribbing each where they were trained. The sayings such as The Original is the Best and Real Marines are made in the Swamps reflect that the Dago Marines get sunscreen and sunglasses issued to them when they aren't licking ice cream cones bought for them by their Drill Instructors... ;)



The gospel. Nobody was ever born on an island and raised by bears in San Diego...

[bruce drake]

Someone sounds offended. I would bad mouth the marines in front of this guy.

I would advise that you didn't bad mouth Marines in front of anyone...

Oil workers might be tough, but Marines are paid to kill. ;)

Bruce

[owejia]

Went in the Army in 66, served in Nam.Good experiences and bad experiences. Todays military is completely different. Back then the women were either administrative or medical. You have to conform to their way. No free thinkers. Was with the cb engineers. Be careful what you wish for,not always what we think it will be. I was single no impact on others. Being married means the other half of the team is impacted by what you do.

[crazy mark]

Navyvet1959, Whatch the ex-puddle pirate. I resemble that remark. They taught me good things and I have had good jobs ever since. They also helped me get rid of a pain in the rear wife.




I'm ex-Navy myself. When I was in, the Navy had a saying, "If the Navy had wanted you to have a family, they would have issued you one with your seabag". I suspect that is appropriate for the Corp also. Depending upon your MOS, your chance of being put in harm's way could be rather remote. Only a small percentage of the military is directly involved in combat -- it takes a lot of support personnel to maintain the equipment and do other support operations.

I had considered going into the Corp, but ended up in the Navy instead due to injuries to my knees from football and motorcycle wrecks. Besides, my father had been in the Navy, so I guess there was the expectation of following in his footsteps. If you are physically capable of going in the Corp, I would say to go for it. As they say, "Once a Marine, ALWAYS a Marine". You never hear that sort of thing from the other branches -- we're either ex-Navy, ex-Army, ex-Air-Force, or ex-Puddle-Pirate. :)

Personally, I believe that every young man (and maybe even every young woman) should do at least a few years in one of the military branches. It teaches a certain level of discipline that they are unlikely to get elsewhere. I dropped out of college and ended up in the Navy. When I got out of the Navy, I dropped back into college and it was a lot easier than when I had previously been in there. I had already experienced "real life" and the antics of the college kids with their partying and whatnot just did not appeal to me.

I took boot camp in San Diego in January and it seemed to rain nearly ever day during boot camp. I had previously thought that Southern California was *supposed* to be sunny and not rain.

[KAF]

Military service might be good for somebody that likes to be told what to do and when and how. Told who you can talk to about politics and about everything else. And your supreme leader is a lying assed socialist.
If you want to alienate your girl friend or wife it will do that.
Military is good for some not so good for others. My Bro in Law was a recruiter, he hated it because he was told to tell them anything to get them to sign. Lying is a huge part of that job, if you want to or not. Mu BIL made the Audy Murphy Club at Ft Bliss, did two tours in Iraq and one in Bosnia. And trained guys at Bliss. Lost half of his lifer retirement to his ex wife that screwed around on him while he was over seas....Getting shot at. I'd think hard and long and make up my own mind.

[scarry scarney]

Bullshop
As others have said, with the downsizing that is going on, might be difficult to get in. If there is any "hiccup" in your past, most likely they will not take you.

The military is not for everyone. I did 22yrs, 1month, 22 days in and Retired from the USAF. I spent 11 years overseas. During my last half of my career, I spent an average of 9 months on the "road" away from the family (for 9 years). It can be very hard on a marriage. Eventhou I was Air Force, I was rode hard, and put away wet. I have suffered two different cancers, and have had "issues" with my heart, plus a lot of little things. I am currently classified by the VA as 100% service connected disabled. A military career is something not to be taken lightly. There is a saying, A veteran is someone who, at one point in his/her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America," for an amount of "up to and including my life." Sometimes, the GI, is left with only half of their body, and life can be very hard. Is this something you are will to accept? Trust me, there is no glamor from a hospital bed.

[Love Life]

It's definately not for everybody. Sure can be fun though!!

[Blammer]

don't have to make a career out of it 4-6 or even 8yrs is not a bad option either.

[Alvarez Kelly]

I clearly stated that joining the military will be hard on your marriage. That said, I don't regret joining. It shaped who I am today. It provided lots of opportunities. I have been to all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries. I finished my BA and got my Masters degree. I got to do things I never would have dreamed of doing. I was gone weeks and months at a time.

I have also seen marriages fail left and right. If you think your wife and your marriage will prosper under the stress of your service, perhaps military service is right for you. I would be willing to bet you will regret ignoring her feelings on this subject.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Responsibilities. You've already got some. As has been said by many. It will be extremely difficult on your marriage. Ya gotta think where she will be at when you are gone. If you go in, you will catch so much cr*p about that hole in your foot. They just look for things to get on a guy about.

[Love Life]

I think people are over dramatizing how hard military life is on a spouse. If you have strong marriage then you'll be fine. If you have a weak marriage then it will probably end. If it is option 2 then sell your buddy all of your stuff, give him a receipt, then buy it all back after the divorce. If you are at 14 years and start a divorce and it looks like she will get half your retirement, then take the CSB and go buy a boat.

[Ickisrulz]

My wife and I both retired from the Air Force. We are both glad we served, enjoyed the security, benefits and opportunities. The Air Force is pretty much like a 9 to 5 job (in actuality 0700 to 1600) in many of the career fields. I saw most of the enlisted jobs while I was in. I always recommend "Biomedical Repair" for anyone thinking about entering. They fix medical equipment in hospitals, always seemed happy and could work anywhere in the world when they separated. The military is certainly not for everyone though.

[Alvarez Kelly]

I think people are over dramatizing how hard military life is on a spouse. If you have strong marriage then you'll be fine. If you have a weak marriage then it will probably end. If it is option 2 then sell your buddy all of your stuff, give him a receipt, then buy it all back after the divorce. If you are at 14 years and start a divorce and it looks like she will get half your retirement, then take the CSB and go buy a boat.

I don't think you can overstate how hard military service is on marriages. I was in one unit that had more than half of the marriages end in a single 12 month period. Obviously this isn't true of all units, but I have seen more infidelity, separations, and divorces than you would honestly believe. Very recently, two of my nephews joined. One in the Army and one became a Marine. Both marriages failed within 2 years.

Only YOU know if she can handle it. Let's hope you know her well and guess correctly.

[MT Gianni]

I was never in the military. I have worked with many and counseled some others. My younger brother was up until recently in charge of deployments from reserve units out of his AFB. Per him most marriages last through one deployment, few last through two. The service will give you the confidence to be at home in temps from below zero to 115F, AK to TX I would guess it does not apply. It can give you a trade, since you work as a mechanic it will probably pigeonhole you into that and pay you less.
Read American Sniper and ask yourself if you want your wife to continually be reminded the service means more to you than she does. It will make you focus on achieving goals that you have no input on. It will give you training and the opportunity to shoot many different guns while restricting your ability to have a gun or ammo in your home. It can give you accredited training that you might not get anywhere else. That training may not be transferable into anything outside the military.
I think it can be a good thing for someone just out of HS who doesn't have a lot of options and doesn't mind being told what to do. I would hate it. I have always resented being told what to wear and doing things that make no sense to me. I don't know where you fit in onthis but consider them before you enlist.

[MaryB]

Local guard commander wanted me to join bad after high school. He was in the ham radio club I was a member of and he knew my electronics ability and they were desperate for someone who could fix their broken down comm stuff. I gave in and applied but I had taken a fall on icy steps in high school and ended the bottom of a 20 body pile. First injury to my back and it was bad enough to keep me out. I ended up helping them as their electronic repair tech as a civilian contractor, got to see a lot of what went on with people being gone for months if they volunteered to go full time and I sat with several of the wives when a body was brought back home. It is not easy and it is a huge step...

[Beau Cassidy]

17 Years, 10 months here. 13 of those were enlisted. I started in the Army National Guard and went to Basic and MP school at Ft. McClellan, Alabama in April of 1987. Being in the Guard I was able to get several different MOS's which made me fairly versatile. Got to go to a lot of schools and different places I would have never been able to go- Germany and Belize. I utilized the Guard benefits to get an education.

After getting an education the Mississippi Army National Guard didn't know how to make me an officer so I took a direct commission at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississppi. Being somewhat of a hard core Army guy I HATED it.

Finally after moving to Tennessee I got in the National Guard up here and eventually became detachment commander of a medical unit. I really liked it quite a bit. I always wanted to deploy but found my civilian career to be much, much more lucrative. I always did enjoy the stories of those who had been deployed. Also, unlike most National Guard members, I had a real, live mission of medical support. Folks depended on us. I had to hand everything back to them and resign my commission after being given a proposal of promotion which would have probably gotten me deployed. Unfortunately it was a no-brainer at the time.

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. I probably would have started off going active then Guard/Reserve. Being married I would strongly recommend the Guard/Reserve route.

I am not sure about the Jarines but we got paid monthly in basic. The Army also paid to PCS (permanant change of station- AKA move) you somewhere. Perhaps the rules have changed.

The only concern I see for you is your recent lead poisoning. It may slow you down some running.

I am sure you will make a wise decision.

[bruce drake]

Oh, I got paid but the Corps kept custody of it during my Boot Camp. It went into a debit card for me to purchase selected items only at the recruit PX which was a large warehouse with bins of approved recruit items...Also on 2 trips in 3 months. Once at the beginning during receiving and the second right before graduation...And the trip home on leave was paid by me from that money well. Along withthat I bought my weekly haircuts as well and my laundry costs for items I wasn't allowed to wash myself in a bucket and a scrub brush on Sunday (my only free morning from training). I learned quick that the hour and half for chapel could be better used to prepare for the upcoming week which would start again immediately after lunch.

Seriously, You should consider the National Guard (either Air or Army) first and consider it a means to make some extra cash for a weekend's work. 4 days pay for 2 Drill days a month...You'll still need to go to Basic Training and MOS school but you have up to a year to go based off your scheduling work with your unit training NCOs. You can even go to Drill prior to actually going to basic. Your drill days will be focused on preparing you to go along with some OJT skills training in the MOS you are planning to have once you are trained.

And you will not have to uproot your family unless you choose to and also you can better prepared for a shift to active-duty later on.

Bruce

[richhodg66]

I retired after 24 years in the Army last year. Given the same situation, I'd do it again, no question. It has it's demands, but now that I work around public school teachers, many of whom are my age or older and who make less money even now working full time than I do in retirement pension alone, I think I did alright. Besides that, most of them seem to have had rather boring and unrewarding lives.

To me, combat arms is what you want. In the Army anyway, there's basically four branches; Infantry, Armor, Artillery and everybody else. It's been said that doesn't prepare you for after the military, but the military will build responsibility, assertiveness, work ethic, etc., which are skills most employers would rather see than some kind of technical skill in my experience regardless of what specialty you have. When I retired, I took up a $65K a year job without ever missing a pay check and one that I find rewarding too. This, from a guy with a 25 year out of date degree in business administration and no further schooling.

Unfortunately, they are all on a drawdown and also are becoming politically correct social experiment platforms. Add to that they are planning to revamp the retirement system makes it not as good a career choice as it was. My oldest son is an Infantryman in the Marine Corps now and loves it, but I kind of wonder how long that will last as he advances in rank and has to put up with more of the BS.

[NavyVet1959]

It's definately not for everybody. Sure can be fun though!!

It was more fun "back in the day". These days, the politically-correct excrement has infiltrated the military and they expect the guys to be Boy Scouts or something.

[NavyVet1959]

Navyvet1959, Whatch the ex-puddle pirate. I resemble that remark. They taught me good things and I have had good jobs ever since. They also helped me get rid of a pain in the rear wife.

I was less than 6 ft tall, so I wasn't qualified to be a Puddle Pirate.

[Bad Water Bill]

Unless I missed something No one has said that ANY branch would take someone of JRs height.

No I am not picking on him RIGHT NOW but I know my 5'9" had a hard time getting under the instrument panels of most of the planes I worked on WAY BACK then and things are even tighter now.

Work on a rig earns you a nice paycheck BUT ask a current service person what your pay will be AFTER boot camp and see if you think both of you can live on that amount of money each and every month till you have several promotions?

[gandydancer]

My grand son was thinking about joining up. I talked him out of it for now. I said I was proud he wanted to serve his country and stand behind it. but until we have politicians who will stand behind him when needed. He had best stay out.

[NavyVet1959]

Unless I missed something No one has said that ANY branch would take someone of JRs height.

No I am not picking on him RIGHT NOW but I know my 5'9" had a hard time getting under the instrument panels of most of the planes I worked on WAY BACK then and things are even tighter now.

How tall is he? I've known people who were 6'4" who were in the Navy. I knew a ETC once that was probably around that height also and he had been on subs. He had a few scars on his bald head from hitting things as he went through hatchways though.

[Bad Water Bill]

How tall is he? I've known people who were 6'4" who were in the Navy. I knew a ETC once that was probably around that height also and he had been on subs. He had a few scars on his bald head from hitting things as he went through hatchways though.

Never having met the young man I can only speak for rumors.

JR is supposed to stand 6' "NINE INCHES" in his bare bullet riddled feet.

IF he ever went to sea the combing would probably catch him in the nose.[smilie=1:

[Bullshop Junior]

What the heck is a puddle pirate?

[Moonman]

They might not accept anyone of your height.

One things for sure, YOU DON'T WANT TO STAND OUT,

The D.I. will make your life miserable, and it's hard for you

not to stand out.

[Bad Water Bill]

What the heck is a puddle pirate?

Now I will behave and be very polite.

A puddle pirate is another nickname for "The United States Coast Guard"

Also known as Shallow Water Sailors and many more nicknames.

We have many nicknames we vets call each other but we are the only ones that can do that without DIRE consequences.:evil:

[bruce drake]

6'8" or 80 inches is normally the maximum without a waiver for males.

You can come in with a waiver at 6'9" but you'd probably have to meet weight standard and pass a Physical Fitness test as part of gaining a waiver. Max weight for a 6'8" 21-27 year old male to join the Army is around 240lbs so if you are TALL and BIG, you'd have an issue or waiver requirement if you didn't pass the PT test by the recruiter. Pass the PT Test and be big and tall and the Recruiter would go to bat for you with the waiver. Not make a 1-mile run and some pushups and situps (entry-level test is very easy for anyone in any decent shape) and he would probably tell you thanks for coming by.

Bruce

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I didn't know about any MAX height.
That is interesting.
My High school buddy joined the Navy in 1984...He is 6'0" or 6'1" and he ended up on a Nuke sub. He told me he was the tallest guy aboard. He was slender and obviously got use to ducking alot or something, he never complained about his height being a problem.

He and I sent alot of mail to each other during his 6 years of service. Sometimes, I'd send audio cassettes with local radio stations (music and DJ's and weather reports) or I'd interview our other friends. Honestly, I forgot I even did that...until our 30th High school reunion last fall, he brought that up and how much he liked those tapes, he still had them, he'd share them with his bunkmates and they got a kick out of them as well.
OK...that's enough,
Jon

[Love Life]

He's the perfect height to be a SAW gunner.

[DoubleAdobe]

i spent my time with the 82nd airborne loved it.marines are tough so are we
True that.

[jumbeaux]

USCG height requirement is 6' minimum...so if your boat sinks you can wade ashore...I joined the Navy during the tail end of Vietnam...boot camp in Orlando..."A" school in San Diego and then orders to a Tin Can (Destroyer)...43 months sea duty...visited 30+ countries and literally saw the world...meet my bride...GI Bill assisted in my educational expenses...VA provides my health care needs...changed an East Texas boy into a man...good luck...

rick

[Moonie]

I would advise that you didn't bad mouth Marines in front of anyone...

Oil workers might be tough, but Marines are paid to kill. ;)

Bruce

And remember, you don't just piss off one Marine, you piss them ALL off. My son just received his second dear john from a girlfriend. He is currently serving in Afghanistan, first one was while he was at 29 palms training. This time it was because "I am the only one in this relationship putting in 100%"...he is in Afghanistan you... Anyway, it happens, some can't take it, they aren't worth your time.

[crazy mark]

United states Coast Guard. We had to be able to wade ashore when our raft sank. I ran the steam propulsion on those rafts. Very few boilers left. They are minature what they used to be with the new rafts. The fun days of freezing in the boiler room when doing fishery patrols in Alaska and getting overheated when patrolling in the Pacific half way between San Pedro and Hawaii or half way between Hawaii and Yokosuka Japan.


What the heck is a puddle pirate?

[bbs70]

Former 13B40 in Korea 71 - 72

Marine itch....
Don't they have a medication for that now?

The military can get a guy killed.
I was married before I got drafted, if I'd been single it probably wouldn't been so bad of an experience.
Proud I served, but not sure if I'd want the experience again.
But then todays military isn't what it use to be either.

[mikeym1a]

My answer to your basic question is this; If you serve a tour in any of the military forces, you will learn more about yourself and you potentials than in the rest of your life. It is not for the faint of heart, which you are not. It is difficult on marriage. If you are contemplating this, talk this over with your lady. With the difficulties you two have already faced, she most probably would be able to adapt to the demands of a 'service wife'. Make sure she agrees. Make sure that you can live not just without her, but that you would want to live without her. Good women don't come along very often. Good luck on your decision. mikey

[crazy mark]

We had an E6-MM that was 6'-10" aboard the cutter I was on. His previous duty station was a recruiter and he raced cars when we were in port.

[nicholst55]

You've gotten a lot of good advice so far, so I won't add much. First, whatever you decide you want to do, get it in writing! Recruiters (God bless them) are much like salesmen, and will promise things that they can't always deliver in order to meet their quota. Some are downright liars. Second, pick an MOS that is transferable to civilian life. Not much call for snipers or mortar crewmen on the outside. Lastly, definitely consider the reserve components - that's where the emphasis (and money) is going to be at in the near future.

Good luck, whatever your decision.

[Hamish]

Jr., my stepson is a little over six years in the Nat. Guard, E6 shortly, its has been a HUGE plus, allowed him to get married, buy a house, find a good job, got to school all this time, and see his twins every day. Youve been told straight up,,,in a relationship that you think has a future? Stay away from active duty and go part time. And go for a job that you can use outside the service! My son has translated Apache tech into a six figure income,,,,,.

[jsizemore]

The bottom line of your recruitment contract says "you will be placed at the government's convenience". I was supposed to be an electronics tech on a nuclear sub and ended up a machinist mate on a can.

[richhodg66]

Everybody says it's hard on a marriage. I was married before I went in, still married to the same woman 26 years later. Yes it's difficult, but you want to know what's more difficult? Being married and being locked into a crappy, unfulfilling life and career.

Go for it. If your wife isn't self reliant enough to not need you around to baby sit her while you're doing something meaningful, she isn't worth having around.

[tengaugetx]

Spent 7 years in the Corps...1/8. It is a hard unforgiving way of life. If you are married you will most likely end up divorced. Especially if you are in a line or deploying unit.
Alot of the time it sucks. That is why they call it "the suck". If you don't like to be dirty, sweaty, tired, thirsty, wet, hungry, cold and just uncomfortable all around don't do it. There are no days off because you don't want to go to work. You go. If you don't like it when it sucks find another profession the Corps will not be the right place for you.
Having said that I loved it.

[MUSTANG]

A tremendous amount of sage advice has been presented in this thread. I see no conflicts anywhere, but the view of the Mountain always depends upon where you stand while viewing.


The following advice is derived from 23 Years in the Corps, 10 enlisted and 13 commissioned.

1. Unless you are willing to kill your fellow man at your nations behest; the military services are not for you. Some will kill face to face where you can smell your enemies breath; others from literally half way around the world from a video screen. Those who order, warehouse, transport, or load the bombs are part of killing their follow man, as well as the person pushing the pickle button.

2. The Marines are a calling, and from a Marine's perspective, many in the other services feel the same. If you do not feel the calling "DO NOT GO", it is a 100% volunteer force, and not a life for most.

3. I will slightly disagree with those who say that you can not parlay "Combat Arms" skills into civilian employment. As an example, I had a good friend, Sergeant Manuel Soltero, who was one of the American Embassy "Staff" held hostage in Iran, no not the 444 day hostage situation everyone remembers, but rather the first time in February 1979 where everyone was put up against a wall and subjected to a "Mock Execution" by the peaceful "Students", that event does not even get a historical mention.

Any way, Manny left the Corps when his enlistment was up, parlayed his job as a Marine M60 Machine Gunner into a position as a Guard in a San Quentin Tower to pay for his day to day living and college education, I believe he became and Engineer if memory serves me right. Attitude and "Make it Happen" are things you can learn in the services if you are so inclined.

4. You'll never get rich as a Marine, just look at the Pay Tables for the services and you can see that it's not a Silicone Valley/Wall Street pay chart. Everyone I knew from High School was making far more than myself each month for most of my military career. That being said, there is no reason why any service member should not be financially independent after a career is ended. My recommendations on financial independence for service members:

(1) Give 5% to 10% of what you make to church or charities. Giving will build internal wealth.

(2) Save 15% of your take home pay. This requires development of self control, discipline, independence, and living within your means - skills that last a life time.

(3) Learn the tools and skills of cautious and prudent investment. Making your savings grow and work for you.

These three things can be accomplished by those in our nations Services if they prioritize, and they serve you well later in your life and give you an independence that most of our nations Citizens will never know.

As for service in the Corps, my favorite quote that sums my feeling ups:


“Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.”

― Ronald Reagan

[RugerFan]

I would recommend that you don’t talk to just one service recruiter. Talk to 2 or 3 or heck….all of them (Army, Marines, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard). Think hard about what MOS you would like and see who can offer you what. Don’t make any snap decisions, rather go home and sleep on it for several nights (or weeks).

Be very wary of a service recruiter that can’t guarantee you a specific MOS, but rather a general field. I know several people that ended up with jobs they didn’t like, but were stuck for the length of their first tour (3-4 years).

[starmac]

A sniper that shoots himself in the foot, hmmmmmm
You would have to dig the foxholes 2 feet deeper than normal, and your buddies won't be able to see out of it. lol

[Love Life]

^^^Funny story there. When I was going through SOI the guy I got partnered with for the defense was none other than Tall Paul. I stand at 5 foot 7 inches. Tall Paul was well over six foot. Digging that fighting hole sucked!!! When the instructors looked at our fighting hole for grading, Sgt Felipe just busted out laughing.

[Blacksmith]

Daniel,

I'm USAF a long time ago and I have just been through this type of decision with a grandson, he has joined the Navy and reports in August and will be going to school for electronics.

I got married early in my hitch and yes it is hard on the women folk. Talk everything over with her before you sign anything.

Talk to every service and see what each has to offer you. Then come back and talk it over with your Cast Boolits Family.

Remember this, no matter if 4 years or 20 is just a part of your working life (if you are 20 and work to 65 that is 45 years to be doing something) so the idea of developing transferable skills is very valid. If you like guns you might find the job of armorer has more transferable skills than sniper. Give some long hard thought to what you will find fulfilling as a lifetime career.

As some have said if the recruiter wont put it in writing it can not be relied on (a good life lesson if it is not written in the contract it is legally almost unenforceable).

Military is right for some not for others. I believe it is right for this grandson but would not be for his brother because they are different personalities.

Two things you need to learn/do if in the military or not. Learn monetary discipline, that is how to save, invest and manage money and debt. Plan on continuing your education for the rest of your life, always save and set aside a portion of your time (our scarcest resource) to educate yourself, go to tech schools, seminars, continuing education courses and work toward degrees and certifications. If you don't keep learning you will be left behind.

Blacksmith

[Recluse]

It was more fun "back in the day". These days, the politically-correct excrement has infiltrated the military and they expect the guys to be Boy Scouts or something.

No way in almighty hell would I join the military today--not with the bunch of ****** clown-faced scumbag lying *** politicians we have mismanaging the country combined with the peacock "put me in for another medal" general and admirals polluting the Pentagon.

I thought it was bad when I was serving and Jimmy Carter was decimating the military. . . It WAS bad. At one point we were actually pointing our guns and yelling "BANG!" in simulated missions because we had no freaking ammunition.

The Pentagon has already concluded, officially, that they see "no harm in transvestites openly serving." What's next--child molesters?

West Point is hosting openly gay marriage ceremonies between soldiers. The Marines now have "Gay Pride Week" in the Corps. The Air Farce has made it optional to say "so help me God" in the officer's oath for the zoomies graduating from Colorado Springs.

The Marine Corps itself tried to court-martial the Marines who pissed on the dead Taliban. The Navy court-martialed four SEALs for "killing the enemy a little too vigorously." WHO THE HELL WOULD WANT TO SERVE WITH AN OUTFIT THAT PUNISHES ITS WARRIORS??!!??

I'm a veteran and I'm proud of my service. But I'll also stand my ground and state that the damage that is being done in just the past two to four years by our elected alpha-hotels is irreparably harming and changing our military so severely that it will be unable to recover.

The young men and women I talk to today who are serving tell me, constantly, that they are in a real pickle. They can't stand the SOB CIC and what the political clowns are doing to their Army, Air Force, Navy, Corps and Coast Guard, but they also can't afford to get out because the economy is still in the latrine basement.

Take care of your wife. Settle in. Learn a trade and apply it. If we have another Pearl Harbor, then go down to the recruiter's office and sign up. It won't matter much then--we'll ALL be suiting back up and fighting for our literal lives.

:coffee:

[Bad Water Bill]

After graduation from hi school my daughter decided to join the navy. Since her mother was from Germany and Lara had spent months there the recruiter said she would be stationed at an American embassy as a translator.

Upon her trip to Great Lakes she was informed that all of those jobs had already been filled so she would have to take anything else the Navy wanted to give her.

After a full captain was called in to try and get her quieted down they tore up the signed contract and sent her back home.

Lara had a nasty kraut temper when she was provoked.

When she finally got home and cooled down she said "you always said you are only as good as your word" and obviously their written word was no good so I really let them have it and they finally decided they did not want me in the Navy.

I have no doubts that the Captain learned a few new words that day.

With all of the changes in the military since then I would not recommend trying what she did.

[NavyVet1959]

No way in almighty hell would I join the military today--not with the bunch of ****** clown-faced scumbag lying *** politicians we have mismanaging the country combined with the peacock "put me in for another medal" general and admirals polluting the Pentagon.

Plus, even without the politically correct excrement that quiche-eating brass is inflicting on the personnel these days, there's the issue of possibly getting an STD that will kill you. Back "in the day", anything you could possibly get was curable by penicillin. As such, it made hitting port a lot more fun. You found the nearest bar / brothel and proceeded to get drunk, laid, and spend all the money that you had saved up while being at sea (not that it was very much money back then). Last I heard, the politically correct excrement had gotten so bad that Sailors and Marines are actually being written up from coming back aboard from liberty drunk. Who would have thunk that the Navy would have sunk so low that you could not be "three sheets to the wind"? All in all though, I suspected it was going down the tubes when the Navy changed their dress code to no longer allow beards.

Then again, the Navy now allows women to serve on combat vessels, so maybe finding the nearest brothel when you hit port does not have the urgency that it did "back in the day".

If I could do it all over, I would probably still go in, but there's some things that I would do differently.

[Ajax]

I am a little upset at some of our members here bashing the military. It is a proud noble tradition to serve our country. The current leadership and past leadership have never cared one iota for the young men and women they have killed in the name of their next "military action". Until it is their kids or better yet them, they never will. That being said I don't like the way the military is heading. I fore see a time in the very near future where they will have to re-instate the draft to fill the ranks. I thought the average teenager had been programmed by schools to see deviants as normal, but in talking to them i have found that is not the case for most. Most of the younger men and women i go to school with are as abashed as we are they are allowed to openly serve. They don't have a problem with them serving just with them serving openly. If you think they haven't been serving all along you are very sadly mistaken or just lieing to yourself. The CIC's have always been *** clowns, nothing new there. Its proven demonrats rip the military apart and repukelicans build it up, nothing new. The issue lies in the destruction of the nuclear family and the degradation of perceived social morals to the point that politicians would ever try the stuff they do. Ok i am off my soap box. I am sure i will get flamed for what i see as fact so have at it i have my big boy panties on.
Andy

[cbrick]

I would take a serious look at the White House before signing on the dotted line. What obummer hates more than anything is anything that makes America look good. Our military has always made America look good with honor, skill, bravery topping the list. I can't see serving under a Commander in Chief that hates everything the military and the country he commands represents. Everything he has done in office is to make America the mediocre country he feels it should be. Do you want to put your life on the line for the man that refused to wear an American flag lapel pin, that refused to put his hand over his heart during the anthem, that hates everything you are giving your heart and soul for?

Rick

[Ajax]

"Do you want to put your life on the line for the man that refused to wear an American flag lapel pin, that refused to put his hand over his heart during the anthem, that hates everything you are giving your heart and soul for?"

You serve the country not the president. He will not be in office forever.


Andy

[snowwolfe]

I retired after 21 years in the USAF when I was 39 so I am biased. If I had to chance to redo it I would consider either the USAF, Navy, or Coast Guard. Coast Guard would likely be the first choice because they rarely get deployed and troops are stationed at some great places for fishing..

Contrary to what people think once you are an E5 which is doable in 4 years the pay and benefits are superb. I have to laugh when I hear people in the military who are on their second hitch screaming about how broke they are. Go to a military base and look at everyone driving their $40-50K pickup trucks. Then any college you want to pick up is basically free. Add the GI bill on top of that which you can transfer to your spouse or kid when you get out if you don't want to use it. Free medical for you and your family as well.

You get tax free housing allowances but then you can buy a house and deduct the interest as a tax deduction. Plus the military is one of the few careers remaining where you can retire at 20 years on half pay.

Being able to collect a pension since I was 39 has opened doors to me I never thought possible. Well worth it to me but everyone has to make the right choice for them self.

During my 21 years I was never stationed overseas. When people ask me why, I tell them the truth, I never volunteered to go. But again, each career field is different.

[TXGunNut]

My dad gave me some advice on this subject when I was your age, Daniel. He told me not to join during peacetime. He was a Korean War era vet who enlisted mainly for the education benefits, served as a Navy medical corpsman and worked with Marines stationed stateside so I took his advice. We all owe a debt of gratitude to those who serve and have served but it's not for everyone. I sometimes wonder if I made the right choice so give it some time and do your research as others have suggested.
Oil boom won't last forever and it's had a lull or two in recent years. Oilfield companies come and go so steady employment in your new field is unlikely. For many of us women come and go as well but it seems your bride is a keeper, I'd certainly take her input into account.

[Recluse]

"Do you want to put your life on the line for the man that refused to wear an American flag lapel pin, that refused to put his hand over his heart during the anthem, that hates everything you are giving your heart and soul for?"

You serve the country not the president. He will not be in office forever.


Andy

If you're enlisted, your oath includes "I will obey the orders of the President of the United States."

I wouldn't piss on this president unless I'd first drank a gallon of turpentine, let alone serve under him and our present Congress and Judicial Branch. Daniel is young, got plenty of time before he gets too old. Wait for a better class of character to inhabit the Oval Office and hopefully the Capitol as well.

Right now, we need our best people fighting here at home--this is where the real war is at.

:coffee:

[cbrick]

If you're enlisted, your oath includes "I will obey the orders of the President of the United States."


That's right, he IS the Commander in Chief of the military, the top of the food chain with orders passed down. Oh Lord, please help us.

Rick

[w5pv]

I was army but think clean sheets and and clean beds for the most part.Air force and Navy think Air Force and
Then Navy

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Duty, Honor, Country.......... When I enlisted in the Army, Nixon was president, Spiro Agnew was Vice. I volunteered for Viet-Nam also. I didn't care who the President was. I felt a real need to do my part for this country. I don't know about this.... who's President stuff. If all the good people stay away, what is left? But, that is my opinion and a lot of people have fought and died so I can have my opinion.

[Love Life]

Is it too early to mention Jody?

[tygar]

It doesn't matter which service you join. It will be rough on a marriage. A lot of marriages can't stand the seperation and if the wife is not happy it makes life very tough as you probably already know. Remember only 1% of the US ever joins the military. It's an elite club. All branches have their quirks. Find the job you want and go for it. Once you are in, to change your MOS can be difficult. Get a MOS that you can transfer those skills to a civilian job. The military is not for everybody. Your body will suffer and later in life it will remind you of your youth and the abuses you put it through. You will learn discipline that has bypassed a lot of the current generation. You will be looked down upon by your own countrymen for your service and employers will not give you the time of day because of your service, just one of the byproducts. It's getting better nowdays just depends on who you talk to. You will get to travel and see parts of the world that most folks only read about. You will learn what freedom is all about and why it is worth protecting. You will develop skills that you will carry for the rest of your life whether as simple as learning to get along with people and working as a team to taking initiative and getting the job done. Good luck on your search and remember life is not guaranteed you could be ran over crossing the street as easy as taking a bullet in some far away land.

gmsharps

Dam, I was a recruiter, twice, & was going to give the speel but you pretty much covered it.

But here's what I would tell prospective recruits.

If you want to good job, go in the Air Force, 2nd would be Coast Guard. If you are on the ball & can stand it, the Army has good advancement, but it sucks. I wouldn't wish the Navy on anyone (but Seals could almost make a Marine).

If you think your the badest dude on the block, don't mind getting your asz kicked & kicking others, think you can deal with the unbelievable BS & having every swinging dick up your asz & down your throat, being beat down physically & mentally until you don't think you can stand it any more & if you really want to kill em all & let god sort them out, join the Marines.

Actually, the Marines have the toughest boot camp & train everyone to be a rifleman first, but it's no where as bad as it used to be. We used to get the sh** beat out of us & they don't do that now. LOL the oldtimers from WWII & Korea, would tell us we were just a bunch of puzy candy asz pukes, & had no idea of what tough was.

Seriously, take the ASVAB (or whatever its called now), see what your qualified for & go for it. "GET IT IN WRITING"!!! from what ever service.

Guys will tell you I was in the AF or Navy etc. but when you are a Marine, everyone knows that that is special & they know that they weren't.

The sign over the door of our hooch in VN said:

"Yea though I walk thru the valley of death I will fear no evil, cause I'm the meanest MF in the valley."

Figure out what you want & go for it.

Good Luck
Tom

[Love Life]

Get some!!

[Sin Nombre]

They’re more modest also:popcorn:

Absolutely!

[kopperl]

I have never met an Honorably discharged Marine who regretted his service.
GySgt
USMCRet

[bruce drake]

I have never met an Honorably discharged Marine who regretted his service.
GySgt
USMCRet

Exactly!

[Bad Water Bill]

Well I AM an OLD man who has had the privilege of knowing Marines that were in the islands,the very last one to board a launch from that Korean reservoir,a cousin with 11 holes from Nam,(don't even ask) and many more.

Not a one has EVER acted like a B A. Not a one.

Would I like to live with the memories trapped in their heads?

You be the judge.

Now if you want to know where the MOST dangerous 4-5 acres in the world are just ask anyone that has ever worked on the flight deck.

[Harter66]

I had an adopted Uncle that landed 3 beachs including Iwo Jima in WWII he was probably the most mild mannered polite man I've known , I only know of 1 time that he was ever crossed and I believe that if the attendent haddn't bought the gas tokens back he would have poured the last 15 gallons on the ground (about $5 worth then) . He past in 79' 15yr active 20 as an contract employee. I saw him many times bare chested and in the issue ''shorts'' I don't remember ever seeing a scar on him,caner reduced 6'2'' and 240 lbs of Corps wedge to 105 lbs of skin and bones in 6 months......
At the end my Dad went to stay for the end . In classic Bingo style he said '' Richard , ain't it hunting season ?'' '' yeah but Bing////'' '' get your axx home and take that boy and teach him to hunt . I've seen the end before ,I'm at peace . Now get outta here'' . I don't if thats pride or BA or just Man among men but that was just Bing.

Most of the ''old guard'' vets that I know /have known are like that both Army and Corps, Navy always seemed uppity(in the my my guns are bigger than yours kinda way).

[DoubleAdobe]

Former 13B40 in Korea 71 - 72

Marine itch....
Don't they have a medication for that now?

The military can get a guy killed.
I was married before I got drafted, if I'd been single it probably wouldn't been so bad of an experience.
Proud I served, but not sure if I'd want the experience again.
But then todays military isn't what it use to be either.
I saw it happen so many times. I commiserate with you, sir.

[popper]

Navy gets the gravy & army gets the beans. Texas Guard in Austin? Was given the opportunity to go to a small island at the end of the alutians for 6 mo. With a wife & 2 toddlers, found another place of work. I wanted to raise my kids. I joined young to see the world, had a very good recruiter, pretty good tour then time to settle down.

[Alvarez Kelly]

Navy gets the gravy & army gets the beans. Texas Guard in Austin? Was given the opportunity to go to a small island at the end of the alutians for 6 mo. With a wife & 2 toddlers, found another place of work. I wanted to raise my kids. I joined young to see the world, had a very good recruiter, pretty good tour then time to settle down.

I was on that island for a year. :-)

[NavyVet1959]

Looking back, one of the things that I regret is that I didn't volunteer for McMurdo... But after experiencing Great Lakes in the winter for "A" School, I wasn't really all that inclined to see cold weather for awhile.

[crazy mark]

winter of 69-70 at great lakes training center sucked. Cold and snow. I didn't have to shovel however being a Coastie at the Navy training center. Did piss of a Navy instructor when I asked him in class why the CG didn't let him join. He said it was due to his vision. He brought up the CG wouldn't let him join.

[jumbeaux]

Is it too early to mention Jody?

Just start with...."ain't no sense in looking back...Jody's got your Cadillac..." We should probably leave it at that...BTW don't mention Rev. Hill either...

rick

[jumbeaux]

Junior as an old anchor clanker I enjoy ribbing the other vets as much as I enjoy getting ribbed but I will relate a story to you. My very best friend on this earth and I served in the Navy at the same time...his son joined the Corp in the late '90s...he became a Combat Engineer and spent 4 years on active duty...got out for a couple years and then shipped over. He had several tours deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan...Combat tours. His last deployment was as a Squad Leader in an anti-insurgence unit...he still serves in the Reserves...he related a story that had a positive effect even on this old squid...here goes: Young man walks into a Marine Corp Recruiting Office and sits down with the Staff Sergeant and tells him the Army has offered him a signing bonus, a guaranteed school and a reach ......(Vets will know what the ..... means)...he wants to know what the Corp has to offer him...Staff Sergeant jars the floor, looks him square in the eye and tells him that he offers him the chance to become a MARINE...now accept that or get the hell out...if you have the mind set to serve as a member of Naval Infantry then get some...

rick

[NavyVet1959]

winter of 69-70 at great lakes training center sucked. Cold and snow. I didn't have to shovel however being a Coastie at the Navy training center. Did piss of a Navy instructor when I asked him in class why the CG didn't let him join. He said it was due to his vision. He brought up the CG wouldn't let him join.

Yeah, vision is more important in the Coasties. You need to be able to see the shore so that you know which way to walk. :)

[DCP]

[smilie=l:[smilie=l:


Is it too early to mention Jody?

LOL

There was a time I wouldn't have laugh at this.

[Love Life]

Just start with...."ain't no sense in looking back...Jody's got your Cadillac..." We should probably leave it at that...BTW don't mention Rev. Hill either...

rick

"Jody, Jody he's 6 ft 4....."

While we have all this military experience around the table, what is the earliest mention of Jody? Did ya'll have Jody in Vietnam? Was Jody around for the Cold War? Was Jody around for the Gulf War?

What about Wagner?

[DCP]

"Jody, Jody he's 6 ft 4....."

While we have all this military experience around the table, what is the earliest mention of Jody? Did ya'll have Jody in Vietnam? Was Jody around for the Cold War? Was Jody around for the Gulf War?

What about Wagner?

Did ya'll have Jody in Vietnam?
oh ya
But if he was in Nam he wouldn't have been a problem LOL

[Love Life]

Well...was he fulfilling the same stateside role during the Vietnam war as he has for my generation?

[DCP]

Well...was he fulfilling the same stateside role during the Vietnam war as he has for my generation?


Yes

But I don't know what generation or war your in

[Love Life]

The most current generation. Jody has been taking care my...ahem...family since 2004.

[DCP]

The most current generation. Jody has been taking care my...ahem...family since 2004.

In time I figured out it wasn't Jody fault anyway. It still sucks though

[Love Life]

There is always Susie to ease your pain.

[Love Life]

Just think BS Junior. If you join the service, you can kick back and talk about random stuff with people you have never met, and they know exactly what you are talking about.

[jumbeaux]

Jody was alive and well on the grinder during Vietnam (my time)...so was Susie...

rick

[bruce drake]

I left my Ms. Susie Rottencrotch in Maine in 1989 and after nearly 25 years, I'm glad Jody, Bob, Mike and Joe have been dealing with her whacked out head and the resulting 6 kids she's squirted out for those fellas...

Happily married for 20 years now to a gal who understood my life as a Marine and then the crazier life as an Army officer.

Bruce

[Love Life]

I'm sitting here with tears of laughter in my eyes!!

What's the dealio BS Junior? Did you talk to the man in the blue pants with a red stripe?

[DRNurse1]

Thankfully all y'all are proposing US military service. I know a couple of folks who chose French Foreign Legion and Israeli service when they did not make muster here....one is still around and I lost track of the other.

BSJ: have you chosen? Interesting story from a sailor posted with a marine battalion, since apparently they cannot put on their own band-aids: when I received my military issue duds and found a couple of pairs of 'panty hose' in them...thought they were jerking my chain but as it turns out the marines have NO sense of humor.

[Bullshop Junior]

Holy cow this thread took off. Havnt visited it in a couple days because I'm been dealing with work and my dying truck. I'll try to read through it.

I do know Amanda is still very much against the idea.

[Bad Water Bill]

One thing no one has mentioned.

You did not like Alaska so you just picked up and moved to Texas.

No paperwork needed,no permission requested or granted,you were free to go where ever when ever you wanted.

Try that in ANY branch of the military and you will be a guest in the grey bar hotel called Ft Leavenworth for a loooong time.

[NavyVet1959]

One thing no one has mentioned.

You did not like Alaska so you just picked up and moved to Texas.

No paperwork needed,no permission requested or granted,you were free to go where ever when ever you wanted.

Try that in ANY branch of the military and you will be a guest in the grey bar hotel called Ft Leavenworth for a loooong time.

I doubt that it would be that extreme. When I was doing MAA duty, I encountered a few guys that had gone on an "extended UA" and from what I gathered at that time, the person was usually just put in the brig for a couple of months and then released with a "lesser" discharge. The worst I heard of was someone who got a BCD. If you truly don't belong in the military, they are not going to keep you there, but they will definitely make your life miserable (while trying to "rehabilitate" you) until they finally kick you out. They have money invested in your training and they don't want to lose that money, so they are going to "give you every chance to see the error in your ways".

[starmac]

My suggestion and it is only a suggestion, is hang out where you are two or three years. , learn everything you can about the oilfield. Save your money and be ready to come back up here.
Things are finally coming together and the gas line is a go, when it starts come on back and you will be able to get well easy enough. If you could have somehow hung out until now, once the ice roads opened, everybody that wants a job has one.

[WRideout]

BSJ, I can only tell you about my experience. At the age of nineteen I woke up one morning having had a nightmare that I was a thirty-five year old bachelor living with my parents. The next day I went to see the army recruiter. He said, "Son, I can help you."

I spent three years on active duty during the period known as the "Hollow Army." Military discipline truly suffered during the 60's and 70's, and the ranks were shot through with alcohol and drug use. In 1981 I joined the CA Army National Guard, and subsequently finished out my twenty years with service in the TN and PA Army Guard.

I would ask you to consider reserve service as a viable alternative. It is one of the few part-time jobs that offers a retirement plan; at this point I am collecting from Uncle Sugar, and it is the only guaranteed retirement money I have. Also, you train to the same standards as the active duty forces, and get paid two days for each day of drill you attend. You miss out on some VA benefits if you don't have any active duty time, but you get to come home after you are done training. One weekend a month and two weeks a year isn't so bad.

I will admit that military life no matter which path you choose, is hard on families. When my kids were young, I spent a lot of time away from home on extra training events (my choice). Just think about it.

I started out in the army as an enlisted medic, then went to OCS in the National Guard and retired as the world's oldest living captain.

Wayne

[richhodg66]

The good news about reserve component status (both Reserve and National Guard) is they are a lot better now than say 15 years ago. The optempo pf the past 12 years or so has had many guard units deployinmg about as much as the active force. I worked in a role of training National Guard Field ARtillery units for several years and the guard if a whole different animal from what it once was. Generally very well trained ad professional people.

WHat wasn't mentioned is that Reserve status is only one weekend a month and two weeks a year in summer...if you're a private. NCOs and officers in the guard have a lot more expected of them and you'll more than likely be doing a lot of work in your guard or reserves capacity outside of drill weekends. The more senior you get in rank, the more this will be true.

Another bennie is many states National Guard will foot the college tuition for you at state schools, so that's a big plus if you see college in your future (which you should, even if it's a long term goal).

I think military service is a great thing. I also don't think it's as hard on families as many here tell you, I know a lot of people with stable, long term marriages. If you married someone who requires a baby sitter, chances are it won't survive whether you're military or not. If you're both reasonably tough and self reliant, commited to each other and smart about your priorities, you can be successful in the military and have a successful family. It does have some family challenges, but worrying where your next pay check is coming from, or whether you're gonna get layed off, or how you'll pay for it if your kid gets hospitalized, etc. isn't among those challenges.

Pick a branch of the service, any of them. The mentality of all of them is really more alike than different despite all the ribbing you hear. If it sounds like too much of a challenge, take a look at whatever you're doing now and ask yourself honestly what will you be doing in 20 years. I retired at 46, with a poayed off house and enough pension that the wife and I could have lived reasonably well just on that. I didn't want to do that, but most of the teachers I work with will never make working full time what I make in retirement alone and many of them had to have more education than I did and will have to work til there 65 to get what they can get. It isn't always easy, nothing worthwhile is, but the military is a good gig and I personally am glad I did something worthwhile with my youth instead of working some meaningless job that most likely I'd have hated and my wife and family would have come to resent as well because I hated it.

Go for it, you'll be glad you did even if you don't stay in past your initial hitch.

[Houndog]

Daniel,
All I'll say is how much do you value Amanda and being married to her? If she is totally against you joining the military and you go ahead and do it, the chances of you two staying together could get mighty slim! Being apart for basic training would be bad enough, but think about a 18 month deployment in a war zone and the stresses she would have to endure. You and Amanda have my best wishes and prayers no matter which path you take. All i'm sayin is give it LOTS of thought before you jump!

[backroad]

Obama would be your boss. Think about it.

[richhodg66]

There's basically two kinds of Army wives; the ones with good attitudes and make the most of it and the ones who are bound and determined to be miserable and do nothing but gripe about everything. If you have a high maintenance wife, I doubt you'll be happy in the Army, or anywhere else.

My wife and I went and spent the five months or so at Fort Sill for my initial training which wasn't a big culture shock for her as I was home most nights and Lawton Oklahoma isn't radically different from the small town/rural southern environments she'd grown up in. After that, Airborne school during which she went home and then off to our first real duty station at Fort Bliss. I was assigned to the third armored cavalry regiment there which did a ton of field time and was scheduled to go for a month to the National Training Center shortly after I got there.

Long story short, I dumped this 20 year old girl whose whole life had been in rural life in the deep south where she had lots of family support in El Paso, Texas (which if you've never been there is a different world, let me tell you) where she knew no one for a month. Basically I got her settled into an apartment and was gone.

Well, I got back, and you know what? She made friends, found a church and had gotten a job. Instead of sitting around crying about how hard the Army was, she pulled herself up by her own boot straps so to speak. She handled it well when I was gone for six months during Desert Storm, a six month tour gone in support of Bosnia, a four month trip to Kuwait a year after that, deployments to Baghdad for all of 2004 and 2009 and the many, many field problems and other short term TDYs, so as long as a couple of months. She just decided to do for herself and make the best of things and all was good. So you have to ask your self, can your wife get going when the going gets tough?

[richhodg66]

Obama would be your boss. Think about it.


This is definitely a consideration. I put up with the dark years of the Clinton administration and almost four years of Obama (personally, the Army was worse under Clinton). Yes, Obama is a ***, but, are you gonna let that dissuade you from serving your country? Are you only patriotic when the situation suits you? Me personally, I have a much harder time respecting a full grown, able bodied man who never served than one who has. I always wonder in the back of my mind how someone could NOT serve.

[Frank46]

Daniel, I was 17 when I enlisted in the navy, dad had to sign the enlistment papers for me. Spent almost three years on a carrier and was a fireman in #1 group engine room, pump room and generator room. We felt like moles when we came up out of the hole (whatever space we were assigned to work in was called the hole) This was back in '64 to '67. Yeah the navy had its share of problems back then also. Keeping trained men in vis re-enlistment in the various engineering ratings was so bad the ratings were deemed critacal. Did have some fun, got to visit other lands, meet other people and got wasted a few times. But that got old pretty quick. Stinks trying to light off an engine room when your three sheets into the wind. Good cure for a hangover though. After that stone cold sober. Since the navy back them still had many ships that were steam powered companies were looking for people with that type of experience. The company that I ended up working for had these old steam powered pumps. Was like coming home. Spent thirty years doing that. Try picking up a trade in the service that can be used after you get out. Machinest in the service gets you trained and then practical experience. And there is a shrotage of trained machine operators. Heck you can work on your guns when you get out. Or try foe welding school which should fall under the heading of damage repairman. Another craft easily transferred to private life. Frank

[NavyVet1959]

These days at least, you have email and even video calls to keep in touch with your family and friends back home. For many of us old farts, the only thing we had was the postal system and it could take a couple of months for a letter to eventually catch up with you. At least that part of being in the service is better these days. On the other hand, the politically-correct excrement is worse. I hear that you can even get put on report for coming back to the ship drunk these days. Back in my day, if you weren't drunk when you made it back to the ship after liberty / port call, they figured something was wrong with you.

[Bad Water Bill]

If they were not drunk when they came back aboard we were happy to sell them another bottle as soon as the anchor was raised.

$10.00 a bottle AND we also ran the slush fund.

[Ajax]

I went into the Navy in 1992, right after tail hook. The Navy was in a environment of change. I was taken out my first night aboard my first ship and got slam hammered drunk. But I got me and my Bos'un and Chief Boats Back to the ship. That made me one of the good old boys immediately. I witnessed the Navy go from being full of raging alcoholics to ambassadors of the country. I will say we still had a helluva good time and got sloshed on occasion. The difference is a lot of ports overseas are actually glad to see us pull in now. When I quit being a professional drunk I actually got to see some of the beauty of these countries i was visiting. As far as the political correctness goes i have never seen any one who treated others with the respect they wanted, have a issue in the Navy. I was raised by a gentleman to be a gentleman so for me woman on Navy ships didn't matter to me. I was raised to treat every woman as i would my mother or sister. For those who can't do that then, i for one have no reason to serve with them. AS far as the President, no matter who he is, If that is keeping you from joining the service i don't want you there. The service has always been for Americans of uncommon valor and morals. It is not a job. I like to think those of who joined had a higher sense of purpose and felt we needed to be part of something bigger than ourselves. I know a lot may not agree with this but I don't really care these are my feeling on the subject and nothing more. BULLSHOPJR, Amanda is the woman you plan to spend the rest of your life with, her input matters more than any other. Pay attention to your wife, happy wife = happy life.


Andy

[richhodg66]

This might help you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZsERX844Tg

[DCP]

This might help you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZsERX844Tg

Wouldn't it be fun to be a fly on the wall when Navy brass talk to each other about this. LOL

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Well said Andy

[Love Life]

Ahh the good old days (which really weren't that long ago). All you had to do was show up to work not as drunk as the night before, had good excuses for the black eyes, busted noses or missing teeth, and not fall out of PT. I remember the PT trail on Monday was like a minefield with all the vomit.

Work hard and play hard was the mantra. You busted your hump doing rushes, patrolling, hikes, runs, ranges, gas chamber, armory, an ungodly amount of IA drills. Then you got secured for libbo, and if no incidents occurred during the day then you hit the town and partied. If any of your squad had goofed up that day , then wen libbo was sounded you changed over into green on green and went to go sweat out your bad behavior!!

Oh, and silkies. Never forget the silk!!

[USAFrox]

As an Air Force guy, obviously I know that the Air Force is better. But, all joking aside, the Air Force is better. ;-)

I've worked joint (worked with all of the other services) for about 10 years so far, and while working with members from all the other services, at least half of them have told me that if they had known then what they know now, they would have joined the Air Force. As an example:

While in tech school, I got up at around 0630, got ready, and carpooled to work to be there by 0800. My day ended with PT at about 1545, and I was home around 1630 (4:30 pm for non-military types). My neighbor was in the Army. He had to be at early morning PT at 0400. Then he went to work same time as me. Then after work, he had CST (Common Skills Training), which was things like compass reading, land nav, weapons familiarization, etc, until 1900 (7pm). So his day was from 0330 to 1900, while mine was 0630 to 1630. I had a LOT more time to be with my family than he did. And that pretty much continues. The Air Force is MUCH, MUCH friendlier to families. It also treats its people better. When I want to go on leave, I fill out the necessary paperwork, and go on leave. My Army friends fill out the necessary paperwork, get a safety briefing, and literally have to have their supervisor check their vehicle for them to make sure their blinkers work, and their oil is full. They get treated like children who don't know anything, which is fairly insulting, in my opinion. The Air Force treats us like adults.

If you can't tell, I'm rather fond of the USAF (check out my forum name).

[richhodg66]

I've worked with a lot of people in all four branches of the service and actually quite a few in NATO from other allied countries. After 24 years of being an Artillery officer n the Army and being in some pretty rough and ready outfits and pulling some hard assignments, I'd join the Army again if I had it to do over again.

Why would anybody brag about how easy their service is on them? If I'd wanted that, I'd have stayed a civilian.

[tygar]

[QUOTE=USAFrox;2696198]As an Air Force guy, obviously I know that the Air Force is better. But, all joking aside, the Air Force is better. ;-)

I've worked joint (worked with all of the other services) for about 10 years so far, and while working with members from all the other services, at least half of them have told me that if they had known then what they know now, they would have joined the Air Force. QUOTE]

As I said in my post, If you want to good job, go in the Air Force, 2nd would be Coast Guard. If you are on the ball & can stand it, the Army has good advancement, but it sucks. I wouldn't wish the Navy on anyone (but Seals could almost make a Marine).

But as others have said, "but seriously", they are what they are, they are not the Marine Corps!

You have to "want" to be what the crotch stands for & what it does, or go join one of the "other" services. They will give you a good career. But you still won't be a "Marine".

The AF guy USAFrox is right. The AF is the best for the family, if that's what you want go for it.

TOm

[USAFrox]

Richhodg66, I guess you missed my meaning. I'm not bragging about "how easy my service is on me". I'm bragging about the fact that I'm still serving my country, getting paid the same as all of the other brances, and am treated better by my service than those others are treated by their service. All the benefits of service, without being treated like **** by my service for the pleasure. What's not to like about that?

Even when I was deployed, our stuff was nicer, and we were treated better while in Iraq than my Army brothers who shared the base with me. The Air Force simply treats their folks better, and I see no reason to pretend that's a bad thing.

[NVScouter]

If you want to do it then join up. Go combat and ether Army or Marines. You can change later to a non-combat job and promotion will be easier.

Beware of going Guard first its a trap.

[tygar]

Richhodg66, I guess you missed my meaning. I'm not bragging about "how easy my service is on me". I'm bragging about the fact that I'm still serving my country, getting paid the same as all of the other brances, and am treated better by my service than those others are treated by their service. All the benefits of service, without being treated like **** by my service for the pleasure. What's not to like about that?

Even when I was deployed, our stuff was nicer, and we were treated better while in Iraq than my Army brothers who shared the base with me. The Air Force simply treats their folks better, and I see no reason to pretend that's a bad thing.

Your not talking to me are you?

I said the AF is best for families.

[montana_charlie]

Amanda is still very much against the idea.
You started this by saying you have an itch to enlist but you don't want to get killed.

Nothing is guaranteed in life, kid. You could get killed driving to the recruiting office to talk about it.
You can't use a discussion like this one to make up your mind about joining the military, which pickup to buy, or should you get married.
Nothing said here holds any guarantee of accurately predicting how things will turn out for you.

If you are not willing to make a decision and take what comes, stay away from the military.
If not getting killed is your foremost concern, stay away from the military.
If Amanda is going to be a permanent part of your life, and she says 'no', stay away from the military.

CM

[USAFrox]

Your not talking to me are you?

I said the AF is best for families.

No, tygar, I'm not talking to you. Hence why I began my reply with "Richhodg66, I guess you missed my meaning..."

I was talking to Richhodg66.

[Love Life]

Ya'll can say the Air Force is the best all you want. Marine Infantry live the stories that others lie about to get laid.

[richhodg66]

"but all the BAMF are in the Marines"

I beg to differ, however, of the other branches I've seen, in terms of professionalism and discipline, the Air Force was always hands down the worst. Certain ones of them get it, but particularly the company grade officers were the worst examples of leaders I ever saw, every lieutenant or captain would have been relieved immediately in the Army. There must be a huge weeding out process to become a field grade because most of them seem to get it.

Any service that has a stationary bike ride for their PT test isn't for me. I was always amazed at how so many Air Force guys could brag about how slack it was, like they're reveling and taking pride in being an undisciplined pansy. Somebody already said it here "only the officers fight in the Air Force", well, if that's what you want to be a part of, go for it.

[Love Life]

The Marines say the same thing about the Army as you just said about the Air Force. "We are better disciplined, better fighters, and have more military bearing than the Marines!!" Said nobody ever.

[NavyVet1959]

Even when I was deployed, our stuff was nicer, and we were treated better while in Iraq than my Army brothers who shared the base with me. The Air Force simply treats their folks better, and I see no reason to pretend that's a bad thing.

We always said that the Zoomies were just a country club where they all wore the same clothes. How's your golf game?

When the Air Force creates a new base, the first thing they do is put in the runways, but very soon thereafter, they put in the golf course. :)

Seriously though, the Zoomies always had the best golf courses. I guess that had to figure out *something* to do with all that land around their runways. :)

[jcwit]

So we've morphed this from advising someone as to which branch to serve in or whether to serve at all to "My branch is better than your branch, neh, neh , neh, ney, neh.

[NavyVet1959]

Somebody already said it here "only the officers fight in the Air Force", well, if that's what you want to be a part of, go for it.

Don't know about you, but if someone would actually *pay* me to fly F-16s, I would jump on it. Hell, I probably wouldn't even pass up someone paying me to fly an O-2 (something that I could actually afford if I was so inclined).

[NavyVet1959]

So we've morphed this from advising someone as to which branch to serve in or whether to serve at all to "My branch is better than your branch, neh, neh , neh, ney, neh.

Like all internet discussions, they eventually morph into a discussion of politics, guns, or sex. Maybe we should start posting photos of some of the women in the various branches that we "knew" back in the day? Nawh, I don't want to break ya'll's monitors...

[Bad Water Bill]

If you are REALLY interested is a crew of dedicated professional folks Join up with the flight deck crew on a rainy windy NIGHT in choppy seas.

Generally Marine pilots only have to survive one cruise in their military career.

[starmac]

So we've morphed this from advising someone as to which branch to serve in or whether to serve at all to "My branch is better than your branch, neh, neh , neh, ney, neh.

Plus you are a *** if you never served. lol Personally I respect the people of all branches equally, until they prove they don't deserve the respect.

[Love Life]

So we've morphed this from advising someone as to which branch to serve in or whether to serve at all to "My branch is better than your branch, neh, neh , neh, ney, neh.

What did you expect with a bunch of military members from all the different branches being stuck in one room? Well, one thread!!

Interservice poo flinging is always fun as long as we keep it cleanish.

[Love Life]

Plus you are a *** if you never served.

Who said that?

[Bad Water Bill]

Many good reasons for each and every service have been posted here.

A great opportunity to see service loyalty and rivalry as well.

Plus a chance to understand why ALL vets band together.

Even if you only pealed spuds your entire career all of us appreciated the mashed potatoes.

No matter where you end up in the military you will end up doing something important to your group AND our country.

Also remember "MANY ARE CALLED BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN" is true even in the service.

[tygar]

No, tygar, I'm not talking to you. Hence why I began my reply with "Richhodg66, I guess you missed my meaning..."

I was talking to Richhodg66.

OOPs, guess I should read it better.

[jcwit]

I have said so little on this thread because my service was so easy during a very dangerous time.

Plus after another member pounded me for having a disability from the service because working in an office was so safe. Never mind what happened or what happens during training. But even with what happened I served my hitch with no complaints and did not even consider hiding in Canada as many did at that time.

Oh well, I proud of my service, and would never consider taking back the experience.

[NavyVet1959]

Many good reasons for each and every service have been posted here.

A great opportunity to see service loyalty and rivalry as well.

Plus a chance to understand why ALL vets band together.

Even if you only pealed spuds your entire career all of us appreciated the mashed potatoes.

No matter where you end up in the military you will end up doing something important to your group AND our country.

Also remember "MANY ARE CALLED BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN" is true even in the service.

Awh, we *love* to razz those who chose other military branches and even those who chose particular fields within our own military branch. It's all part of good fun.

Now, with respect to the spuds, I'm not sure I ever encountered REAL mashed potatoes when I was in. They tasted so bad, I just had to assume that they were the dehydrated instant ones since I figured it was impossible to make them taste that bad if they had started with whole potatoes. Now, with respect to french fries, I don't know. They were not memorably bad, but then again, even frozen fries can be good. Dehydrated potatoes made into mashed potatoes though are just *nasty*.

[NavyVet1959]

If you choose to go into the Corp, you will ALWAYS BE A MARINE. Wifes, girlfriends, etc, come and go, but being a Marine (or any vet for that matter) stays with you forever (for better or worse :-) ).

[Love Life]

If you choose to go into the Corp, you will ALWAYS BE A MARINE. Wifes, girlfriends, etc, come and go, but being a Marine (or any vet for that matter) stays with you forever (for better or worse :-) ).

Unless you get a big chicken dinner or a dishonorable...

[starmac]

Who said that?

(I always wonder in the back of my mind how someone could NOT serve.)

Maybe that was not the intent, but it sure sounds like it.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

Let Amanda read this thread ...

[Love Life]

It's not for everybody.

[bruce drake]

The Marines say the same thing about the Army as you just said about the Air Force. "We are better disciplined, better fighters, and have more military bearing than the Marines!!" Said nobody ever.

Care to come climb a mountain or jump out of perfectly good aircraft with me there Lovelife? My troops in the Army where very professional about our missions and our jobs...But then again I'm Marine enough to call you out as a boot as well and you'll understand this Field-grade Gunny still remembers where he started.

BS Jr. Talk to the Mrs. Balance your accounts and decide if Active versus Reserves is in your families best interest.

[TXGunNut]

No, I didn't serve the US of A in the armed forces. I did, however, serve my community and state as a LEO for 25 yrs and had the honor of serving with more than a few vets, both discharged and reserve. Last I heard the Army had the best equipment, Marines were the toughest, Navy had the best food and the Air Force had ice cream in the mess hall. And yes, I dealt with members of all branches when they misbehaved. All were gentlemen with the exception of one AF officer, had to come down on him pretty hard. I think I helped the AF weed this guy out, all the others were picked up before dawn and taken back to base.
No, Daniel, IMHO you don't have to serve your country to be a man. OTOH service may make you a better man.

[USAFrox]

We always said that the Zoomies were just a country club where they all wore the same clothes. How's your golf game?

When the Air Force creates a new base, the first thing they do is put in the runways, but very soon thereafter, they put in the golf course. :)

Seriously though, the Zoomies always had the best golf courses. I guess that had to figure out *something* to do with all that land around their runways. :)

Actually, I've never played golf. Never had the desire.

And about the bases, way I always heard it was the runways go in first, and the enlisted club second. Either way, the Air Force takes care of its people. :-)

[USAFrox]

What did you expect with a bunch of military members from all the different branches being stuck in one room? Well, one thread!!

Interservice poo flinging is always fun as long as we keep it cleanish.

Amen, brother!

[NavyVet1959]

Unless you get a big chicken dinner or a dishonorable...

Maybe even then... I guess it is better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all. I will reserve comment on the DD though since I'm not all that sure how minor of an incident you can be convicted of and still get a DD. I guess I never watched enough JAG. :)

I will admit though that Catherine Bell sure did the Marine uniform proud.

http://www.reocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/5205/cbell-oorah.jpg

[Love Life]

Care to come climb a mountain or jump out of perfectly good aircraft with me there Lovelife? My troops in the Army where very professional about our missions and our jobs...But then again I'm Marine enough to call you out as a boot as well and you'll understand this Field-grade Gunny still remembers where he started.

BS Jr. Talk to the Mrs. Balance your accounts and decide if Active versus Reserves is in your families best interest.

Use of the term boot is no longer authorized...I think. You can, however, say things to me in a nice tone of voice. Don't scare me now as I can report that to the EOO.

Climb a mountain? Sure. When and where. I happen to have some close by for us to use. White Peak or Shasta will suffice.

Jump out of airplanes...no.

Make fun of dog faces and risk bodily harm to myself? Sheeooot, that used to be a normal event until I grew up a little bit. I still make fun of them though, but it is a good natured (and sober) ribbing. Rewind in time it would go something like this: :"What are you Bleep, bleep, bleep, bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep hooahs doing here? Don't matter if there are 10 of you and only 3 of us. You Army bleep, bleep, bleeeeeeeeeeeep, blanket blanks!!" Usually somebody had insinuated that they had intimate knowledge of somebody's mom as well.

Good times. Why there were that many hooahs in the La Mirage I'll never know, and Cpl Patterson didn't really dig too deep when we showed up Monday morning looking a little rough. He did make us run the long way from 6th Marines to the ASP and back though. Totally uncalled for.

It's funny how it all pours out and I swear I could sit here and type for hours about the littlest thing. Like holding your ink pen out in front of you until wanted to cry.

[bruce drake]

Discipline makes your life interesting doesn't it ;)

[Love Life]

Ahhh. Some days I sit back and wish I was PVT Beltbuckle again with nary a care in the world.

[tygar]

Maybe even then... I guess it is better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all. I will reserve comment on the DD though since I'm not all that sure how minor of an incident you can be convicted of and still get a DD. I guess I never watched enough JAG. :)

I will admit though that Catherine Bell sure did the Marine uniform proud.

http://www.reocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/5205/cbell-oorah.jpg

gettin a stiffy just looking at her. nothing like the bams when I was in. i know not politically correct but they can all ES&D

[Love Life]

I'd let her court martial me any day.

[tygar]

I'd let her court martial me any day.

Ok if that's what you want to call it

[Just Duke]

Girls like Marines better than dog faces. Just saying.



Marines also have better looking uniforms, are tougher, girls like them more, .

I'll have to agree with that.

[Just Duke]

Your marriage will suffer greatly. I believe a stint in the armed forces can only help a young man, but once you are married , you have to think of her too. If you have other options, I recommend you don't join the military ranks. The first few years are the hardest on you and your entire family.

I have personally seen entirely too many marriages destroyed by the hardships military couples have had to endure.


I'll have to agree with that.

[Nazgul]

Spent the most significant 7 years of my life as a Marine.

Don

[MUSTANG]

Actually, I've never played golf. Never had the desire.

And about the bases, way I always heard it was the runways go in first, and the enlisted club second. Either way, the Air Force takes care of its people. :-)


I always heard the Air Force prioritized new bases in the following manner: (1) The Golf Course, (2) the "O"-Club, (3) "E"-Club (Yeah they have done away with many of them and created "All Ranks" clubs), (4) the BX (PX for the other services), (5) Base Housing, (6) and if there was enough money they built a runway, if not enough money contact congress for a reload.

On the serious side; I always appreciated the Air Force's Red Horse. They did a lot of good work for me in a variety of places when Marine Engineers or Sea Bees were not available, and those young Airmen appreciated the opportunity to do field work. They seemed to be a highly under utilized asset of the USAF .

[Love Life]

Ok if that's what you want to call it

She has to wear correctly fitted silkies though.

The correct way size silkies: When they feel like the fit right, go down 2 sizes.

[Frank46]

Catherine Bell also looked great in a two piece on JAG. Frank

[NavyVet1959]

Catherine Bell also looked great in a two piece on JAG. Frank

Agreed, but I wasn't sure I could get away with posting some of the other photos without some neo-Puritan calling me a sexist deviant Neanderthal. Never mind the fact that that would be true, like with most sailors of my era and before.

[Bad Water Bill]

Just because I did Boot camp (Great Lakes),prep school Norman Ok (property sold off) and AE school (N A S Jax)in WW2 barracks Then discharged from N A S Sanford,(property sold off) and flew out of N A S Glenview (property sold off) don't make me a neanderthal does it?

Now the list of planes I worked on MIGHT.:bigsmyl2:

[WRideout]

When I was an enlisted medic, on my way to Germany for my second duty assignment, I took leave, to visit the eastern US which I had never seen. While I was at the Trailways bus station in Philadelphia, I happened to meet a Jarhead with one stripe who must have just gotten out of basic training, because he had two duffle bags he was carrying by himself. At that time I had all of two years of military service, but I did understand that we were all in this together, so I offered to help him carry his gear to the next stop; he accepted. I think that is what it's all about, there is something very compelling about working with people whom you may have to trust with your very life someday.

Wayne

[Guesser]

As the old Cheif Petty Officer told me; If the Navy wanted you to have a wife you would have been issued one. Join the service, give it your everything for one enlistment; then decide if it is for you. I did just that, got out full of enthusiasm to set the world on fire.....Fire truck chased me back in the Navy. Made E-6, got married, been married 38 years, retired as E-8. Go for one enlistment, then decide, if not staying Regular then join the Guard or Reserves.
I firmly believe that a minimum of 2 years National Service should be required of everyone.

[Recluse]

The USAF does treat its people pretty good. It has to. You have to score higher on the ASVAB to get in, and why would you want to run off your brightest people?

Two things:

Our team was in a bar on the outskirts of Manila. Some squids and jarheads got to kissing each other with their fists. The rowdiness spilled over and a few punches got inadvertently (read: drunkenly) thrown at the Army blanketheads. Remember--there used to only be a few select members of the military who wore berets.

So now the Army guys jumped in--with absolute glee, I might add--and us Air Force blanketheads hated being left out, so we jumped in to. Difference was, we had our O-6 Pave Low (big giant HH-53 helicopter) driver and the left-seat O-3 officers jumping the fray as well.

We were all having a grand old time and then some local gangsters who ran the bar came in and started throwing punches at the youngest sailors they could find. All four branches of the U.S. fighting machine turned on those Filipina gangsters and stomped one mudhole after another in them, then proceeded to walk those mudholes dry.

As Charlie Daniels stated in his song, In America,, "We may have done some fighting amongst ourselves, but you outside folks best leave us alone."

Secondly,

I never had one Marine, Army or Navy person ever decide they didn't want our help when our team rolled in on the various little pissant battlefields around the world when they needed our forward combat air controllers and Air Rescue Services help.

Once we had them back safe and in one piece and patched up at one of our FOBs, I never, as in never ever, heard anyone bitch about us having too long of a runway, too many golf courses or NCO clubs or that we treated our men too good. ;)

We treated our people good for a reason. Still do, and for the same reason.

:coffee:

[montana_charlie]

Hear, hear!

[Love Life]

The USAF does treat its people pretty good. It has to. You have to score higher on the ASVAB to get in

Probably pretty true.

However, I must raise the BS flag on your 2nd to last statement. The only way a Marine wasn't complaining about something is because he was dead. :kidding:

[tygar]

The USAF does treat its people pretty good. It has to. You have to score higher on the ASVAB to get in, and why would you want to run off your brightest people?

I never had one Marine, Army or Navy person ever decide they didn't want our help when our team rolled in on the various little pissant battlefields around the world when they needed our forward combat air controllers and Air Rescue Services help.

Once we had them back safe and in one piece and patched up at one of our FOBs, I never, as in never ever, heard anyone bitch about us having too long of a runway, too many golf courses or NCO clubs or that we treated our men too good. ;)

We treated our people good for a reason. Still do, and for the same reason.

:coffee:

In 1967 I'm guarding at Marble Mountain, in a sand bag bunker, eating C rats, shting in a hole in the ground, & generally living like crp. Going on patrols in daytime & guard duty at night, getting a few hours sleep a day.

OK this is a no shtr! The AF had a group of guys (don't remember what they were doing or flying) on the other side & the had air conditioned barracks, house maids, hot chow, steak cookouts, beer & generally psd us off. We would either go beg some stuff, beer usually (or steal it) off them & they had enough to give us some.

Well, let me tell you, about then I was thinking I had made a mistake in planning my whole life to join the corps & should have been thinking about the AF. Seriously, if I could have gone back to 1965 when I joined, knowing what I did then, it may have been difficult to make that choice.

But I still would have made the same one.

Every Marine on here knows what I'm talking about, no one else does.

Semper Fi, do or die, one for all, & all for one, we'll be seeing you soon Chesty

sorry don't mean to be so gungy

[Love Life]

Hehehe. My father was career Army and did 22 years in Artillery. My brother joined the Air Force out of High School. When I went to join, My dad told me to join the Air Force. The only time I seriously considered it was when the Marine Recruiter told me he didn't have any infantry slots open, but I could go in supply. I told him to have a nice day and that I was joining the Air Force instead (All the service recruiting stations were right next to each other). It was amazing how he crapped out an infantry slot by the time I made my way to the door. I mean, come on, it was early 2004, we were at war, and you have no infantry slots? Forget that noise.

Of course not long after that I was patrolling Fallujah wishing I was where I was when I wished I was there.

Good times. Good times indeed.

Any service will do you right and it is what you make of it.

[horsesoldier]

I know if I could do it over again I would have become a warrant officer and flown apaches.Or joined the airforce. 9 to 5 job. 20 years would have flown by!

[gbrown]

Just for S**ts and Grins, all you "oldies" name the the 4 KP positions of the Army. I was there and did all of them. Go in the Marines? Great. Great tradition and honor. When you come out, where you at, what kinda training or education did you get? I had students (HS grads) go into the AF and Navy and became flight controllers. Left the service and walked into 60k jobs. Wanna be a grunt, how many of those skills equate to what in the real world? Great experience, great tradition, but where you at in the real world? Just saying, think about it--you want to come out a little later in life with no usable experience or you want the military to give you an education? Your choice. Again, all I can say.

[montana_charlie]

Just for S**ts and Grins, all you "oldies" name the the 4 KP positions of the Army.
I wasn't in the Army, but I did pull KP.
The 'clipper' and 'pots-n-pans' are the only two KP jobs I can remember ... probably because they are the ones I got always assigned to.

CM

[bruce drake]

Well, I have 3 sons and if they asked me which service to join and knowing them, I'd tell them Air Force or Coast Guard. I've served in some units that have given me great pride in the unit and those who made them great, the troops and Marines but I will steer my boys to the services which recognizes troops properly. I wish the Army and the Corps offered Associates of Arts Degrees like the AF. Somehow that is a big plus for that service for their enlisted troops.

Now saying this, I received my first degree in the Marines Corps in 10 years of part-time attendance, they promoted me to Gunnery Sergeant out on the recruiting field but said I was too old for a Commission and too young to stand a board for Master Sergeant for at least 7 more years...
Called the Army...Interservice Transfer within 6 weeks and a trip back to college on the Army's dime to finish a Masters before attending Ordnance Officers Basic Course and finally retired as a Field Grade Officer instructing Future Brigade Commander and General Officers in Public Affairs at Ft. Leavenworth.
Now - Director of Communications for the Indiana Department of The American Legion, Graduate of the Legion's 2013 National College and running full-tilt on another Masters (Public Affairs and Non-Profit Management from Indiana University) courtesy of my Montgomery GI Bill and the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

A person's future is defined by their drive. A service choice just identifies a period in your life. Your actions define that period.

Bruce

[NavyVet1959]

Doing a hitch in a branch of the military will either let you know what you want to do in your life or WHAT YOU DON'T WANT TO DO.

I learned a few things... The main thing with it was that it made me more diligent at my academics when I dropped back into college after getting out of the Navy since I knew that I didn't want to work long hours for crappy wages anymore. The fact that I had seen and done things that these kids that were fresh out of high school could not even dream about also helped. Their social and partying games just did not interest me. In the grand scheme of things, the technical knowledge that I learned in the Navy was not directly in my future career, but the problem solving skills would carry over to debugging other types of problems. I guess it might have influenced my eventual career path -- similar to what might occur if someone who was working as a mechanic, decides to go to school to become an automotive engineer.

[pressonregardless]

Have your wife rub something on that itch & listen to what your Dad thinks.

[NavyVet1959]

Probably pretty true.

However, I must raise the BS flag on your 2nd to last statement. The only way a Marine wasn't complaining about something is because he was dead. :kidding:

As we used to say, "A ******** Sailor (or Marine) is a happy Sailor (or Marine)".

[Dale in Louisiana]

Just for S**ts and Grins, all you "oldies" name the the 4 KP positions of the Army. I was there and did all of them. Go in the Marines? Great. Great tradition and honor. When you come out, where you at, what kinda training or education did you get? I had students (HS grads) go into the AF and Navy and became flight controllers. Left the service and walked into 60k jobs. Wanna be a grunt, how many of those skills equate to what in the real world? Great experience, great tradition, but where you at in the real world? Just saying, think about it--you want to come out a little later in life with no usable experience or you want the military to give you an education? Your choice. Again, all I can say.

Everywhere I went in the army, KP's were DRO (Dining Room Orderly), Pots and pans, side sink and one I can't remember.

dale in Louisiana

[fatnhappy]

well it's officially high flag BS time when someone is bragging about their KP knowledge. KP is like marriage: it's arduous, demanding and after a few hours you just want it to end.

[montana_charlie]

Everywhere I went in the army, KP's were DRO (Dining Room Orderly), Pots and pans, side sink and one I can't remember.
Wasn't it something like 'supply' or something similar?
I seem to remember a lot of lifting and carrying of canned goods cases and pans of frozen meat ...

CM

[Dale in Louisiana]

well it's officially high flag BS time when someone is bragging about their KP knowledge. KP is like marriage: it's arduous, demanding and after a few hours you just want it to end.

No brag, just a reason to make rank as fast as I could to get OUT of KP. Once I made corporal, I was off the list. Didn't miss it a bit. In Korea, we had Korean locals doing the KP thing, and by the time I got to Germany, KP was history.

dale in Louisiana

[gbrown]

well it's officially high flag BS time when someone is bragging about their KP knowledge. KP is like marriage: it's arduous, demanding and after a few hours you just want it to end.

You can call it what you want, bud. I enjoyed KP--2 people you want to make friends with in the Army were the Co. Clerk and the Mess Stewart. Life got a whole lot better. I only did 27 years in--23 years for pay. Came out a Warrant Officer. I got along good. You go along to get along. I was a brevet sergeant (team leader) in basic training. I instructed my troops on the ins and outs of the service, and they were volunteering for extra KP after duty to help clean up the messhall at the end of the day. They brought back plenty of extra grub for hungry 17-19 year olds. BTW, the 4 positions were DRO-Dining Room Orderly, Side Window Man, Side Sink Man(Pots & Pans), and Back Door Man. I served in all of them and never had a problem. Sorry you weren't so successful.

[Love Life]

You want to have a couple friends: mess NCO, Police Sgt, Armorer, Supply NCO, and Company Clerk. You treat those people like gold because they make things happen and hook your men up with stuff.

[NavyVet1959]

You want to have a couple friends: mess NCO, Police Sgt, Armorer, Supply NCO, and Company Clerk. You treat those people like gold because they make things happen and hook your men up with stuff.

I've found that this works whether in the military or civilian life -- there's two ways of getting something done: knowing someone and official channels -- knowing someone always seems to work better.

[Skirmisher]

If you have to ask if the military is for you then you're not ready for that decision in your life's path regardless of your circumstances. From day 1 after you take the oath you will probably be second guessing your decision and that is not conducive to making the best out of it. During my 26 years of Army service, active/reserve Artillery and Infantry, I counseled many young folks about enlisting. For a good number of them I advised against it as I didn't see a commitment.

You've got to treat military service like a job you really want. Anything less just makes you a cow in the herd being pushed from here to there. I do not intend to demean any branch of the military but forget the hoopla of being in one over the other. Go where there are opportunities for advancement and knowledge whether it be technical or combat oriented. Ask yourself what you want to do with the next 3-4 years of your life. Just carrying a rifle or making something out of yourself for the future either as a technician and/or a leader.

[Junior1942]

When I turned 18 I had this bad itch to go and join the marines. The girl I was dying talked me out of it. The last few weeks ive had the itch to go join again.....same girl doesnt want me to, since she is pretty sure I'll get killed. Do you have a high school diploma?

[Bullshop Junior]

Do you have a high school diploma?

Yes. I do.

[starmac]

Next question, does it have your name on it. lol

[Bullshop Junior]

Next question, does it have your name on it. lol

Yes. Lol

[w5pv]

With out taking a poll, I can see that most of the post were by proud cut sea going bell hops,jar heads and grunts that think playing in the wet,cold,hot and dry sand dunes was great.

[Love Life]

With out taking a poll, I can see that most of the post were by proud cut sea going bell hops,jar heads and grunts that think playing in the wet,cold,hot and dry sand dunes was great.

It's been fun. Of course we can add in the bad stuff like the maiming and killing, doing physical activities until your skin is raw and you are dehydrated, being treated like a mentally retarded platypus, missing a lot of 1sts, etc.

Being strong allows us to survive, surviving brings us together.

If you want a piece of that then sign up. If you don't want that or can't hang then seek employment elsewhere.

[tygar]

With out taking a poll, I can see that most of the post were by proud cut sea going bell hops,jar heads and grunts that think playing in the wet,cold,hot and dry sand dunes was great.

Being a MUD MOUSE is the best job in the world

[w5pv]

Proud of all of you, I was regular army and couldn't resist the little jab.

[NVScouter]

You started this by saying you have an itch to enlist but you don't want to get killed.

Nothing is guaranteed in life, kid. You could get killed driving to the recruiting office to talk about it.
You can't use a discussion like this one to make up your mind about joining the military, which pickup to buy, or should you get married.
Nothing said here holds any guarantee of accurately predicting how things will turn out for you.

If you are not willing to make a decision and take what comes, stay away from the military.
If not getting killed is your foremost concern, stay away from the military.
If Amanda is going to be a permanent part of your life, and she says 'no', stay away from the military.

CM

This is perfect.

[horsesoldier]

It's been fun. Of course we can add in the bad stuff like the maiming and killing, doing physical activities until your skin is raw and you are dehydrated, being treated like a mentally retarded platypus, missing a lot of 1sts, etc.

Being strong allows us to survive, surviving brings us together.

If you want a piece of that then sign up. If you don't want that or can't hang then seek employment elsewhere. And love Life wins the internet for this quote.There is much honor in being in America's warrior class.Even though I was in the army as a scout, I was always impressed by the infantry marines I met in Iraq.Now those pesky airwinger marines were a different story altogether

[shdwlkr]

Just curious with the downsizing of the military are they really even taking anyone. I know a young man that is in the pacific right now that the marines are letting out early because of downsizing.

[willie_pete]

An Army grunt stands in the rain with a 35 lb. pack on his back, 15 lb. weapon in hand, after marching 12 miles, and says "God, this is ****."

An Army Airborne grunt stands in the rain with a 45 lb. pack on his back weapon in hand, after jumping from an airplane and marching 18 miles, and says with a smile "God, this is THE ****."

An Army Airborne Ranger lies in the mud, 55 lb. pack on his back, weapon in hand, after jumping from a plane into the swamp and marching 25 miles at night past the enemy, and says with a grin, "God, I LOVE this ****!"

An Army Green Beret, Airborne/Ranger/Pathfinder qualified, kneels up to his nose in the stinking, infested mud of a swamp with a 65 lb. pack on his back and a weapon in both hands after jumping from an airplane into the ocean, swimming 10 miles to the swamp and killing an alligator, then crawling 30 miles through the brush to assault the enemy camp. He says with a passionate snarl, "God, Gimmee Some MORE of this ****!"


An Air Force guy sits in an easy chair in his air-conditioned, carpeted room and says, "The cable's out? What kind of **** is that?!?"

[Ajax]

An Army grunt stands in the rain with a 35 lb. pack on his back, 15 lb. weapon in hand, after marching 12 miles, and says "God, this is ****."

An Army Airborne grunt stands in the rain with a 45 lb. pack on his back weapon in hand, after jumping from an airplane and marching 18 miles, and says with a smile "God, this is THE ****."

An Army Airborne Ranger lies in the mud, 55 lb. pack on his back, weapon in hand, after jumping from a plane into the swamp and marching 25 miles at night past the enemy, and says with a grin, "God, I LOVE this ****!"

An Army Green Beret, Airborne/Ranger/Pathfinder qualified, kneels up to his nose in the stinking, infested mud of a swamp with a 65 lb. pack on his back and a weapon in both hands after jumping from an airplane into the ocean, swimming 10 miles to the swamp and killing an alligator, then crawling 30 miles through the brush to assault the enemy camp. He says with a passionate snarl, "God, Gimmee Some MORE of this ****!"


An Air Force guy sits in an easy chair in his air-conditioned, carpeted room and says, "The cable's out? What kind of **** is that?!?"



BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

Andy