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Army VS. Marines

21K views 75 replies 57 participants last post by  PastJarhead 
#1 ·
I am almost out of school, and i have been plainning on joining the marines since i was a freshman. I did a little research and it almost seems better to join Army because of the possible advanced training. The recruiters dont show up for a few more months and i was wondering if i could have a little help deciding. Other forums have people fighting about who is better and the other sucks, i just want some help from the old folk out there. Thanks for any advice.
 
#4 ·
My oldest joined the Army because it's a family tradition. He's a medic with the 82nd Airbourne.

My pal Zach is going to join the Marines because his Dad was a Recon Sniper.

It's all about what you want out of your experience. Don't just be a grunt, choose a field that interests you and will benefit you after you "get out". I work with young fellers who were in the Army and Marines and they are the hardest workers I know.

Both are good choices and I salute you for wanting to serve your country.

RJ
 
#5 · (Edited)
I faced the same problem. Tradition favored the Marines for me but I chose the Army because I had more choices in job and where I ended up.

recoil junky learn to spell 82nd Airborne and there's nothing wrong with being a grunt!

B 2/325 82nd
IUOE#428
 
#6 ·
What kind of training are you thinking of. Some specialties aren't available in some services and some specialties go to one school together with the other services. for a lot of high tech schools you might want to consider Navy or Air force but unless you know what you are looking for we cant give specific advice.
 
#7 · (Edited)
First, I'd like to congratulate & thank you for your intended service of our great nation! The Marines are a well trained and elite fighting force, without any doubt. This from a career Army soldier. The idea of advanced traing is an important one, however, in today's world. I have no idea of what type trianing you are interested in, but if it might include aviation, on both the maintenence and piloting side, the Army could be a great opportunity for you.

As an example, I joined the Army as a PVT(E1), with no degree. I went to basic training and from there directly to flight school. Within 13 months of my joining the Army, I was a WO1 (Warrant Officer 1) with my wings, and a pilot fully qualified in two of the Army's rotary wing aircraft, then in worldwide usage. That was a wonderful opportunity for me and I feel very lucky to have had it. I could have left the military after a six year commitment, but chose to remain and retired as a CW4. Today, a CW4 on active duty as a pilot (at 20 yrs) would receive approximately $8800/month in pay & benifits, such as housing and food allowance and flight pay. A new WO1 would receive about $4600/month as an aviation Warrant on full flight status.

The Army is the only service today that trains and has pilots with less than a 4 year degree. If you meet the testing & physical requirements necessary to attend the U.S. Army Flight School in Alabama as a Warrant Officer Candidate, I can assure you it is a very intensive, exciting and worthwhile career. If, perhaps the maintenence side of Aviation might be of interest to you, The Army's Aviation Maintenence training is also open to those who qualify through testing and it is also a very intense and intensely satisfying career. This career track is open to junior enlisted members and could propel a diligent, harworking individual to the officer side as well.

OF course, I speak of only a couple of opportunities available, but thought they might be of some interest for your future plans.
 
#8 ·
When I was in the 8th grade read "Battle Cry" about the Marines in WWII and from then on til almost graduation I wanted to be a Marine. Talk to the Army recruiter a month before I gradulated. Army offered me what I wanted and I never regretted it. Spent 24 yrs in Special Forces and still working down range retired. Rank is a bit faster in the Army overall. Determine what skills you want to learn and do the research. If the recruiter offers you something, get it in writing on the enlistment contract or you will not get it. Thanks for stepping up to the plate with the desire to enlist. Good luck and God speed to you.

AIRBORNE!


CD
 
#9 ·
As a marine from third battalion first marines I would have to agree with everyone else it depends on what you want to do. I personally couldn't picture anything but the marine corps for any infantry related mos but outside of that you would have a better bet going army. Rank comes faster they have more schools and facilities and just better standard of living. So what do you want to do in the military?
 
#10 ·
I'm not sure what you mean by advanced training. My father became an electrician by trade and eventually worked on lift trucks for some 45 years (primarily Raymond) thanks to the Marine corp. I've known people who got into construction thanks the the Navy's Seabees. There are countless examples that I can rattle off. If you are thinking about "free" trade education your answer should lay within what you think you will do for the rest of your life afterwards. Hopefully you'll also talk to recruiters from the other three branches for that reason.

I hope you find your answer within yourself soon. Good luck.
 
#11 ·
Thank you for joining-somewhere.

A word of caution-to all considering joining-or your grandkids considering--

Whatever that recruiter promises mut be in WRITING.. The last couple lines or so, of the enlistment agreement says something to the effect of "all verbal agreements are null and void"...

Have you every considered an appointment to one of the Academies?? Your grand kids?? Why not??

It is not as hard to get an appointment as you might imagine.

Would you like to go to the govt medical school?? Get paid for going??

Check out Uniformed Services University-Bethesda, MD. Will cost you 8-10 yrs of military service. A top notch medical degree.. No appointment necessary.. Fair grades needed.
 
#12 ·
I too wish to thank you for your willingness to serve. As a 20 year vet and counting, let me echo some of the sentiments already posted here. It really doesnt matter which service you join, what matters is what you want to accomplish. If I had to do it all over again, I would have joined the Marines or I would have joined the infantry in the army with a guarantee of going to jump school and Ranger School then being assigned to an Airborne unit (82nd or 25th Inf in Alaska). The Marines are a proud bunch of folks and they are the first to try and "punk" out other services but it is all in good fun, because when the bullets fly we are all the same color "RED, WHITE and BLUE". I recall talking to a Marine who served in the battle for Fallugah in 2004. He was a cocky sort of fellow but in a moment of humble reflection he told me, "man, it was great seeing those Abrams and Bradleys show up with your battalion". So make your choice on what you have to offer, what you expect and when it is all over what you want to take away from the experience. If it is the infantry, great if it is support that is equally as important. But in the end I would have joined the Marines if support was what I wanted to do and learn a skill. The Marines have good tech schools, dont let anyone tell you differently. Oh and as one poster stressed, you make sure everything that d@mned recruiter promises you is in the contract or walk away, no matter how crappy he makes you feel or tries to lay a guilt trip on you, it is your time, sweat and God forbid your blood, so you get what you want or do an about face and get the **** out of the recruiting station. Good Luck

CW3 Church
 
#13 ·
Good for you for wanting to serve. I've been in the Army for 20 years and will be retiring soon. My dad was a Viet Nam vet in the Air Force. His best friend is a Marine Viet Nam vet. One of my GFs was WW II Navy and the other WW II Army. I think they are all great organizations. Your choice must be based on your goals. If you want to be straight infantry, the Marines are awesome. If you want to be Airborne or Armor, I'd go Army. What type of MOS are you seeking?
 
#14 ·
If you get signed up for a school be sure to ask what happens if you don't pass that school..... My Buddy was in the Navy nuke school for a long time and was 2 classes from finishing but didn't make the cut on 3rd to last class and got stuck as an in-flight technician or something. He was not happy.
 
#15 ·
TnHunter and Combat Driver both offer some very well informed and sound advice. Even if I thought I could say it better I still wouldn't try after reading their post's. Just curious, are you about finished with college or high school ? All the advice on getting it in writing is SPOT ON !! My sister-n-law joined the Air Force back in the mid 80's and went in as a 1st LT and was promised a promotion at 6 months to 2nd LT. There were numerous other promises she got verbally and none were written and none came true. So PLEASE PLEASE get it all in writing if you have too. I should have started this post with a HUGE THANK YOU but will do so now, we all thank you for all of the sacrifices you will make on this journey. Good luck to you and GOD BLESS YOU !!:)
 
#16 ·
I work with guys who were in the various services. We have good natured fun at each other's expense then gang up on the Air Force guys....:D

In all seriousness, I have a lot of respect for anyone who serves regardless of branch. When I joined, I chose the Army (spoke to the Marines) but ultimately got what I was looking for with the Army which was the GI Bill and College Fund. Paid for my college with it and look back as one of the best decisions I ever made. There is something in any branch so think about what you want to do or may want to do as a career and see what each can do for you. Don't let a recruiter tell you you can't do something because of a quota in a certain MOS because some will. If you get what you're looking for, make sure you get it in writing.
 
#17 ·
I've never regretted my decision for one moment even when the chips were down. The bond of friendship I made (some of them even Navy and Air Force, lol) unshakable. That being said I did not go in deciding I was going to make it a career. Use it, get a skill either service will demand nothing less than your full attention and it will be what you make it. My hat is off to you and good luck in your quest.

GF
 
#18 ·
As a retired Army Infantry Vet, the advice I can offer is to consider what MOS (military occupational specialty) you want and where on the planet you want to serve. The Marines have bases in places the Army doesn't and they have duty on board ships. The Army probably has more MOS's to offer and more bases in more (but not all the same) places. Some of the places the Marines have stations, the available slots are very limited (such as in Europe).
I hope I have helped you make a decision.
Good luck and gods speed,

Kudu40
 
#19 ·
Coming from a medically retired Air Force guy with LOTs of friends in both the Marines and the Army. You need to find what kind of CAREER you want to have. I believe the Army has more options as far as career fields go. Make sure you do your research on all of the services and make your decision based upon FACTS because opinions are like @ssholes, everybody's got one and that all stink. My dad is prior service Navy and he made my recruiter come to my house to have a "chat" and if you have a family member that can do that, I'd ask them to help you out when you do make your decision. Good luck and stay out of trouble!
 
#20 ·
I joint the others in appreciating your decision to serve your country. Every service branch has a proud history, and if your attitude is right, you can't go wrong in any of them. Here's a couple of things that I think are important.

1. When evaluating the advice given by us "old timers", keep in mind that what we saw may not be accurate any more since so much has changed.

2. If you don't already have a family or dependents, staying single gives you a much simpler ride, and let's you choose your opportunities with less distraction.

3. Wherever you go, the services are looking for leaders, and if you stay clean and serious you will be able to choose from a lot of really good skill and character-building opportunities.

4. One of the most important aspects of military service is the chance to find out who you are and how you stack up against the rest. The average high schooler does not know where they want to go or how the world works, finding out will affect your future life very much.

Best of luck in your journey, Neil
 
#22 ·
I am a retired Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant (E9). I spent thirty years on active duty, 11 years as a paratrooper , 4 years as a Recruiter and 15 years as an aircrewman. All of the services have advanced schools. I joined in 1961 and I went to Army Schools, Marine Corps schools, Navy schools and Air Force schools. The Military schooling system was consolidated in the 1970's. Each service has its own area of training and share these schools with other services. As a Marine I attended Army jump school at Fort Benning and Rigger school at Ft Lee. I went through Navy Hazardous Cargo school, and I went through Air Force Loadmaster schools (basic and advanced.) I went through many Marine schools including recruiter and Instructional Management (both Instructor and advanced Management .

The amount of technical schools you will get depends on your ASVAB scores and later screening tests, not the branch of service. They all share the same schools! Advanced training will depend on your intelligence and your job performance.

You could go to the Air Force and end up a fuel truck driver or go to the Marine Corps and end up as a paratrooper or an Aircrewman in helicopters or KC-130s as I did. Or it could be vice versa. Talk to the recruiters and go with the service that will guarantee the best entry schooling. It will vary by the recruiting cycle and the availability of class seats at the time you enlist.
 
#23 ·
I'm a retired Navy SCPO. My son was Army Airborne. My Grandson just graduated from Marine boot camp at Parris Island.

In addition to what everybody else said (and I agree with everything I've seen so far) I'll just add three comments.

1. For enlisted, EVERYTHING depends upon your ASVAB score. Study for it. There are study guides out there, use them.

2. Every single decision made by the Service of your choice will be predicated first on the Needs Of The Service. What you want will come second.

3. The days of "I couldn't do anything else so I joined the Service" are over. They have more applicants than positions. THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES!. Expect to wait for an opening. Have a squeaky clean record, good academics and stay focused on your goal. Work with your recruiter to prepare yourself for boot camp and service life.

My grandson waited 6 months for an opening and worked with his recruiter every week on military-related academics and physical conditioning.

As with most things worth doing, you'll get out of it exactly what you put into it.
 
#24 ·
As a passionate Australian I believe that all military personel, men and women and police and paramedics are the real heros in this dangerous world we live,and I will sing there praises. My thoughts go out to you guys who are serving overseas. May God grant you all a safe road home. Yellowboy.
 
#25 ·
You go0t a lot of good advise from the guys here. One of my nephews went into the Air Force reserves and got training for working on the aircarft his unit flew. he spent a few years on active duty in thereserve and got to spend a couple of months in Germany to relieve guys coming home for Xmas leave. He and some buddies got to go over to Paris while they were there and he went to see The Luvve(SPELLING?). He also did a 2 month tour in Quatarr reliving guys comiong home for leave. He's off active duty now and was able to get a desent job in this rotten economy because of his Air Force training.
 
#26 ·
CLazyR,

Let me join in those that have offered their appreciation for your decision to serve our great nation. I was army, and had the good (and bad) fortune to serve as a general's aide de camp as a 1LT. From there I was exposed to all of the services, including their enlisted, warrant officers, and commissioned officers. All have positives and negatives. If I wanted to go in as a pilot, and I didn't have aspirations for a 4-year degree, as some have already pointed out, warrant officer in the army is the way to go (they also fly a LOT more than the aviation commissioned officers). As far as marine vs. army, the biggest difference I saw was the amount of training distractions and mission focus (I was infantry--a.k.a. "grunt"). The marines were protected from some of the BS police actions we had to support in the army during the clinton years, and were able to pass off a lot of the mundane base support ops to their navy brethren. As far as training goes, I'm sure the Army, Navy, and Air Force probably all outshine the Marine corps in skilled labor training, because they are more self-sufficient from a strategic standpoint. However, from an operational standpoint, the Marines probably get my vote from a combat arms perspective, because as I said before, they have a more well-defined mission, and the department of the navy frowns on anyone taking them away from that--otherwise they would start losing the argument that the marine corps should be funded separately by congress (which they are).

I know that probably doesn't do anything but confuse you more, but let me add this. Don't discount the value of leadership. Both the Army and the Marine Corps to a great job of training one and even two levels up from whatever your job is at any given time. Nothing beats being at the tip of the spear, and you'll find that in most cases, the best leaders are the combat arms leaders. My advice would be to get a ranger contract in the army if you really want to work with a well-oiled machine and learn how to lead. That's a skill that you can't learn as well anywhere else but the Army and Marine Corps. Best of luck, and God bless.

Deck
 
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