Joining the Military

[khrolix]

I've been thinking of joining the military for some while now and just wanted to know if anyone has already served and would like to share their experiences. Any response would be appreciated.

[RyanLRams]

You had better join the Marine Corp. Semper Fi!

[khrolix]

Why the marine corp.

[RyanLRams]

Really, it's up to you. The most important thing you have to ask yourself is this, why? Why are you joining the military? Each branch is a little different. Personally, I would join the Marine Corps because when I think of a Marine, I think he is one badass mofo. The values Marines follow are values I follow in my life. Honor. Courage. Pride. Once a Marine, always a Marine. It's a lifestyle the becomes you and you become it. You're IN the Army. You're IN the Navy. You're IN the Air Force. You ARE A Marine. Simply put, IMO, Marines are the best. They demand the best of you and accept nothing less. Had I not screwed up my knee when I was younger, I would have gone in.

Army. My brother was in the Army for 4 years. It is more like a job with rank, but without the respect. Given, he went in for satelite communications and within six months from being discharged, he makes $150,000 a year.

Navy. Hope you like to be gone six months a year on a boat with a bunch of men. Nuff said.

Air Force. Again, like a regular job. But I'm sure you can learn skills that you can take into the civilian afterlife and make a decent living.

Why do you want to join?

[RyanLRams]

Oh yea, I think the Marines have the best looking uniforms. Those dress blues with the red stripe are sick. If you have a college degree, the officer uniform is pretty nice too. Same with Navy officer.

[khrolix]

Originally Posted by RyanLRams

Why do you want to join?

I wanted to get away for a while and come back with some money for school.

[RyanLRams]

The GI Bill is pretty great.

[MindFreak]

Originally Posted by RyanLRams

Really, it's up to you. The most important thing you have to ask yourself is this, why? Why are you joining the military? Each branch is a little different. Personally, I would join the Marine Corps because when I think of a Marine, I think he is one badass mofo. The values Marines follow are values I follow in my life. Honor. Courage. Pride. Once a Marine, always a Marine. It's a lifestyle the becomes you and you become it. You're IN the Army. You're IN the Navy. You're IN the Air Force. You ARE A Marine. Simply put, IMO, Marines are the best. They demand the best of you and accept nothing less. Had I not screwed up my knee when I was younger, I would have gone in.

Army. My brother was in the Army for 4 years. It is more like a job with rank, but without the respect. Given, he went in for satelite communications and within six months from being discharged, he makes $150,000 a year.

Navy. Hope you like to be gone six months a year on a boat with a bunch of men. Nuff said.

Air Force. Again, like a regular job. But I'm sure you can learn skills that you can take into the civilian afterlife and make a decent living.

Why do you want to join?

i agree with the comments about the marines. i highly respect them. about the navy you are not entirely correct. you usually arent out at sea for 6 months straight. you may be gone from the US for 6 months but they stop at some pretty awesome places. if you want to see the world for free the navy is definetly the best branch for that. also the navy has many job where you can learn HIGHLY technical skills that translate to high paying jobs in the civilian world.

really any branch will really be a great choice. one that will certainly change your life for the better. and if Barrack Hussian Obama becomes president you wont have to worry about being in combat because he is going to surrender to al queda like a coward.

[wweforme]

I can speak from my experience. First off, the Marines are part of the Navy and some Marines do have to travel on ships to get where they have to go. So, in most cases you will have to be on a ship at some point. I was in the Navy for 7 years and worked in the Operations Department. We were out at sea 8 months out of the year but I saw some amazing places and met great people and there are women on the ship. I worked with radar and navigation. I really think that no matter what branch you decide to enlist in you will be respected and VA and GI Bill benefits do rule when you get out. I got state grants that paid for college and pocketed the GI Bill. Now I am working on a graduate degree that is being paid for by the state just for being a veteran. Good luck to you.

[friartiger03]

I havent been on here in a while, or even posted anything in years. But I HAVE to post on this thread.

First off, let me establish my credentials. I am a Marine, going on one year in June. I also have a bachelors degree. Let me tell you a little about the Marines.

Whats the first thing people think of when Marine comes to mind? Full Metal Jacket, going to war, fighting your whole life, and dying in battle. Am I right? Thats what I always thought about the Marines when i was younger and didnt know any better. The fact is, the Marines are the ONLY branch that utilize the air, land, and sea. Majority of the Marine Corps deals with aviation in some way (surprising huh?) whether its an aircraft mechanic or a pilot. We fly the AV8-B Harriers VTOL and F-18 Hornet, gonna get the F-22 Raptor soon, Cobra Attack Chopper and a crapload of other helicopters. That covers the air.

On land, we have the down and dirty infantry. The grunts. The backbone of the Marine Corps. Simply speaking, every other job in the Marine Corps supports the infantry. Thats the truth. Battles are won on the ground, house to house, building to building. I am an infantry rifleman, and its awesome. If youre into pain, getting dirty, firing 1000s of rounds down range, and getting up close and personal with the enemy, this is the job for you. If you are not infantry, we call you a POG (pronounced like rogue) which means Person Other than a Grunt. Im telling you, even though we are all Marines, if you are infantry and walk by a POG you can tell they know you are a badass. That covers the land.

On sea, we piggyback with the Navy. In fact, we are in the department of the Navy. The "men's department of the Navy" as we like to say. We go on Floats, where you spend around 6-8 months on a ship and go to numerous places and train if you are a part of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). For example, a WestPac Float takes you to Japan, Phillipines, Thailand, Guam, and so many other places and you pretty train. Its awesome. Never been on one, but a few of my friends are on one now and they love it. We are also amphibious, meaning we can attack from the sea if we needed to. That covers the sea.

I can go on and on about the Marines, but I cant stress enough the brotherhood that you experience. From boot camp, the bonds begin. Its almost like being in a gang, or a cult. Its freakin crazy. Im telling you bro, I would do anything for another Marine, and they would do the same. And we are proud to be Marines. If I walk by another Marine, we would greet eachother even if we have never met. Maybe a "Semper Fi Brother" or OORAH! and thats it. I have never seen an soldier, sailor, or airman do that. I have also had conversations with alot of retired Marines who are like 50 or 60. We talk about what unit they were in, what they did, just anything about the Corps. Once a Marine always a Marine stands true to this day.

I gotta go right now but Ill tell you a little more later.

[khrolix]

thank you for that post. I consider joining more and more everyday. The only thing that i worry about is if i can keep up endurance wise; I've never been the best distance runner but I've been trying to run as much as possible lately--my goal right now is to be able to run 5 miles without stopping or slowing down, its something that will take me some time.

[RyanLRams]

They will help you to build that endurance. You don't have to run 5 miles from day one.

[Gill]

When you go to enlist, your recruiter will have you attend workout sessions with other recruits led by him/herself. They make sure you can pass all of the PT requirements prior to you shipping off to boot. If you can't pass boot, you're wasting their time and money.

I have a warm spot for the Marines as well, but for unusual reasons (although those are there as well). At my 21st birthday I was bar-hopping with a group of friends. We were at one bar for awhile when a group of 7 or 8 guys came in together. You could tell they knew how to kick ass and chew bubblegum. Heads shaved or closely buzzed, tats and the characteristic marine body frame. I figured they were probably going to be obnoxious but damn if I wasn't wrong.

After being there about 25 minutes one of them came up to me and asked if it was my 21st. I said yes and he asked me to follow him. Went up to the bar with him where all his buddies were waiting. They had a drink prepared that they called IEDs (obviously playing off of Improvised Explosive Device).

It was Bicardi 151, Jager, and Goldschlager in a class. You take a shot of Tequila and drop it in the class and then chug. After the burn wears off if you haven't puked, you yell BAM! So we slammed the drink together and all yelled bam. Afterwards I thanked them graciously and asked about what they do. They had just gotten back from two back to back tours. One in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.

I was floored. They fight for our country sacrificing two years of their lives, not to mention the possibility they might be killed, come back home and buy some random kid a shot for his birthday? I should of been buying them shots.

Anyways, ever since then, I approach most people I see in uniform and give them a short thank you for what they do.

[lee thompson]

anyone who is thinking of joining up gets my blessing,our armed forces do a sterling job and once again we are fighting alongside our american friends in iraq and afghanistan.

[friartiger03]

OK Im back. Now where did I leave off?

Let me tell you about boot camp. Air Force is 6 weeks. Army is 8 weeks. I think the Navy is around 8 weeks too. The Marines have 13 weeks. Yes 13. We have no liberty on the weekends. You get to make one, maybe 2 phone calls....one when you get there, and maybe one before you graduate. You are given 8 hours of sleep every night, unless you have fire watch, then its cut down to 7 or even 6. Trust me, 8 hours seems like enough, but you get worn out so much it feels like you just take a nap every night. You sleep every night at 9, wake up at 5. You learn to take a crap at night because during the day....good luck trying to find the time to do anything except take a piss. You are constantly on the move, always doing something. If for some reason there is nothing to do, the Drill Instructors will find something for you to do, and it wont be fun. They could have you dump out your footlockers, run back and forth around the barracks, or my favorite, have everyone get out something that everyone has the same of (like shirts, boots, or blankets) and make a big pile of it in the middle of the barracks, then give everyone a ridiculous amount of time, usually ten seconds, for everyone to get all their stuff back. HAHAHA those were good times. You'll see people end up with like a size 6 and a size 11 boot trying to put them on and hide it from the Drill Instructor. Some fun stuff.

To me, boot camp was not all that hard. I read you are not a good distance runner. Dont worry about that. Im a good example. Before boot camp, I couldnt run worth a damn. I could run probably run a half mile before I started breathing heavily and then started walking. And to top it off, I got shin splints frequently. People thought I was crazy for joining the Marines because they knew how "good" of a runner I was. I remember before going to boot camp my 1.5 mile time was like 15 minutes. PATHETIC! You have to do it in under 12:30 at boot camp. So when i got to boot camp and had to take the initial strength test (IST) I did like 12 pullups, and 70 some crunches, passing those two. For the run, it felt like i was running for an eternity. But I knew if i didnt pass the run time, I would be sent to PCP (physical conditioning platoon) and held back until i can pass the IST. Trust me, theres no better motivation than not wanting to stay in boot camp longer than you have to. I passed just barely with a 12:10 time.

As long as you can pass the initial strength test, which do 3 pullups, 45 crunches in 2 minutes, and run 1.5 miles in under 12:30 youll do fine. The Marines will break you down and build you up. Trust me, by the end of boot camp, running will be easy for you. For your final PFT, you are required to run 3 miles in under 28 minutes. WIth all the hiking and running you do prior, your legs and lungs will be so strong 3 miles would be a walk in the park. I lost 20 pounds in boot camp. I went in at 180, came out at 159. I had to throw away all my old clothes because they were too big on me. I went from a size 36 to size 32, and a large to a medium. The transformation is not only physical, but mental. I didnt know I could push myself so far until I was put in a position to do so. It almost like you are brainwashed to confident in everything. Confident to the point you are borderline cocky. Dont ever tell a Marine theres something he cant do, because he will find a way to get it done.

If there are any questions you want me to answer about the Marines, fell free to ask. Theres nothing I enjoy more than telling people how great the Marine Corps is.

[khrolix]

I've always had a thing for pushing myself to the limit, and I feel like joining is not out of reach; its just the mentality of my parents towards joining--no one will support my decision so its difficult to make the go and just join.

[NoVa Dude]

Whichever branch you choose, you are to be commended for making the committment. Many vets (as well as active duty) will extol the values and virtues of their respective branch, but it's to be expected. Nothing against the Marines, Army, or Air Force, but I served in the Navy in the mid to late-80's, and I'd do it all over again if I could.

Speaking strictly USN, even though boot camp isn't as intense as USMC basic training, it's still rigorous. I grew up immensely in my first 6 months in, especially in the 8 weeks of boot camp. I got to visit some great ports (PI for one, for any old salts out there), and made some great buddies. And I'll always be proud of the moniker "Navy Veteran" that will follow me the rest of my life.

My proudest moment is when my nephew decided to join the Navy 5 years ago because of all the stories I told him. He re-enlisted last year, and is well on his way to a very successful career there.

[bane411]

Well all I can say is you gotta think it through. Look at other options, apply for scholarships. Schooling is the biggest, im in the Marines right now stationed in Okinawa, Japan. The way **** is going down now, I dont know what to tell people. Am i proud of beings a Marine? you better believe it, find me one marine that isnt. you cant, marines is all about pride of knowing your the best this country has to offer. However, our government and economy these days is terrible, people in politics make me wonder why im wearing this uniform. Gas prices, stupid **** happening with Korea and China, and now Russia? Gimme a break, the war we are in now is pointless to begin with. Our job is done, we did what we had to do, now why are we still there? As for the military as in way of life, 90% is good, the other 10% get prepared to be F***** up the rear by your superiors. Its just part of the job, as with any other job. Physical fitness aspect, the Marines is at the top of Physical Fitness, probably the only branch that still has high standards of fitness. Bootcamp is torturous, but once you finally graduate, you will be in the best mental and physical shape of your life. Bodybuilding wise, you will go in the hole...dont expect to lift weights seriously for anywhere from 6-8+ months. Bottom line is this, dont follow or listen to anyone, listen to yourself. That way when your standing on the yellow footprints in Parris Island, you have noone to blame but yourself haha :-P. If you want anymore down to earth advice, PM me...or just comment this

[khrolix]

Joining is really a last option for me, I'm not joining to fight for a cause, because right now there really isn't one unless your doing it for family honor, or yourself--its a school thing for me. I'm looking at other options as you mentioned to do, but I will always have this in the back of my mind. Thanks for all the replies.

Man I wouldn't mind the s*** conditions and bootcamp, but to stop lifting for 6-8 months would be a b*****.

[bane411]

haha when your at parris island bodybuilding is the last thing you think about...but it does piss you off as you see yourself get smaller. However, everyone is different, some people gain weight and muscle at bootcamp, but most previous bodybuilders/weightlifters lose weight/strength. I went from 165 to 140 in 3 months at parris island, went down in June, worst months to go is summer, you'll sweat so much you wont know what to do with yourself haha. But seriously, the Marines do offer you educational benefits unlike what most people say, they do help out immensely. But if your looking for an education, check out the Air Force/Navy. Id go air force if I were you, navy....eh, other then corpsman and the fact that both grandfathers of mine were navy, Sailors are....well ill just stop there hehe (much love tho guys, you know we just play). All i can say is do your RESEARCH...do not agree or commit to anything, ask questions, get opinions, get ANSWERS. Verify answers with otehr sources, jsut as if you were asking questions about a new supplement, u need verification and sources. Get everything on paper, promises are broken. Im done with this convo, if you have any questions pertaining to the USMC and bootcamp and the fleet marine force, PM me.