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and if so what branch and why, I'm currently thinking of joining the marines.

Spent about 4 years in the Cadets, and resisted every attempt they tried to persuade me to join the real deal.

Join the Machine? Not this kid.

I ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AT 18... DIDN'T SHIP
I ENLISTED IN THE MARINES AT 23... DIDN'T SHIP
ROTC WHILE IN UNIVIERSITY.
I WAS RECRUITED AS AN OFFICER FOR THE NAVY AND MARINES AFTER COLLEGE... I DIDN'T SHIP

I'VE CONVINCED AT LEAST 4 OF MY FRIENDS TO JOIN THE MILITARY AND MOST OF MY CLOSE FRIENDS HAVE SERVED.

Did they train you to use CAPSLOCK when you were in the military?

I've never considered it, not seriously. I wouldn't make a very good soldier. If my country came under attack in a serious way, I'd join, but I'd probably be most useful in a non combat role.

I joined the Air Force at 17, and so far its been great. The USMC looks cool on paper until you see just how much BS they have to put up with. Their leadership seriously treats them like crap. Its up to you though.

I'd say go Air Force. We have the best quality of life, better morale, and more career fields that transition well into the civilian sector. And if you want to shoot and blow things up we still have Special Tactics units and Security Forces who deploy all the time.

Enlisted in the Marines when I was 17, spent a year in DEP. Shipped to Boot 3 days after I graduated HS. MOS 0861
Lot of crappy times, far far far more good times.
I have no regrets about my service, it was a wonderful experiance.

Joining is mandatory in Greece, but events out of my control led me to Canada. I guess i would apply to join as a last resort.

Corvus wrote: The USMC looks cool on paper until you see just how much BS they have to put up with. Their leadership seriously treats them like crap. Its up to you though.
quote]

See, we just say your leadership babies you, treats you like civilians in uniform.
It is your choice though. Figure out what you want to do in terms of military occupation and plan accordingly.

Corvus wrote:Everything you'll ever want to do looks cool on paper until you see just how much BS they have to put up with.

Fix'd

The real question is: Why do you want to join the military, and what do you want to do.

The military can be great as a springboard to something else. Make sure you get into a MOS you want to do and can have a future outside of the military. If you decide to stay in it doesn't really matter what you started out in.

You get out of it, what you put in.

Motivation and your personal state of mind will make or break it for you.

If you want to work for the government or in law enforcement it can really be a boon.

^^^^ This +1000

firmlog wrote:
If you want to work for the government or in law enforcement it can really be a boon.

That's me here.

To play devil's advocate a bit, I've had several friends and family serve and a lot of them feel that it delayed the start of their "real" life dramatically. They feel as though they're playing catch-up and are a bit miffed to be pushing 30 and in college. I also have yet to see "4 years and done" - they either re-enlist or were stop-lossed.

To play the other side, despite some of them griping about delaying life and starting college late, it also gave them the discipline and strength of character needed to be successful in college/career. Nothing beats maturity into you like service.

It's great for some people, not great for others. If you're at all interested in seeing the world at an age you can enjoy it it's practically the only way to go (short of mommy's and daddy's with deep pockets).

I didn't serve myself, although it was a very close thing. Scholarships won out over the recruiter. Sometimes I regret not enlisting very much, but then again, I would have been about a year in or so when 9/11 happened, so that tempers things a bit. I have a lot of respect for the folks that have gone over, but I think you'd have to be a bit off your rocker to *want* to be over there, especially with family in the picture.

Oh, that's another thing. Enlisting will have a dramatic effect on your family life. Lotta friends got married and had kids in the service, but they missed most of the younger years.

Enlisting is a decision weightier than 99% of your other decisions in life. The only comparable one I can think of is having kids (even marriage you can get out of somewhat unscathed).

I've considered it. I'm slightly overweight at the moment, but that's easy to work off and the reserves are always an option if I can't get a good income flowing.

Might help get me into university as well. Apparently the ADF helps pay for degrees.

I thought about it for a long time. Then one day I woke up and said "I don't want to die!"

I was in the army reserves (sort of like a national guard) back when I was 18/19.

Infantry sucked, primarily because I can't stand the heat and our area of deployment is in Cape York and when we'd go there it was mid 30's and humid as all buggery.

Navy would be interesting but a long time at sea picking up illegal immigrants isn't all that exciting for the Australian navy ATM.

Air Force.
No chance of pilot... so no thanks.

Artillery would be alright... sit back and shoot things dozens of kilometers away.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
If I was US and young I'd go marines.

Discipline, good equipment, see the world.

My dad's trying to convince me to join the reserves of one of the branches, or join the Seebees or the Air Force Engineering Corps.
I don't really think service in the military is for me.

More like follow my families foot steps, border patrol/police force.

In highschool I wanted to join the Army or the Airforce. I wanted to drive a tank or fly a plane. Then the Iraq war came around and I realized I didn't want to fight for a cause I didn't believe in. Now here I am. If north korea nukes someone I may well sign up, but I wasn't gonna fight bushes war.

^

That's why I didn't sign up to be enrolled next year. I also am not exactly in shape either.

However Shuma I think if North Korea nuked you guys, they would be as good as dead.

Shadowbrand wrote:^

That's why I didn't sign up to be enrolled next year. I also am not exactly in shape either.

However Shuma I think if North Korea nuked you guys, they would be as good as dead.

North Korea can't physically nuke us without putting it on a boat and sending it over. South Korea and Japan are the ones in actual danger.

When I was single, a long time ago, I thought about all the married guys that were putting themselves in harm's way while I sat fat and safe at home.
I called bs on that noise and signed up with the Marines for 4 years.
I originally was looking at the Navy but as I paged through a Navy brochure in the recruiter's office I happened across a picture of a Marine artillery unit. I realized then that I was in the wrong recruiting office and walked across the hall to the Marines.

Corvus wrote:I joined the Air Force at 17, and so far its been great. The USMC looks cool on paper until you see just how much BS they have to put up with. Their leadership seriously treats them like crap. Its up to you though.

I'd say go Air Force. We have the best quality of life, better morale, and more career fields that transition well into the civilian sector. And if you want to shoot and blow things up we still have Special Tactics units and Security Forces who deploy all the time.

The Chair Force is awesome, my wife's an officer in it.

Think about it all the time, since in all my life, I've never really found a carreer that I actually care about (learning for process operator at the moment but it's kind of boring).

I'd probably be going for combat engineer.

Perhaps the navy...

chowderhead13 wrote:Perhaps the navy...

I can't resist...

I thought very seriously about the Navy when I was in HS until the Panama invasion and then the first Gulf War.

I decided not to join not out of fear of dying but fear of killing. Sure someday I may need to kill, sometimes it's even acceptable but if you join you give up the right to decide for yourself if or when you will kill.

And I couldn't do that.

I considered joining after high school, and again after college; both times looking at military intelligence. Ultimately I chose college and graduate school for the broader spectrum of desirable career opportunities they offered.

1-UP wrote:
It's great for some people, not great for others. If you're at all interested in seeing the world at an age you can enjoy it it's practically the only way to go (short of mommy's and daddy's with deep pockets).

The Peace Corps is another good vehicle for that.

Kid_Kyoto wrote:I decided not to join not out of fear of dying but fear of killing. Sure someday I may need to kill, sometimes it's even acceptable but if you join you give up the right to decide for yourself if or when you will kill.

And I couldn't do that.

You haven't killed anyone?!

My fantasy image of you is crushed!

You might ask mattyrm. I believe he has considered joining up.