Joining the Military.

[BenRea]

one of my best friends who i have know all my childhood just enlisted in the marines tonight. its sad but at the same time i say good for him because he was getting into drugs and things. i think it was a smart descision for him.

[Caleb]

I don't know much about the marines but I think you have a much better potential to do great things outside of the service. As much as you feel like you need a change, you know that you are a "do-er" and not someone that needs to be told what to do. That's why I think you can stay in the world we know and and love. I'm going to go ahead and be selfish and say that I hope my good friend, Hood, does not enlist. I'd be very scared for you if you did.

But I wish you all the best in your decision.

[Maraxus]

I'd put this in the discussion forum, but I figured more would see here. I expect only serious well made questions/answers/opinions and am looking for different perspectives of the military.

Recently if anyone reads my blogger I've been debating about joining the military. I'm about 90% through my decision to join the Marines. I know there are a couple individuals on this forum who have personally joined into some branch of service. I'm quite interested what experience you all have received and what doors have been opened for you. I'm not only looking for information about the marines, but any other military branch. I know this is a big turning point in my life and the decision to sign myself away will be irreversible. I'll start off with a short summary of the military from my perspective.

- My father is a marine and I've never known much about it. Why ? I don't know why we've never really talked about it. He told me I'd make a good marine and would like me to think about joining the service for years, but he was very light on pushing. He never really pushed actually which I'm somewhat suprised about. I never really considered the military until lately. I worked for a couple years, went to school for a couple years, and now I am here. I want to make a drastic change and get out of this town. I have a decent debt on my shoulders and would like to continue educationally. I also have a feel of being bogged down with my past. I look at the military as a whole new set of doors being opened. Not only for education, but for many other things. Professionalism, physical challenge, mental challenge, self-confidence, discipline, traveling, belonging to something known, and so many other things. Anyways... I'm thinking about joining into an officer program after bootcamp which would allow me to go back and take a bachelors degree and then after that go into training for a specific skilled area. That is where another big question comes in...which skills shall I persue ?

I'd like to hear what all you have to think about joining the military.

I haven't written on Modified for a while, but this question I feel obligated to help you with. I get out of the Marines in four months, then my two tours and four years are complete, I'll take what I learned from the Corps and ask you honestly if you want to do it or not.

First off, I'm infantry out of my own choice so I know the more difficult tasks of the Corps. I understand that your an east coast kicker and play with Brad Nelson alot, in addition you stay in shape and are a pretty decent guy. Therefore I can honestly say that you wouldn't have a tough time physically in the Corps. It's the mental strain that you and everyone else has a hard time enduring. Why? Because the Marine Corps changes you. It changed me, and it's changed everyone I know after they do their four years, deployed or not. Sometimes the mental change comes upon someones personality, other times it's an ignorance factor because you know afterward that you have done so much and just can't respect those who know nothing about your sacrifice. I can say, unlike the other branches the Marine Corps instills pride, discipline, and respect. I know people who have enlisted in other services and just don't have the discipline a Marine does. It is much more difficult to survive in the Corps because you are pushed harder, sleep less, and act more professional because you Have to, all for the same amount of pay as the other services. It takes a different type of person to join, and that's what they look for.

You speak about your father being a marine and never talking to him about it. But when you brought up that you were joining, he didn't push you into it. There's a reason for that. He knows the shit he put up with that sometimes made him want to pull his hair out, and he doesn't want you to go through that too, but knows it will happen if you join. However, I guarentee if you ask him if he regrets it, he will say no. The corps is something that you love and hate. I have met guys here that I would die for and know they would do the same, more then friends and co-workers they really are brothers. I don't believe I would have found quite that in the army infantry because their training is limited and their discipline is questionable.

If money and education is what your after more then anything, don't join. It pays the least as far as bonuses and education go, and it's tough to get college courses through while activated. I've only completed one in my four years. If those bonuses are all you care about, go Air force. If you want to be a marine, be a marine and don't look back. Second guessing yourself never leads to a good experience.

[PegLegHolly]

I'd put this in the discussion forum, but I figured more would see here. I expect only serious well made questions/answers/opinions and am looking for different perspectives of the military.

Recently if anyone reads my blogger I've been debating about joining the military. I'm about 90% through my decision to join the Marines. I know there are a couple individuals on this forum who have personally joined into some branch of service. I'm quite interested what experience you all have received and what doors have been opened for you. I'm not only looking for information about the marines, but any other military branch. I know this is a big turning point in my life and the decision to sign myself away will be irreversible. I'll start off with a short summary of the military from my perspective.

- My father is a marine and I've never known much about it. Why ? I don't know why we've never really talked about it. He told me I'd make a good marine and would like me to think about joining the service for years, but he was very light on pushing. He never really pushed actually which I'm somewhat suprised about. I never really considered the military until lately. I worked for a couple years, went to school for a couple years, and now I am here. I want to make a drastic change and get out of this town. I have a decent debt on my shoulders and would like to continue educationally. I also have a feel of being bogged down with my past. I look at the military as a whole new set of doors being opened. Not only for education, but for many other things. Professionalism, physical challenge, mental challenge, self-confidence, discipline, traveling, belonging to something known, and so many other things. Anyways... I'm thinking about joining into an officer program after bootcamp which would allow me to go back and take a bachelors degree and then after that go into training for a specific skilled area. That is where another big question comes in...which skills shall I persue ?

I'd like to hear what all you have to think about joining the military.

I haven't written on Modified for a while, but this question I feel obligated to help you with. I get out of the Marines in four months, then my two tours and four years are complete, I'll take what I learned from the Corps and ask you honestly if you want to do it or not.

First off, I'm infantry out of my own choice so I know the more difficult tasks of the Corps. I understand that your an east coast kicker and play with Brad Nelson alot, in addition you stay in shape and are a pretty decent guy. Therefore I can honestly say that you wouldn't have a tough time physically in the Corps. It's the mental strain that you and everyone else has a hard time enduring. Why? Because the Marine Corps changes you. It changed me, and it's changed everyone I know after they do their four years, deployed or not. Sometimes the mental change comes upon someones personality, other times it's an ignorance factor because you know afterward that you have done so much and just can't respect those who know nothing about your sacrifice. I can say, unlike the other branches the Marine Corps instills pride, discipline, and respect. I know people who have enlisted in other services and just don't have the discipline a Marine does. It is much more difficult to survive in the Corps because you are pushed harder, sleep less, and act more professional because you Have to, all for the same amount of pay as the other services. It takes a different type of person to join, and that's what they look for.

You speak about your father being a marine and never talking to him about it. But when you brought up that you were joining, he didn't push you into it. There's a reason for that. He knows the shit he put up with that sometimes made him want to pull his hair out, and he doesn't want you to go through that too, but knows it will happen if you join. However, I guarentee if you ask him if he regrets it, he will say no. The corps is something that you love and hate. I have met guys here that I would die for and know they would do the same, more then friends and co-workers they really are brothers. I don't believe I would have found quite that in the army infantry because their training is limited and their discipline is questionable.

If money and education is what your after more then anything, don't join. It pays the least as far as bonuses and education go, and it's tough to get college courses through while activated. I've only completed one in my four years. If those bonuses are all you care about, go Air force. If you want to be a marine, be a marine and don't look back. Second guessing yourself never leads to a good experience.

my twin brother leaves for marine boot camp tomorrow. i personally dont want him to go... but i know that if he does go, then he is going to come out of it mature and strong (physically and in personality). what it boils down to is that im scared for him. either he comes back a better man or hes not coming back at all. the later part of that sentence is what im afraid of. i want him to do what he feels in his heart is right. im scared... i dont want to lose him... cause hes the only twin i have.

[Splint]

I worked for a couple years, went to school for a couple years, and now I am here. I want to make a drastic change and get out of this town. I have a decent debt on my shoulders and would like to continue educationally. I also have a feel of being bogged down with my past. I look at the military as a whole new set of doors being opened. Not only for education, but for many other things. Professionalism, physical challenge, mental challenge, self-confidence, discipline, traveling, belonging to something known, and so many other things.

Congratulations, you are exactly the kind of person the military preys on. Everything you just said is a recruiter's wet dream. Have fun in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and North Korea. Those are just some of the places you will be shipped out to before you get a decent shot at completing your education. You are signing over your life to the marines. I have a friend who was a marine and he was the first one over the line from Kuwait to Iraq. I have a brother who joined the Marines and he's finding out it's not all the things he hoped it would be (same things you hope it will be). I have a regular customer who just came back from Iraq for 5 days and now he's headed back again. With any luck he survives until May when his comission is over.

Here's the bottom line. Don't sign up for the marines for what you want to do. Rather, only sign up for the marines if what you want is to be told what to do. What you want is irrelevant in a time of war. Don't rely on the democrats to stop the war in time to keep you from going and don't rely on the promises of officer school either. They will use you first and then when they don't need you anymore they will let you do the things you want until they need you again. I had another classmate who had to leave school mid-semester because he was being deployed to Iraq. That was over a year ago and I haven't seen him since.