Infantry or Airwing?

[Celeb92389]

I'm enlisting into the Marines because I want to be apart of something bigger than myself that will give me structure and gain valuable life lessons that will make me into the best person I can possible be. I want infantry because i've never felt like i've been the superior or someone people look up to. I want to earn that respect that makes civilians and other Marines to look upon me. School/Sports have always come natural to me but I never put my full effort into any of them. I want to join a brotherhood and have a life changing experience. On the other hand right now I'm in-confident in myself just going through highschool so I ask myself how would I ever handle myself in the infantry? Does recruit training really make you into the that generic portrayal of a Marine? My passion is music I'm a well known DJ around my area and would hate to not have time to spin on my free time. Do you have any free time as a infantryman? My other option I'm looking it as Crew Chief. I think the ideal of being in a helicopter going through Afghanistan's mountain terrain and just have the opportunity to be a leader would be exhilarating. I think the ideal of waking up to go on a gunrun sounds like a pretty good gig. Then again even thinking about taking down a full fled city of insurgents gives me chills. The whole grunt vs pog thing really does get to me though. Not in the way of making me self-conscience of what a pog does. But what I could be missing out on if I decide to go the pog route. 30 years from now I rather tell my grandchild I was a infantryman rather than a crewchief. I feel I would enjoy myself as crewchief more than I would a grunt but I feel like I'm not chasing my true intentions if I don't go infantry. Please no disrespect, the only Marine I know is my recruiter and I know nobody can make my decision for me but anyone who maybe was in a position similar to mine can offer me advice? Thanks

-Branden

[AAV Crewchief]

Been watching a lot of TV have you? Being an aircrew member is not "pog" so your comparison is invalid.

[03Mike]

Branden - a couple of thoughts to help you get things together.

1. People will look up to you based upon what kind of Marine you become - not based upon your MOS. If you are a squared-away, professional, dedicated and hard working Crew Chief / mechanic / supplyman / infantryman they'll look up to you. If you are a "minimum qualifications," third class PFT, "hide & slide," complaining slacker, it doesn't matter what your MOS is, people will see you as what you are.

2. Does recruit training make you into that "generic portrayal of a Marine?" -- no, but it gives you the opportunity to become such. Recruit training puts out many young men and women who possess the potential to become that kind of Marine. But it also puts out those who meet the minimum requirements necessary to become a Marine - and who will be that 10% that everyone looks down on - regardless of their MOS.

Do yourself a favor and forget all this "pog" vs. infantry crap - it won't do you and special benefits once you're in, and most of the folks who subscribe to it are pretty narrowly focused. Just focus first on becoming a Marine, and then on being the best in your MOS and in your job. If you end up a crew chief, that means mastering everything involved in the duties and responsibilities of that position - and of the positions one or two levels above you, and in keeping your MCT skills up to speed, and in keeping those of the Marines you end up supervising up to speed.

Now, a serious quesiton for you - and you don't need to answer me, but answer it to yourself honestly. You say that school and sports have always come easily to you and that you've never fully put your full effort into them -- why do you think that'll change once you are on active duty? Will you give enough to do a good job and get your tasks done without putting everything into it? If it's good enough to get by, will that be good enough? What'll make it different from your effort in school and sports?

Personally, I spent 20 years as an infantryman, and it takes work and study - and you will never master it all. It's never enough to say "good enough" and just let it go at that when you can still do more. There will be times when you've done all you can to prepare, but it's never going to be enough. I'm sure the same goes for many other (if not all other) MOSs - and that's what it'll take if you want other Marines to look up to you. That means that if you are a crew chief, not only is your bird and crew squared away, you've mastered your responsibilities, your Marines are trained and proficient on their jobs (and yours), your weapons and equipment are squared away and you still know how to lay in a proper small unit defense, call for fire, read a map, use a compass (GPSs break, trust me), use crew served weapons, hit what you're shooting at, administer first aid, properly handle POWs, troubleshoot your radio, employ the proper field expedient antenna..... the list goes on and on.

That's the kind of Marine that other Marines look up to, and their MOS has little to do with it.

[AAV Crewchief]

Great post Mike. I don't think we want someone who puts half an effort into his job as a Marine. It is ALL or nothing.

[Celeb92389]

Branden - a couple of thoughts to help you get things together.

1. People will look up to you based upon what kind of Marine you become - not based upon your MOS. If you are a squared-away, professional, dedicated and hard working Crew Chief / mechanic / supplyman / infantryman they'll look up to you. If you are a "minimum qualifications," third class PFT, "hide & slide," complaining slacker, it doesn't matter what your MOS is, people will see you as what you are.

2. Does recruit training make you into that "generic portrayal of a Marine?" -- no, but it gives you the opportunity to become such. Recruit training puts out many young men and women who possess the potential to become that kind of Marine. But it also puts out those who meet the minimum requirements necessary to become a Marine - and who will be that 10% that everyone looks down on - regardless of their MOS.

Do yourself a favor and forget all this "pog" vs. infantry crap - it won't do you and special benefits once you're in, and most of the folks who subscribe to it are pretty narrowly focused. Just focus first on becoming a Marine, and then on being the best in your MOS and in your job. If you end up a crew chief, that means mastering everything involved in the duties and responsibilities of that position - and of the positions one or two levels above you, and in keeping your MCT skills up to speed, and in keeping those of the Marines you end up supervising up to speed.

Now, a serious quesiton for you - and you don't need to answer me, but answer it to yourself honestly. You say that school and sports have always come easily to you and that you've never fully put your full effort into them -- why do you think that'll change once you are on active duty? Will you give enough to do a good job and get your tasks done without putting everything into it? If it's good enough to get by, will that be good enough? What'll make it different from your effort in school and sports?

Personally, I spent 20 years as an infantryman, and it takes work and study - and you will never master it all. It's never enough to say "good enough" and just let it go at that when you can still do more. There will be times when you've done all you can to prepare, but it's never going to be enough. I'm sure the same goes for many other (if not all other) MOSs - and that's what it'll take if you want other Marines to look up to you. That means that if you are a crew chief, not only is your bird and crew squared away, you've mastered your responsibilities, your Marines are trained and proficient on their jobs (and yours), your weapons and equipment are squared away and you still know how to lay in a proper small unit defense, call for fire, read a map, use a compass (GPSs break, trust me), use crew served weapons, hit what you're shooting at, administer first aid, properly handle POWs, troubleshoot your radio, employ the proper field expedient antenna..... the list goes on and on.

That's the kind of Marine that other Marines look up to, and their MOS has little to do with it.
Appreciate the great feedback thanks. Things have come easy to me and I've never had to put my full potential into anything really. I lack the motivation, I want to change this. If I were to make it and become a crewchief theres is no acception in my head for anything less than 100%. But when I discovered the Corps. I've never been so motivated to do something in my life. I've lost 28 pounds of fat to do so. I think about it almost all day. Again thanks for the feedback Mike.

[03Mike]

Good luck!

[advanced]

03Mike - Great post, one of the best I've ever read. Thanks.

[Muhreen4Lyfe]

"I think the ideal of waking up to go on a gunrun sounds like a pretty good gig."

lol no, not how it works, enlisted aircrew cannot be in Cobras.


OP, you are a retard. Stop thinking of how others perceive you and think if its really your calling in life to hump a pack and get shot at every day. There's nothing sexy about it. Civilians don't know the difference between a POG and a grunt. You want to join so you can brag, cool. Hitting IEDs, actually seeing someone trip one on foot, seeing people get killed all of the time or hurt badly isn't fun at all.

How old are you anyways? Statistically one person from each graduating class dies within 6 months to a year of graduating high school. Wait until that happens and see how your perception of life and death is changed. If you're still good to go, consider infantry. It happened to me, I came in wanting infantry and then came a dose of reality.