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So I'm very interested in joining. It's been a thought I've had for many years and I believe it is time to make it a reality this summer. My question is, what did you like about the Marine Corps, what was your MOS and why did you/didn't you like it. Thank you!
This thread is in the " Ask A Marine Forum " which is an " Open " Forum on the Internet for all to read.
If it gets too personal or political it will be deleted.
Nuff said.
Pros
Women
Alcohol
Money
Pride
Cons
Garrison
Drill
BS Formations
Lack of common sense
Duty
Garbage leadership
BS
You'll see. It's a love hate relationship. With a retention rate around 30% in first term Marines it about speaks for itself. The Corps is a great stepping stone but many people get out. I make twice as much going to school with the GI Bill but I still miss the field, and deploying. I miss the brotherhood which you won't find elsewhere. I didn't get to travel because I deployed but am enjoying the education benefits. I miss the basically free medical and dental, good luck finding that as a civilian. So while it sucked I learned to embrace it. Now I miss the suck. 2 years ago I would've called you every name in the book and would've told you EAS was the only way to go, but truth it the Corps is a pretty kush job when you aren't getting shot at.
Now the older Marines here are going to bash on me and say I am corrupting you. Just look at their service records most serve 3-5 years and gtfo. Then they miss it and now 30-50 years later they want to glorify the best aspect in their life, but many forget how much they hated it while being in. Otherwise they would've reenlisted. Lifers are a breed of their own. I couldn't put up with the BS any longer so I got out, but I had a few SNCOs that I'd follow into battle today. It is hit and miss. Most of my good officers finished their time and left to bigger and better things because the Corps is so political now. Shoot me a PM if you have any questions. Talk to your friends that are in and NOT the boots on this site. The guys fresh from bootcamp do not know the Marine Corps talk to NCOs that are still in or just got out they have a wealth of knowledge. I was that Ahole Cpl but I still cared for my guys. I don't sugarcoat it and will tell you how it is whether you want to hear it or not. People are afraid of scaring off poolees. F it if a poolee gets scared about what I have to say I do not want him in my Corps.
Pro:
Being a Marine
Con:
Being a Marine
My one and only serious gripe about being a Marine is being treated like a child. Even as a Sgt. now and being 29 years old I still get my hand held on things that I know full well I can do without it. When you're a Pvt./PFC/LCpl it's horrible especially in garrison/stateside.
I agree with a lot of the above. I hated the politics and bullsh*t. The terms 'zero dark thirty' and 'hurry up and wait' come from the military. Wake up at zero dark thirty for an operation or training mission only to sit out in the sun until 1400 when your truck finally leaves.
On the other hand whether you are married or single can make the difference between a pro and a con. As a single 17, 18, 19, 20 y.o. it is awesome that you can be shipped to states you've never been to, countries no one else may ever see, and do things no one else will ever do. But for a married person with a family, those long separations and moving around several times in a few years puts a hardship and strain on relationships.
ditto
BUT that bunch of questions is GETTING OLD...
IT's been asked and it's been answered here
dozens of times...
Read up "Sweetpea"
"Sweatpea" hahahaha. That is awesome!
PRO: Being a Marine, Pride, Standards, Leadership opportunities, Life lessons by good leaders, Training, Benefits only service members get (VA Loan, GI BIll, med/den, etc)
CON: Bad leadership (your bound to get one always), Inequality (no matter what anyone says....the truth is if there is a woman that competes against you....you'll lose even if you are a better Marine....I learned this many times over), Money (who joins the service for money? lol), Little to no time for education.
I did 20 years and retired. Sure you can go to school while your in, but you also have to be there and not get deployed in the middle of the semester to get credit! It took 7 years for me to get my BS and after I retired I got my MS in 2 (depends on your MOS/Duty station/needs of the Corps). But, I have to say that what drives me insane are the folks who basically just do their time and get promoted even when they are the biggest turds around. I can ramble a list of SNCOs and Officers who sucked at their job and leadership, I'm sure we all can. Life in the Corps only gets better as you gain rank.
As Changster said, things improve the longer you stay in (rightfully so as rank should have its privileges). By the time you become a career Marine, your perspective changes about most things.
I served during a different era. As much as I love the USMC, don't believe I could tolerate all the political correctness and social experimentation going on today with the all volunteer professional force (and there is no end in sight). On top of that, the benefits aren't what they used to be and continue to erode (Congress just reduced our retiree COLA by 1% and want to raise the cost of our healthcare insurance). There are less-and-less incentives to serve in our military today (to some that is not important).