Is the Marine Corps right for me?

[Lizz]

Hello, I'm new here and I'm looking for a bit of advice. Im not really sure if I'm posting this in the right place, I'm really sorry if I'm not. I'm 21 and female and I've been looking for some direction in my life. I've been considering the military for a few months now, and I don't know if I have the right personality for it. I am quite shy, but I do very well under pressure. I'm pretty good at drawing, and I'd like to do something along those lines. I never cry or anything like that, but I'm worried I might be too nice for being in the Corps. I'm girly, but I'm tough in a way too. I guess I'm drawn to The Corps because if you're going to do it, why not go all the way? I feel I am stuck in a hole and going nowhere in my life. I'd really appreciate some advice. Thanks

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[linda1945]

Hello, I'm new here and I'm looking for a bit of advice. Im not really sure if I'm posting this in the right place, I'm really sorry if I'm not. I'm 21 and female and I've been looking for some direction in my life. I've been considering the military for a few months now, and I don't know if I have the right personality for it. I am quite shy, but I do very well under pressure. I'm pretty good at drawing, and I'd like to do something along those lines. I never cry or anything like that, but I'm worried I might be too nice for being in the Corps. I'm girly, but I'm tough in a way too. I guess I'm drawn to The Corps because if you're going to do it, why not go all the way? I feel I am stuck in a hole and going nowhere in my life. I'd really appreciate some advice. Thanks

Good morning Liz,
Your profile shows that you are a nurse's aide, that's a good field to further your education in. Right personality for the military; well that is applied just like on the outside. Your personality is what you make it! Military life is totally different from civilian life, and by the time you graduate from boot camp you will be a totally different person. I would say, if you feel like you are and think you go ahead and sign up. I know some other of the Marines can answer better than I can, but thought I would more or less give you a hind sight of it. Even being brought up in a military family is different cause I was-my Dad was in Coast Guard. Keep me posted on what you decide. Thank you for thinking of selecting the Marine Corps.
Linda Satterfield
USMC 1964-1965

[m14ed]

Most of your worries are normal, and apart of growing up.

your problem is that you are noticing them and think that

you are UNIQUE...

You're gonna have to step off the porch sometime IF you wanna play with the BigDogs

[thewookie]

I think Linda hit the nail on the head, especially with this...

by the time you graduate from boot camp you will be a totally different person.

You just have to decide if you want to make that commitment. They (DI's) will change you,, but it is up to you to want to change.

There are plenty of girly girls in the USMC, plenty of butch ones too,, it's like life. the USMC is a boiling pot of people, personalities and cultures. But we all come together when it counts to make one hell of a fighting force.

Good luck. Don't worry about being scared, we all were at some point, it's natural. Do it because you want to make a difference, be something more then ordinary or average, to see what your made of.

If you like pressure and deal with it well then go talk to the recruiter. Nothing is lost by talking and exploring options.

[Tennessee Top]

Being terribly shy should not be a consideration. You will not have time in bootcamp to be shy. There, you will learn you are capable of things you could never imagine and will be a completely different person by the time you earn the title. Can't think of a job (MOS) where you could use your drawing talents but you could certainly take art classes on your off duty time. Nothing says you have to make a career out of the USMC but even just a four year enlistment would get you out of the rut you're in now, some direction/new perspective on life, and possibly open up some opportunities for the future.

The USMC is a young person's game and you are not getting any younger. It's likely you're already "over the hill" as far as the USMC is concerned. Recruiters today are focusing on highschool seniors and may not even be interested in you. It's possible if they do talk to you all they'll offer is a reserve contract. In any event, nothing can happen until you take that first step and talk to your local recruiter. There is no obligation and they are trained to answer all your questions/concerns. If you are serious about your future, you should talk to your recruiter today (your clock is ticking).

[Lizz]

Thanks for all the responses and advice. I'm pretty indecisive, I'm just not sure. Hopefully I will have figured it out by the end of the month.

[m14ed]

Thanks for all the responses and advice. ,
I'm pretty indecisive, ,
I'm just not sure.

Hopefully I will have figured it out by the end of the month.

Liz.

one thing we seemed to have overlooked that might help you more in the long run
is the possibility that you have OVERLOOKED your potential service in the
U.S.Navy.

NOTE: (( Lizz , Linda1945, and I )) had a chat in the chat room right after she had posted her question, and one thing she failed to mention in her question is that she is currently a nurses assistant, and in training as a nurse if i can remember correctly...(Tuff to get old)

Liz ,, Marines have great respect to our other military branches...The MarineCorps sub-contracts out our Medical NEEDS to the Navy- OR is it that the Navy feels PITY apon
the POOR MARINECORPS that they take us under their protective wing when we are
Vulnerable..

Much better that you find something that benifits you and the country at the same time, in the manner most benificial to both ?????

I'll spend my last dollar buying a Corpsman a beer ...........
and a big "THANK YOU DOC" for hanging around with us !!!!

[Lizz]

I've looked into nursing in the Navy before and there's a lot of talk how it's tough to get into and they don't need any more nurses. I don't know if nursing is for me anyway. I think I'm leaning towards joining at this point however Tennessee Top has pointed out that I am older than the typical Marine recruit. THis has me pretty worried.

[BrandonLehr]

Lizz,

I think you would be a great Marine, but I think you need to commit your time into research on each branch and mos that might interest you. I would start there and whatever you find in which ever branch then pursue it.

[Tennessee Top]

Lizz,

It is not my intention to discourage you; please don't take it that way. I do want to impart a sense of urgency and the importance of talking to a recruiter sooner than later. If you do decide to make the life-changing decision to enlist, the sooner you go to bootcamp the better. There are advantages to being an older recruit like maturity and wisdom but physically speaking, it gets harder the older you are. As a Marine, you will be competing every day against your peers for promotions, assignments, and maybe reenlistment one day. Our promotion and reenlistment systems are set up so that only the best are promoted and retained. Since you would be going in older, your peers are always going to be younger than you and these are the people you would be competing against. In this example, you can see that by putting it off, procrastination only compounds the problem. Marines do not talk...Marines do. One of our 14 leadership traits is initiative (being a self-starter).

[Lisa 23]

You'll soon turn 22 in April....that's not old. I was 22 when I went to boot camp and turned 23 during second phase of recruit training. You'll find that there will be other female recruits your age when you get to Parris Island. Age is not a factor unless you make it one. You'll do just fine.

[fl1946]

Lizz -- check out the 4600 field, photojournalism. Females have done an outstanding job there. We are a close knit band of brothers and sisters as combat correspondents. If you like action, don't get rattle while standing and looking through a camera or video camera during a firefight, check us out. <usmccca.org>

Semper fi,

[MunkyVsRobot]

The problem im reading in a lot of these responses is it sounds like you guys are trying to sell the Corps to her. It isnt whether the Corps wants you or needs you the Corps does neither. The Marine Corps has so many people they are finding anyway they can to toss people out. If you want to join the Marine Corps you need to figure out what you can offer it, not to sound like a jerk but that is really the reality of the matter.

The Corps will take everything from you and then demand more, ask me how I know. Age and niceness have nothing to do with anything weve been hammering out devil dogs and killers since November 10th 1775 dont pretend you are different from a lot of other people who have gone through recruit training and made it.

And hell you are in the medical field go Navy if you want to still be attached to the USMC and really want to do something. Go ask any Corpsman how they are treated by Marines. The only way you will find out which way you want to go and what to do is to take the first step. just remember the Marine Corps isnt going to be sold to you you need to sell yourself to it.

[Lizz]

The Photojournalism field sounds like something I'd be good at. That sounds really interesting.

[fl1946]

Many Marines are not aware of this, had it not been for some very well respected journalists and former Marines, the chances of the Marine Corps been in existence today is slim to none. (Re General Bruno Krulak, "The Chowder Society"). This is just a sidebar to say, Marine Corps Combat Correspondents are the tip of the public relations spear. They're not just a bunch of jarheads out for a Kodak moment -- as some may believe. The list runs long...from Medal of Honor recipient. Check us out. My intent is not to persuade you to pursue this field as one poster alluded but to give you insight to a field. So, good luck whatever your career aspirations are. Semper fi.