Pros and Cons...again!!

[bntyhntr13]

I can see both sides of it Matt. I spent 16 plus years in the Artillery Community. Basically the same as grunts but with larger guns and we don't walk so much. There are very few jobs available out here unless you are looking for Law enforcement or security. I chose the latter. There is not alot of money to be made in security. If you are thinking of making a career my advice to you is do something where you can get some college under your belt along the way. In a combat arms MOS it is difficult as you are deployed constantly. Ask my seventeen year old son who I only spent three out of eleven years of his life with. Deployments can destroy families if you don't have a great foundation. There are many who can successfully maintain a career and a family life. What you need to do is plan your life about ten years from now and start establishing short term goals, and take those steps to get where you want to be. Don't get me wrong I loved the combat arms community. However, if I only could have done things a bit different I wouldn't be trying to play catch up now. What does your father do for a living now?

[LeonardLawrence]

Matt,
Much respect and thanks to your dad.

I would argue it this way, with respect to all those who haven't been in the 03 field, of course....

If you are going to be a Marine, why not do what Marines do?
(I would leave out the part about totally blowing things up, shooting things and generally creating hate and discontent....at least with Mom).

If you are going to be a Marine, you are going to end up somewhere, doing something that is dangerous...facts of life, no? Why not be part of a group that has some skills behind it to keep you reasonably safe. (Hint: dont let anyone think about this one too much...but it sounds good if you can change the subject right away ...

Life is dangerous....trust me,....I see the squirrels in the road on my way to work. Life could suck for anyone of us, at anytime, whether we are in the good or on a battlefield.

Just my 2 cents....

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Matt:

I never regretted going Infantry. Ever. I still carry that as my third MOS, after Intelligence and Radio Operator. Even if you 'only' do a three year tour as an Infantryman, and lateral move into another MOS, that '03' BTDT T-shirt, and the experiences you'll get, will be worth it's weight in gold.

I agree with the others, most companies just look at that big ole "USMC" and hire you, figuring (correctly LOL) that you'll 'improvise, adapt, and overcome' better than jo-blow with a 4 yr degree in basketweaving.

I've heard more non-03 Marines saying "Dang I wish I would have been an 03 instead of ______".

[Camper51]

You know, being a grunt may not give you a specific job skill, like an electrician, or a computer techie, but what it will give you is teamwork and team spirit. Many managers and supervisors recognize this and hire Marines just because they know they are getting someone who has some "stick to it" attitude. Even last year, some 28 years after I got out of the Marines, my resume with it's statement that I served 8 plus years in the Corps, got me a job. The hiring manager was a flyboy who respected Marines. He tells me every so often that he sure did not make a mistake in hiring this particular Marine...