Advise for teenage daughter

[Tortdefender]

I'm new to the forum and I joined because my teenage daughter, Elise, is very interested in becoming a Marine. She will be 16 next month and is eager to join as an enlisted when she graduates from high school. She certainly has the grades and the intellect to become an officer but she has expressed a desire to stay with the troops. That comes from experience as she has been in the Civil Air Patrol for three years and was very reluctant to promote from Cadet/Chief Master Sergeant to Cadet/Lieutenant.

Her older sister has received a full ride Army ROTC scholarship to Gonzaga University starting next year and I am somewhat concerned that she is trying not to be a copycat of her older sister.

Both girls have studied karate for over ten years so they know the meaning of dedication to something, and they are both eager to serve their country. What is needed from those of you in the forum is a realistic idea of what Elise would be doing either as an enlisted female Marine or an officer.

Thanks for your feedback.

[Gator347]

Let her work with a recruiter and the Pool of DEP. She should work on her ASVAB scores, her IST, and keep her grades up. She is still very young & her options are endless.

[Artemis]

If you would like to PM me and your daughter and I can chat. I can answer many of her questions and hope to be able to help.

[Old Marine]

Tell her to join the Air Force.

Same pay and better living conditions.

[Crusader20]

Tell her to join the Air Force.

Same pay and better living conditions.

Ditto
and better choices of Jobs that can translate into the civilian world.

[Gator347]

Seriously:
If you were in a hiring position, who would you choose? An Ex- Air Force Vet or a Former Marine?
My father was in the Corps for 7 years (Enlisted) and an Air Force Officer for another 15 years. His car always had a USMC bumper sticker (Never an Air Force sticker) He was buried in Pensacola by the Marine Corps. He was the reason my son joined the Corps.
The Corps instills things you can’t buy or learn in a manual.

[Old Marine]

Seriously:
If you were in a hiring position, who would you choose? An Ex- Air Force Vet or a Former Marine?
My father was in the Corps for 7 years (Enlisted) and an Air Force Officer for another 15 years. His car always had a USMC bumper sticker (Never an Air Force sticker) He was buried in Pensacola by the Marine Corps. He was the reason my son joined the Corps.
The Corps instills things you can’t buy or learn in a manual.

Depends on if I were hiring a "Hit Man" or an "Air Controller", a "Policeman" or a "Computer Programer", a "Warehouse Supervisor" or a "Pilot".

[Gator347]

My son already has job offers and he just got out of school!!!!

MOS 1142

[yanacek]

Tell her to join the Air Force. Same pay and better living conditions.

That's the same advice I received from my father, a WW-II Marine, when I told him I was going to enlist. I did not take his advice, although I can appreciate where he was coming from. I think in the final analysis our shared experiences of Marine Corps service made us closer.

As far as who would you hire--without a doubt a Marine in all cases. The Marine Corps demands much more than technical proficiency. Things like responsibility, work-ethic, leadership, etc... Few in the Air Force will ever have the opportunity (or the desire) to develop those attributes. These attributes are what makes a good employee.

[Gator347]

The Marine Corps demands much more than technical proficiency. Things like responsibility, work-ethic, leadership, etc...

This is my point. You can teach the other stuff but these are rare in the workforce today.

[sgtwagner]

I would like to add my 2 cents. I was so gung ho to join the Corps @ 16. there was nothing or no one that could change my mind. I wanted to be an 0311, no ifs ands or buts. At 17, I got my mother to sign the papers and the day after Graduation I was off to PI. I spent the next 7 active duty years on various assignments but none of them were conducive to a college education. I have no regrets about the times I had while in the Corps, but I wish there would have been a genie around to tell me how my life later down the road would be affected by my decisions.

Now at 39, I am a Software Engineer for a Defense Contractor. I received my degree in IT from a Top 20 University in 2004. The corporate world only sees your professional work experience from the date of graduation on your degree. Therefore, I have 4 years of professional experience. My point to this is, try to persuade your daughter to get the sheep skin first, then she can make her choice of Officer or Enlisted. At least later down the road she will have step up the corporate ladder when she enters that world.

Sorry for rambling. It took me 2 days to find my password to respond! That is how strongly I feel.

[yanacek]

You said it Gator347! My boss can't even get employees to show up for work in some cases. His Marine employees though don't give him any problem, excuses, etcetra. Marines are trained to be mission-oriented and therefore always get the job done--regardless of the task. I'll take a Marine any day to do any job.

[Apache]

When promoting within my civillian employer my first consideration is Marine,then military ,then other experiance
The grunts accomplish the mission !

[yanacek]

Getting the sheepskin first has merit, but how many young folks out of high school are ready to decide what they want to do in life? My experience is very few.

The Marine Corps is an organization that causes its members to set priorities and goals in life, and more importantly it provides them with the drive and determination to accomplish those goals.

It is true that in corporate America that your experience begins once you graduate from post-secondary school. However, that thinking is flawed and has been proven by history. I know many Marines who had service in the Second World War who worked in professions without the benefit of a college education. Many of these jobs are now held by college graduates. My father for one, was a production engineer for aircraft engine blades with 12 years of Marine Corps service and a high school diploma. Of course that was a different time--a time when America was at its best.

Given the choice of a Marine or a non-Marine college graduate, I'll take the Marine, provided they can demonstrate that aptitude for the specific job.

[Tortdefender]

I appreciate all the feedback. At 16 my daughter isn't looking far enough down the road to consider what she will do after the Marine Corp. She has a hard enough time contemplating two more years of high school.

What is the situation with regards to how the Marines treat females, enlisted or officers vs. the other branches? Also, my daughter wouldn't be happy if she is stuck in an office type job and I'm wondering what is open to females in the Marines.

My oldest daughter picked Army ROTC simply because there are more schools that offer it, and the Army being larger offers more career possibilities. She also likes the fact that she doesn't have to have a lifetime career figured out before graduating from college. The Army will give her something to to while she takes the time decide on a career.

I would personally prefer that my youngest get her college degree and I just as soon see her also do ROTC. If she does that route do you folks have any advise on schools?

Thanks