If not the Marines then who? Army, Navy or Neither

[fsbrown]

Too old to re-up with USMC. To get back in uniform who would you go with......Army or Navy Reserves? Im about to turn 39 and they are the only ones left that will have me. If you could choose any MOS what would you choose?

May be dumb arse questions, but interested in the replies I am sure to get.

[Phantom Winger]

I feel your pain - it took a year and HQMC turned down my waiver request.

Navy Reserves - I was aviation so the MOS would certainly carry over. Not so sure I could suck it up and wear a dixie cup...

Army Reserves/Nat't Guard - tough choice. Still an opportunity but not sure I'd care to have some of those knuckle heads watch my back.

Swing with the wing!

[Marine84]

Same here..............Navy

[snickel777]

I had the same issue. I can't understand how we can host a War and ask any Marine not to come along. I am in the Guard and I do my best. My Soul (Marine Corps) shows and is noticed. What ever you decide, "Semper FI".

03 to MP.

[RLeon]

Navy, they are our bretheren.

I could never join the Army or Airforce in good conscience. If i did I would hate myself and never sleep in peace...of course I'm irrationally biased againts the anything not Marine Corps, so even by choosing the anchor clankers I would feel uneasy....


Thinking about it I wouldn't last long with anything other than the Corps or the Navy. Around soldiers all I would do is complain and talk about the Marine Corps. "In the Marines we did this, In the Marines we did that, When I was in the Marines we did it this way...etc."

They would hate me in about a week, and give me a good old fasion blanket party with the last guy concluding the beating with "Remeber this Jarhead, we don't wan't to hear your whining anymore, you ain't in the Corps anymore so shut it, and remember this is just a bad dream."

Then I would spend the rest of the night crying to myself saying "In the Marines we used Dial instead of Lever 2000 in the rags."

[snickel777]

I hear Horse puk like, Well there are a couple schools of thought on this subject. I normally tell them that is why they are f'd up and show them the way. It is really irritating somethimes but I have three others that help me with squaring them away. The rifle quals now include the kneeling pos that they never did on the rather easy 50-300 meter range. Attention to detail is get better, still subpar. I would not recommend this to everyone but the few that are in my position I can say I know that more of these soldiers are coming home alive because of, My and the other Marines in my unit, unwillingness to except good instead of great. That is the main difference.

"Semper Fi" even when it suks.

[RLeon]

Good to go snickel777. It's good to know that instead of going down to their level you try to bring them up to yours. Semper Fidelis!

[greybeard]

If faced with that delima-(too old anyway at 57) I would have to go USN.

[jrhd97]

Navy, they get warm chow and dry beds.

[Chamorro]

Go Army Guard, you will perform both federal military when deployed and local state duty to support your community during emergency crisis. I had to go AGR because the Island does not have Marine Corps Reserves.

[ExPISCDI83]

After I got out of the USMC and became a federal law enforcement officer, I got to thinking that the 7 years, 9 months and a few days I did in the USMC was a lot of time just to walk away from. So, not wanting to abandon my civilian career, I looked into someones reserve. The USMCR was a million miles from where I was, and even then they were a cannon-cocker gang and I was a 5811 9MP) so they were out :-( ~~~ So the only other choice for me was the Army Guard. And just so happens, there was an entire Army Guard MP Battalion right there in my backyard (50 miles away) and I didnt even know it. I got the one and only bonus I ever received and joined right up. One weekend a month and 2 weeks in the summer right? Well they didnt tell me that this particular unit was one of the THE most deployed units in the Army Nasty Guard! 9 months after joining, I was in Germany in support of Operation Joint Endeavor. What a sweet deal. An all expenses paid trip to Europe! Anyway, after I joined, I discovered that there were A LOT of former Jarheads in the Army guard where I was which is why it wasnt so bad. We all know who each other was and would greet each other with "Good Morning Marine" "Happy Birthday Marine" and other stuff like that. It was especially cool when done in front of the other folks who had never stood on the yellow footprints to sort of rub it in, etc.
As a former DI, they always wanted me to march them to and fro, but I usually declined the offer unless I could teach them how to march instead of walking along, kind of in step.
In the end, I had a good time! If you joined the Army Guard, you may well find that you are not alone! The Only thing I wished they would do would be to allow us Former Marines to wear the EGA on our uniforms like the Army wears all their other badges. I mean they have a badge for this or that. A badge for being Airborne qualified, one for being Air Assault Qualified one for being this or that qualified, etc. Well, I would always tell them that I was "Amphibious Qualified" and they asked what badge that came with that. I told them it had to be earned at Parris Island or San Diego. They figured it out and shut up.
Yes I missed the uniforms and the Esprit d'Corps, etc. but I was looking at the monetary aspects of it all and the reserve retirement I would get. If you dont know how a reserve retirement works, check it out. It is (or was) point driven, and 7+ years of AD time is a TON of retirement and promotion points.

So do not have your nose so high in the sky to think that you might be too good to serve your country in some capacity again. You are a Marine and you always will be. Wear your USMC t-shirts, drive your POV with all the USMC stickers and stuff, be as boastful as you want about being one of the few and the proud, but when it comes down to it, A Marine's duty is to serve his country. Does it have to be in the USMC? If the USMC doesnt want you anymore (for whatever reason), go somewhere that does! The pay is the same and you will be surprised at the respect and opportunity you will have!

[jrhd97]

....The Only thing I wished they would do would be to allow us Former Marines to wear the EGA on our uniforms like the Army wears all their other badges. I mean they have a badge for this or that. A badge for being Airborne qualified, one for being Air Assault Qualified one for being this or that qualified, etc. Well, I would always tell them that I was "Amphibious Qualified" and they asked what badge that came with that. I told them it had to be earned at Parris Island or San Diego. They figured it out and shut up.
....

LMAOF, that there is funny!

[fsbrown]

Well, after all you replys, I am looking at National Guard with MOS of 19 Delta, Cavalry Scout. Seems like I will be a good fit in this unit. Not but 30 Min from the house.

[outlaw3179]

Hey FSBrown I feel your pain man, I ended up going National Guard and am actually a recruiter for them now. The guard is definetly not the Corps and I understand that , and thats what allows me to do my job. Plus I keep telling myself and on a few occasions have actully even said it some soldiers. "Im still a Marine, Im just here on orders from HQMC, sent here to unf*ck this place." I guess its just what you make of it , and one thing youll find about the guard its full of jarheads.

Also if you have any questions about anything pm or whatever and ill let you know.