Infantry or Non-Infantry?

[sdmcgoey]

Some of my Marine friends say Infantry is the best job in the Marines. I want to join Infantry because I would be very proud of myself and I want to serve my country, but I don't want to get discharged and not have a career or any job experience. And on the other hand you can find some job experience in Non-Infantry jobs. I just don't want to enlist as Infantry and get in and wish I had picked a different MOS. Is Infantry worth the challenge, and danger?

[slug]

If you have to ask, do not come to the grunts.

And from reading the rest of your post, really, do not come to the grunts.

[sdmcgoey]

well your answer didn't really help me but whatever.
just because I'm asking a question doesn't mean I can't set my goals high, or that I don't have the dedication.

[haebyungdae]

Anyways.... No matter what field you choose in the Marine Corps you will gain experience that will help you after you get out. You might not be able to roll into a DoD or contractor job if you go certain routes, but, depending on how you decide to conduct yourself in your Marine Corps career, you will gain things like leadership, a hard working-mentality, sense of responsibility, etc. Possessing these simple traits, getting out of the Marines, finish schooling (if you choose), and entering the job market will set you above your civilian peers because you will seem more mature and reliable. Just remember the caveat: that it's ultimately up to you and how you spend your time in the Marine Corps.

If you join and make it as a Marine, you will find that the Marine Corps is larger than college money and job experience. I planned to get out and go to college. Even getting out now, without a college degree, with my experience I could make more then I do now, but there is more to it then that.

Think about it and follow your gut and choose something that you are interested in and feel would make your Marine Corps career satisfying. Or else, you may end up that guy who sits in the corner and whines about how gay the Marine Corps is all the time, usually without rhyme or reason.

[radio relay]

0300, Infantry, is the heart and soul of the Marine Corps. Every other MOS is there for only one reason, to support the Infantry. Even for the gloried tough guys, Recon, and glamorous Jet Jockies, the primary mission is to support the Infantry.

Every Marine is a Rifleman, but every Marine is not a Grunt. I know, I was not a Grunt. I supported Grunts. Sure, I was out there in the bush dealing with the sh!t from the enemy, but Grunts were taking the sh!t to the enemy. There's a big difference!

So, if you have a choice, do you want to be the "heart and soul", or the liver and spleen?

[Blutic]

This is one of those questions where no one can make this decision for you. You have to decide for yourself what your goals are. There is nothing wrong with serving one enlistment and getting out. In fact most people do that. Also, the Corps is cutting 10% and you may have a difficult time serving 20 years and retiring in the Corps. (See the last Marine Corps times for the article.) Certain MOSs will give you a significant advantage in the civilian job market in certain fields because you are trained to do the specific job. ie Mechanics, electricians, military police, etc. The fact that you were in the military may or may not help you get a job depending on the type of work you want to do.

[sdmcgoey]

These are really good answers! Thanks alot Marines!
I think I'm going to go with a job with mechanics. I've been working on cars, and motorcycles my whole life. I'm mostly interested in the Aviation field, and I would love a career as an Aviation Mechanic for civilian life. I just want a MOS that will have lots of learning and am sort of busy with hands on stuff.

Again thanks for the help!

[sdk87to91]

My mom made me change my package to something brainey, and I regret it. I joined to be a Marine, not an Air Traffic Controller. I definitely didn't want to do that after getting out.

I fully intended to go back to college someday so the job training was not my intent for joining.

I would have been a better Marine and had a more satisfying life if I had been in Camp Pendelton or 29 Palms doing infantry stuff. Plus I would have more likely been deployed during Dessert Shield and Storm.

As it was I got stuck in the big city life in Southern California where I just got into trouble and debt. My ATC job sucked too. Not to mention I wasn't very good at it, so I got left behind when my 2/3rds of my unit deployed for Dessert Shield.

At least I got to run the Marine Corps Marathon.

Before I was a Marine my parents had more influence on me, and I did not stand up for my self. After earning the title it was a different story, but it was too late.

[Tennessee Top]

Once you earn the title you are a Marine. I was not a grunt for 22.6 years and was fine with it...I still wore my eagle, globe, and anchor with just as much pride as any grunt (although I was never in combat, I was shot at in Haiti). Besides that, I earned a college degree and a university degree while on active duty and never worked in those fields. After retirement from the USMC, I went into a career field (medicine) I had never worked in before and am doing fine; enjoying it and earning good pay/benefits and another retirement ahead of me. My point is, it's fine to have a plan of going in with a MOS you can use for a civilian career BUT, there are no garuantees that's the way things will work out. On top of that, as difficult as it is to enlist these days (and getting harder with the draw-down), you may-or-may not get the MOS(s) you want anyway. My advice is enlist with the goal of serving your country and being the very best Marine possible; work as hard as you can every day you're on active duty, learn as much as you can and take advantage of every opportunity no matter how long or short your career. With that background, you should be successful no matter where life takes you. It has been my experience in the civilian workforce, former military make better employs for the most part. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. In fact, there is a former Marine in my department who has one of the worst reputations of anybody for being lazy and not getting his work done (it's embarrassing). Good luck to you with your decisions.

[sdmcgoey]

Hmm.. Interesting stuff.
Thanks for the help!

[slug]

Look, the grunts are a unique community, separated from others mentally and physically. If you have to ask someone else to help you make a choice, it is obvious that you do not have what we want in a fellow grunt. The guys we have here that questioned what they wanted to do, fail. It shows, they do not have the heart or stomach for what we do and what we are. We are all some sort of fvcked up. We are here because this is the only place we wanted to be, the only job we wanted, and the only group of guys we truly feel a part of, we belong here. We lied to get here, fought to get here, we are those guys. We are not here to fulfill you pathetic wish for a challenge or set you up for a job elsewhere. The wave of contracting jobs for everyone who wants it has passed, a few years ago at that. So don't think about being some sort of merc after you do four. Now **** off and go talk to the army.

[usmcmsf]

Look, the grunts are a unique community, separated from others mentally and physically. If you have to ask someone else to help you make a choice, it is obvious that you do not have what we want in a fellow grunt. The guys we have here that questioned what they wanted to do, fail. It shows, they do not have the heart or stomach for what we do and what we are. We are all some sort of fvcked up. We are here because this is the only place we wanted to be, the only job we wanted, and the only group of guys we truly feel a part of, we belong here. We lied to get here, fought to get here, we are those guys. We are not here to fulfill you pathetic wish for a challenge or set you up for a job elsewhere. The wave of contracting jobs for everyone who wants it has passed, a few years ago at that. So don't think about being some sort of merc after you do four. Now **** off and go talk to the army.

[Kegler300]

Being a grunt my first four years fueled my career. The physical demands, along with the accelerated leadership growth, will prepare you for a future in or outside of the Marine Corps.

[Baker1971]

slug is one of these guys like aloha, only they have ever served as grunts.

[R Landry]

During my DEP and for two years after boot camp, my reserve unit was a rifle company. We did two summer camps at C. Pendleton (we flew there from Lafayette, Louisiana in C-130s). Went down rope ladders off the sides of troop ships into landing craft. Then we flew off a carrier in Sea Knights to 'invade' San Clemente Island. Then, our reserve unit got designated as an MP company.

It was not as fun as being a grunt. Oh, it was fun busting officers for speeding, patrolling beaches off Pendleton for illegal surfers, and running over tarantulas in our patrol jeeps, but that was not the same as being a good old fashioned grunt.

We were just not getting in enough 'soldiering' duty to rate the uniform, it seemed, at times.