Posted on 06/16/2010 11:34:05 AM PDT by keats5
My 20 year old son has informed us that he intends to enlist in either the Army or Marines, after his first year of college. He did alright in college, but he is not set on any particular civilian job. What he really wants to do is something in the military, and he wants to do that full time without waiting to complete another three years of college.
He was majoring in exercise science with a mild interest in physical therapy down the line, but he's not enthralled with those majors. He would seriously consider being a lifer in the military. He has also expressed interest in Police, FBI, CIA type work.
He is in amazing shape, as he is a gym rat who gets up at 5 AM every morning to work out 2-3 hours before work/ school. (By the way, he did not get this drive from his parents.) He is above average intelligence, fine at math, science and well written. He has talked to an Army recruiter and was told he would have to decide on a job before he began training. So far, he is interested in the pathway to an Army Ranger. He still needs to talk to a Marine recruiter.
Do any of your FReepers have some wisdom to share? He would like to eventually get his degree, ideally while in the military. If he serves his four years, could he gain some college credit in the military? If he switched into the reserves while he got his degree, would that affect his pension? Which civilian jobs could he aim for from a Ranger background?
Anything you could share would be most appreciated. Thanks.
The first twenty years is the toughest no matter which service you pick.
Referring to this?
http://www.itsjustalife.com/
Most of my 20 was on Army boats - the best years of my life.
When my son told me he was considering joining the Marines, I tried to direct him to a different branch (for my own reasons, not really good ones, in hindsight.)
He told me, “Dad, I want to be the best.”
End of the discussion.
And he IS!
Thanks. Glad i remembered your screen name!
Air Force, Army, or Navy...get an education. The world doesn’t need any more labor.
I thought it had to be me. The Army’s navy is small, there weren’t many of us.
“Unless he can go JAG or Medical, which he could do in either case, the choice is Marines, specifically SEALs if he can get in.”
HUH?
The Marines have no medical personel.... their health needs are administered to by the Navy....
JAG? Needs law school/pass the bar?
SEALs are a Navy Special Operations Group/MOS....and while Marines may apply for SEAL training, I’m willing to bet that few Marines do.....Force Recon is exciting enough for almost anyone with a bent for danger, and FR trains in many military skills....Besides, tales of SEAL marksmanship is a joke to most Marines.....I can throw a grenade better than most SEALs can shoot! LOLOLOLOL
I should have clarified myself. I was trying to make a comparison of possible career paths, some with scholastic training prior to service, some during service.
Apologies.
Basically, I was just trying to emphasize that he who gets the best training have the most opportunities as he progresses.
“My eldest son was a Corpsman in the Navy until recently. He worked with the Marines and said they treated him like gold. BUT...he also got to visit some places that he never wants to even think about again”
As a former Marine all I have to add , besides thanking him for his service, is that any man willing to follow Marines around in order to tend their medical needs, has the biggest set of brass ones availible. Salute!
If your son sticks it out until he receives a 4-year degree he can become an officer in the Army or Navy. I think, that everyone who goes on to become and officer in the Marines; starts out by enlisting.
Trust me, a career as an officer has being an enlisted person beat 18 ways to sunday.
Navy
“GO Navy. They have a better football team.”
....and wear the Marine Globe and Anchor on one sleeve!
If he has any doubt Army.
Yep.
“If your son sticks it out until he receives a 4-year degree he can become an officer in the Army or Navy. I think, that everyone who goes on to become and officer in the Marines; starts out by enlisting.”
While there is a high % of “mustangers”, that is, senior enlisted that have accepted commissions in Marines, you must realize that each year a certain % of the graduating class at the Naval Academy opts for the Marines during Service Selection Day....
Of my boot camp platoon, 4 were destined for OCS after completing Boot and ITR. As I remember each had completed college prior to enlisting. Boot Camp is the tie that binds Marines to each other, and is quite unlike the initial training of any other service branch......
“You could add a couple of other items:
1. The suicidal Rules of Engagement that our troops in the war zone have to live with(or die because of).
2. Having a Commander in Chief who doesn’t like or understand the military will inevitably lead him to make disastrous decisions (i.e. Clinton in Somalia). “
We could also add:
3. We have an illegal-alien Commander-in-Chief who also believes that homosexual behavior in the service is just ducky too, him not having ever been in the service, and as I’ve heard, he doesn’t even have his own Selective Service number since he’s never even legally signed up for the draft . . . even though any other male “citizen” of the country has to sign up at 18
What a joke!
Thanks to all of you for all this info! My son was fascinated with all your comments and I know he learned some things the recruiters would never tell him.
Freepers are the best.
Well I’m glad at least someone here understands that what I posted had to do with my BIL’s experiance in the Eighties.
Yes, I am aware of that fact.
Read message 63.
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