Posted: 11/3/2008 4:27:56 PM EDT
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Hello everyone, I have long pondered the idea and feel the need to give back to this country and am trying to figure out which branch of service would suit me best. If it matters, I have already completed enough university credits to obtain rank PFC and E-3 pay. I am mostly considering the USMC or Army especially MOS 11b (infantry) or 19D (cavalry scout). I guess my main question is, what is the main difference between the Marine and Army infantry, and which branch is easier to make a career (rapid advancement better pay)? I know that the Marines basic training is harder and thier deployments are generally shorter, but how do their roles differ when deployed?
All input appreciated, Thanks. |
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Marines are 'unique', and have a light-infantry focused culture (it's their 'one thing' and they do it VERY well)... They *have* armor, and APCs... But not as much as the Army.... And they deploy on ships (sometimes)...
Army? The infantry enlistment is 11X (Infantry - they pick which type for you - B or C).... Once 11B (if you get it) you can be light (feet & humvees), medium (Stryker), or heavy (Bradley mounted, your unit will generally have tanks too - but that's MOS 19K - and there's a tad bit of a rivalry between grunts (crunchies) and tankers (CDATs)).... Then when you change bases, you may well switch to a new unit and be one of the other types... 11C = mortarman... Infantry + Short-range artillery.... Cav Scout (19D) is a recon-focused field.... Originally intended to be the 'eyes and ears' of armor formations, they now serve the recon needs of infantry units as well... |
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Well if you are concerned so much about pay you might wanna look into a career outside the military. I was a 0331 in the Marine Corps and had the time of my life. Sure they bullshit out weighed the good but it was the best experience in my life. Not sure about the Army but the Corps is a family, especially grunts. I got out in '05 and I miss it. Been thinking of reenlisting. "The Few. The Proud"............join the Corps brother!!
Semper Fi |
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Well did you join the Military?
I served in the Marine Corps for 20 years, 1 month & days by who's counting! I wouldn't give back one single day of my time in the Corps. It was the best thing I have ever done right along side of marrying my wife. I was also a recruiter for 3 years and we definitely attracted a different breed. Most kids didn't walk in because they thought the Corps was a piece of cake and I told them it was hell, but when they graduated boot camp in those dress blues, they would be beaming with pride and they were! Many of them didn't want to join another service and look back saying, "What if I had joined the Corps." Semper Fi |
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Next time you drive down the highway take note of the vehicles bearing USMC stickers. You will see that even old men in brand new Cadillacs take the time to add a EGA to their cars. I think that says a lot. +1 Very occasionally I see other services represented with pride in the form of stickers and such on their vehicles, but everywhere I go, I see waaaay more Marine Corps stickers on vehicles of current and veteran Marines than current and veteran members of the other services. And I live in a town surrounded by several Army and Air Force bases. I'm not knocking them...I've met a lot of great people from all branches and I'm thankful for their service as well. I wish they would display more pride in their services, as this would just be more representative to the general public of just how many of us there are out there. I'm sure they are proud of what they've done for this country. There's nothing wrong with them advertising "hey...I did my part." Marines, however, share more pride and celebrate their esprit de corps more than others. The pride just carries with you. I put the EGA stickers on my vehicles (always in a spot that is highly visible) and I have Marine Corps plates on my 4x4. I left active duty in 1996 but I still proudly wear the title. I will for the rest of my life. ETA: Regarding the OP's question, of course I'm going to be biased and suggest joining the Corps, but honestly I'd have to say just pick what works best for you and go for it. Serving your country is the important thing. |
| Like already mentioned, if you are looking for the "Fast Track" then perhaps the military is the wrong place. Yes, you can go to tech schools, formal schools, training & other types of education that will greatly enhance your resume for a lifetime, but serving to serve is the foundation of a good military member. I actually chuckled at some of the Army recruiters with 50 trinkets dangling off their uniform. C'mon, ribbons for throwing a grenade and just graduating boot camp? Even so, we are all in it together and while I poke fun at other services, I have respect for all. |
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Next time you drive down the highway take note of the vehicles bearing USMC stickers. You will see that even old men in brand new Cadillacs take the time to add a EGA to their cars. I think that says a lot. +1 Very occasionally I see other services represented with pride in the form of stickers and such on their vehicles, but everywhere I go, I see waaaay more Marine Corps stickers on vehicles of current and veteran Marines than current and veteran members of the other services. And I live in a town surrounded by several Army and Air Force bases. I'm not knocking them...I've met a lot of great people from all branches and I'm thankful for their service as well. I wish they would display more pride in their services, as this would just be more representative to the general public of just how many of us there are out there. I'm sure they are proud of what they've done for this country. There's nothing wrong with them advertising "hey...I did my part." Marines, however, share more pride and celebrate their esprit de corps more than others. The pride just carries with you. I put the EGA stickers on my vehicles (always in a spot that is highly visible) and I have Marine Corps plates on my 4x4. I left active duty in 1996 but I still proudly wear the title. I will for the rest of my life. ETA: Regarding the OP's question, of course I'm going to be biased and suggest joining the Corps, but honestly I'd have to say just pick what works best for you and go for it. Serving your country is the important thing. with army guys I usually see way more emphasis on unit or branch stickers rather than service. like "infantry" or "armor", saw the one the other day that said "quatermaster corps"..  then you have the unit stickers, which are usually division based. 82nd, 101st, 1-4ID, etc...
I think its mandatory for anyone in ranger batt. to have at least three ranger stickers on their vehicle. |
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If I was in the Army I would be at least 1 rank higher, probably 2. And I would have gotten a nice enlistment bonus. Of course theres no bigger or better bonus then being called "Marine" for the first time.  If you made L/Cpl, I'm sure you would be a Master Sergeant by now, if not directly commissioned as a full Colonel. |
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If I was in the Army I would be at least 1 rank higher, probably 2. And I would have gotten a nice enlistment bonus. Of course theres no bigger or better bonus then being called "Marine" for the first time. If you made L/Cpl, I'm sure you would be a Master Sergeant by now, if not directly commissioned as a full Colonel. hahaha 
rank isnt always speedy in the army. it really depends on your job and the situation. in my company there almost no privates, only specialists since returning from iraq. throw in the fact that my job only has 4 E5 slots per platoon, all of which were full or double strength upon our return....and nobody is getting promoted for a while.... but go over to EOD which really has no slot requirements regarding E1-4/E5 as team members and is critically understrength for E6 and you will be moving up at light speed. also, not everyone gets bonuses in the army. |
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There is a reason there are so many former marines. If you need external validation to know you are high speed, well, they have a home for that... Oh, and for Bat boys, its two stickers and a license plate. duh. Bonus points if they are driving a ford ranger. Typical doggie.......can't distinguish between an upper case or lower case alpha. It should read Marine.  And Ford Ranger.
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Army. Don't buy into the Marine hype. The army is a larger branch of the service. Most of the marines I worked around were using equipment that had long since been replaced in the army. Maybe years ago, today we are pretty much have parity or in same cases field the gear prior to the army. It is a consequence of being a much smaller force. Additionally many principal end items are no longer service provided overseas. They are considered theater provided equipment. |
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Hey Wally. How are the kids doing. Yes, this is my LAST wrestling season, period. I've been doing a bunch of shooting with Mas Ayoob and I want to get up tp Phx next year and do a bunch of shooting in old folks matches. Hey buddy. The boy is due back from Okinawa this month. He'll actually be in Phx on the 27th. Now, what's this about Phx and "Old Folks" ? 
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There is a reason there are so many former marines. If you need external validation to know you are high speed, well, they have a home for that... Oh, and for Bat boys, its two stickers and a license plate. duh. Bonus points if they are driving a ford ranger. Typical doggie.......can't distinguish between an upper case or lower case alpha. It should read Marine. And Ford Ranger.
is it marinedad or spellingnazi? |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: There is a reason there are so many former marines. If you need external validation to know you are high speed, well, they have a home for that... Oh, and for Bat boys, its two stickers and a license plate. duh. Bonus points if they are driving a ford ranger. Typical doggie.......can't distinguish between an upper case or lower case alpha. It should read Marine. And Ford Ranger. is it Marinedad or Spellingnazi? Thank you for your service. |
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what the hell is the marine corp?
join the army. we dont feel the need to flaunt our minor war time contributions to the nation thus brain washing the public into thinking every marine is some symbiote spawn of rambo and john wayne. every marine ive ever talked to told me he was bad ass so i guess it must be true. now go watch black hawk down and call your recruiter. JK Marines
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| I have to say that the U.S. Army is certainly your best choice. I'm an active duty officer in the Army and I have to say that it is much better then the USMC. Marines are good people, don't get me wrong, but if you want a career and options, the Army is the only place to be. We have longer deployments, but we also have better equipment and better training. |
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I have to say that the U.S. Army is certainly your best choice. I'm an active duty officer in the Army and I have to say that it is much better then the USMC. Marines are good people, don't get me wrong, but if you want a career and options, the Army is the only place to be. We have longer deployments, but we also have better equipment and better training. As a product of both Army and Marine training, and later an instructor at one of your OBCs I would say the equipment and training are the same; the difference is more mindset than anything else. |
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I have to say that the U.S. Army is certainly your best choice. I'm an active duty officer in the Army and I have to say that it is much better then the USMC. Marines are good people, don't get me wrong, but if you want a career and options, the Army is the only place to be. We have longer deployments, but we also have better equipment and better training. As a product of both Army and Marine training, and later an instructor at one of your OBCs I would say the equipment and training are the same; the difference is more mindset than anything else. And mindset when applied to mission makes a world of difference. I've watched Army officer after officer play the PC game and the hearts and minds crap. Total pussification of the military. When I was in Iraq, the Commandant of the USMC got in a flap for saying the way to win the war was to kill more folks. That's mindset I like! |
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...Most of the marines I worked around were using equipment that had long since been replaced in the army. Really? What did they replace your brains with?
The Marine Corps is the redheaded step child of the Continental Army. The Army gets "issued"........the Marines get a pre-deployment 'what you must purchase list" Trust me...I've payed for some of those "Marine issued" items.
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...Most of the marines I worked around were using equipment that had long since been replaced in the army. Really? What did they replace your brains with?
The Marine Corps is the redheaded step child of the Continental Army. The Army gets "issued"........the Marines get a pre-deployment 'what you must purchase list" Trust me...I've payed for some of those "Marine issued" items.
What exactly did you pay for? The required pre-deployment items for Marines is personnel comfort items. All mission specific gear is issued to you; now some of the stuff issued may not be to you liking, (like I got a Blackhawk 3 point and holster) but it is still functional. Trust me, I just got back about a month ago and this was 4th trip. I could have deployed without buying anything but I wanted specific brands/configurations of gear and that has been the case for several years now. |
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...Most of the marines I worked around were using equipment that had long since been replaced in the army. Really? What did they replace your brains with?
The Marine Corps is the redheaded step child of the Continental Army. The Army gets "issued"........the Marines get a pre-deployment 'what you must purchase list" Trust me...I've payed for some of those "Marine issued" items.
What exactly did you pay for? The required pre-deployment items for Marines is personnel comfort items. All mission specific gear is issued to you; now some of the stuff issued may not be to you liking, (like I got a Blackhawk 3 point and holster) but it is still functional. Trust me, I just got back about a month ago and this was 4th trip. I could have deployed without buying anything but I wanted specific brands/configurations of gear and that has been the case for several years now. My son
On his 1st deployment to Iraq in '07 he was given a "Grocery List". So I sent him some money to help out.( extra pair of boots. holster , etc.) Trust me, I'm not complaining. I do however think that 0331's are the bastard children of the Corps.
ETA: I know to the man every one of the Marines in Lima Co Wpns Plt.......and love those "Bastards" 
3/1 "Thundering Third" |
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On his 1st deployment to Iraq in '07 he was given a "Grocery List". So I sent him some money to help out.( extra pair of boots. holster , etc.) Trust me, I'm not complaining. I do however think that 0331's are the bastard children of the Corps.
ETA: I know to the man every one of the Marines in Lima Co Wpns Plt.......and love those "Bastards"
3/1 "Thundering Third" I understand a father wanting the best for his son and willing to buy things his son said he needs. My father would do the same if I told him "I needed gear." However, a deploying Marine gets issued 4 sets of new CTEP insect replant cammies and 1 pair of new boots prior to each deployment. This is above the 4 sets of cammies and 2 boots he was initially issued at recruit training and given a uniform allowance to maintain. If you are issued a pistol your armory will also issue a holster (again may not be a type he particularly wants, however it is serviceable gear). When in country getting replacement cammies, boots, sunglasses, gloves and about anything else is no harder than walking over to supply and asking for them and than signing a log book when they issue the item. I have seen time and time again, young and in some cases not so young Marines and Soldiers playing the "I am not issued" angle and getting a ton of free stuff. However, in 3 of my last 4 deployments each of my units spent MILLIONS on new gear for that deployment. Yet, each time you had Marines writing a company saying he didn't get "X" issued to him, despite seeing them wearing or carrying the issue item when they wrote the letter. |
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Quoted: I was mostly being a smartass with my original post. Tequlia usually does that to me.Quoted: On his 1st deployment to Iraq in '07 he was given a "Grocery List". So I sent him some money to help out.( extra pair of boots. holster , etc.) I understand a father wanting the best for his son and willing to buy things his son said he needs. My father would do the same if I told him "I needed gear." However, a deploying Marine gets issued 4 sets of new CTEP insect replant cammies and 1 pair of new boots prior to each deployment. This is above the 4 sets of cammies and 2 boots he was initially issued at recruit training and given a uniform allowance to maintain. If you are issued a pistol your armory will also issue a holster (again may not be a type he particularly wants, however it is serviceable gear). When in country getting replacement cammies, boots, sunglasses, gloves and about anything else is no harder than walking over to supply and asking for them and than signing a log book when they issue the item. I have seen time and time again, young and in some cases not so young Marines and Soldiers playing the "I am not issued" angle and getting a ton of free stuff. However, in 3 of my last 4 deployments each of my units spent MILLIONS on new gear for that deployment. Yet, each time you had Marines writing a company saying he didn't get "X" issued to him, despite seeing them wearing or carrying the issue item when they wrote the letter. I do know that our Marines are taken care of. However, I can only go by what he told me about the boots. Was told they needed two pairs to deploy. So he purchased a set. I also know that he/they keep a new set of "Wardrobe" including boots in the wall locker for inspection purposes. This could explain the reason for the extra pair of said boots. |