A USMC recruiter.    

I'm thinking the USMC might not be for him but little harm in it.  I survived 6 months on a 'Med Cruise' in a bunkroom with 5 Marine infantry Lt's  and it didn't kill me

Plus it could be worse - he could want to go the  Virginia Military Institute, we'd have to stage an intervention then


On a serious note he's a HS Senior it's an out of the blue thing for him - something like Air Force boot camp and a little service before college might do good things for him.

Good for him.  Support his decision.

Be careful, he might turn out gay.

I will - I think because of the 'recruiting center' concept he might get guided to another service - if he could knuckle down and survive recruit training it would do wonderful things for  his future and IMHO service is its own reward

no he's not really interested in VMI ...

Good. Need more like him and less hoodboogers running around. If he's serious, tell him to start running now if he isn't already.

Why are parents scared to death of the USMC?

VD? But that's what all the penicillin shots are for.

I'm not scared of USMC - but it might not be the best choice for him.  

I served in the Navy on an Amphib and went to college with dozens of Marine officers in my class.

Make sure he understands the recruiter will lie to him.  Not saying he shouldn't sign up just that he should have his eyes wide open when he does.

 

 

Say it ain't so ...

He said Marines not Navy!!

I've personally known about 8 Marines.



Only one was turned into a dark, hating individual.  The others are pretty much normal, except for one particular shit head.



The thing that scares parents is that it is perceived that the Marines are the ones that go first to where there's shooting and killing, and their kid might be one that buys the farm.



Army, too, but maybe less so due to sheer numbers.



Navy not much.



Air Force, more likely to get fat and lose their job or get pregnant.

This is really, really important for him and everyone like him:

The primary benefit of military service is free college.

I could repeat that all day long.  Free college is so overwhelmingly advantageous it's not even funny.


His peers that pay for college are either going to be working two jobs to take a few classes a semester or else pulling something around $50,000 in student loans.  They'll be 35 before they can even consider major financial outlay like buying a house.  They will literally be wage slaves for the first ~15 years of their careers.

What they'll get out of it is a few years of relatively carefree boozing and debauchery.



I'm not going to say in what branch or manner your son or anybody else should serve, if indeed they want to do that.

What I'm saying is, focus on the big prize: Free School.  That's what you're working for.  That's what you're sacrificing for.

You can go 4 and out and GI Bill.  You can go ROTC scholarship or even an Academy.  You can go career military and do either an afloat or in-residence degree program.  There are likely half a dozen other paths to free school.  But however you want to do it, that's what the goal should be.



I graduated from an Academy at 21, I saved every penny I could and I bought a $400,000 home at the age of 24 with 20% down.  Financial freedom has allowed me to get married and start a family early, always have something in the bank if I needed it (which I've been fortunate and I haven't), and in general enjoy life quite a lot.  No, I'm not rich.  The house, for as expensive as it is, really isn't all that great (location's a bitch).  I drive a 13-year-old truck, but I own it free and clear.

The Navy provided me an avenue to a (mostly) free education and, through that, financial freedom for life, so long as I'm smart enough and disciplined enough to maintain it.  I cannot overstate how important that is.


Yes, there are other ways to get the same thing without the military.  Of course there are.  But it should be considered the primary benefit of military service.

Good!  Tell him to be sure and get a guarantee of MOS 03!

Dont underestimate him.

That mindset is much of what has gone wrong in the military at various points in American history.

true enough - if he wants it he's certainly capable - he does a 20 mile hike with the boy scouts each year for  the last 4  and scores in the top 2% on every standardized test he's ever taken.  

we'll see where he ends up

 

 

College first!!!!!!!!!!!  Go in as an officer, first 5 years would be hell, but do twenty years, retire with great pension,(til the guberment takes that too), and then set for life with a great resume'.

for him I think some form of service first would do him a lot of good

This.. Semper FI, MAC!

It's not gay when your underway!

Everything you heard about The Suck is true.

And, in the end, if your son earns the title he'll forever be part of the biggest, baddest, nation conquering gang in the world.

And you'll be proud.

That's a good one.  Is it gay when you're limited by your options?

Some of the best years of my life were while serving in the USMC, if he joins the navy he might turn out gay.

VMI takes care of their own. Not a bad choice.

I still cry alittle because i went open contract.

steer him to the Air Force.

Or worse, a chubby chaser.

Tell him the Army fights smarter

From the Citadel here we hear VMI never leaves their buddy's behind



I Kid I Kid

tell him to join the Army, If he joins the Corps he will be " commandeering" supplies from the army anywho.. may as well start the deployment with bullets and beans, enough for everyone:D

I went into the Coast Guard, because I wanted to do something different every day.  I wanted SAR - and lots of it.

Perhaps I missed it, but how old is #1 son?

The Shitadel, really? At least it isn't an academy...

VMI 08

just tell him not to join. that should work.

HURRY!!! Lobotomize him before the Corps does!  Get it done to save his life!!!

VMI turns out a good number of Army Tankers, I don't see why that would be a bad thing.

Seriously though, any branch he chooses is a good choice.  I sometimes think back and wish I would have chosen a branch and job that was busy all the time, it may have made me stay in longer.  Combat arms (Tanker) was fun, but when there is no combat, shit gets dull really fast!

Yes, I've seen this, in all ugliness.

Get a better motive. like "I'm willing to serve and prepare to defend our homeland; our way of life in the event of war or other threat. Even if this means killing an enemy."

Regardless of your feelings, that is the state of things, and education remains the primary benefit to you.  

Avail yourself of it or don't, but that's what all your hard work and low pay is earning for you.


I did not, nor would I ever, suggest that a person not serve honorably, not fulfil their sworn obligations, or 'game' the system specifically to milk the rewards.  The fact that people do that is disgusting.

I simply have an interest in seeing that my fellow servicemen are justly rewarded for their service.  It is owed to them, and there's absolutely nothing shameful about accepting an education.


More to the point, a more highly educated serviceman is in a better position to give back to his service than he would be without the education.  
Whatever level of academic achievement you are intellectually capable of attaining, it is in the best interests of the service and, by extension, the nation for you to do so.
No American commander ever wished for less knowledgable soldiers.

That, and you're not going to be in the military forever.  With the exception of a few flag officers and senior enlisted that go 30+ years, chances are you're going to find yourself making it to retirement in your early 40s, if not by your late 30s.  This is barely middle age, you understand, and now you've got to do something else with the rest of your life.  Not everybody is going to want to become a contractor/sub in a .mil-related field.  Maybe you're just good at leading people, in which case that silly business degree you got 10 years ago will come in pretty handy.

All I'm saying is consider your future and all the options which are available.  The education is free (or, more specifically, you've already paid for it), so there's no sense in not taking advantage of it.

And it's good for promotion opportunities (in fact, many times it's required).

Don't let an opportunity to improve your skillset go by.