Still joining the service...but I need guidance. I'm not sure which one.

[12stones]

Originally Posted by RETSF

When you talk to the recruter ask him or her to provide you with the High Year Teanture for each pay grade. The manpower size of a speciality effects your ability to progress through out the entire career. In some specialities you may have to cross train into another field at some point due to overmanning in a pay grade of a speciality area - so ask the recruter for a listing of the career fields with shortages you may end up in one at some point.

Some of the best advice so far. Don't go into a job and then realize that there's no chance for promotion, or that once you hit E-6 you'll move to a job that you know nothing about or hate.

[ragin' cajun]

Originally Posted by Teninx

Military service to our country is not a job training corps. Your decision to enlist in any branch should be motivated by your love of America and your desire to protect her against her enemies. While you certainly will learn skills that will serve you well throughout your life, your military job, whatever it may be, will first be to keep the safety and security of America.

If you're not willing to committ yourself fully to the defense of America, against all enemies foriegn and domestic (you'll swear to that), consider another avenue to advance your personal goals.

Originally Posted by maddman

Once a Marine always a Marines

Being a Marine is not just a job its a way of life. It is promoted in everything you do whether you realize it or not. Everybody you know that your a Marine, and whether you hate the Corps or love it your still a Marine. With that being said if your not willing to put everything you have into becoming one of the few, one of the proud, I'm not sure that I want you in my beloved Corps. If your willing to give it everything you have then by all means walk down to the recruiter past all the other branches and say I wanna be a Marine, I wanna go to the toughest boot camp their is and I wanna be a Marine.

[Glacierman]

I was a Russian linguist for the Air Force (U. S. A. F. Security Service, long since mutated into something else). They taught me Russian and put me to work doing military communications intercept, both airborne and on the ground. Flew missions over the Baltic Sea and Mediterranean in C-130s and did ground intercept in Turkey. Loved the work. We also had Arabic, Chinese, Polish, Czech, Korean, Viet Namese and many other linguists as well. The program was gradually down-sized after the Wall went down, but once again, there is a growing need for linguists in the Air Force (see post above).

I joined the AF for two reasons: [1] To serve my country and [2] to avoid getting drafted into the Army. Item 1 was the reason for entering military service and item 2 was the reason for choosing the Air Force.

Choose wisely.

Good luck!

[garilla]

Originally Posted by Fresh50

Romance Crypto Linguist - 4.5

Er, WHAT?!? You get paid to talk dirty?!? Damn, where the heck was this linguistics option when I was in?!??!

- Garilla

[ChurchDog]

Originally Posted by Bigwaved

You mean there are other branches of service?

Exactly what I was thinking!

Something else to keep in mind; you're IN the other branches of service, however, you ARE a Marine.

[jaysun23]

Only one choice...USMC Semper Fi

"The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!" Eleanor Roosevelt

[mosesbotbol]

If you want to actually fight - Marines and Army. Great sense of pride, but more risk for sure.

Sounds like a toss up between Air Force, Coast Guard, and, Navy? Do you homework and make your decision, not someone else's. Lots of good post on this thread.

[BigVito]

I only want to add nothing. other then that I'm still working on becoming an Army Ranger. plus I will not say anymore to detour this thread and have it turn it to monkey shit fight.

[BigVito]

Originally Posted by jaysun23

Only one choice...USMC Semper Fi

"The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!" Eleanor Roosevelt

one thing about the Marines, I really don't like. They told me I was to old at 30. They can now kiss my ass but for the Marines here you will always have my respect.

[jaysun23]

Damn, 30 is old? (I just hit 31 on the 10th).

[BigVito]

yes, for some reason according to them I am useless, but the AF is worse I believe its 27 for the age cut off.

[macjoe53]

Here's another vote for considering the U.S. Coast Guard. The primary mission of the U.S. Coast Guard is now and always has been saving lives. And when coasties (collectively) are not saving lives, they are protecting the environment and cleaning up oil spills, guarding the ports (both here and some overseas places), and providing for safer navigation on U.S. waterways.

And despite often being overlooked by the other services and not taken seriously, the U.S. Coast Guard or its ancestors have fought in every war or military conflict since it was formed in 1790. When the Marines went to the "shores of Tripoli" it was aboard a Revenue Marine Cutter - the Revenue Marine Cutter Service was one of the early components of the Coast Guard. And speaking of Marines, it was a coastie who saved a lot of Marine butts on Guadalcanal during WWII and earned a Medal of Honor posthumously for doing it. The Coast Guard was also in Korea, Viet Nam, Grenada and the first and second Persian Gulf Wars.

Then there is the law enforcement function of the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard is the only "military service" with law enforcement authority - something which also dates back to 1790 when the Revenue Cutter Service worked to stop smugglers. The Coast Guard still does that today and its personnel are charged with enforcing all applicable laws and regulations.

If you want to know if a Coast Guard career is worthwhile, ask some of the 36,000 people rescued by Coast Guard aircrews following Hurricane Katrina.

And, yes, I spent over 21 years in the Coast Guard. From the day I enlisted in 1972 until I retired in 1993.

[ragin' cajun]

what no one will tell you not even the Marine Corps is that 35yoa is the actual cutoff age... however you need to apply for an age waiver. I know that to be true.

[12stones]

Originally Posted by BigVito

one thing about the Marines, I really don't like. They told me I was to old at 30. They can now kiss my ass but for the Marines here you will always have my respect.

Honestly, you should be glad they didn't let you in at that age. 30 is really too old to be playing the games they play at the beginning. And then just think of all the problems you'd have being told what to do by some schmuck 21 year-old who's in your face screaming about what an effin maroon you are cause you can't clean the springs underneath your mattress properly.

I wish someone would have kept out the 28 year olds that I had to deal with that thought they knew better too.

[12stones]

Originally Posted by jaysun23

Only one choice...USMC Semper Fi

"The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!" Eleanor Roosevelt

I love this quote.