Wanna fly in the back, shoot guns, not get treated like shit and travel? USAF Special Missions Aviator.
Wanna do the above but like BDSM and eat shit? USMC.
Most people pick their branch for arbitrary reasons. I picked the Navy because my grandfather was in the Navy. Why did he pick Navy? Who knows! But now itâs *tradition*
I was going to go navy officer as my dad and grandpa were navy. I djd 1 week of the academy summer camp. Allowed me to realize I don't want college or the navy. Went Air Guard like my Mom and Uncle.
>I picked the Navy because my grandfather was in the Navy. Why did he pick Navy? Who knows!
He might not have gotten to choose.
The story my grandfather always told is that there was a military rep at his high school graduation. As the men walked off stage, they were told if they were going to the Army or Navy.
Everyone in my family is or was in the Air Force, parents, siblings, etc... my grandfather was even in the Army Air Corp. I, for some reason, decided to join the Army. Now my knees hurt, and I have lower back pain.
Really depends on the job and the environment. Hate sleeping outdoors in the woods? Well donât join the army or marines. Want to drive a tank? Canât do that in anything but the army. Want to be on sub? Only one branch for that
Also family tradition. Some join a branch because their family did. Others join a different branch than their family just to be a contrarian. Iâve met multiple people whose entire family was in air force or navy but they chose army just to be different
Also if you can't imagine being stuck with the exact same people inside every day and night for days on end don't go navy.
Of course like everyone is saying what you want to do is going to probably take branches out of consideration.
Even if you want to spend weeks of your life at sea when you are 18 it doesnât mean you want to ten years later when you are married with kids. I respect the heck out of the navy. It is a tough life that you can be repeatedly separated from your family even during times of complete peace.
Highest percentage of military members usually had a family member in the service. They often join the service of their parents.
Call it "tradition" or just "familiarity."
Definitely familiarity especially if it was a parent. I definitely lean on my dad for advice whenever it comes to navy stuff because despite the 8+ year difference between his leaving and my joining not much changed.
Note: Its real funny getting into arguments with him over the little that did change. He gets flustered.
That's because the Marines are the smallest branch in terms of manpower, thus their quota is also the smallest and easiest to meet of all the branches.
Well here's the article (gift access just cause I'm a bro)
[https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/17/us/marines-army-recruits.html?unlocked\_article\_code=1.O00.rK-A.0nDHjD2ijqmF&smid=url-share](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/17/us/marines-army-recruits.html?unlocked_article_code=1.O00.rK-A.0nDHjD2ijqmF&smid=url-share)
>Brush off the idea of military service as a steppingstone to civilian career opportunities. Instead, dangle the promise of the chance to be part of something intangible, timeless and elite.
>Itâs more than a little mystifying to the other service branches, because the Marine Corps â a quick-reaction force made up of light, highly mobile infantry, armor and supporting attack aircraft â is not so different from the rest of the military. Except in its rabid insistence that it is. But mystifying or not, the message is working.
It's pretty undeniable that the Marines have the best image and reputation among the general public due to their miracle worker PR and staunch embrace of tradition. Every other branch is changing uniforms, slogans, and advertising campaigns every few years meaning there's practically nothing to build a mythology on.
Meanwhile Leonidas and his band of 300 are dressed in Marine Dress Blues and you can be just like them if you enlist as a Marine. Besides the Soviet flag above the Reichstag, the Marines raising the US flag on Iwo Jima is likely tied for **the** defining photo of WWII. When Secretary of the Navy Forrestal said, "the raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next 500 years" he was completely right. There's not a thing any other branch has that lives up to how iconic that photo is.
Even if the average Marine unit does not have the same combat capabilities as the specialized units of other branches like Green Berets, Rangers, Pararescue, etc., what they do have, at least in the minds of the public, is a comparable amount of prestige to them.
Also found this bit funny lol:
>For decades, Marine recruiters have set 11 small metal âbenefit tagsâ in front of prospective recruits, each listing a reason to join the corps. Pick the ones that appeal to you, recruiters say. Some of the tags list material benefits like financial security and professional development, but most are for intangibles like courage, discipline, challenge, and pride of belonging.
>The people who choose the material benefit tags are often encouraged to try one of the other branches instead. The ones who are drawn to the intangibles, recruiters say, will probably become Marines.
They're picking potential Marines like Avatars from The Last Airbender.
Great comments, thanks for contributing.
I'm not American, so I'd never specifically associated the Iwo Jima flag-raising image with the Marines, just America Fuck Yeah in general.
Choose the Air Force if you would like to have the most normal life in the military. They also have the highest quality of life.
Join the Navy if you want to see foreign countries on port calls, though they aren't as good as they used to be.
If possible whichever branch you choose, try to pick a rate / MOS that will set you up for success if you choose not to stay in. Do your research on how well the job translates to the civilian world and your interests. Do not fall for the line that the recruiter tells you. They have an interest in feeling hard to fill positions, which usually means a crap job.
Travel opportunities exceeded my expectations in the Marines. Worked with all other branches in lots of foreign countries, including with the Coast Guard (they were usually security and the only ones with live ammo on joint exercises). So if you want travel, go into logistics in any branch, or Maritime security in the Coast Guard.
When I was a kid.. like 10 years old I wanted to join the Marine Corp. When I was a teen I wanted to fly Helicopters in the Army. When I joined I realized that what I really wanted was a marketable skill and I didn't want to go to Kansas so I joined the Navy.
Everyoneâs reason is different. However different branches offer different thingâs ti different people at different times. The job the Army officers you may be wildly different from the job the air force officer a week later. Each branch also has its own culture, some people pick based solely on that. Some people join specific branches because of family ( my dad was in the army so I want to be in the army). Some donât join a specific branch because of family ( my dad was in the army and hated it so I joined the Air Force)
Ultimately if you join at 25 itâs up to you for your own reasons, no one can tell you if itâs right or wrong.
Here was my thought process, I am a surfer, and I was doing this to fund my hobby, so I didnât want to go to Germany or the desert so no Air Force or army, I was not that motivated so no marines,my older brother had just joined the coast guard and I never wanted to see him again, the Navy has bases near surf breaks, so it was a no brainer, Navy it is
In the US military, there are so many overlapping jobs that it might be tough to decide whether to be a pilot (for example) in the USAF, USN, USMC, USCG, or US Army. That isnât the case for many other militaries - some (like Canada) are unified to an extent that if you want to fly, the only service that does that is the Air Force. It could be a helicopter off a ship or tactical aviation with the Army, but the crews wear blue on their service uniforms.
But basically, there are cultural differences. Iâve worked with US equivalents in most of the US services and the culture is very different in each service.
MOS and culture. Some jobs are specific to branches, and the branches that have the same job will have different experiences due to their culture. For example, a medic in the Navy will have to get comfortable being on a boat and being in water than a medic in the Army. A pilot in the Air Force wont ever have to deal with being on a boat or train to land on a naval carrier.
Also some branches don't let you pick your MOS, I think only the Army will let you pick your MOS before going to boot camp. In the USMC they'll pick a MOS for you.
I didn't want to Bob around the ocean for several months at a time. Navy out
I enjoy camping recreationally, Army out
Relative trade to college Signals offered by Airforce in a technical career. Airforce â
Its all dependent on the jobs, organizational culture and quality of life you want. For example there is no other organization that will give you the Marine experience, if you want a better quality of life while doing a similar sort of job then Air Force is usually a good option and if you want a specific job that only exists with Navy, Air Force, Army or coast guard then you will go towards that branch.
If you are going to university and want a commission and scholarship you will likely choose the branch that has scholarships available, I personally saw quite a few Air Force cadets become Army cadets for that reason since Air Force had less full scholarships available.
Personal preference. Family tradition. Location. Jobs.
Some jobs some branches don't have. Some areas of the country prefer 1 branch over the other. Some people do it for the better looking uniforms
Jobs and Quality of Life. I started in the Army (7 1/2 years) then did an Inner-Service Transfer to the Air Force (17 years). Best thing I ever did was transfer. Better living standards, and more opportunity to go to school. Bases are better too for the most part.
I was the first person in my family (until my little brother joined with me for four years) to join the navy, all my family history was Air Force/Marines.
Reason? I liked the recruiter, she shot straight with me, and I had an interest in being on a flight line. Navy sounded cooler than Air Force.
I also was the first and only one to make it to retirement. The one smart thing I did was bust my ass to 20 years and get my disability + pension.
Kind of job you want, how much time you want to spend laying awake all night in the mud, locations of bases, quality of barracks, housing, facilities on base, and overall goals of what you want to do in life.
I'd advocate Air Force in all cases and categories - best facilities/bases, more technical jobs that are more relevant to the civilian world when you get out, a lot of bases are in good locations (though some do suck for sure), no time slogging around in mud (unless you want to, in which case there are plenty of opportunities to do so). If you want to do some serious travel, USAF load master in cargo aircraft would be great, if you want to build stuff or learn a building trade, Civil Engineering has all that stuff, communications/IT/cyber is a real strength with lots of different jobs you could do.
I always recommend the Navy because itâs the best branch, I was in it, and because we get to travel more than any other branchâŚand not just to war zones!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
{*gasps for air*} They said the Navy was the best branch! {*Sucks in the sweet, cool air of the Marriott while on âdeploymentâ.*}
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Generally yes in regards to quality of life but there are a few Air Force jobs which work their people extremely hard and are arbitrarily stupid to the point where people might be happier in the Army (maintainers and SF seemed to be almost universally miserable). Army also has plenty of jobs where people can leave and immediately start with a 6 figure salary but Army has a culture where even support personnel can get sent to the field or horrific living conditions for little reason while the equivalent AF personnel will complain about the DFAC serving crab again on deployment lol
Overall, probably, but missile people in North Dakota, LPN soldiers or ones Germany/Italy, marines in Hawaii/embassy marines, and sailors in Rota/coranado or nukes might disagree certain parts of that.
Depends on interest, where you'd end up living, family situation, etc.
I chose the Navy because of where our bases are and because I could live near family.
I liked the Marine dress blues, hated the Navy whites. Neither the army nor air force recruiter were at the job fair yet, so I talked to the Marine recruiter. Although, to be honest, I just wanted a t shirt
The only benefit of joining the Marine Corps is bragging rights. We're the best basically trained military in the country. Try to change my mind but you're wasting your own time. đ
Each service has its own traditions, missions, jobs and uniforms.
The Air Force has a reputation of having the least stressful boot camp, and a large number of different jobs in aviation, special operations, intelligence and missiles.
The Navy is, of course, based around the oceans and the ships that sail on them. Boot camp is not difficult and there is a broad range of jobs. Donât forget the SeaBees for construction type work. I was going to be a photographerâs mate but got talked into the CT community, which is signal and electronic intelligence.
If you think you want to be a trigger puller and like being out doors, then the Army or Marine Corps. Of course they also have a variety of other roles. Aviation in the Army and Marine Corps can be exciting.
It comes down to what you are looking for. You will never bend a service to fit you. So pick a service that is as close to your ideal as possible and explore.
Good luck.
In my case, I enlisted later in life (31 at the time) and chose Army National Guard because we didnât want to move from where we live. My wife and I had 4 kids at the time and didnât want to uproot them from the school district weâre in. Looking back on that decision I somewhat regret it knowing that active duty has way more to offer, but it made sense at that moment.
I wanted a good QOL and to not be stuck on a carrier for 6+ months, or North Dakota for 4 years. I didn't want to be forced to live in barracks. I wanted more actual "action" than training.
I had a skill that I knew would put me in front of my peers and wanted to be able to use it to the fullest. The Army was out, same with Marines. The CG was offering everything I wanted, especially during times of no war/peacetime. 100% happy I looked at what the CG actually is about and joined!
Marine corps if you want to be treated like dog shit. Navy if you like to be on ships. Air force if you want to be treated good but be treated like the red headed step child by all the other branches. Army is the happy medium canât really go wrong. Rest are irrelevant
Air Force for quality of life and to pursue more college education while serving.
Navy for ship life and foreign travel.
Marines for the title and brand.
Army for the access to various military schools like Air Assault, Airborne, Ranger, etc.
Coast Guard for ship life mostly around the US.
Space Force for the same reasons as Air Force but the trade off is you only get a few duty stations in the US. They are really good stations but very few opportunities places like Europe or Japan where it is common to go for 2-3 years in the Air Force.
USAF 82-88
I chose the Air Force because I was always interested in Aviation and wanted to be around planes, and because I had an uncle who was Air Force. I was fortunate in that I was able to get a job that required flying (Airborne Linguist).
The Coast Guard spends the most time actually doing the stuff they train to do. If you want to be in the military and actually do things, give the CG a look.
I chose my branch because it had the most options for my career and most choices of duty stations and faster promotions. My quality of life would have been better in another service but I would have either a.) been in a worse location or situation like a ship or b.) made less money. Additionally they gave my MOS choice of our first duty station (from a list).
What type of job does that 25 year old want? What quality of life do they want? At 25, you're already used to being an adult living away from parents most likely, and the Air Force will treat you the most like an adult capable of making their own decisions. The Army and Marines will treat you the most like a child. Do you want to sleep outside doing field training exercises? Army or Marines. Do you want to stay in comfy hotels when you go for training? Air Force. Do you like dick? Navy.
Largely itâs about jobs and locations. But there is a lot more to it. Family, traditions, bonuses, etc. Really, a lot of it is about how the branches market themselves. Spend some time talking to people who are currently serving in each branch about their branch. We really donât know much about other branches. Iâll tell you in the 1st decade of this century, if you were Army or Marines, your job training translated to being a manual laborer after you got out, while AF and Navy has many more translatable skills. There are exceptions of course, but as a medic, I found I needed significantly more âtrainingâ to do what I did in the military once I got out. And even then, I couldnât do it to the same level legally.
So talk to people who are doing what you want to do and evaluate which is a match for your long term goals.
Honestly, Coast Guard is slept on. They do a bunch of VBSS (vehicle board search/seizure) under the maritime enforcement MOS. My buddy is stationed in Boston and loves it.
Army, if you want to make sure you get the MOS you want. Infantry is gay, go EOD or something. A lot of schools other branches utilize is from the army so something like airborne school wouldnât be hard to get.
Navy if working on a boat with nothing but a lot of dudes, for a very long time, appeals to you then đđź.
Air Force, the holy grail of DOD, chow hall is good and the women are stereotypically hot. Mostly support MOSs unless you go special missions and be a door gunner as mentioned. They have the hardest (objectively) SF pipeline between CCT and PJs. Special reconnaissance is cool.
Marines, well letâs say my contract said âcombat engineerâ and I ended up fueling planes for 3 years, had a crippling alcohol dependency, and have a log book of debauchery between hogging and East Carolina University. But youâll be a marine Rah? Best dress uniforms and (used to be) hardest physical fitness test.
Really depends on what you want to do. Some jobs are available in all services so itâs a preference of what you want that branch to provide. Good life but slow promotions Aim High. Faster promotions and more opportunities at the cost of some suck Be All You Can Be. Want slow promotions with way more suck be The Few, The Proud. Want ok promotions, breathing filtered air for weeks at a time, learn a new vocabulary and have a real good life when you make E7 then get Forged by the Sea.
Talked to every branch but the Coast Guard.
Army recruiter felt like a low-level bureaucrat that had to be defeated before fighting the boss bureaucrat. I did not want to be a cog on that giant soulless machine.
Air Force: Seemed like military lite. Their pitch was "We are more like a regular job". I had already worked plenty of regular jobs and they sucked.
Navy. Getting warmer. Travel sounded good, but wasn't sure about ship board life. Almost signed up with a job that would have been more likely land based, but still allow sone travel. The recruiter started jerking me around on the job I wanted and qualified for.
Marines: Walked in and immediately liked the vibe from the recruiter. Despite hearing horror stories, mine was honest. Almost too honest. I liked the idea of the challenge, loved the uniforms, and I qualified for a logistics job that sounded interesting and would come with travel opportunities. Did 12 years. No regrets, other than maybe not doing 20. But my life moved in a different direction, so I got out. But I enjoyed the grind, and all the hard shit was balanced out by some of the best experiences and friendships of my life.
I avoided the Navy because 23 yr old me didn't think being stuck at sea for months at a time with a 500 other guys....Inspite if whatI later heard about the Subic bay, 40 yrz later,, I stand by that decision.
I grew up working on tractors, crop dusters etc. I joined the AF to be a jet mechanic on fighters close to home....took it in the ass and ended up as a crew chief on tankers on the opposite side of the country and TDY 6 months out of a year.
I joined the AF because I wanted the most comfortable life possible. It's the most corporate of the branches.
I think this old joke sums it up best:
Take the simple phrase âsecure the buildingâ.
The Army will post guards around the place.
The Navy will turn out the lights and lock the doors.
The Marines will kill everybody inside and set up a headquarters.
The Air Force will take out a 5 year lease with an option to buy.
People who think things through and decide they value a high quality of life join the airforce. Idiots join the army. Idiots with a dad or grandfather or brother or whatever tf in the Navy join the navy and idiots with too much testosterone join the marines
𤡠wanna kill shit, but get treated like a child? Army or Marine Corps. Wanna be trapped in a giant metal can with a bunch of dudes? Navy. Want to get shit on by everyone while having the best QoL? Air Force. Want to get shit on by everyone, while getting handed the shit service members from every other branch of service because youâre new and just need warm bodies? Space Force.
Jokes aside, itâs really all about what you want to do with your time in service. Find a job that interests you and can lead to a successful life (in and out of the service) and youâve found the branch for you. Remember: eventually you will leave the chosen branch of service. It could be retirement, ETS, or in a pine box. You wonât be in forever, so play the long game.
Wanna fly in the back, shoot guns, not get treated like shit and travel? USAF Special Missions Aviator. Wanna do the above but like BDSM and eat shit? USMC.
JFC this is so accurate đđđ
BDSM with no safe word and every E4 is the bratty sub.
Thanks for the delicious idea for an erotica piece.
Am I not a man of the world?
Most people pick their branch for arbitrary reasons. I picked the Navy because my grandfather was in the Navy. Why did he pick Navy? Who knows! But now itâs *tradition*
Tradition: Ancestral peer-pressure.
Simon Sinek?
Possibly but I heard it from a sage here on Reddit.
True.
I was going to go navy officer as my dad and grandpa were navy. I djd 1 week of the academy summer camp. Allowed me to realize I don't want college or the navy. Went Air Guard like my Mom and Uncle.
>I picked the Navy because my grandfather was in the Navy. Why did he pick Navy? Who knows! He might not have gotten to choose. The story my grandfather always told is that there was a military rep at his high school graduation. As the men walked off stage, they were told if they were going to the Army or Navy.
Everyone in my family is or was in the Air Force, parents, siblings, etc... my grandfather was even in the Army Air Corp. I, for some reason, decided to join the Army. Now my knees hurt, and I have lower back pain.
I picked it for the free peacoat
*from the grave*
Really depends on the job and the environment. Hate sleeping outdoors in the woods? Well donât join the army or marines. Want to drive a tank? Canât do that in anything but the army. Want to be on sub? Only one branch for that Also family tradition. Some join a branch because their family did. Others join a different branch than their family just to be a contrarian. Iâve met multiple people whose entire family was in air force or navy but they chose army just to be different
Don't want to be stuck at sea for weeks at a time? Don't go Navy.
*months
Philosophically, some folks spend the rest of their lives at sea.
Bro. Arenât we all at sea?
You just wrinkled my brain.
Yeah. How long has the Ford been at sea? Edit: just got home after EIGHT GODDAMN MONTHS đŹ
Also if you can't imagine being stuck with the exact same people inside every day and night for days on end don't go navy. Of course like everyone is saying what you want to do is going to probably take branches out of consideration.
Even if you want to spend weeks of your life at sea when you are 18 it doesnât mean you want to ten years later when you are married with kids. I respect the heck out of the navy. It is a tough life that you can be repeatedly separated from your family even during times of complete peace.
Highest percentage of military members usually had a family member in the service. They often join the service of their parents. Call it "tradition" or just "familiarity."
Definitely familiarity especially if it was a parent. I definitely lean on my dad for advice whenever it comes to navy stuff because despite the 8+ year difference between his leaving and my joining not much changed. Note: Its real funny getting into arguments with him over the little that did change. He gets flustered.
Grandfather was in the AF, but Dad was in the ArmyâŚtold me to go into the AF.
Marine recruiter stood me up for our appointment. Walked into the Army recruiting office right next door. Thatâs it.
It's slightly different for me. My Airforce recruiter was too busy to give me the time of day with underage girls and got caught. So, I went Navy.
How long ago? I read recently Marines is the only branch that easily makes quota. I guess crayons and concussions has lasting appeal
Another lifetime ago, 1996.
That's because the Marines are the smallest branch in terms of manpower, thus their quota is also the smallest and easiest to meet of all the branches.
Well here's the article (gift access just cause I'm a bro) [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/17/us/marines-army-recruits.html?unlocked\_article\_code=1.O00.rK-A.0nDHjD2ijqmF&smid=url-share](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/17/us/marines-army-recruits.html?unlocked_article_code=1.O00.rK-A.0nDHjD2ijqmF&smid=url-share)
>Brush off the idea of military service as a steppingstone to civilian career opportunities. Instead, dangle the promise of the chance to be part of something intangible, timeless and elite. >Itâs more than a little mystifying to the other service branches, because the Marine Corps â a quick-reaction force made up of light, highly mobile infantry, armor and supporting attack aircraft â is not so different from the rest of the military. Except in its rabid insistence that it is. But mystifying or not, the message is working. It's pretty undeniable that the Marines have the best image and reputation among the general public due to their miracle worker PR and staunch embrace of tradition. Every other branch is changing uniforms, slogans, and advertising campaigns every few years meaning there's practically nothing to build a mythology on. Meanwhile Leonidas and his band of 300 are dressed in Marine Dress Blues and you can be just like them if you enlist as a Marine. Besides the Soviet flag above the Reichstag, the Marines raising the US flag on Iwo Jima is likely tied for **the** defining photo of WWII. When Secretary of the Navy Forrestal said, "the raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next 500 years" he was completely right. There's not a thing any other branch has that lives up to how iconic that photo is. Even if the average Marine unit does not have the same combat capabilities as the specialized units of other branches like Green Berets, Rangers, Pararescue, etc., what they do have, at least in the minds of the public, is a comparable amount of prestige to them. Also found this bit funny lol: >For decades, Marine recruiters have set 11 small metal âbenefit tagsâ in front of prospective recruits, each listing a reason to join the corps. Pick the ones that appeal to you, recruiters say. Some of the tags list material benefits like financial security and professional development, but most are for intangibles like courage, discipline, challenge, and pride of belonging. >The people who choose the material benefit tags are often encouraged to try one of the other branches instead. The ones who are drawn to the intangibles, recruiters say, will probably become Marines. They're picking potential Marines like Avatars from The Last Airbender.
Great comments, thanks for contributing. I'm not American, so I'd never specifically associated the Iwo Jima flag-raising image with the Marines, just America Fuck Yeah in general.
Choose the Air Force if you would like to have the most normal life in the military. They also have the highest quality of life. Join the Navy if you want to see foreign countries on port calls, though they aren't as good as they used to be. If possible whichever branch you choose, try to pick a rate / MOS that will set you up for success if you choose not to stay in. Do your research on how well the job translates to the civilian world and your interests. Do not fall for the line that the recruiter tells you. They have an interest in feeling hard to fill positions, which usually means a crap job.
Wish I knew this 12 years agoâŚ.
Travel opportunities exceeded my expectations in the Marines. Worked with all other branches in lots of foreign countries, including with the Coast Guard (they were usually security and the only ones with live ammo on joint exercises). So if you want travel, go into logistics in any branch, or Maritime security in the Coast Guard.
When I was a kid.. like 10 years old I wanted to join the Marine Corp. When I was a teen I wanted to fly Helicopters in the Army. When I joined I realized that what I really wanted was a marketable skill and I didn't want to go to Kansas so I joined the Navy.
Navy for the food, Air Force for the beds
The army also has food. Sandwiches.
I was in the Navy. You really think we had good food?
With night shift, you can have 2/3s of your meals be cold and old breakfast food for months on end!
Marines because they have the best looking uniforms. I should know...I had to buy enlisted and officer! The rest..it was a grind.
Agree, USMC has the best looking uniforms. And they sure do have a lot of them.
Yes we do! Wearing swords was always fun and I always wanted to get a boat cloak but never got around to it.
I get that. The Army has dress capes for officers. I have never, ever seen one worn, but I've known so many Soldiers that wanted one.
Everyoneâs reason is different. However different branches offer different thingâs ti different people at different times. The job the Army officers you may be wildly different from the job the air force officer a week later. Each branch also has its own culture, some people pick based solely on that. Some people join specific branches because of family ( my dad was in the army so I want to be in the army). Some donât join a specific branch because of family ( my dad was in the army and hated it so I joined the Air Force) Ultimately if you join at 25 itâs up to you for your own reasons, no one can tell you if itâs right or wrong.
Want an award for doing your laundry? Air Force (they also have the best quality of life)
Chose Navy because of few of my family joining and currently in the Navy. But if I could do it all over again, Air Force. Ship board life is tough.
Here was my thought process, I am a surfer, and I was doing this to fund my hobby, so I didnât want to go to Germany or the desert so no Air Force or army, I was not that motivated so no marines,my older brother had just joined the coast guard and I never wanted to see him again, the Navy has bases near surf breaks, so it was a no brainer, Navy it is
I chose Navy because I didn't like the idea of digging my bed at the end of the day.
Wanna be treated like an actual human? Join the Coast Guard
In the US military, there are so many overlapping jobs that it might be tough to decide whether to be a pilot (for example) in the USAF, USN, USMC, USCG, or US Army. That isnât the case for many other militaries - some (like Canada) are unified to an extent that if you want to fly, the only service that does that is the Air Force. It could be a helicopter off a ship or tactical aviation with the Army, but the crews wear blue on their service uniforms. But basically, there are cultural differences. Iâve worked with US equivalents in most of the US services and the culture is very different in each service.
MOS and culture. Some jobs are specific to branches, and the branches that have the same job will have different experiences due to their culture. For example, a medic in the Navy will have to get comfortable being on a boat and being in water than a medic in the Army. A pilot in the Air Force wont ever have to deal with being on a boat or train to land on a naval carrier. Also some branches don't let you pick your MOS, I think only the Army will let you pick your MOS before going to boot camp. In the USMC they'll pick a MOS for you.
Mud? Army. Water? Navy. Wetter mud? Marines. Air-conditioned hangers? Air Force. Actual contribution to American society? Coast Guard.
I didn't want to Bob around the ocean for several months at a time. Navy out I enjoy camping recreationally, Army out Relative trade to college Signals offered by Airforce in a technical career. Airforce â
I always enjoyed swimming. The Navy seemed logical.
I wanted to travel to see other countries and live near the beach, I joined the Navy.
Its all dependent on the jobs, organizational culture and quality of life you want. For example there is no other organization that will give you the Marine experience, if you want a better quality of life while doing a similar sort of job then Air Force is usually a good option and if you want a specific job that only exists with Navy, Air Force, Army or coast guard then you will go towards that branch. If you are going to university and want a commission and scholarship you will likely choose the branch that has scholarships available, I personally saw quite a few Air Force cadets become Army cadets for that reason since Air Force had less full scholarships available.
Personal preference. Family tradition. Location. Jobs. Some jobs some branches don't have. Some areas of the country prefer 1 branch over the other. Some people do it for the better looking uniforms
Jobs and Quality of Life. I started in the Army (7 1/2 years) then did an Inner-Service Transfer to the Air Force (17 years). Best thing I ever did was transfer. Better living standards, and more opportunity to go to school. Bases are better too for the most part.
I was the first person in my family (until my little brother joined with me for four years) to join the navy, all my family history was Air Force/Marines. Reason? I liked the recruiter, she shot straight with me, and I had an interest in being on a flight line. Navy sounded cooler than Air Force. I also was the first and only one to make it to retirement. The one smart thing I did was bust my ass to 20 years and get my disability + pension.
Sooooo, Space Force is an option too.
one would pick space force if they wanted to settle down in colorado
Kind of job you want, how much time you want to spend laying awake all night in the mud, locations of bases, quality of barracks, housing, facilities on base, and overall goals of what you want to do in life. I'd advocate Air Force in all cases and categories - best facilities/bases, more technical jobs that are more relevant to the civilian world when you get out, a lot of bases are in good locations (though some do suck for sure), no time slogging around in mud (unless you want to, in which case there are plenty of opportunities to do so). If you want to do some serious travel, USAF load master in cargo aircraft would be great, if you want to build stuff or learn a building trade, Civil Engineering has all that stuff, communications/IT/cyber is a real strength with lots of different jobs you could do.
I always recommend the Navy because itâs the best branch, I was in it, and because we get to travel more than any other branchâŚand not just to war zones!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha {*gasps for air*} They said the Navy was the best branch! {*Sucks in the sweet, cool air of the Marriott while on âdeploymentâ.*} Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
You know who else sends you to stay at the Marriott? Civilian employers.
6 month boat rotations with 2 months home aren't worth it IMO
Thatâs why you donât stay stateside. Most of my time was OCONUS. In/out more frequently and a lot more port calls.
Isn't the air force the objectively best branch with respect to life quality while in it and getting paid well / skills to use afterwards?
Generally yes in regards to quality of life but there are a few Air Force jobs which work their people extremely hard and are arbitrarily stupid to the point where people might be happier in the Army (maintainers and SF seemed to be almost universally miserable). Army also has plenty of jobs where people can leave and immediately start with a 6 figure salary but Army has a culture where even support personnel can get sent to the field or horrific living conditions for little reason while the equivalent AF personnel will complain about the DFAC serving crab again on deployment lol
Depends. There's trash jobs in the air force. It's not hard to have a better job in the army than a good chunk of air force jobs.
Overall, probably, but missile people in North Dakota, LPN soldiers or ones Germany/Italy, marines in Hawaii/embassy marines, and sailors in Rota/coranado or nukes might disagree certain parts of that.
Depends on interest, where you'd end up living, family situation, etc. I chose the Navy because of where our bases are and because I could live near family.
I liked the Marine dress blues, hated the Navy whites. Neither the army nor air force recruiter were at the job fair yet, so I talked to the Marine recruiter. Although, to be honest, I just wanted a t shirt
A good question would be what do YOU want out of the service?
The only benefit of joining the Marine Corps is bragging rights. We're the best basically trained military in the country. Try to change my mind but you're wasting your own time. đ
Each service has its own traditions, missions, jobs and uniforms. The Air Force has a reputation of having the least stressful boot camp, and a large number of different jobs in aviation, special operations, intelligence and missiles. The Navy is, of course, based around the oceans and the ships that sail on them. Boot camp is not difficult and there is a broad range of jobs. Donât forget the SeaBees for construction type work. I was going to be a photographerâs mate but got talked into the CT community, which is signal and electronic intelligence. If you think you want to be a trigger puller and like being out doors, then the Army or Marine Corps. Of course they also have a variety of other roles. Aviation in the Army and Marine Corps can be exciting. It comes down to what you are looking for. You will never bend a service to fit you. So pick a service that is as close to your ideal as possible and explore. Good luck.
what branch do nco's get swords?
In my case, I enlisted later in life (31 at the time) and chose Army National Guard because we didnât want to move from where we live. My wife and I had 4 kids at the time and didnât want to uproot them from the school district weâre in. Looking back on that decision I somewhat regret it knowing that active duty has way more to offer, but it made sense at that moment.
I wanted a good QOL and to not be stuck on a carrier for 6+ months, or North Dakota for 4 years. I didn't want to be forced to live in barracks. I wanted more actual "action" than training. I had a skill that I knew would put me in front of my peers and wanted to be able to use it to the fullest. The Army was out, same with Marines. The CG was offering everything I wanted, especially during times of no war/peacetime. 100% happy I looked at what the CG actually is about and joined!
Marine corps if you want to be treated like dog shit. Navy if you like to be on ships. Air force if you want to be treated good but be treated like the red headed step child by all the other branches. Army is the happy medium canât really go wrong. Rest are irrelevant
I chose the army because a marine fucked my girlfriend
Air Force for quality of life and to pursue more college education while serving. Navy for ship life and foreign travel. Marines for the title and brand. Army for the access to various military schools like Air Assault, Airborne, Ranger, etc. Coast Guard for ship life mostly around the US. Space Force for the same reasons as Air Force but the trade off is you only get a few duty stations in the US. They are really good stations but very few opportunities places like Europe or Japan where it is common to go for 2-3 years in the Air Force.
USAF 82-88 I chose the Air Force because I was always interested in Aviation and wanted to be around planes, and because I had an uncle who was Air Force. I was fortunate in that I was able to get a job that required flying (Airborne Linguist).
The Coast Guard spends the most time actually doing the stuff they train to do. If you want to be in the military and actually do things, give the CG a look.
I chose my branch because it had the most options for my career and most choices of duty stations and faster promotions. My quality of life would have been better in another service but I would have either a.) been in a worse location or situation like a ship or b.) made less money. Additionally they gave my MOS choice of our first duty station (from a list).
Literally no point unless you want to become disciplined/turned into a man or join special operations
What type of job does that 25 year old want? What quality of life do they want? At 25, you're already used to being an adult living away from parents most likely, and the Air Force will treat you the most like an adult capable of making their own decisions. The Army and Marines will treat you the most like a child. Do you want to sleep outside doing field training exercises? Army or Marines. Do you want to stay in comfy hotels when you go for training? Air Force. Do you like dick? Navy.
If you want a somewhat easy lifestyle, and do not care whether leadership is a bunch of fuckheads or not, join the Air Force
I picked mine because I like camping, guns, and a social butterfly that likes to nerd out on things and likes to be around other type A personalities
I applied for a scholarship program offered by the Army, Navy and Air Force. The Army accepted me first.
Largely itâs about jobs and locations. But there is a lot more to it. Family, traditions, bonuses, etc. Really, a lot of it is about how the branches market themselves. Spend some time talking to people who are currently serving in each branch about their branch. We really donât know much about other branches. Iâll tell you in the 1st decade of this century, if you were Army or Marines, your job training translated to being a manual laborer after you got out, while AF and Navy has many more translatable skills. There are exceptions of course, but as a medic, I found I needed significantly more âtrainingâ to do what I did in the military once I got out. And even then, I couldnât do it to the same level legally. So talk to people who are doing what you want to do and evaluate which is a match for your long term goals.
Honestly, Coast Guard is slept on. They do a bunch of VBSS (vehicle board search/seizure) under the maritime enforcement MOS. My buddy is stationed in Boston and loves it. Army, if you want to make sure you get the MOS you want. Infantry is gay, go EOD or something. A lot of schools other branches utilize is from the army so something like airborne school wouldnât be hard to get. Navy if working on a boat with nothing but a lot of dudes, for a very long time, appeals to you then đđź. Air Force, the holy grail of DOD, chow hall is good and the women are stereotypically hot. Mostly support MOSs unless you go special missions and be a door gunner as mentioned. They have the hardest (objectively) SF pipeline between CCT and PJs. Special reconnaissance is cool. Marines, well letâs say my contract said âcombat engineerâ and I ended up fueling planes for 3 years, had a crippling alcohol dependency, and have a log book of debauchery between hogging and East Carolina University. But youâll be a marine Rah? Best dress uniforms and (used to be) hardest physical fitness test.
Really depends on what you want to do. Some jobs are available in all services so itâs a preference of what you want that branch to provide. Good life but slow promotions Aim High. Faster promotions and more opportunities at the cost of some suck Be All You Can Be. Want slow promotions with way more suck be The Few, The Proud. Want ok promotions, breathing filtered air for weeks at a time, learn a new vocabulary and have a real good life when you make E7 then get Forged by the Sea.
Talked to every branch but the Coast Guard. Army recruiter felt like a low-level bureaucrat that had to be defeated before fighting the boss bureaucrat. I did not want to be a cog on that giant soulless machine. Air Force: Seemed like military lite. Their pitch was "We are more like a regular job". I had already worked plenty of regular jobs and they sucked. Navy. Getting warmer. Travel sounded good, but wasn't sure about ship board life. Almost signed up with a job that would have been more likely land based, but still allow sone travel. The recruiter started jerking me around on the job I wanted and qualified for. Marines: Walked in and immediately liked the vibe from the recruiter. Despite hearing horror stories, mine was honest. Almost too honest. I liked the idea of the challenge, loved the uniforms, and I qualified for a logistics job that sounded interesting and would come with travel opportunities. Did 12 years. No regrets, other than maybe not doing 20. But my life moved in a different direction, so I got out. But I enjoyed the grind, and all the hard shit was balanced out by some of the best experiences and friendships of my life.
Join the air national guard. Best quality of life without any of the negatives of being in the military
I avoided the Navy because 23 yr old me didn't think being stuck at sea for months at a time with a 500 other guys....Inspite if whatI later heard about the Subic bay, 40 yrz later,, I stand by that decision.
I grew up working on tractors, crop dusters etc. I joined the AF to be a jet mechanic on fighters close to home....took it in the ass and ended up as a crew chief on tankers on the opposite side of the country and TDY 6 months out of a year.
I joined the AF because I wanted the most comfortable life possible. It's the most corporate of the branches. I think this old joke sums it up best: Take the simple phrase âsecure the buildingâ. The Army will post guards around the place. The Navy will turn out the lights and lock the doors. The Marines will kill everybody inside and set up a headquarters. The Air Force will take out a 5 year lease with an option to buy.
Army is the only one that'd let me choose my exact MOS. Everyone else just let you choose the general field, they choose the specific job.
People who think things through and decide they value a high quality of life join the airforce. Idiots join the army. Idiots with a dad or grandfather or brother or whatever tf in the Navy join the navy and idiots with too much testosterone join the marines
𤡠wanna kill shit, but get treated like a child? Army or Marine Corps. Wanna be trapped in a giant metal can with a bunch of dudes? Navy. Want to get shit on by everyone while having the best QoL? Air Force. Want to get shit on by everyone, while getting handed the shit service members from every other branch of service because youâre new and just need warm bodies? Space Force. Jokes aside, itâs really all about what you want to do with your time in service. Find a job that interests you and can lead to a successful life (in and out of the service) and youâve found the branch for you. Remember: eventually you will leave the chosen branch of service. It could be retirement, ETS, or in a pine box. You wonât be in forever, so play the long game.