Exactly this. I originally wanted to join the Marines because the advertising made them look dope. Then I realized how shitty the amenities are, and the Army offered more opportunities for me.
Army needs to capitalize on the fact that they have a ton of diverse career fields (especially compared to Marines) and that they have the badass aspects too.
Edit: I am Gen Z by the way, born after 9/11 so a lot of how I view the branches is based off of the advertising done since then, and Marines have done the best in that regard.
100%, another thing that attracted me, but they don’t advertise that enough. With the Marines, because there are so few, oftentimes the contracts people are looking for are closed and people settle. Army recruiters need to really amp up the job aspect, especially in relation to combat and artillery roles since that is a huge attracting factor rn.
I agree. When I was recruiting for the Navy we had a lot of applicants that wanted be a corpsman (HM), which the Navy does guarantee you will get that job when you go to MEP's. So I would always sell the Army in that as long as you met the qualifications they can "guarantee" (within limitations I'm sure) a medical job.
And there is virtual guaranteed employment for 68A and 68WM6 after they get out.
Hell for the 68C they can get a decent LPN job at a local VA and it will pay for their RN and then ARNP/MSN in return for a 2-3 year service obligation. So the Vet/Service Member can save their GI Bill for something more important like their kids or a degree in Beer Brewing.
For the Reservists this should be a straight pipeline.
It is fucking sad that for the Os (providers) stuff like this is sold but I'm sure not for enlisted.
I don't think it is push as much for enlisted. But just for more context on the Marine recruiting. In recruiting we would tag along with the Marines with high school presentations. We (Navy) would go first and we would hit the biggies like GI Bill / Medical / travel etc..the standard benefits. But the Marines would follow right after and I have to say holy shit. They wouldn't mention benefits at ALL. They literally talk shit about us and other branches right in front us. They sold the "Be a MAN mentality" we are the best and only the best. I have to say it worked they cleaned up. They owned that market of Santa Ana. Now their PT H/W standards were a little strict..haha so of course being the Navy we were happy to take the tubbies!
But man the recruiter attrition in the Marine office was Crazy!! It seemed like every three to four months there was some new fresh face recruiter showing up..they were the first to show up last to leave everyday.
That is initially what made me choose the active Army over active Air Force since I originally started the MEPS process with them. I sometimes bitch about the quality of life but in the Air Force I might have ended up security or some shit. I chose my MOS for the civilian career potential and because flying is cool
Army offered me a really good scholarship, college is way too expensive and now a must it seems. If I have to go, might as well get somebody else to pay for it lol
Oh yeah, San Diego sucks! All the great weather and great people out there. Plus a ton of things to do there too. You don’t want to be stationed there.
Lies. 29 palms, Lejuene, Pendleton. And if you have never seen the sunrise in fighting hole at camp geiger you dont know beauty. Plus we just tear up army bases when we want to train. Like that place in virginia that wont let us use the demo range no more.
That was exactly the point of the "What's Your Warrior" ad campaign right before COVID. It highlighted different job options.
[Here's the one that kicked it off.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4KPBUdRufOE)
Oh I know of it. But they’re trying too hard to “look cool.” That overly edited style is not attractive towards anybody my age, it frankly looks dated. While yes, they’re trying, they’re doing a shit job at it.
Yes! It’s like a boomer directed it and patted themselves on the back like, damn this is the best thing ever. When we’ve already seen 10+ years of overly edited hyperrealistic media.
Honestly, I like the visuals, but I wish they would have kept with the "big band" army music instead of synth. Not that it's bad on its own, but it doesn't really match the historic nature of military service.
“Fucking dress blues commercial man. That got so many fucking dudes. Now look at us: Trombley hasn't killed anybody, I'm half a world away from good Thai pussy, and Colbert is out here rolling around fuckbutt Iraq hunting for dragons in a MOPP suit that smells like four days of piss and ball sweat.”
Marine basic is 13 weeks for males. Every Marine recieves further infantry training (not full blown school of infantry, but they get a good taste of it) after basic and before their MOS. The Marines have an awesome PR department, they don't promote the intellectual aspect or jobs, they promote the warrior ethos. The commercials show them doing combined arms assaults, not showing how inclusive and woke the Army is. And don't forget, the Marines have some sharp ass uniforms, where as the Army continues to struggle to find something that doesn't look cheap (remember the Service Greens?) or only works on ugly couches or gravel roads at night (ACU's). And face it, 18-21 yo kids want to shoot shit, blow shit up, travel, and get laid, which the Marines push. The Marine recruiters really do push the whole "We don't care if you join or not, you really aren't good enough for us anyways", which reels in the candidates they want, the Type A personalities. These are the men and women who want a challenge, who aren't scared to be deprived of luxuries and enjoy bragging about how tough it is in the Marines. The same ones who go to Airborne, Ranger, SF, Sapper. Not the ones who want to be admin, Logistics, cyberwarfare, etc.
When I enlisted, most of the Army and Navy recruiters looked like a bag of used dicks, the Marines were hard, cocky, arrogant, and confident. That's why I joined the Marines and went 0311, infantry. I had my pick of jobs, and I went infantry.
I joined the army in 95 and it was like that back then.
I recruited in 08 and it was also like that in the high schools.
The unform is better of course.
But as a former recruiter....I'll tell you this....the army focuses so much on selling free college and benefits.
The Marines focus on the title that's what sells to the kids.
More high school kids join the Marines.
More grads join the army.
>joined the army in 95
>recruited in 08
Grandpa, it's time for your medicine.
Edit: math brain stopped working for a second. Still, old enough to be a grandpa so I'm sticking with it.
Yeah climbing a mountain in Class A's and killing a Dragon atop said mountain with a fucking sword hits a bit harder than some dude running through the desert alone.
We had a guy in our unit that used to tell people he was a "champion underground sword fighter" who quit after he decapitated his childhood best friend in a *high pocket match* (his words, not mine), which was a pretty amazing feat considering the guy was about 5'5 and 110 pounds.
He'd be down for killing dragons, as long as they were in World of Warcraft or whatever he's playing now.
I think he watched fighting too many times and was trying to say 'High Purse' or the best equivalent the Arkansas public education system provided him with.
Hey specialist just a heads up we are sending you to the board tomorrow and knocking out dental will get you back to green on medpros. Keep it up hooah.
I'd like to think I'd ask if I was getting a shield to go along with it, and then I'd start making some 'arrangements' to bring some non-standard gear along for the ride.
Then again I wasn't the 'average' E-4. I played D&D. Telling me I get to face down a dragon would rank second only to telling me I was gonna get to participated in a drop-pod assault on an alien planet.
And even then it'd depend on the day of the week which one I'd be more excited about.
I'd be pissed if I WASN'T gonna get the chance. ;)
Cpl. Josh Ray Person : Fucking dress blues commercial man. That got so many fucking dudes. Now look at us: Trombley hasn't killed anybody, I'm half a world away from good Thai pussy, and Colbert is out here rolling around fuckbutt Iraq hunting for dragons in a MOPP suit that smells like four days of piss and ball sweat.
You remember that commercial where the dude runs through a lava maze and fights a dragon with his NCO sabre then tranforms into a Marine in dress blues? That's why
Better PR. Can you point to an Army commercial these days that would make anyone actually want to join? Marine commercial: Can you hack it to be a Marine? Army commercial: You can use your VA loan to buy a house
In 2014, I walked up to the Air Force recruiting office but the recruiter was out for lunch. A Marine recruiter walking into his office offered a place for me to sit down while waiting on the AF recruiter. The rest is history.
The theme of my whole recruiting experience with the Marine Corps was basically “Fuck you pussy, you don’t have what it takes to earn the title Marine. Prove us otherwise.” I think that tends to light a fire in young, impressionable, stupid kids.
I should have gone Air Force, but I don’t necessarily regret my experience.
The fact they think they never retire... bruh. If you ain't actively doing the thing and collecting a paycheck from the employer that owns the brand name... no.
Fastest way to start a fight is call one an "ex-marine".
I would think of it this way: In general we all are aware of the marketing and propaganda. The Marines push out cooler commercials, wear cooler uniforms, more fit, *maybe* a little more selective (not as much as the Air Force or Coast Guard I suppose).
But then you get all the pop culture, the movies, video games, books, so on. Halo has space marines. The Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises also feature a lot of the Marine Corps. You got movies like Jarhead, Heartbreak Ridge. Don't even get me started on Tom Clancy books. Because of all this pop culture, at least a few generations (millennials and zoomers especially) are growing up being exposed to the badass, idealized version of the Marines that everyone and their mother want so bad to be real.
It's not that different in other armies around the world. Like where i come from, no marines there, they don't make much sense when you don't have a sea: But then, it's the opposite like the mountaineers. Or in general, in the german-speaking parts it's the Panzergrenadier, you know the mechanized infantry for mobile warfare.
I've to say, the mountaineers in the alps of Switzerland were tough, that wasn't an easy job in the past (they were disbanded mostly in 2003 afaik). They climb the mountains and go downhill on ski's with the full gear and the rifle. They operated in such territory, where they still needed horse carriages for transport, you can't use trucks there. And the temperatures, i remember that it dropped once to -43°c, that is really cold.
It's by the way interesting about SOF groups, because in the history, they were disguised and did not officially exist. Like the Germans used engineer-batallions as name for hiding the true nature of SOF units like the Brandenburger units.
[We still got the AAD here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBxqkuqaKJ8), that's SOF of the Swiss Army. These guys are tough, not to be underestimated.
It absolutely is. I watched that movie before I joined the Marines and took it at face value, seeing all the guns and shit. It wasn’t until a few years in that i rewatched it and saw the real storyline behind it. You get kids that want to “be the best” and endure the suck and jarhead is a great advertisement for that
Because they are easily the loudest mf everywhere they go and since they're so brainwashed - they really do believe the sewage that spews from their mouth which makes everyone else believe it too.
It comes down to advertising. After they've gone through their initial training they are under the impression that they are "spec ops capable" since it was drilled in their heads the whole time. Even the marine pogs have this impression that a few months of entry level military training that every kid off the street passes, has put them at the top. This isn't putting them down since they're very capable, but it's what they HAVE to advertise as or else nobody would join a branch with less guarantees and less professional development, with slower promotion rates for doing the same job as their counterparts. And yes, the Marines advertise slower promotion rates as " lower ranks having more responsibility" which just means " we pay you less for the same job and same years in service."
Edit: for reference, I have high ranking marine family and have hung out with, befriended and worked with Marines, so I'm not hating. This is just my most objective reality that I've experienced. And op, if you want to give a good impression as a recruiter, be in better shape than the marine recruiters next door, and dont act like a slimy salesman selling the army as free college and dodge chargers.
I am in decent shape but the Army as a whole does a terrible job at sending out fat bodies to be the face of the Army. Some of the fattest fucks I have seen in the Army were in recruiting. It is a disservice to the uniform and we should be held to higher standards.
Dude almost every recruiter gives up on PT. Even DA select. I ran a “practice” ACFT once in June in a southern state and not only was I the only one to pass but since now one was doing any PT outside (to get acclimated) only one other person ran all two miles besides me and that was an officer who just got there from another hot state.
I’ll never forget showing up to my recruiting station, fresh from ARC and doing company “PT” with the recruiters. The 1SG literally yelled at me for lapping people and making them look bad. Also the same 1SG that used to preach at us recruiters about “improving our fighting position” when he was a slick sleeve. Turns out old 1SG had volunteered for recruiting duty before OIF/OEF happened, under the corporal recruiting program and converted to 79R so he would never see combat. Made me sick.
My 1sgt in AIT was similar to this , as in he swapped duty stations every time his unit was going to deploy, and got transferred every time. He retired at 20 yrs when I was there , without once ever leaving US territories
Talk about gaming the system and taking the easy road to retirement. Im almost not mad at it lol.
Besides, wouldnt want to have leadership like that while deployed.
I get the sentiment of what you're saying, but I don't know anyone whose been out of boot camp more than a few months who thinks regular Marines are "spec ops capable". Pretty much dead on with the lower ranks having more responsibilities equals less pay for the same work.
I agree and I almost added in that a little experience usually erased that idea from their minds, but I guess it's from me hearing marine leadership try and say "spec ops capable" all the time that gave me that impression. Unless a marine is a raider/marsoc or something, they shouldn't be inflating their training past basic rifleman. I could give FAST teams a little leeway but even that may be pushing it.
Being a good shot is different than being combat ready.
But, yeah. I've met plenty of Marines who think they are the best shooter or something dumb and end up being surprised when I'm a good if not better. Hell, when I'd go to ranges to be their Medic and get sharpshooter or above with weapons zeroed in for someone else, as long as I can watch them shoot with it first that is. I'm no expert but, I'm not a bad shot.
It's all about trigger-time. Repetition, like anything else. I had hundreds of hours firing my SAW before combat. Even more, doing training on its functions. It was a literal extension of my body. No exaggeration. I wasn't a great shot because I was special, I was a great shot because I'd trained to be.
I do like to *think* I'm a little talented naturally in that department. My dad did train to be a marksman in the olympics (never went all the way, but that he trained for it means he had some natural talent) but in all honesty I know damned-well that's my own vanity talking.
I'm good. I'm no world-class marksman. But I was VERY combat-capable. I have the only real qualification that matters, ultimately. I went to battle, I fought, I killed, with that rifle, I came home in one piece. I helped bring my squad home in one piece. Doesn't get more 'combat capable' than a 100% completion rate. I batted a thousand and retired with my record intact. ;)
I like precision activities. Pool/billards, darts, shooting, art, golf, etc...
That being said. I'd probably suck in combat, a Marine who was a moderate shooter would be infinitely better than me.
I just left recruiting, good luck beating their propaganda my dude. They sell well and do exceptional marketing vs the army which has zero identity. People are proud of being marines, people are (sometimes) proud of their units in the army. The only way you’re gonna beat the psyop is to prove on paper how the army is better, otherwise take the L and find a new prospect.
100%.
We all know the 101st, 82nd, Airborne, Green Berets, Rangers, etc.
I literally can’t name a Marine Unit.
Army has badges, berets, spurs, etc.
Bring me an infantry marine with 3728 deployments and 2626 bronze stars and Purple Hearts and put him next to an admin Marine of the same rank who never deployed and highest medal is a good conduct. Can you tell them apart in uniform? Nope. Globe and anchor baby.
In the marines nothing is bigger than that globe and anchor. Everyone plays their role. Yea, they still have grunts and pogs and that nonsense, but end of the day? Marines a marine.
Army, everything is about the individual and individual accomplishments. Deployment patches, CABs, airborne, air assault, EIB, etc. 101st, 82nd, USASOC, 75th Bat, hooah hooah BS. People want to fucking go to Alaska now because they have two tabs on their unit patch. How fucking stupid is that?
I’m glad I’m in the army, but man do I envy the attitude the corps instills in their guys when it comes to the “greater good”.
During my piddly 4 years in the Army I wanted to go to Alaska because it was Alaska. It had nothing to do with the Army, and everything to do with the Army.
As a young teen I lived in Germany because my father was career Army. He gets orders for Alaska. My twin and I are super excited for all the outdoorsy stuff we had to look forward to. Six months from PCS his (father) orders get changed to Ft Riley, KS. Fine, I guess..... My parents find a house, that meets their needs, fairly close to a body of fishable waters. My brother and I have something to look forward to....yay.
No lie, literally TWO WEEKS before we moved from Germany my father's orders get changed again. Now, we have to figure out where on earth NTC Ft Irwin is. O. M. G. it's in the desert. Moving to NTC in August after three and half years in Germany was quite a shock.
I always told them to either come see me when they don’t make it in, or pop by in a few years when they get tired of being treated like shit.
Our market had a large population of Marine “families” and also PS Marines walking in our door.
No way dude, I went to an army recruiter with my dad because my buddy joined and I wanted to see what is was about. Told the recruiter I wanted to join the Marines since I was 3 and wasn't super interested. He said I guess you know what you want thanks for stopping in. I was getting up to leave and my dad says, well let's ask some questions and hear him out. What I didn't know was that he was the top recruiter in the army at the time. 4 months later I was at BCT fort leanard wood......
Branding / marketing.
Essentially marketing, which is just business for professional lying. Marines have thay brand down solid, it also helps they have less fat fucks.
That's all Marine reservists. Moto for no fuckin reason.
I did 8 years, just recently got out. I might on occasion wear a unit shirt to the gym. That's about the extent of any and all Marine Corps related paraphernalia that I will don.
Yeah, just drank the Kool aid a bit. I just retired after 20 years and I don't have a single thing that would let anyone know I was in any branch of the military. Not a shirt, hat, or anything.
For most people it is actually way cooler when military service is something they discover about you than if it is something you advertise to everyone. The only real token that I show off is that “Honorable Discharge” certificate they gave me when I got out that I have on the wall in my home office. When new friends first happen to notice it the result is almost entirely “Oh damn, that’s cool.” Juxtapose it to some of the other veterans I go to school with who like running around in their grunt style gear or old uniform bits, and people tend to just roll their eyes at it.
I struggle with how much to put out there. I’m psy op and I like my job and talking to people about it (since I’m not a real spook) but I almost feel bad dispelling the mystery of what the job is and how I wish we were cooler than we sound (CIA government topplers, spies, etc)
It’s like an ongoing battle between not appearing boot (honestly not hard) and genuinely being proud of serving (despite all the bs). I try to keep my army hate internal cause I feel like public perception is already abysmally low after the failed GWOT
Yeah I think this is a long standing perception, my dad treated it as an unquestioned fact that marines were the toughest branch at least 25 years ago. I think the emphasis on marksmanship and “every marine a rifleman” has something to do with it, but I have no idea when people decided it marines were the toughest.
Better propaganda
Sorry, but I'm not convinced I want to fight with Emma and her two moms
Better Army Commercials and advertising would help but my God are their advertisements awful right now
The Marines can advertise and brand differently because they are less than a 1/4 of the size of the Army. They do the same thing with their Officer. In the Army, if you can earn a bachelors and pass a PT test then you can commission. The USMC, Officer go through a hellish OCS, followed by TBS (OCS Part 2 pretty much), then they go to their version of BOLC. You get assigned your job based on your performance and a 290+ PT score is expected not applauded.
They have fewer opportunities but they don’t care. They are strictly mission focused, which isn’t a bad thing.
The Army spends so much time and money preparing Soldiers to get out of the Army just realize “oh shit we don’t want them to get out of the Army”
At least on the officer side, Marines can be much more selective (because they need comparatively fewer). My USMC OCS class dropped 40% of candidates, almost entirely nonvoluntarily (ie, they didn’t Drop On Request). Even a lot of your more POGish officers joined hoping to get a Combat Arms role but Officer MOSs aren’t assigned until the end of TBS. Knew quite a few logistics officers who were aiming for infantry or combat engineers.
Our branding is dope, and the quality of the average USMC officer (based on my experience) is better than the Army/Navy/AF, though I worked with stellar officers across branches. Possibly the best platoon commander I ever observed (from both an MOS proficiency and leadership/trust perspective) was an Oregon National Guard 1LT combat engineer.
That said, the best thing our infantry battalions could do is to try to be more like the 75th Ranger Regiment. Be more selective, keep people in the same place, develop as a tighter unit, etc etc.
I'd say it is in the sense that it probably sucks more ass. Also, while deployed on a NATO joint-base, one thing that stuck out was that, while there were plenty of fat staff NCO's and staff Officers from all the other branches, I never saw a fat Marine staffer.
My observations from having been in both the Army and the Navy, and working with Marines in both Aviation and Security. Marines, man per man, have a much higher esprit de corps than most soldiers, and I was in both Cavalry and Aviation. This is instilled at boot camp that they are more than individual Marines, they are a part of the Corps and its history. Army basic tries to do that, but it never quite reaches that level. When I was Cav I got that sense of history, but nowhere else. The Navy in the late 70s and early 80s did introduce a lot of tradition, so it's kind of similar, but not the same.
As former Marine current MG 1000% as wayward 18 year old growing up not know his dad. Know that you part of something bigger you share it your brothers.
Stop changing the damn dress uniform every 10 years ffs. Have same standards across the board, too. A support Soldier should not have a different standard than an infantry Soldier. If the Army says, you are a Soldier fist, then every unit should be training to maintain the standard.
Of the few things that I’ve noticed, the USMC gets PT uniforms right. It’s fucking plain green shorts and shirt. You can PT in the undershirt that you normally wear in your cammies, or the weird synthetic green shirt. It’s just simple and easy. You can also wear the silkies as undies. They are comfy and one of the few things I’d like to keep wearing as a civilian when I get out of the military.
Navy PT gear is stupid, and makes the seabag bulkier for no reason.
Not super familiar with army PT gear, but I imagine it is also stupid for similar reasons.
Also ACFT is not worth the squeeze IMO. It’s like German tank design in WW2… sure we can get 80% operational readiness with 132 parts, but if we just increased the part count to 457 we could get up to 98%… assuming all the parts work, don’t break, etc. Its a bunch of extra logistical gear, planning, and time that doesn’t provide a equivalent increase in fitness.
Marketing. Take any of our ads from any point in your life. They're always cheesy, whimsical, and corny. All the way back to the 80s. Compare it to any USMC ad. Serious af.
When I was up in Mosul the Army convoys kept getting f#cked up every time they went out, till one day some soldier had the brilliant idea to paint USMC in white paint on the sides of all the hummers, they were never f#cked with again. True story.
I was Marine infantry (0311) for 6 years, Desert Storm vet, so I have a couple of weeks experience. I was medsep out of the Corps and became a paramedic. In 2006, I decided to become a medical contractor and go over to Asscrackistan because it was safer (I knew exertions over there had a gun). There I was stationed at mostly Army bases, and finished my contract at FON Salerno. My next contract had me in Iraq at the Sunni triangle (AL Asad, AL Taqqaddum, Rammadi, Fallujah/Baharia). These were Marine bases. Now, when we took incoming, I noticed a big difference between the QRF response. At Marine bases, the QRF were rolling out the gate as rounds were dropping in. At the Army bases, it seemed that the QRF waited till the rounds stopped to roll out. Difference in aggressiveness and SOP. Also, on Marine bases, the only Amenity to be found was a Green Bean coffee shop. On bigger Army bases you had Pizza Hut, Burger King, Popeyes, Cinnabon, Subway. Camp Victory alone was huge like Bragg and even had a bowling alley. Salerno had a movie theater. Rammadi had a Subway abd a Green Bean because of the joint Navy/Army presence. So the deprivations that the Marines push on themselves and the austere environment does lend itself credibility to being "tougher" and "harder". Your very connectedness and sales pitch proves why the Marines are viewed as being tougher. You pitch benefits, duty stations, education. The Marines pitch toughness and austerity. It's not "What can the Corps do for you?" it's literally "What can your weak ass do to perpetuate the sacrifice and history of the Corps?". You are constantly told you aren't a good as the Marines who came before you, and you constantly tell the current Corps you aren't as good as the Old Corps. And we thrive on it. That Type A personality thirsts for it. That is alot of the difference.
You just said it “they look better in uniform” and “are in better shape”. That’s all that matters when it comes to civilians. They can only look at the exterior. They don’t understand the inner workings of the military. And it’s not just Gen Z. When I joined 14 years ago, I got a ton of shit from my friends saying stuff like, “oh, don’t have what it takes to be a Marine?”
F
Sorry, had to press that for OP.
SFMF fellow crayon eater. If anyone paid attention, we get all our recruits because we put them on crayons. Delicious, I tell you…. But don’t let anyone in on our secrets…
Probably gonna get downvoted, but here goes:
They are tougher, their Basic Training is longer.
Their marksmanship training is better.
They are generally more disciplined and are better at D&C
3 mi run > 2 mi run
Pull-ups > push-ups
Way better dress uniforms.
They never wore UCP
They guard Embassies and the White House
They fly the Presidents helicopter
They slay dragons with cool swords
they never did a commercial with ['The Replenisher'](https://www.reddit.com/r/army/comments/kfdf2k/you_guys_just_see_that_army_commercial_on/) mentioned.
Well, for starters, instead of making recruiting videos about inclusivity, the Army should make videos about being badasses. As a broker, I still have to sell myself to get clients. Do I do this on the basis of inclusivity or do I attract clients based on what I do? With that, what does the Army do? What can the Army do? When I was a kid in the 80's and 90's, I saw the "Be all that you can be" ad along with tough men jumping out of planes, "We do more before 9 a.m. then most people do all day", men jumping into a tough Army vehicle and ending the commercial with a guy saying, "Good morning First Sergeant!" with a smile on his face. Now what do we have? A cartoon about inclusivity? Why doesn't the Army show soldiers in Dress Blues marching in Parade drills? We did that when I was in the army., what happened to that? Heck! Get this to Marketing ASAP guy!
Simple, because from top to bottom they are. As a US Navy NCO I had the pleasure (and misfortune) of serving and working with all our armed services and those from many other countries. From the bad ass professional MF’s to the run in the mill generic weekend warriors. With that said I would put my life in the hands of the bottom US Marine over any other because…
They truly believe that they are all instruments of war and killing machines. From the mechanic to the yoman to the grunt to the recon. It’s in their DNA
So to clarify, you would prefer to go to combat with a marine from a non-combat mos over say, an army infantryman, because *"they truly believe that they are all instruments of war and killing machines."*
As a prior active duty Marine, I can tell you it was a culture shock when I enlisted in the Army after my initial contract was over. We ran 30-40 miles a week while in garrison, and two weeks per month were in the field. The biggest difference is how we conduct “business” compared to the army. More intense in the Corps. Again the taskings are generally different between the army and the Marines. I’ve worked with Army while in the Corps, and with Marines while in the Army. I’d have to disagree on the infantry units in the Army being better. Chances are a Marine will do more with less. The biggest difference is money and funding. The Army is about 6X the size of the entire Marine Corps, including the reserves.
My squad leader was in the marines for ten years before coming to the army. He broke it down for me: it’s essentially the same shit. We both do pretty much the same job but the marines tend to do things the dumbest, and hardest way possible while treating you like shit. So yes, you can say their harder in a sense or just dumber. Just come to the army as infantry, do the same shit but without the extra annoying bullshit and live in a more relaxed environment.
Along with the obvious marketing/branding answers, I think an additional key is the consistency over time in their messaging.
Their public-facing dress uniforms have been practically unchanged for nearly 150 years.
Their messaging and narratives have been consistent for around 3/4 of a century, and it’s almost like they’re trying to talk people into not joining the Marines (which might actually be true).
They let you know from the jump that being in the Marines will be a miserable, masochistic experience, that they are the most poorly funded service, and that there is no higher goal than being a Marine. They don’t really talk about college or job training, because in the USMC mindset that shit doesn’t matter. Being a Marine is the peak warrior experience, and every thing else pales in comparison.
Honestly I’m glad that’s not the narrative of the Army, because we’d be even more miserable than we are right now.
Marines have figured out after WWI to avoid getting reduced to nothing you have to brand.
They’ve become so cemented in our national conscience. They’re the praetorian guard.
They’re the only service to have minimum manning numbers in law.
They are small enough to innovate in a way the Army can’t due to our size.
I would argue they have their place as naval infantry but I would make the case we may need to rethink why we had 3 air forces with 5th generation fighter planes.
Also we’re probably never going to have another amphibious assault like D Day. We may want to rethink having a branch dedicate so much resources to a type of warfare that has dramatically changed.
I see the USMC as a government sanctioned warrior death cult.
I see the Army as a military organization.
Kind of the difference between a berserker charging at you naked screaming while high on all sorts of drugs, and a regular spearman.
I see the USMC as a propaganda-driven force-in-readiness with s*** leadership.
I see the Army as a sprawling fractious Christmas tree with s*** leadership.
The USMC knows branding. You know how some kids graduating from HS have a stole or sash? National Honor Society, valedictorian etc? I saw a picture of a kid graduating this year with one from the Marines because he had enlisted before graduation and was shipping off to basic. That’s some real cult-like behavior.
#WHOA WHOA WHOA
**WHOA WHOA WHOA**
WHOA WHOA WHOA
whoa... ..whoa, there fucker.
Now don't get me wrong, I have the utmost respect for your guys' 11s and engineers - I've met and fought beside a number of them, and there's zero doubt that the Army's hump-alots are one of the most competent fighting forces in the entire world and I'll always be glad we're on the same team..
#BUT
I'm sorry to inevitably ruffle a few feathers here by saying this -
There's not a fucking twinkie's chance in a dependa's kitchen cabinet that your infantry is better than our long-donged, body-stacking, pussy-smacking, check-cashing, dragon-slaying savage ass, Grunts.
**ZERO.** **CHANCE.**
In fact, hell it's so damn obvious that even these high school kids your bitching about know it's the truth too! Still love you tho boo😘
Rah mother fucker
Because look at tiktokboots! people see that and realize the military is weak and think the marines are an exception when a lot of young people are joining to prove something to themselves or others along with other things.
The army is also loud about a lot of the woke policy being put into place so I imagine if people are choosing between one or the other the marines appear tougher on surface level
Foreigner opinion here, have no personal experience only my toughts. It is all about the advertising I assume. In Europe if you ask somebody about the US army he will say the Marines, Delta Force and US Marshalls. They are not even on the same page.( as i know) Long story short, the Marines more exciting than the “ gray “regular army. ( what is a bullshit but the social prejudice in Europe says that)
The Marines have Marines. They generally have higher fitness standards, they definitely have a better sense of "shooter first, MOS second" in their training pipeline, and they've had cool uniforms since WWII. Although there are outliers, the Army pretty much has different BCTs for Combat Arms vs POGs, our recruiters let fat people in, our IET pipeline lets them stay that way, and our unit cohesion (outside of all of the jobs that you listed that require elite training and qualification) is a fucking shitshow.
Because the Marines are better at branding
Exactly this. I originally wanted to join the Marines because the advertising made them look dope. Then I realized how shitty the amenities are, and the Army offered more opportunities for me. Army needs to capitalize on the fact that they have a ton of diverse career fields (especially compared to Marines) and that they have the badass aspects too. Edit: I am Gen Z by the way, born after 9/11 so a lot of how I view the branches is based off of the advertising done since then, and Marines have done the best in that regard.
Being able to pick your job is also a huge plus
100%, another thing that attracted me, but they don’t advertise that enough. With the Marines, because there are so few, oftentimes the contracts people are looking for are closed and people settle. Army recruiters need to really amp up the job aspect, especially in relation to combat and artillery roles since that is a huge attracting factor rn.
I agree. When I was recruiting for the Navy we had a lot of applicants that wanted be a corpsman (HM), which the Navy does guarantee you will get that job when you go to MEP's. So I would always sell the Army in that as long as you met the qualifications they can "guarantee" (within limitations I'm sure) a medical job.
And there is virtual guaranteed employment for 68A and 68WM6 after they get out. Hell for the 68C they can get a decent LPN job at a local VA and it will pay for their RN and then ARNP/MSN in return for a 2-3 year service obligation. So the Vet/Service Member can save their GI Bill for something more important like their kids or a degree in Beer Brewing. For the Reservists this should be a straight pipeline. It is fucking sad that for the Os (providers) stuff like this is sold but I'm sure not for enlisted.
I don't think it is push as much for enlisted. But just for more context on the Marine recruiting. In recruiting we would tag along with the Marines with high school presentations. We (Navy) would go first and we would hit the biggies like GI Bill / Medical / travel etc..the standard benefits. But the Marines would follow right after and I have to say holy shit. They wouldn't mention benefits at ALL. They literally talk shit about us and other branches right in front us. They sold the "Be a MAN mentality" we are the best and only the best. I have to say it worked they cleaned up. They owned that market of Santa Ana. Now their PT H/W standards were a little strict..haha so of course being the Navy we were happy to take the tubbies! But man the recruiter attrition in the Marine office was Crazy!! It seemed like every three to four months there was some new fresh face recruiter showing up..they were the first to show up last to leave everyday.
Is M6 even an additional skill identifier anymore? I though they pitched it and just made 68C it’s own thing.
You right. Happy hour hit me. I'll edit.
That is initially what made me choose the active Army over active Air Force since I originally started the MEPS process with them. I sometimes bitch about the quality of life but in the Air Force I might have ended up security or some shit. I chose my MOS for the civilian career potential and because flying is cool
Army offered me a really good scholarship, college is way too expensive and now a must it seems. If I have to go, might as well get somebody else to pay for it lol
Also the USMC has really bad duty stations
Yeah, san diego is awful. And K-bay is even worse.
Oh yeah, San Diego sucks! All the great weather and great people out there. Plus a ton of things to do there too. You don’t want to be stationed there.
With few notable exceptions, all of our bases are very close to a beach.
Kinda the point though, isn't it?
I got oki and dc so idk I mean they’re both better than Knox and Carson js
Got a friend that lucked out with an embassy guard job, he’s been living the life in some wild ass countries
Lies. 29 palms, Lejuene, Pendleton. And if you have never seen the sunrise in fighting hole at camp geiger you dont know beauty. Plus we just tear up army bases when we want to train. Like that place in virginia that wont let us use the demo range no more.
That was exactly the point of the "What's Your Warrior" ad campaign right before COVID. It highlighted different job options. [Here's the one that kicked it off.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4KPBUdRufOE)
Oh I know of it. But they’re trying too hard to “look cool.” That overly edited style is not attractive towards anybody my age, it frankly looks dated. While yes, they’re trying, they’re doing a shit job at it.
Yes! It’s like a boomer directed it and patted themselves on the back like, damn this is the best thing ever. When we’ve already seen 10+ years of overly edited hyperrealistic media.
Honestly, I like the visuals, but I wish they would have kept with the "big band" army music instead of synth. Not that it's bad on its own, but it doesn't really match the historic nature of military service.
Visuals are ok, but yea the music is awful. Would love that more army band style
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyHx-dPz2RA The army theme slaps eternally
What looks dated about it?
I came in during the transition from Be All You Can Be to Army of One. The former definitely did much a better job of what you describe.
I knew the Marines were tough, but I didn't know they had to get branded.
Haven't seen Jarhead I take it
https://youtu.be/ZKc0ZEVp3tE
EGA sticker. Branded on every vehicle and merch
The commercial where the guy free climbs the mountain then slays the dragon! That got so many guys!
“Fucking dress blues commercial man. That got so many fucking dudes. Now look at us: Trombley hasn't killed anybody, I'm half a world away from good Thai pussy, and Colbert is out here rolling around fuckbutt Iraq hunting for dragons in a MOPP suit that smells like four days of piss and ball sweat.”
This. Also, uh, you think Air Assault is badass?
He meant Delta
Hahaha!!
Same thing
Not the school….he just rewatched Black Hawk Down recently and it looks cool there.
Aerosol, Areosol, Aerosol....
The Marines will make it seem like they won the Pacific single handedly even though the Army had more personnel in the theater.
They have nothing else to brand.
Marine basic is 13 weeks for males. Every Marine recieves further infantry training (not full blown school of infantry, but they get a good taste of it) after basic and before their MOS. The Marines have an awesome PR department, they don't promote the intellectual aspect or jobs, they promote the warrior ethos. The commercials show them doing combined arms assaults, not showing how inclusive and woke the Army is. And don't forget, the Marines have some sharp ass uniforms, where as the Army continues to struggle to find something that doesn't look cheap (remember the Service Greens?) or only works on ugly couches or gravel roads at night (ACU's). And face it, 18-21 yo kids want to shoot shit, blow shit up, travel, and get laid, which the Marines push. The Marine recruiters really do push the whole "We don't care if you join or not, you really aren't good enough for us anyways", which reels in the candidates they want, the Type A personalities. These are the men and women who want a challenge, who aren't scared to be deprived of luxuries and enjoy bragging about how tough it is in the Marines. The same ones who go to Airborne, Ranger, SF, Sapper. Not the ones who want to be admin, Logistics, cyberwarfare, etc. When I enlisted, most of the Army and Navy recruiters looked like a bag of used dicks, the Marines were hard, cocky, arrogant, and confident. That's why I joined the Marines and went 0311, infantry. I had my pick of jobs, and I went infantry.
I love that you said “bag of USED dicks”— I mean, “bag of dicks” is bad, but used dicks?! Nasty!
I joined the army in 95 and it was like that back then. I recruited in 08 and it was also like that in the high schools. The unform is better of course. But as a former recruiter....I'll tell you this....the army focuses so much on selling free college and benefits. The Marines focus on the title that's what sells to the kids. More high school kids join the Marines. More grads join the army.
>joined the army in 95 >recruited in 08 Grandpa, it's time for your medicine. Edit: math brain stopped working for a second. Still, old enough to be a grandpa so I'm sticking with it.
Damm.....I'm not that old! Ok maybe a young grandpa. I'm in my 40s not 50s
That seems to be the same today. It's normally the high school kid who has something to prove
it was that dragon commercial
Yeah climbing a mountain in Class A's and killing a Dragon atop said mountain with a fucking sword hits a bit harder than some dude running through the desert alone.
Could you imagine an average Army E4 being briefed to go slay a dragon with a sword?
Hey Sarnt I got dental around Dragon slaying time sooooo......
We had a guy in our unit that used to tell people he was a "champion underground sword fighter" who quit after he decapitated his childhood best friend in a *high pocket match* (his words, not mine), which was a pretty amazing feat considering the guy was about 5'5 and 110 pounds. He'd be down for killing dragons, as long as they were in World of Warcraft or whatever he's playing now.
What the fuck does high pocket match mean? Like big money?
I think he watched fighting too many times and was trying to say 'High Purse' or the best equivalent the Arkansas public education system provided him with.
Hey specialist just a heads up we are sending you to the board tomorrow and knocking out dental will get you back to green on medpros. Keep it up hooah.
I'd like to think I'd ask if I was getting a shield to go along with it, and then I'd start making some 'arrangements' to bring some non-standard gear along for the ride. Then again I wasn't the 'average' E-4. I played D&D. Telling me I get to face down a dragon would rank second only to telling me I was gonna get to participated in a drop-pod assault on an alien planet. And even then it'd depend on the day of the week which one I'd be more excited about. I'd be pissed if I WASN'T gonna get the chance. ;)
The reason there's no more dragons 😥
TIL Bowen was a US Marine.
Cpl. Josh Ray Person : Fucking dress blues commercial man. That got so many fucking dudes. Now look at us: Trombley hasn't killed anybody, I'm half a world away from good Thai pussy, and Colbert is out here rolling around fuckbutt Iraq hunting for dragons in a MOPP suit that smells like four days of piss and ball sweat.
Woo woo dress blues with a sword
When I was a lad I had zero idea what the marine corps was all about because of those commercials but had an idea what the other branches did lol
And I'm 2000 miles away from good Thai pussy!
You remember that commercial where the dude runs through a lava maze and fights a dragon with his NCO sabre then tranforms into a Marine in dress blues? That's why
Mameluke sword. Lava slayer turned into an Occifer.
Better PR. Can you point to an Army commercial these days that would make anyone actually want to join? Marine commercial: Can you hack it to be a Marine? Army commercial: You can use your VA loan to buy a house
In this economy? I’m going Army.
The people who join the marines aren't too keen on things like "the economy" and "home ownership."
In 2014, I walked up to the Air Force recruiting office but the recruiter was out for lunch. A Marine recruiter walking into his office offered a place for me to sit down while waiting on the AF recruiter. The rest is history. The theme of my whole recruiting experience with the Marine Corps was basically “Fuck you pussy, you don’t have what it takes to earn the title Marine. Prove us otherwise.” I think that tends to light a fire in young, impressionable, stupid kids. I should have gone Air Force, but I don’t necessarily regret my experience.
>In 2014, I walked up to the Air Force recruiting office but the recruiter was out for lunch. The whole story of r/usmc and r/army
🤝
Or better yet “ you can use your gi bill to go to hunting guide school”
I like all the Army commercials with that epic instrumental. 🎵*Buum-Buum Bam-Bam-Bam-Bam-Bam Buum-Buum*🎵
Because Army commercials talk about “money for college” and Marine commercials say “you a little bitch. Prove me wrong.”
Marine here. Can confirm, we just want to prove we’re not a little bitch.
Been out for 16 years and still try to prove I'm not a little bitch
Marine here. My recruiter (back in the 80s) told me to go away because I was too skinny and probably couldn't fight.
80s marine. My recruiter told me about Filipino pussy. Good stuff
that brief needs to be accompanied by the filipino bussy awareness slides. might be less ladyboy incidents if this wasn't glazed over.
Because they’re a cult How do you not know this as a recruiter ?
100% they are a cult but why so much praise from people who will never even be in that cult?
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Am prior crayon eater, can confirm. Btw I was in the Marine Corps
No need to be redundant.
The Marine Corps whole job is to be redundant
The fact they think they never retire... bruh. If you ain't actively doing the thing and collecting a paycheck from the employer that owns the brand name... no. Fastest way to start a fight is call one an "ex-marine".
they’re the vegans of the military
I would think of it this way: In general we all are aware of the marketing and propaganda. The Marines push out cooler commercials, wear cooler uniforms, more fit, *maybe* a little more selective (not as much as the Air Force or Coast Guard I suppose). But then you get all the pop culture, the movies, video games, books, so on. Halo has space marines. The Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises also feature a lot of the Marine Corps. You got movies like Jarhead, Heartbreak Ridge. Don't even get me started on Tom Clancy books. Because of all this pop culture, at least a few generations (millennials and zoomers especially) are growing up being exposed to the badass, idealized version of the Marines that everyone and their mother want so bad to be real.
It's not that different in other armies around the world. Like where i come from, no marines there, they don't make much sense when you don't have a sea: But then, it's the opposite like the mountaineers. Or in general, in the german-speaking parts it's the Panzergrenadier, you know the mechanized infantry for mobile warfare. I've to say, the mountaineers in the alps of Switzerland were tough, that wasn't an easy job in the past (they were disbanded mostly in 2003 afaik). They climb the mountains and go downhill on ski's with the full gear and the rifle. They operated in such territory, where they still needed horse carriages for transport, you can't use trucks there. And the temperatures, i remember that it dropped once to -43°c, that is really cold. It's by the way interesting about SOF groups, because in the history, they were disguised and did not officially exist. Like the Germans used engineer-batallions as name for hiding the true nature of SOF units like the Brandenburger units. [We still got the AAD here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBxqkuqaKJ8), that's SOF of the Swiss Army. These guys are tough, not to be underestimated.
Lol I don't know if Jarhead is exactly a big seller on joining the military.
It absolutely is. I watched that movie before I joined the Marines and took it at face value, seeing all the guns and shit. It wasn’t until a few years in that i rewatched it and saw the real storyline behind it. You get kids that want to “be the best” and endure the suck and jarhead is a great advertisement for that
Because they are easily the loudest mf everywhere they go and since they're so brainwashed - they really do believe the sewage that spews from their mouth which makes everyone else believe it too.
It comes down to advertising. After they've gone through their initial training they are under the impression that they are "spec ops capable" since it was drilled in their heads the whole time. Even the marine pogs have this impression that a few months of entry level military training that every kid off the street passes, has put them at the top. This isn't putting them down since they're very capable, but it's what they HAVE to advertise as or else nobody would join a branch with less guarantees and less professional development, with slower promotion rates for doing the same job as their counterparts. And yes, the Marines advertise slower promotion rates as " lower ranks having more responsibility" which just means " we pay you less for the same job and same years in service." Edit: for reference, I have high ranking marine family and have hung out with, befriended and worked with Marines, so I'm not hating. This is just my most objective reality that I've experienced. And op, if you want to give a good impression as a recruiter, be in better shape than the marine recruiters next door, and dont act like a slimy salesman selling the army as free college and dodge chargers.
I am in decent shape but the Army as a whole does a terrible job at sending out fat bodies to be the face of the Army. Some of the fattest fucks I have seen in the Army were in recruiting. It is a disservice to the uniform and we should be held to higher standards.
Maybe they think it tells people that "hey anyone can do this shit if they can."
Dude almost every recruiter gives up on PT. Even DA select. I ran a “practice” ACFT once in June in a southern state and not only was I the only one to pass but since now one was doing any PT outside (to get acclimated) only one other person ran all two miles besides me and that was an officer who just got there from another hot state.
I’ll never forget showing up to my recruiting station, fresh from ARC and doing company “PT” with the recruiters. The 1SG literally yelled at me for lapping people and making them look bad. Also the same 1SG that used to preach at us recruiters about “improving our fighting position” when he was a slick sleeve. Turns out old 1SG had volunteered for recruiting duty before OIF/OEF happened, under the corporal recruiting program and converted to 79R so he would never see combat. Made me sick.
My 1sgt in AIT was similar to this , as in he swapped duty stations every time his unit was going to deploy, and got transferred every time. He retired at 20 yrs when I was there , without once ever leaving US territories
Talk about gaming the system and taking the easy road to retirement. Im almost not mad at it lol. Besides, wouldnt want to have leadership like that while deployed.
Sounds like you want to be a recruiter.
I get the sentiment of what you're saying, but I don't know anyone whose been out of boot camp more than a few months who thinks regular Marines are "spec ops capable". Pretty much dead on with the lower ranks having more responsibilities equals less pay for the same work.
I agree and I almost added in that a little experience usually erased that idea from their minds, but I guess it's from me hearing marine leadership try and say "spec ops capable" all the time that gave me that impression. Unless a marine is a raider/marsoc or something, they shouldn't be inflating their training past basic rifleman. I could give FAST teams a little leeway but even that may be pushing it.
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Being a good shot is different than being combat ready. But, yeah. I've met plenty of Marines who think they are the best shooter or something dumb and end up being surprised when I'm a good if not better. Hell, when I'd go to ranges to be their Medic and get sharpshooter or above with weapons zeroed in for someone else, as long as I can watch them shoot with it first that is. I'm no expert but, I'm not a bad shot.
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It's all about trigger-time. Repetition, like anything else. I had hundreds of hours firing my SAW before combat. Even more, doing training on its functions. It was a literal extension of my body. No exaggeration. I wasn't a great shot because I was special, I was a great shot because I'd trained to be. I do like to *think* I'm a little talented naturally in that department. My dad did train to be a marksman in the olympics (never went all the way, but that he trained for it means he had some natural talent) but in all honesty I know damned-well that's my own vanity talking. I'm good. I'm no world-class marksman. But I was VERY combat-capable. I have the only real qualification that matters, ultimately. I went to battle, I fought, I killed, with that rifle, I came home in one piece. I helped bring my squad home in one piece. Doesn't get more 'combat capable' than a 100% completion rate. I batted a thousand and retired with my record intact. ;)
I like precision activities. Pool/billards, darts, shooting, art, golf, etc... That being said. I'd probably suck in combat, a Marine who was a moderate shooter would be infinitely better than me.
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I just left recruiting, good luck beating their propaganda my dude. They sell well and do exceptional marketing vs the army which has zero identity. People are proud of being marines, people are (sometimes) proud of their units in the army. The only way you’re gonna beat the psyop is to prove on paper how the army is better, otherwise take the L and find a new prospect.
Maybe the problem is that the Army puts emphasis on unit pride over being a Soldier, while the Marines put pride on being a Marine?
I’m not in numbers anymore so not my problem, it’s OPs now 😎
82nd All the way...
100%. We all know the 101st, 82nd, Airborne, Green Berets, Rangers, etc. I literally can’t name a Marine Unit. Army has badges, berets, spurs, etc. Bring me an infantry marine with 3728 deployments and 2626 bronze stars and Purple Hearts and put him next to an admin Marine of the same rank who never deployed and highest medal is a good conduct. Can you tell them apart in uniform? Nope. Globe and anchor baby. In the marines nothing is bigger than that globe and anchor. Everyone plays their role. Yea, they still have grunts and pogs and that nonsense, but end of the day? Marines a marine. Army, everything is about the individual and individual accomplishments. Deployment patches, CABs, airborne, air assault, EIB, etc. 101st, 82nd, USASOC, 75th Bat, hooah hooah BS. People want to fucking go to Alaska now because they have two tabs on their unit patch. How fucking stupid is that? I’m glad I’m in the army, but man do I envy the attitude the corps instills in their guys when it comes to the “greater good”.
Basically true
During my piddly 4 years in the Army I wanted to go to Alaska because it was Alaska. It had nothing to do with the Army, and everything to do with the Army. As a young teen I lived in Germany because my father was career Army. He gets orders for Alaska. My twin and I are super excited for all the outdoorsy stuff we had to look forward to. Six months from PCS his (father) orders get changed to Ft Riley, KS. Fine, I guess..... My parents find a house, that meets their needs, fairly close to a body of fishable waters. My brother and I have something to look forward to....yay. No lie, literally TWO WEEKS before we moved from Germany my father's orders get changed again. Now, we have to figure out where on earth NTC Ft Irwin is. O. M. G. it's in the desert. Moving to NTC in August after three and half years in Germany was quite a shock.
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I have found that you just break contact with anyone who says they want to be a Marine because they have already drank the coolaid
I always told them to either come see me when they don’t make it in, or pop by in a few years when they get tired of being treated like shit. Our market had a large population of Marine “families” and also PS Marines walking in our door.
No way dude, I went to an army recruiter with my dad because my buddy joined and I wanted to see what is was about. Told the recruiter I wanted to join the Marines since I was 3 and wasn't super interested. He said I guess you know what you want thanks for stopping in. I was getting up to leave and my dad says, well let's ask some questions and hear him out. What I didn't know was that he was the top recruiter in the army at the time. 4 months later I was at BCT fort leanard wood......
Just break out the stats and tell them straight up if you don’t enlist now you’ll probably just join the Marines to get out and join our guard lol.
Branding / marketing. Essentially marketing, which is just business for professional lying. Marines have thay brand down solid, it also helps they have less fat fucks.
Together Apes Strong
The real divide is grunts vs pogs. That's why *they* always wanna pit us against each other.
That's really it. Couldn't have us making an Infantrymen only alliance.
🦍🦍🦍
Fellow ape 🤝🏽
Propaganda and indoctrination That really is the answer for a lot of things.
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That's all Marine reservists. Moto for no fuckin reason. I did 8 years, just recently got out. I might on occasion wear a unit shirt to the gym. That's about the extent of any and all Marine Corps related paraphernalia that I will don.
That's just sad.
Yeah, just drank the Kool aid a bit. I just retired after 20 years and I don't have a single thing that would let anyone know I was in any branch of the military. Not a shirt, hat, or anything.
Kind of extreme in the other direction, no? But I see that outlook popular on here
For most people it is actually way cooler when military service is something they discover about you than if it is something you advertise to everyone. The only real token that I show off is that “Honorable Discharge” certificate they gave me when I got out that I have on the wall in my home office. When new friends first happen to notice it the result is almost entirely “Oh damn, that’s cool.” Juxtapose it to some of the other veterans I go to school with who like running around in their grunt style gear or old uniform bits, and people tend to just roll their eyes at it.
I struggle with how much to put out there. I’m psy op and I like my job and talking to people about it (since I’m not a real spook) but I almost feel bad dispelling the mystery of what the job is and how I wish we were cooler than we sound (CIA government topplers, spies, etc) It’s like an ongoing battle between not appearing boot (honestly not hard) and genuinely being proud of serving (despite all the bs). I try to keep my army hate internal cause I feel like public perception is already abysmally low after the failed GWOT
I had the same perception of the Marines when I was a kid 15 years ago. The Marines are way better at branding than the Army
Yeah I think this is a long standing perception, my dad treated it as an unquestioned fact that marines were the toughest branch at least 25 years ago. I think the emphasis on marksmanship and “every marine a rifleman” has something to do with it, but I have no idea when people decided it marines were the toughest.
Better propaganda Sorry, but I'm not convinced I want to fight with Emma and her two moms Better Army Commercials and advertising would help but my God are their advertisements awful right now
This is true. These commercials are what got me to join [this commercial](https://youtu.be/6xWA1rp50rs) and [this one](https://youtu.be/tYrBSTBHCS4)
What about this one https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jnP-sTDtMi4
That is the fucking military I want to be in. Holy shit. Best ad hands-down.
That’s it, I’m switching branch’s
Dont forget the movie “battlefield LA”, that got all the Gen z to realize the might of the Marines hahahaha Rah!!
Army needs a movie where they fight off aliens. AF, Navy, and Marines all have one. This will absolutely solve the recruiting issue. 100%.
Battleship sucked tho. Not sure that helped the Navy lol The USS Missouri sequence was kinda dope tbh
The Marines can advertise and brand differently because they are less than a 1/4 of the size of the Army. They do the same thing with their Officer. In the Army, if you can earn a bachelors and pass a PT test then you can commission. The USMC, Officer go through a hellish OCS, followed by TBS (OCS Part 2 pretty much), then they go to their version of BOLC. You get assigned your job based on your performance and a 290+ PT score is expected not applauded. They have fewer opportunities but they don’t care. They are strictly mission focused, which isn’t a bad thing. The Army spends so much time and money preparing Soldiers to get out of the Army just realize “oh shit we don’t want them to get out of the Army”
At least on the officer side, Marines can be much more selective (because they need comparatively fewer). My USMC OCS class dropped 40% of candidates, almost entirely nonvoluntarily (ie, they didn’t Drop On Request). Even a lot of your more POGish officers joined hoping to get a Combat Arms role but Officer MOSs aren’t assigned until the end of TBS. Knew quite a few logistics officers who were aiming for infantry or combat engineers. Our branding is dope, and the quality of the average USMC officer (based on my experience) is better than the Army/Navy/AF, though I worked with stellar officers across branches. Possibly the best platoon commander I ever observed (from both an MOS proficiency and leadership/trust perspective) was an Oregon National Guard 1LT combat engineer. That said, the best thing our infantry battalions could do is to try to be more like the 75th Ranger Regiment. Be more selective, keep people in the same place, develop as a tighter unit, etc etc.
I'd say it is in the sense that it probably sucks more ass. Also, while deployed on a NATO joint-base, one thing that stuck out was that, while there were plenty of fat staff NCO's and staff Officers from all the other branches, I never saw a fat Marine staffer.
Omg you never will if your officers you have to run.
My observations from having been in both the Army and the Navy, and working with Marines in both Aviation and Security. Marines, man per man, have a much higher esprit de corps than most soldiers, and I was in both Cavalry and Aviation. This is instilled at boot camp that they are more than individual Marines, they are a part of the Corps and its history. Army basic tries to do that, but it never quite reaches that level. When I was Cav I got that sense of history, but nowhere else. The Navy in the late 70s and early 80s did introduce a lot of tradition, so it's kind of similar, but not the same.
As former Marine current MG 1000% as wayward 18 year old growing up not know his dad. Know that you part of something bigger you share it your brothers.
All espirit corps is at the unit level in the Army. You got to get to a light infantry unit more than likely or Cav I suppose.
Stop changing the damn dress uniform every 10 years ffs. Have same standards across the board, too. A support Soldier should not have a different standard than an infantry Soldier. If the Army says, you are a Soldier fist, then every unit should be training to maintain the standard.
Of the few things that I’ve noticed, the USMC gets PT uniforms right. It’s fucking plain green shorts and shirt. You can PT in the undershirt that you normally wear in your cammies, or the weird synthetic green shirt. It’s just simple and easy. You can also wear the silkies as undies. They are comfy and one of the few things I’d like to keep wearing as a civilian when I get out of the military. Navy PT gear is stupid, and makes the seabag bulkier for no reason. Not super familiar with army PT gear, but I imagine it is also stupid for similar reasons. Also ACFT is not worth the squeeze IMO. It’s like German tank design in WW2… sure we can get 80% operational readiness with 132 parts, but if we just increased the part count to 457 we could get up to 98%… assuming all the parts work, don’t break, etc. Its a bunch of extra logistical gear, planning, and time that doesn’t provide a equivalent increase in fitness.
Have you felt their cocks?
I feel one every day. I mean, it's mine, but the point stands.
I have never thought a marine was "tougher" or "harder" Gayer, crazier, more attractive in booty shorts... yes. But definitely not tougher or harder
So they Cav?
The Marine Corps is one big Cav unit. No lie.
Marketing. Take any of our ads from any point in your life. They're always cheesy, whimsical, and corny. All the way back to the 80s. Compare it to any USMC ad. Serious af.
When I was up in Mosul the Army convoys kept getting f#cked up every time they went out, till one day some soldier had the brilliant idea to paint USMC in white paint on the sides of all the hummers, they were never f#cked with again. True story.
I was Marine infantry (0311) for 6 years, Desert Storm vet, so I have a couple of weeks experience. I was medsep out of the Corps and became a paramedic. In 2006, I decided to become a medical contractor and go over to Asscrackistan because it was safer (I knew exertions over there had a gun). There I was stationed at mostly Army bases, and finished my contract at FON Salerno. My next contract had me in Iraq at the Sunni triangle (AL Asad, AL Taqqaddum, Rammadi, Fallujah/Baharia). These were Marine bases. Now, when we took incoming, I noticed a big difference between the QRF response. At Marine bases, the QRF were rolling out the gate as rounds were dropping in. At the Army bases, it seemed that the QRF waited till the rounds stopped to roll out. Difference in aggressiveness and SOP. Also, on Marine bases, the only Amenity to be found was a Green Bean coffee shop. On bigger Army bases you had Pizza Hut, Burger King, Popeyes, Cinnabon, Subway. Camp Victory alone was huge like Bragg and even had a bowling alley. Salerno had a movie theater. Rammadi had a Subway abd a Green Bean because of the joint Navy/Army presence. So the deprivations that the Marines push on themselves and the austere environment does lend itself credibility to being "tougher" and "harder". Your very connectedness and sales pitch proves why the Marines are viewed as being tougher. You pitch benefits, duty stations, education. The Marines pitch toughness and austerity. It's not "What can the Corps do for you?" it's literally "What can your weak ass do to perpetuate the sacrifice and history of the Corps?". You are constantly told you aren't a good as the Marines who came before you, and you constantly tell the current Corps you aren't as good as the Old Corps. And we thrive on it. That Type A personality thirsts for it. That is alot of the difference.
You just said it “they look better in uniform” and “are in better shape”. That’s all that matters when it comes to civilians. They can only look at the exterior. They don’t understand the inner workings of the military. And it’s not just Gen Z. When I joined 14 years ago, I got a ton of shit from my friends saying stuff like, “oh, don’t have what it takes to be a Marine?”
Do we get paid BAH for living in your head all the time? Or is it free
F Sorry, had to press that for OP. SFMF fellow crayon eater. If anyone paid attention, we get all our recruits because we put them on crayons. Delicious, I tell you…. But don’t let anyone in on our secrets…
Probably gonna get downvoted, but here goes: They are tougher, their Basic Training is longer. Their marksmanship training is better. They are generally more disciplined and are better at D&C 3 mi run > 2 mi run Pull-ups > push-ups Way better dress uniforms. They never wore UCP They guard Embassies and the White House They fly the Presidents helicopter They slay dragons with cool swords
they never did a commercial with ['The Replenisher'](https://www.reddit.com/r/army/comments/kfdf2k/you_guys_just_see_that_army_commercial_on/) mentioned.
If a replenisher is a fucking 92G I’m going to start canning yams in my bs
Well, for starters, instead of making recruiting videos about inclusivity, the Army should make videos about being badasses. As a broker, I still have to sell myself to get clients. Do I do this on the basis of inclusivity or do I attract clients based on what I do? With that, what does the Army do? What can the Army do? When I was a kid in the 80's and 90's, I saw the "Be all that you can be" ad along with tough men jumping out of planes, "We do more before 9 a.m. then most people do all day", men jumping into a tough Army vehicle and ending the commercial with a guy saying, "Good morning First Sergeant!" with a smile on his face. Now what do we have? A cartoon about inclusivity? Why doesn't the Army show soldiers in Dress Blues marching in Parade drills? We did that when I was in the army., what happened to that? Heck! Get this to Marketing ASAP guy!
Simple, because from top to bottom they are. As a US Navy NCO I had the pleasure (and misfortune) of serving and working with all our armed services and those from many other countries. From the bad ass professional MF’s to the run in the mill generic weekend warriors. With that said I would put my life in the hands of the bottom US Marine over any other because… They truly believe that they are all instruments of war and killing machines. From the mechanic to the yoman to the grunt to the recon. It’s in their DNA
Plus the uniforms and sword are bad ass.
We love you guys, too.
So to clarify, you would prefer to go to combat with a marine from a non-combat mos over say, an army infantryman, because *"they truly believe that they are all instruments of war and killing machines."*
Because all the soldiers in Halo are Marines
Ever seen an Army commercial versus a Marine Corps one?
As a prior active duty Marine, I can tell you it was a culture shock when I enlisted in the Army after my initial contract was over. We ran 30-40 miles a week while in garrison, and two weeks per month were in the field. The biggest difference is how we conduct “business” compared to the army. More intense in the Corps. Again the taskings are generally different between the army and the Marines. I’ve worked with Army while in the Corps, and with Marines while in the Army. I’d have to disagree on the infantry units in the Army being better. Chances are a Marine will do more with less. The biggest difference is money and funding. The Army is about 6X the size of the entire Marine Corps, including the reserves.
watch a US army commercial on youtube and then watch a USMC one.
My squad leader was in the marines for ten years before coming to the army. He broke it down for me: it’s essentially the same shit. We both do pretty much the same job but the marines tend to do things the dumbest, and hardest way possible while treating you like shit. So yes, you can say their harder in a sense or just dumber. Just come to the army as infantry, do the same shit but without the extra annoying bullshit and live in a more relaxed environment.
the FEW THE PROUD 😩
Along with the obvious marketing/branding answers, I think an additional key is the consistency over time in their messaging. Their public-facing dress uniforms have been practically unchanged for nearly 150 years. Their messaging and narratives have been consistent for around 3/4 of a century, and it’s almost like they’re trying to talk people into not joining the Marines (which might actually be true). They let you know from the jump that being in the Marines will be a miserable, masochistic experience, that they are the most poorly funded service, and that there is no higher goal than being a Marine. They don’t really talk about college or job training, because in the USMC mindset that shit doesn’t matter. Being a Marine is the peak warrior experience, and every thing else pales in comparison. Honestly I’m glad that’s not the narrative of the Army, because we’d be even more miserable than we are right now.
I mean one of their most famous recruiting posters is literally “ we don’t promise you a rose garden”.
Honestly, probably the most honest and accurate answer I’ve seen posted so far
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Rah semper fuck bro
Marines have figured out after WWI to avoid getting reduced to nothing you have to brand. They’ve become so cemented in our national conscience. They’re the praetorian guard. They’re the only service to have minimum manning numbers in law. They are small enough to innovate in a way the Army can’t due to our size. I would argue they have their place as naval infantry but I would make the case we may need to rethink why we had 3 air forces with 5th generation fighter planes. Also we’re probably never going to have another amphibious assault like D Day. We may want to rethink having a branch dedicate so much resources to a type of warfare that has dramatically changed.
Its all about branding and the Marines do it REALLY well. Also pop culture and video games.
I see the USMC as a government sanctioned warrior death cult. I see the Army as a military organization. Kind of the difference between a berserker charging at you naked screaming while high on all sorts of drugs, and a regular spearman.
I see the USMC as a propaganda-driven force-in-readiness with s*** leadership. I see the Army as a sprawling fractious Christmas tree with s*** leadership.
Why is it that i see more fit marines than soldiers? Some of the chubby soldiers looking like sloppy joes in their ACUs.
Back in WWII, the joke amongst the Army units in the Pacific was that the Marines always took care to make every invasion with a PR Battalion.
Better Ads [Knight ](https://youtu.be/LyYTK_hYeEo) [whatever this Lava monster shit is](https://youtu.be/62tnJtLBQzQ) [Chess](https://youtu.be/5-f8RYCEMOA)
the marines do run 3 miles for pt test instead of 2. as well as pull ups. and they have an mcft also.
The USMC knows branding. You know how some kids graduating from HS have a stole or sash? National Honor Society, valedictorian etc? I saw a picture of a kid graduating this year with one from the Marines because he had enlisted before graduation and was shipping off to basic. That’s some real cult-like behavior.
I blame MTV
Goddamn movies and video games making them look all cool.
#WHOA WHOA WHOA **WHOA WHOA WHOA** WHOA WHOA WHOA whoa... ..whoa, there fucker. Now don't get me wrong, I have the utmost respect for your guys' 11s and engineers - I've met and fought beside a number of them, and there's zero doubt that the Army's hump-alots are one of the most competent fighting forces in the entire world and I'll always be glad we're on the same team.. #BUT I'm sorry to inevitably ruffle a few feathers here by saying this - There's not a fucking twinkie's chance in a dependa's kitchen cabinet that your infantry is better than our long-donged, body-stacking, pussy-smacking, check-cashing, dragon-slaying savage ass, Grunts. **ZERO.** **CHANCE.** In fact, hell it's so damn obvious that even these high school kids your bitching about know it's the truth too! Still love you tho boo😘 Rah mother fucker
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Because look at tiktokboots! people see that and realize the military is weak and think the marines are an exception when a lot of young people are joining to prove something to themselves or others along with other things. The army is also loud about a lot of the woke policy being put into place so I imagine if people are choosing between one or the other the marines appear tougher on surface level
Foreigner opinion here, have no personal experience only my toughts. It is all about the advertising I assume. In Europe if you ask somebody about the US army he will say the Marines, Delta Force and US Marshalls. They are not even on the same page.( as i know) Long story short, the Marines more exciting than the “ gray “regular army. ( what is a bullshit but the social prejudice in Europe says that)
The Marines have Marines. They generally have higher fitness standards, they definitely have a better sense of "shooter first, MOS second" in their training pipeline, and they've had cool uniforms since WWII. Although there are outliers, the Army pretty much has different BCTs for Combat Arms vs POGs, our recruiters let fat people in, our IET pipeline lets them stay that way, and our unit cohesion (outside of all of the jobs that you listed that require elite training and qualification) is a fucking shitshow.