I can't get this off of my mind:

Im 24. I'll have my master in business degree (MBA) in May. I chose to go to college right out of high school because I had a music scholarship at the time. I seriousuly considered the Marines instead of college, but here I am.
Now that Im about ready to finish school for good and enter the corporate world, for some reason Im getting this urge to check out the Marines again. It's come back to me out of no where.

I really want to be successful in business one day and I realize that many successful SVP's and CEO's come from military background simply because of the leadership skills you learn. I know that down the road, Ill always wish that I had served my country.

I know very little about the Marines right now as I've never been involved. Overall, Im athletic, confident, humble and level headed. I was a wrestler in high school, my favorite sport is rugby and I love lifting weights (physical activites are not foreign to me)

Any advice?

 

Talk with a recruiter and see what they have to offer . I joined right after high school . I can honestly say , Im glad I did it . No regrets here . I was only in for 4 years . But, in those 4 years I got to see the world . I've been to 12 countries, even served in Desert Storm . Its a great feeling knowing you've served your country . Not a lot of people can say that .

 

You can actually use your business degree after you get out of the Marines by starting your own business, a Private Military Corporation. But when your in the marines, go to all the extra things, weapons training and possibly a specialized outfit. You need these so you will actually get hired, no one wants to hire an inexperienced person. After you complete a few jobs, you can hire a few ex soldiers and really start raking in the big bucks by taking bigger and more dangerous jobs. You would be your own boss and only have to deal with local warlords to get jobs.

 

If I had to do it all over again and with your qualifications, I'd be in the Air Force or Navy real quick. You are prime meat for OCS and the training you would get there is priceless. I'm not a fan of the Marines but if it suits ya- go for it. But remember, a recruiter is going to sugar coat the heck out of it so believe about half and you'll be fine.

 

Just curious...what makes you 'not a fan' of the Marines? How would OCS training help me in the long run? Does the Air Force and Navy both require 4 year commitments? As far as developing leadership skills, where is my best option?

Sorry for the questions...I haven't studied this much

 

When you look at the arms of the military, the AF and Navy are like the executives. The Marines are the hands on elite, the Army is the guys that get to clean up the mess. The AF and Navy will provide the best executive training. You'll need to talk with a recruiter about OCS and the commitment you'll need to make. I'd be looking at 20 years myself and as an officer, the retirement is plush leaving you with all kinds of options for your personal endeavors after the military. Talk with all of them and consider the best offer.

 

You have to decide whether or not you want to Officer or Enlisted. Don't go to a "recruiter" if you want to officer. You need to see an Officer Selection Officer. You see, officers are selected versus the enlisted side where everyone gets in if they are qualified.

Since you have your gegree you will go to a combined 10 week Officer Candidate School in Quantico Virginia. After that you will go to 6 months of TBS (the basic school). OCS is the officers "version" of boot camp with the main difference being OCS is much more physical, more running, physical workouts and such. TBS is where Officers learn the basics of leading Marines on the ground, they learn to shoot (rifle/pistol) and do the whole field work thing that recruits do in basic.

As of right now, the only contracted MOS's (military occupational specialties) are Air and Law. Ground contracts are awarded based on grades at OCS and TBS. If you want air the process is more difficult with different tests and physicals.

PM with any other Q's or if you just want to talk about it.

 

I personally would avoid the active military service right now, since after January, you would have to swear an oath (in name) to BHO. Give it 4 years. It was painful enough for me to swear in to Clinton.

 

If you keep getting an urge to check out the Marines and the Marines only, then you would not be happy with the AF or Navy. Trust me.
There are a lot of different type of people in the military. People join for tons of different reasons. Some for school, some for job security, some b/c they have nothing else in their current situation, etc.. Then there are the people who have this passion, or craving for it. You almost can't describe it unless you have it, and there is no avoiding it, no subsitution for it, and no getting rid of it until you join. Finding a similar job doesn't work, getting some fancy high paying job won't do it either. Once you have satisfied that craving with the mere though of joining, you're hooked. And from the sound of it you're hooked.

The fact that you were specific with the Marines both times is a pretty good sign. Don't let anyone or anything blind you of that fact. Please trust me on this, or you will be where I am today. Yes, I am in the military, and my job is important, but its inside or desk job. No action, no excitement. Out of highschool I had scholarships, could of gone to UF or FSU, but I didn't want that, I wanted the Army. I was 100% on this. But my gf at the time was scared, and I got "blinded" by people talking up other services, and while I still had that passion or craving for the Army, I joined another service. WHile I have had fun, advanced, seen some cool stuff, and while this service is important, I still have that craving. With all that said, in less than 1 year I am enlisting in the Army. So please take my word, follow that passion, or 10-15 years from now, once you're too old, you will still have that craving. And while you're sitting there kicking yourself, wondering what if, you will feel empty. There will always be a business market for you to make it big in, but the chance to serve is short lived in comparison.

 

That describes me pretty well. I know Im hooked, but I also know that with what I've got going now, its going to take a big shove to push me over the edge. Im already a pretty confident young man and I feel great about what I'm doing. But every time I see someone dressed up in formal uniform, especially a Marine, I immediately picture myself dressed that way. It literally makes my blood pressure rise. It fits me and my pride and attitude toward my country. I am very patriotic..

Can you all give me some of the personality differences b/t Marines and AF? What type of people my age/experience would venture into either one. Are the Marines only for the gung-ho tough guys and the AF only for the more detail-oriented, sophisticated type? Help me get a good picture so that I can see better where I fit.

Also, what would be the first step for me. Lets say I go sign up for Marine Officer camp. What now? Whats step 1,etc?

Thanks for the replies! I appreciate real-world advice, not sugar-coated stuff to make it sound prettier than it is.

 

I would say that the biggest difference between the AF and the USMC is the level of resposibility that are given. You will see E-3s in the Corps with as much resposibility as an 0-3 in the AF.

What service you choose is most dependant on what you want to do. If you want to fly fighters. I would schoose AF or Navy. If you want to pound ground, then go Marines. Do not go Marines unless you want to me a Marine first. If you just want to serve, I would not go Marines.

If you do, step one is contact an Officer Selection Office in your area.

You cannot "sign up" for OCS. You put a package together with your transcripts, LORs, medical records, and anything else wanted from the Corps (it varies from applicant to appicant). You then send this package to the Officer Selection Boards (Captains and Majors) they will select you based on your application.

If you are accpeted you go to:

OCS-10 weeks
TBS-6 months
Train for your MOS-3months to 2 years.

If you tell me what area you are in, I can Probably get you the closest OSO's phone number.

 

Green I am sure that there is some type or Marine, Army, Navy, AF, and CG base around you. Go check them out, see if you can go check out the day to day. Talk to the people actually doing the deed, and not the ones trying to sell you the deed(recruiters). Every service has their hardcore jobs and cushy jobs. Hell AF has the rep of being the least hardcore of the services, but take an AF paratrooper and compare him to others, apples and oranges man. Its usually hard to find a general conscensus of the type of people that join a certain service. I work at a bootcamp, and the people that come through here are all different. With that being said, the Marines do tend to have more of a brotherhood, then the other services. I think that is b/c of pride in the core, but I could be wrong.

If you have an idea of what you want to do in the military, that would help narrow the service down too. I.E. you want to work with planes, Navy or AF, you want to work with boats CG or Navy, you want to be on the ground busting heads and doing the deed, Marine or Army, etc...

 

Ummm, ive been in the AF for 8 years and i have run into people that are gun-ho and ive met a lot of lazy people. You will find this in any service. If you join the Marines you will go overseas, especially as an officer. It seems that Marines are more of a family, meaning the units really stick together where as the Air Force is quite a bit larger, you still have the family feeling but its not as visible. Pick a fight with a marine and there will be 25 of them surrounding you in a second, pick a fight with an AF guy and, you will fight an AF guy.

It all depends on what YOU want, you wont deploy as much in the AF, the living conditions are a lot better, you get treated more as a person then a soilder (i think that is a bad thing), and i seem to have a lot more free time then some Marines that i know.

Marines always gave off that bad boy attitude, most of them never talked to me like the army guys would (as an aircraft maintainer im usually on the plane with a crap load of them). They always seemed to be proffesional though, never goofing around, uniforms always uptight.

If i had to do it all over again, id join the AF. I love being an acft maintainer. Im not really in to the tents, eating MREs, shooting people type of stuff.

If i was you, id join the Air Force as an officer. My .02 cents.

 

Once signing up (Marines or AF officer camp), how long must you remain? Do you have to make a 20-year commitment?

 

Not sure about officer, but most enlisted is 4 years.