Bachelor's degree or tabs and badges?

Look at it this way. You wouldn't show up to play a baseball game with a pitching wedge and bucket of range balls? More than likely not.

If a degree or a tab/badge is not helping in achieving either your professional or personal goals you're wasting time, energy and possible some income. In regards to impressive, its only impressive if its a milestone in your endeavors in reaching your goal.

As I hear this question a lot coming from individuals who haven't worked out all the details pertaining to their individual personal and professional growth, I feel this question is more about direction in setting goals. So my question for you is why are you asking? If you're looking for me to tell one is better than the other I can't give you a good response without knowing what the individual's goals are. However not knowing any other details I would have to lean toward education. I'm not saying that tab and badges don't help in developing a person's character its just that they don't really translate into something of value in the civilian world which is the other 98% of the population.

So again what are the goals and how does either a degree, tab or badge help in accomplishing this task?

This question comes in several flavors: if combat arms of course the merit badges count more, but if you are in a mech unit and have a 5 jump chump badge, or I dangled from a rope, will that get the pack replaced any quicker in your 113? Most likely not. Now if I could have subdued Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Diesel Technician Badges on Mechanics Coveralls authorized, I bet I could get more people to take the exams and earn the certification.

Now if I had to sit in class on platoon movements and it was being led by a ranger tab, I would tend to listen more. So this question is relative to task. Do I want a medic who is a Nationally Registered EMT-Paramedic with Advance Trauma Life Support, knows how to use cardiac life saving drugs or someone who has EFMB?

Any college degree is valuable. It shows that you completed a long term task, successfully. A college degree is generally more understandable, than specific military training, to the general populace.

In my army experience, my education has been throughly discounted -- at least on the enlisted side. No doubt, the hooah-bling is both more impressive and useful while in the military. The PPW seems obvious to me about that. My civ. education was capped out and well under half of my semester hours "qualified". I got more points from WLC/CL.

I think a degree is important for those who will seek employment after the military. As for me, once I retire from the service, I'll never work for anyone else again.

I am glad to see that the services are providing more opportunities than ever for service members to earn a degree, however, I believe we (at least in the Navy), have begun to place too much emphasis on members attaining a degree. While it does help the member (and to a certain degree, the service), we should know where its place lies.

It's unfortunate when a ranking/promotion board lends more credence to a member with a degree, than to one who has become more proficient in his/her MOS. That BA degree is nice, but it shouldn't come at the cost of the mission at hand, and does little for getting bombs/bullets on targets.

"Mission first, Sailors always" is a mantra within the Navy...we should adhere to that a little more.

Just my two cents.

Neither matter, they both represent completing a school or a field of advanced study. How many Soliders, Sailors, Airmen or Marines have seen somebody with a degree or skill qualification badge that couldn't lead their way out of a wet paper bag? Doctor's get sued for malpractice, people with Ranger Tabs or Special Forces Tabs get people killed when they make mistakes. The actions of the holder of the Tab or degree is all that matters. Both degrees and Badges or tabs will help you, but when you cook the fat down off the bacon, neither really amount to anything other than a little piece of paper or cloth and I use those to wipe my ass.

I think this is a double edged sword. During your career tabs and badges can assist in promotions greatly and so can a degree. Once you retire most places could careless about your badge or tabs but look closely at the degree so I guess i would lean slightly towards the degree.

They all have their value depending on the context. Civilian education is important for specific jobs. I have a few of both and a good mix will get you where you want to be.

I have both badges/tabs and a BA, and I am most certain that my long tab will open more doors upon retirement.

A bachelor's is more useful because while we all do the same things on active duty (provided you get qualified), but on the outside most good jobs require at least a bachelor's for application.

Papers and tabs don't mean much to me. I'm more impressed by individuals.