Is it possible to serve in multiple branches of the military ?

I'm currently an NCO in the Army National Guard. I've been enlisted, active duty Navy, NCO active duty Air Force, enlisted, Army Reserve, Commissioned Army National Guard, and now... NCO Army National Guard. The military has never been a 'career' for me (even though I started this ride in 1980), it was just a way to give back to our good, old USA.

I believe that you can serve in any of the branches you want as long as you qualify and have completed your prior commitment with an honorable discharge. I am a prior active Marine and retired from the Army after serving over 20 years combined. I have had numerous MOS's in the Army due to having to switch at reenlistment time to get into fields that had the opportunity to get promoted. Been retired now for 27 years after serving 21 years and proud of it. 1st Sgt U. S. Army retired and former active Marine Sgt.

You can serve anywhere. My Lt started as a Marine now he is AF. There was a guy who went to every single branch.

served as combatives instructor and later OSI Agent in USAF from 1959-1970. before switching to US ARMY as a CID agent.....appointed as a WO1 and eventually retired as a CW4

I served in the Army and Air Force, I would say don't change service without a much better reason then you just gave. I joined the Regular Army in 1962 for three years. When I Ets'd I was out for 9 months then joined the California Air National Guard for 6 years. Things were not going well so I quit the Air Guard and Joined the Army Guard for 2 years. Things were not going well there so I joined the \Army Reserves 20 years. I retired in 2005. If you change service you have to remain in your last service for ten years before you can retire. If you change service at 15 years in you have to stay in that service for 10 years until you have 25 years in, if you get caught in a downsize before then you may not be able to retire!

Back in the 70s I knew several SeaBees that went airforce Redhorse . You got a pay grade jump . I was looking at it when the airfarce disbanded it, so scratch that idea

I have a good buddy I served with in the army. After his tour was up in the Army he I listed in the Marines and served for 2 tours in Irac and 1 in Afghanistan so yes you can serve in more than one branch but only one at a time.

Not at the same time, no. lol I have served in the Navy, the Army and the AF, of which I am still in the AFreserve. :) Maybe not on active duty, but in the reserves you can branch jump all you wish. :)

I started out active duty Navy, got out, after a few years went Army reserves, than went ANG, back to the Army reserves, and ended my career in the Air Guard ( 2 OEF/OIF deployments) retired in 2007. Only went to basic with the Navy.

I served two branches, Navy for 9, Coast Guard for 12. Very similar jobs, OS was my rating. Predominantly a sea-going rating. Worked at a MEPS for my last 3 years in the Navy and met quite a few people switching services or prior service entering a different branch. One guy was entering into his third branch of service. You'll find your niche eventually.

Yes I has several friend that has served in two branch. I also had one that served in three in the pass

You are I've served in the Marine Corps as an Infantryman, and currently in the Navy as a Master at Arms. Not all MOS's cross over. I have an Army MP in my unit who had to go through Navy A School even though it's the same basic job. I have also another in my unit who was Marine Corps Infantry, Air Force Security Forces, and now Navy Master At Arms. He did not have to attend A school transitioning from the Air Force. We also had a member go Air Force PJ from Navy and another go over to the Corps.

yes I served in navy, then the army and then retired from the navy. Here are the issues if you did marines first you never have to do boot camp again. When I went to army I had 40 plus mos that I was qualified for due to electronic background from navy, so going other way will require school. I find the army is more restrictive for promotion. Air force while it will take rank will not take quals and you will have to do all schools and quals equal to rank in 2 years which can be hard for higher ranks. most branches will not accept leadership courses and all will have to be done up to rank you are at before promotion. time in rate is lost. and if you have a break in service more then 2 years you will be demoted to e3 and below. navy has prior life conversion which can get you up to e6 but no time in service/rate. also there is high year tenure which can force you out before retirement. thus changing services makes promotions harder and retirement questionable. I find navy has best jack of all trades in schools where army teaches you to run or test or fix a single piece of equipment and another mos required for another job and when you get to staff sgt and above you are just admin with no hands on where navy you are admin but still subject matter expert for a large amount of equipment in your div.

Yes, I have a friend that retired out of the air force after his 20. His first seven years was in the Navy and he was RIF (Reduction in Forces) out. He then applied to the AF and completed his twenty...

I served 8 years in the Navy, Active, then did 9 years in the National Guard including a tour in Iraq. My job was basically the same, computers. I know people that have done active in both. There are programs run by the services where they recruit from one service to another, sometimes called "Blue to Green" Navy to Army, or "Green to Blue" Army to Navy.

Well, let's define served. I was in the US Navy, 1969 to 1973. Did two tours in Vietnam and came home at the end of my 4 year enlistment. I then joined the Army National Guard on a "Try One" program which allowed me to join at my active duty grade, E-5. After a year I could separate if I didn't like it. I stayed and went to the Oklahoma Military Academy for one year and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in 1975. I retired as a LTC, Field Artillery, in 2000, 24 years later.

In 1974, I got a job via the Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Act with the US Air Force at Vance AFB, OK. I then served with the Air Force as a civilian for the next 34 years. My speciality was Financial Management and I served right along side Air Force personnel doing the same exact job.

So, I believe that I served for the Navy, Army and the Air Force in some capacity. I had different jobs in each branch of service, but I did my best and had a very rewarding career.

I can't really comment on whether you can go directly from one branch to another without some compelling skill. I was able to go from a Navy Radarman (Ops Specialist) to a Field Artillery Officer because I had the time to go to the Army schools and learn my new trade.

Still, you can serve different services if you're motivated to find out how to get it done. Please notice, I never served in the Marine Corps, although I certainly wish I had done so.

navy then air force so yes you can but its getting harder with the budget constraints etc

YES. People who joined, say the Army would join the Air Force once their Army hitch was done. When one service branch was short of people there was inter service transfers done. During Viet nam it happened at times. I knew X Navy and Army people, and one Marine that joined the Air Force.

Coast Guard as Active, then several years later, NAVY as Reserve .. Electronic Technician for BOTH.
Pick a field you are GOOD AT .. and that is NEEDED.

I started out in high school in Junior Army ROTC for 3 years, then 3 years of AFROTC in college as well as one semester of NROTC because I was fascinated with celestial navigation. I was comissioned in the Air Force and flew for 18 years, and then spent the next 20 years as a Navy defense contractor designing GPS systems. Experience in three services can give you a great appreciation for how to manage differing assets at the HQ and NAF level. It also gives you some insight when in an AOR, as to what other foreces capabilities are, and how to task them to work in consonence. I found myself once creating a tactical deception for the Navy to implement and my primary job was air asset tasking for the AF. Knowledge is power, but as others have stated here, don't cross train to another service before you know your current MOS. Your knowledge becomes useful to other services in the E-5 and above range.