Moving to another branch of service?

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 04:26:13 -0400

I've thought about going through a program with the Navy to become a Naval officer specializing in physical therapy but I just don't think I'd enjoy the Navy as much as the Marine Corps. Can anyone explain to me that process? And to those who have served in the Marine Corps and the Navy, can you explain the transition and which branch you preferred more? I definitely enjoy being in the Marine Corps so I really want to enjoy the Navy as much if I were to go that route

Response by Cpl Tou Lee Yang made Aug 4 at 2015 5:05 AM

Cpl Tou Lee Yang — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 05:05:16 -0400

The Navy unlike the Marine Corps praise rank a lot more than the Marine. Unlike the Marines where leadership is taught at a low rank, most sailor will never be in a leadership position unless they are at least E7 while a small minority of the E6 having the privilege to serve as LPO (Leading Petty Officer) the same as an NCOIC will actually be in a position of power. As an officer you probably will never dine with enlisted because they have their own mess in O-country (officer country) onboard a ship, the same as the chief mess (E7-E9).

As an officer on a ship, you don't do anything such as clean even your own mess. Your stateroom (place where you sleep) usually a 2 man room for O3 and above, it is pretty much service for you by the E1-E4 just like room service in a hotel. Your sink is clean, your floor vacuum, your bed made. Your laundry is washed and press for you as well. Your meals are served by the E-1-E4; you find a seat in the mess, snap your fingers a couple of time and an E-1-E4 would come to you and you tell him/her what you want and they will bring your food to you. Once you are done, snap your fingers a couple of time and they come pick up your plate. If you're thirsty, you snap your finger and they bring you whatever beverages you want.

There are two brow on a Carrier and only one brow on every other ship. The officer usually leaves before the enlisted for liberty and there are less of a hassle because there isn't a couple of hundred E1-E6 sailor trying to leave at the same time which could take hours if you pull into a foreign port. The parking on a Navy yard/base is arrange for higher rank, with E7 and above parking right next to the ship whereas the E1-E6 park miles away and have to walk to the ship.

The two service is pretty much the same with identical terminology you learn in bootcamp. The only thing different is leadership. Just as I mention, you will never see an E4 in a leadership position, they're just overpaid E3s. E5/E6 are not like the Sgt and SSGT in the Marines. Unlike in the Marines an E5 has tremendous power, in the Navy they're nothing but highly overpaid E3. As for E6, if you're not an LPO, you're an extremely overpaid E3.

Overall, you would enjoy being in the Navy as an officer because you don't have to put up with all the BS that the enlisted has to go through. You don't have to worry about GQ (General Quarters) a weekly drill that test the response of the ship's ability to fight fire or damage. During GQ, everyone has to be up, except for the officers who is not participating whereas every enlisted has no choice. The worst are the 2am drill.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Aug 4 at 2015 11:25 AM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 11:25:41 -0400

CPL, keep in mind that as a medical professional in the Navy, you can be assigned to the FMF. The USMC does not have medical professionals. IF you get your DPT degree, and join the Navy Medical Service Corps, you can request FMF assignment. No reason you can't be stationed at Camp Pendelton or Lejuene, at the BMC doing PT there... Many medical types don't want FMF duty, because it's harder duty. So if your heart is pulling you become a PT, get your BS, get into a DPT program, and charge on...

Semper FI!

Response by Capt Mark Strobl made Aug 4 at 2015 12:31 PM

Capt Mark Strobl — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 12:31:48 -0400

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member, Great question. This scenario ALMOST happened to my wife... but almost. She was a PO2, (Cryptology). She was considering going Marine Corps. However, the Corps could not guarantee her continued growth in her field. So, she stayed Navy. Bottom line: Get it in writing! If you don't have an MOS-guarantee, you may find yourself in a pipeline that doesn't suit your talents & interests. She was able to secure a contract outlining continued growth in the Crypto/Intel fields... but, she had to stay in the Navy to do so.

At the end of the day, I'm a horrible recruiter for the Corps. I'm usually too honest. But, the leadership styles required of a Naval Officer v. a Marine Officer are basically the same: You'll be commanding our nation's finest (with a handful of sh**birds). You'll be expected to be technically & tactically proficient. And you'll likely love your job. You get to be a Marine for the rest of your life... even if you "turn blue."

In general, the Naval officers are very technically focused. I'd say Naval officers are very tight within their respective communities (aviation, subs, surface, medical, etc.) Marine officers are focused to 1.) either being a gun-slinger, or 2.) supporting the missions of the gun-slingers.

If you're looking at roads to commissioning, the Corps has plenty: Naval Academy, NROTC, OCS, PLC, and some that I probably forgot (or don't know) about. Hopefully, a Navy mustang will chime in to list the Navy's paths. Either way, figure out if you want to go Marine or Navy. All ahead full, to your commission!

Response by LT Mordechai Schwab made Aug 4 at 2015 1:34 PM

LT Mordechai Schwab — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 13:34:26 -0400

I effected an inter-service transfer from the Army to the Navy. I was a chaplain and called the Chief of Chaplains office first. After speaking with the Chaplain in charge of this program in the Army, I put my request packet together. I had to get a full physical as well. It went through the Army's chain of command rather quickly. The Under Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve approved my request in about 3 months. Then the Navy took longer. But they approved it as well. I was in Germany at the time. I coordinated my transition with the Navy folks at the Chaplain School which was then in Newport, RI. They gave me a few days to see my family in Florida. I then went to Newport and completed the Navy's Chaplain Officer Basic Course. All in all, it was a smooth transition with no lost time in service, i.e. one day I was discharged from the Army. The next day I was on active duty in the Navy. I hope this helps some.

Response by PO2 Jonathan Scharff made Aug 4 at 2015 10:33 PM

PO2 Jonathan Scharff — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 22:33:15 -0400

Well since most people are commenting on the branch aspects of a change let me focus on the career change options. I am speaking as an owner of a physical therapy practice. DPT programs in the civilian world are highly competitive! Most of the time you need a 3.7 or higher to be looked at in your undergrad program. Do you already have a science based undergrad degree? If you don't and the Navy is actually considering sending you to 8 years of schooling to get your doctorate of physical therapy and you have a desire to help people and work in this field then you should leap at the chance. I know a lot of young men and women who have not been accepted into DPT programs after four strenuous and successful undergrad years! I can't stress enough how few of these programs exist and how in demand PT's are. Also this degree translates wonderfully into the civilian world. If you have any questions about the field just PM me and I can give you my cell number and I will try to answer any questions that I can. Good luck Marine and thank you for your service!

Response by Capt Jeff S. made Aug 5 at 2015 12:57 AM

Capt Jeff S. — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 00:57:49 -0400

Don't expect the Navy to be like the Marines... It's not, and depending on which side of the fence you are on, that may or may not be a bad thing. When you put Marines and Sailors together, almost invariably the first insult comes from the sailors... and it's usually a stupid Marine joke. They want to be like the Marines... but they don't want to be Marines. And why should they be?

It's been my experience that most people join the Navy to learn technical trades -- because they see themselves as being smart and more technical minded, and so the Navy offers them a greater academic challenge. The same attracts people to the Air Force BUT the Navy offers the ADVENTURE of being out on the open ocean and getting to see lots of different and exotic places around the world where they can go out on liberty and... act like sailors! ; ) Marines share that same love of the sea and maritime tradition, BUT! they are just crazy enough that the thought of slogging through the mud and being in combat up close and personal isn't enough to deter them from wanting to be part of that elite fraternity of warfighters called "The Marines." Those that join the Marines want to be associated with the legacy of honor that the Marines have built for themselves, but more importantly, they want to add to it.

Just like the Army, the Navy has a few very elite units... and more not so elite units. That's not to say they are bad; they're just not as elite as the others. You will not find the same sense of comradery in the Navy, except perhaps in the SeaBees or SEALS, and your chances of being in either are not guaranteed. Overall, you're not going to find the same level of discipline and esprit de Corps that you find in most Marine Corps units. And if you have grown accustomed to Marine Corps leadership (which is tops, no sense me being modest), you may find yourself disappointed with Navy leadership (in general). They just have different priorities.

For example, when I was at GTMO, the Navy was more interested in spending money on MWR projects (such as raising the pitchers mound on the ball field) than they were in maintaining the fence line. The Navy's attitude was that the Cubans weren't going to attack. The Marines always consider the worst case scenario and so their priority was on the fence. Chances are the Cubans won't attack, but "What if they do?!!" You don't want to leave anything to chance and you NEVER EVER intentionally leave yourself in a position where you can get caught with your pants down. The Marine Barracks CO had to fight to get the Navy to spend money and get the SeaBees down there to fix the fence where the ground was eroding and leaving holes large enough that people could easily crawl under it.

If you go the commissioning route through NROTC, you will get some exposure to the Navy and how they go about doing things. There are some areas of the Navy that are very good (Navy Intelligence is quite good, SEALS obviously are a cut above, etc.), and then some areas of the Navy that will have you scratching your head. Amongst the Black Shoes, you will find some knuckle draggers and they tend to eat their young. Leadership school in the USN tends to be sink or swim -- at least for junior officers. The Navy doesn't have the same discipline, and what the Navy considers a leader is not what the average Marine considers a leader. They especially had a lot of work to do in the senior enlisted ranks to bring the leadership up to snuff back when I was in, 15 years ago. Things may have changed. They were beginning to turn things around when I retired, but I can only speak to what I experienced back then. Anyway, some food for thought.

Bottom line: Don't go into the Navy thinking it will be like the Marines. If you do, you'll be in for some serious culture shock and you may be disappointed. If you can appreciate the Navy for what it is, you are going to like it and have a good career.

Response by Sgt Jay Jones made Aug 5 at 2015 3:50 PM

Sgt Jay Jones — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 15:50:08 -0400

When I was in the Marine Corps, I had a chance go to the Coast Guard Academy. Afterwards I would be assigned to a Lighthouse. However, I just could bear the thought of not being a Marine.

Response by PO1 Scott Cottrell made Aug 5 at 2015 4:45 PM

PO1 Scott Cottrell — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 16:45:02 -0400

As a Marine, I'm sure you have meet one or two Devil Doc's. I'm sure they would be happy to tell you about FMF. And the possibilities of a Physical Therapist working in FMF.

Response by CDR Terry Boles made Aug 5 at 2015 6:31 PM

CDR Terry Boles — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:31:55 -0400

Cpl Sherman
I was prior Navy enlisted. Once I decided I wanted to become a PT I got off active duty, went reserves, and attended under grad studies. As stated elsewhere, GPA 3.7 or higher is a norm to even get a nod for invitation to a PT program. PT schools are very competitive accepting anywhere 1 out of 6-10 applicants. Once accepted you have a 3-year intense PT program, 8-hour school days everyday unlike normal college courses. My initial undergrad PT degree, BSPT, was 240 semester hours completed in 2-years. My DPT wasn't easy as well. So, IF the Navy is willing to pay for undergrad and/or PT school it's not a done deal until you get accepted. There is one military school (Army Baylor) in San Antonio, run by the Army with seats for all 4 branches that have PTs - Army, Navy, Air Force, Public Health Service....very few seats for each service and very competitive to get in and the best part is your still active duty at current rank while in school.

Now as to inter service transfer I too have done this. Upon graduating from PT school I went back on active duty with the Air Force. After serving nearly 17-years Navy enlisted I wanted something new and the opportunity to be stationed overseas, no more ship board duty ( some carriers have PTs) . I served over 5-years in the Air Force then did an inter-service transfer to the Public Health Service looking for bigger challenges. It took me 9-months to complete the transfer and it was a great move. The PHS offers so many more career choices than either the Navy or Air Force did. As a PHS officer and PT you can return to the Navy, Air Force or Army PT clinics and to the Coast Guard medical clinics to work if you so wish, any branch all the time your a PHS officer. As a PHS officer you can work in many more career areas inside and outside of medicine, such as Liasion Officer in Africa or Canada or USNorthcom/NORAD. You can be assigned to the Pentagon, we even had a PT that was assigned to the office of the Vice President, CIA, FDA, etc.

Long story short, simply is with a DPT degree you can open many military doors and many more when you retire. If you have your heart set on being a Marine then PT probably isn't for you.

Wish you the best!!

Response by LCDR Jamie Galus made Aug 10 at 2015 6:58 PM

LCDR Jamie Galus — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 18:58:44 -0400

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member Leatherneck,
First question, Medical Corps Officers attend the Officer Indoctrination Course in Newport, RI after being selected for commissioning. It is a much tamer version and shorter version of OCS.
Second question, it is like apples and oranges. You find pros and cons in both services. A stronger sense of espirt de corps will never be found other than in the Marine Corps. That is something that I truly miss, but as Capt Mark Strobl said you will always be a Marine. Yet, for me the Navy has given me the opportunity to operate warships all over the world and see places that this kid from Nebraska only dreamt of.
If you have any specific questions, please let me know.
BT
Is Popeyes still in Kin-Ville?

Response by Capt Ryan Retmier made Dec 3 at 2015 9:09 PM

Capt Ryan Retmier — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 21:09:15 -0500

The process differs depending on the commission program that you go through. The first step is getting accepted into a Commissioning Program, then submitting the request for an inter-service transfer. I went through MECEP and I had a friend would was a SSgt or GySgt that submitted a request to HQMC to receive a commission as a Navy Officer because he wanted to be a Nurse. It was approved, I really think it's all about quotas at the time. I had another friend at the same unit who wanted to go be a SEAL (he was prior enlisted Intel) and his request wasn't approved.

I considered it, but at the end of the day I just couldn't leave the USMC

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 21 at 2016 1:19 PM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 13:19:07 -0400

First, if you do decide to transition to another branch, be prepared for the inevitable regret you'll feel. Us Marines are obsessed with being Marines, so going to another branch can be kind of depressing at first, but you'll get used to it. Hold yourself to your Marine Corps standards and you'll stand out amongst your new peers. Remember, once a Marine, always a Marine.

In my case, I was active Navy, then active Marines, then reserve Army. I preferred my time in the Navy and Marine Corps way more than I currently do in the Army. The Navy and Marines were pretty much on point with everything, whereas my time in the Army (currently just a year and few months) has been a bit stressful because the Army (or at least my unit) is a tad bit disorganized and at times dysfunctional, but things are starting to look up ever since we had our change of command.

Take it from me, though. If you go Navy, you won't be disappointed. Semper fi.

Response by MAJ Raymond Haynes made Apr 30 at 2016 5:39 PM

MAJ Raymond Haynes — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 17:39:28 -0400

Cpl. never forget that the Marine Corps is in the Department of the Navy....It's just the Men's department.
Semper Fi

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2016 5:43 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 16 Jul 2016 17:43:37 -0400

I don't know if you're still looking for answers or not. I'm new to this website but I was an FMF Corpsman who was accepted to the Army/Baylor PT Program back in 1999. It's a great program, you're paid as an O1-E to get an education. It's a Joint program but the Army owns it and accepts the most people. At the end of the day, it's a living. You'll work with some of the greatest and some of the not-so greatest people you've ever met and not have to worry about what to wear to work. I will say hands down the Army has more opportunity for officers to work outside of just regular PT. I've worked in TRADOC and helped influence policy; I currently work as an IG and help shape DA policy. I've had a lot of opportunities that the Navy couldn't offer.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 25 at 2016 9:36 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 25 Dec 2016 21:36:19 -0500

As a career Navy man (first as a Hospital Corpsman, and later as a Medical Service Corps Officer), I spent a few years with the Marine Corps in different situations. My officer assignment detailer was always willing to work with me on orders to new assignments. I had no particular preferences as Navy/Marine Corps assignments. However I knew others who did and these officers spent the majority of their careers with the Marines. Physical Therapists are commissioned in the Navy Medical Service Corps and are generally assigned to Hospitals. Several of these are co-located with Marine Corps facilties.