Posted on Dec 30, 2013
Should former Marines who join another service give up the Title?
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I first joined the Army and after my enlistment, I joined the Marine Corps. I no longer call myself a Soldier, but a Marine. Should former Marines give up the title of Marine once they join another branch of service? It's analogous to a woman taking the name of her husband, then once the marriage has ended, she re-marries and takes her new husband's name. Me, I'm married to the Corps!
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Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 358
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If anyone votes the question DOWN, they should at least have the courage to say why.
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CPT Keith Steinhurst
MSGT, I have written plenty on the matter, and I'll take my lumps for candor like a gentleman! You may find it interesting to note that I was loathed and admired in my officer basic course, and was given friendly advice from my Commander that the Army is not the USMC, very true, but I was stuck in appyling the lens of a junior enlisted Marine to my new world as an Officer of Soldiers and it took me a couple of years to adjust that lens, although, as I am quite certain you can relate and as the slogan goes, 'the change is forever.' You look like you have had a fully successful career in the USMC, that's a good thing and I respect and appreciate your achievement as a senior staff non-commissioned officer (and I do get exactly what that means), I just think the original question is kindof like saying - hey - all you soldiers over there who used to SGTs in the Army and are now PFCs - take that USAGCM off - it does not happen - they rate it, they can wear it, same difference with Marines who enter the Army. Cheers! KPS
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CPT Keith Steinhurst
Chief, Greetings! The Naval service has some persnickity regulations as regards what may and may not be worn on the uniform and I do not know enough about that to write intelligently on it - though I do know that 'Good Condcut Medals' and the reserve equivilents thereof are generally good across branches. Most 'training' ribbons are not, and that may be the difference - generally, federal medals translate across the branches but branch specific ribbons don't, and if that is correct, it kindof makes sense - any 71L types (personnel administration specialists) or AG Officers who know, please correct me! Cheers!
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Suspended Profile
Honestly, the person can call themselves whatever they wish. It's not that big a deal. Yes, once you're a Marine, you're always a Marine. We get it. Marines take this seriously and they rightly should. However, if one were to separate from the service and join another branch, I'm pretty sure whatever branch that service member is a part of would prefer them to think of themselves as their respective branch (i.e. Soldier, Sailor, Airman).
MSgt (Join to see)
Agree'd. Every time, while in the Marine Corps, when I said, "back when I was in the Army..." I'd get a stern look and lecture from those "appointed" over me.
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Suspended Profile
LOL, MSgt I would imagine they would. Marines and Soldiers have this love/hate relationship and probably the biggest "PP" competition ever. I'm afraid you'll get that on both sides of the coin.
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Once a Marine Always a Marine... that's what we learned.... in addition to being legendary egomaniacs as well LOL.
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I have a total of 19 years in the Army which includes 6 years Active Duty, 4 years drilling reservist and 10 years AGR. I worked with many former Marines and 2 years ago one of my soldiers that was a former Marine told me why they continue to hold on to the title Marine. I told it was because of tradition. The Army has went from the Patrol Cap to everyone wearing the beret back to patrol cap, from Class A uniform to ASU we have seen the removal of Combat Arms MOS' from the Army Reserves and we have went from Be All You Can Be to Army of One to Army Strong. The Marine Corps is all about tradition. The Dress Blues have never changed the Marines have Been The Few The Proud for the longest. With that being said. I am proud to be a soldier and what the Army has given me and my family. I enlisted in the early 90s when there were still Vietnam era soldiers in and I still hold what many of them have taught me.
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I never respond to any of this popping up as spam in my email but I have to on this. This post really pissed me off. What kind of question is this? Just to waste our time?
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<p>When you leave the Marines your a former Marine and your new title is soldier if you join the Army. You never give up your pride in being a Marine so its not really a fair question. </p><p> </p>
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I don't mean this in a rude way, but I say yes...there is nothing more annoying than hearing a former marine say the words..."once a Marine, always a Marine!" and they have U.S. Army on their current uniform. If someone believed they were always a Marine, then why not retire from the Corps, or stay in that branch? like I said I didn't mean that in any kind of way, its just my first NCO in the Army, back in Hood...wouldn't stop talking about the Marine Corps, and it was 6-8 years prior at the time. All in all though, its not like most of us don't reference our old duty stations all the time...lol.
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MSG (Join to see)
If you join another service that's all fine and everything but no need to hear about once a marine always a marine and hear your stories about how the marines did it better and etc etc.
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SPC Christopher Morehouse
I agree. It always bugged me. Like the "former" Marines loved to talk about "The Core", like it made them better then us "normal" soldiers. All I used to think was if the core was so grand, wtf are you doing in a soldiers boots?
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SGT(P) (Join to see)
I always ask them why they got out if they loved it so much. Still haven't gotten a good answer yet. While as an Infantryman, I respect the Marine Corps for a variety of reasons like discipline, standards, and esprit de corps, I'll never understand why when they cross over they feel the need to explain how great it was to people who couldn't care less.
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Your are always a Marine no matter what you do in life, just like if you were in the Army got out and went into the Marines. What do you tell people; "I was in the Army before I joined the Marine Corps" or do you say; "I was in another service before I joined the Marines." Just like the what they say ''Once a Marine Always a Marine." To me its just like that in the Army: "Once a Solder Always a Soldier." You never forget where you started out at whether as a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airmen, or Coast Guard.
Semper Fi MSGT
Semper Fi MSGT
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It's not a title. CEO is a title, Base Commander is a title, Training NCO is a title. Marine is an acknowledgment of achievement, earning the EGA, a self-supported identity. Should a Soldier or Airman, or Seaman suddenly disavow prior associations? Of course not. I am proud to be a Marine, but I am also proud to be a father and a good employee and a decent human being most of the time. I am a Marine, I served in the Marine Corps. One is no longer happening, therefore can be referred to in the past tense, but another is a finite achievement, like a bachelor's degree or a successful sales quarter. I am a Marine. I served in the Marine Corps.
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No, I don't think so. Because even though they are trying out new branches doesn't mean they were never marines. They earned it.
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