Was there a specific goal you had in your mind, when you chose ;your military service?

Cpl Glynis Sakowicz — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 08:26:09 -0500

We have always known this... but we never realized others knew it... t he harder the fight to attain something, the more you appreciate it once you attain it.

the Marine Corps, was ranked worst service branch to join, and I love it
This article on Yahoo written by Ron Johnson completely made my day. The writer was asked to rank best military branch to serve in.

He ranks them as:

Army
Air Force
Navy
Coast Guard
Marine Corps (Worst Military Branch)
And here’s what he had to say about the Marine Corps:

“Of all the military branches, the Marine Corps ranks as the least attractive choice for this author. Technically part of the Navy, the Marine Corps are the elite war fighters of the United States military. The leathernecks of the USMC are truly fearsome fighters, tough as nails and ready and willing to fight all comers. The Marines turn recruits into stone-cold killers and they make no secrets about that fact. Marines live tough lives, sleeping on board Navy ships, charging through the surf and crawling in the sand with one goal in mind: engage the enemy. Unfortunately, when Marines fulfill their obligation and exit the service, they seem to find difficulty in turning this Marine Corps attitude ‘off’. Whereas an Army or Navy veteran will likely adjust to civilian life over time and become softer, Marines stay Marines. Visit any neighborhood in the United States and you will find a USMC flag flying high over someone’s house. You will rarely, if ever, see a person flying an Army, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard flag. While veterans of other military branches tend to relax a little bit as they transition into civilian life, any Marine will be quick to remind you of their unofficial motto, “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” I don’t know what those Marine Corps drill sergeants are doing to their recruits, but whatever it is, it works.

“Is that a bad thing? Well, that depends on your reasons for considering a military enlistment. If you have a strong desire to kill the enemy, the Marine Corps is for you because that is what the Marines do. Either you want that or you don’t, plain and simple. If you simply want a challenge, any other branch of the military will provide you with plenty of opportunities to test yourself. Army Rangers and Green Berets, Air Force Pararescue Jumpers, and the Navy Seals all offer extreme physical and mental challenges outside of the Marine Corps. So if you are considering joining the Marine Corps, think long and hard about what that means before going to a recruiter and signing up.”

Here’s the full article and in my opinion the guy is mostly dead on about everything he wrote: The Best Military Branch to Enlist In; A Veteran Ranks the Military Branches.

And why is it I’m mostly proud of what he said about the Marine Corps? Are we that messed up in the head? : )

Keep the faith,

Stan R. Mitchell

Oak Ridge, Tenn.

About me: I’m a full-time, action-fiction author with books similar to Vince Flynn, Stephen Hunter, and Tom Clancy. I’m also a prior infantry Marine with Combat Action Ribbon, and a guy who spent 10+ years writing every day in the newspaper business. Please consider subscribing for email alerts — I mostly post about things that either motivate you, inspire you, or make you laugh.

Share:
Facebook10K+LinkedIn586Twitter111TumblrRedditPinterestPocketStumbleUponPrintEmailGoogle
Related
Marine Corps named most prestigious branch of service in America
In "Marine Corps"
Let's not forget the Coast Guard...
In "National security"
U.S. Special Forces struggle with record number of suicides
In "Marine Corps"

Response by MAJ(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 8 at 2015 7:10 AM

MAJ(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 07:10:21 -0500

I'll be honest, I had 4 distinct reasons for joining; some of them were actual goals. I remember writing them down on my "pros" list. My "cons" list was a lot longer than 4 reasons.

- to make my mother proud
- financial stability and college
- to give back to my country that I love
- for a girl

Allow me to elaborate. I was dating someone who's father was a retired LTC. He had a wife and 3 children who adored him and he provided them a high standard of living. I wanted my girlfriend and my future children to look at me they way she looked at her father.