Daydreams about Joining the US Marines

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switalabe

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Hi CAF Friends,

I’m a young male adult, I have a college degree and a good job that I’ve held since college graduation (5 years). I’ve been having daydreams of joining the US Marines.

I would say my family does not have a strong martial tradition, but we do have some family members who have served in the US Navy.

Before I took my current job, I did talk to a couple of armed forces recruiters, but when I talked to them it quickly seemed obvious that the military was not my path. Shortly after that I joined my company.

So, what should I make of these thoughts of joining the Marines? I don’t really know anyone in the Marines, although I have an acquaintance who did join. I’m pretty sure that if I did talk to a recruiter reality would come crashing in to my head and I would scurry back to my office cubicle.

As a side-note: a priest once told me that the hardest rule of life is the rule of forgiveness, which only the Church really teaches. So that saying has kind of buoyed my spirits of being a “tough guy.”

Thanks,
Ben
 
Also, a bit more about me: I’m a computer programmer, so I really do kind of dwell in a very non-violent cubicle a lot of the time.
 
If the military isn’t for you, you can still support those who are in the armed forces. Find ways to help men/women who have served and have needs. Put out the flag on holidays. Pray for those who put their lives on the line to protect us. You don’t have to be a Marine to be a man–that takes being what you are to the fullest in love and holiness, as God has given you to be. 🙂
 
I had these thoughts, too.

I didn’t join the military out of high school and seriously considered it as I was approaching the age limit.

Maybe the military is “for you” and maybe not. I will say from my experience that military experience is a big advantage that civilian employers value highly even if the experience is not in the employer’s field; I once saw accounting firms have a bidding war over a candidate with military experience.

There are pros and cons. Please, look at the situation carefully. Also, be aware that the recruiter is there to get you to join, not to help or advise you. If the recruiter says, for instance, you’ll be doing a certain job, or you won’t get sent to the front lines, get it in writing.

Another possibility might be joining part-time (the guard or reserve).

Good luck.
 
I know a couple people who were (are? once a Marine, always a Marine…)

One went in as active duty out of high school and served for a few years overseas on embassy duty. One went into the Marine reserves out of high school. Both have positive things to say about it.

The one told me about his basic training experience of going to sleep at night, hearing other recruits cry themselves to sleep. Evidently, it’s somewhat demanding. 😉

I wanted to join the Army, tried ROTC for a year and a half in college, talked to a recruiter about the National Guard, went through the process of applying for a 4-year ROTC scholarship. But in the end, couldn’t/wouldn’t make the full commitment. I was just too unsure of whether or not it was what I wanted. Which means I probably made the right decision.

Plus, I didn’t like any of the guys in my college Military Science classes. 🤷
 
Maybe you could join these guys:
The Marine Corps Cyberspace Command (abbreviated as MARFORCYBER) is a functional formation of the United States Marine Corps to protect critical infrastructure from cyberattack. It comprises a command element, the Marine Corps Network Operations Security Center, and a company from the Marine Corps Cryptologic Support Battalion, a total of approximately 800 personnel.
 
Just_Lurking said:
Maybe you could join these guys:
The Marine Corps Cyberspace Command (abbreviated as MARFORCYBER) is a functional formation of the United States Marine Corps to protect critical infrastructure from cyberattack. It comprises a command element, the Marine Corps Network Operations Security Center, and a company from the Marine Corps Cryptologic Support Battalion, a total of approximately 800 personnel.
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Sure, but before you become a specialist in those fields, you must become a rifleman fIrst, like every squared away Marine! 👍
 
switalabe said:
Also, a bit more about me: I’m a computer programmer, so I really do kind of dwell in a very non-violent cubicle a lot of the time.
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I would recommend that you talk to a recruiter. Since you have a college degree, you could join as an officer. Even though you may realize that the Marine Corp may not be for you after speaking to a recruiter, at least you know for sure instead of wondering the rest of your life if you should have been a Marine.

The Cyber command suggestion is excellent.

Have you considered the other branches of the Armed Forces? I recommend the branch I was in, the Air Force.
 
Sarcelle said:
I would recommend that you talk to a recruiter. Since you have a college degree, you could join as an officer. Even though you may realize that the Marine Corp may not be for you after speaking to a recruiter, at least you know for sure instead of wondering the rest of your life if you should have been a Marine.

The Cyber command suggestion is excellent.

Have you considered the other branches of the Armed Forces? I recommend the branch I was in, the Air Force.
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Sorry I haven’t read the whole thread. I have a few thoughts though that may be helpful.
  1. I have a brother that went into the Marines as a reservist during college. He did two tours in Iraq (both during college, if I remember correctly!) and then went into the Marines as an officer–his current duties are heavily clerical. Even as an early 20-something, he was already an old guy in Marine terms. He’s now 30ish, an officer, husband, dad, and is poised to get out. My understanding is that there are very few Marine officers compared to other branches of the service. Marine officer training was really, really hard. (A bunch of women got kicked out during my brother’s training because they helped another woman carry stuff during a march.)
  2. On the other hand, one of the male departmental secretaries (!) at my husband’s old college department went into the army as an artillery officer after doing an MA some years ago, much to everybody’s surprise and some years later, seems to be doing just fine. I’m not sure how old he is but his oldest child is 12 now.
That’s a smallish sample, but I strongly suspect that the Army is a better choice than the Marines for an educated 20-something thinking of trying the military.
 
My older brother was in the Marines, while I and my younger brother were in the Army. The only other family member who was in the military was an Uncle who had been in the Army. My understanding is that the Basic Training for Marines is harder than for the Army. But don’t let that scare you off too much. Sometimes going through Basic Training is a wake up call for some. Either way it can be tough. I second the suggestion of talking to a recruiter. And see what areas you could serve in.

I don’t know how it’s done getting to be an officer, I knew one woman who had a college degree and was enlisted. Both of us fell under the Transportation Corpse (sp?) as truck drivers. Even AIT can be tough. That’s the training after Basic Training. We not only were learning what we had to know to drive the different military vehicles, we had to stick to their regime of physical training, but their time as well. We did have a bit more leeway during that time, but God help you if you screwed up!
 
Yeah, the U.S. Marines aren’t exactly renowned for fostering and cultivating an attitude of forgiveness in their recruits.
 
The realities of being in the Marines are sometimes pretty harsh. My husband was a Marine in the mid 70’s. If you are serving in peacetime, it can be pretty much like any job…just with more rules! But there are some crazy things that can go on.

He worked in Emergency Maintenance. About a year after his term was up we got a call from a friend who was still in. The man in charge of their department (can’t remember his rank) got into an argument with his teenage son, and the son shot and killed the dad and injured his mother. They made the guy s who worked under him in Maintenance go over and clean up the house. I thought that was cold.

Basic training was pretty harsh then, also. DI’s would beat guys up, someone got caught smoking and was made to put a metal bucket over his head and smoke an entire pack, etc. Maybe they are stricter about abuses now…I don’t know.

I would suggest talking to people who have been in the Corps in recent years and get their feedback.
 
Talk to a recruiter and maybe look at different branches. The Air Force may be up your alley. In fact, I know at least 4 guys who were former marines who sought out the Air Guard because it’s much, much more laid back then the other branches or active duty.

I’m in the Air Guard and so is my husband. My husband works full time for the guard and I’m traditional, counting down the days until I get out (1 year, 1 month and 9 days…but whose counting! ;))

The military certainly isn’t for everyone. My husband is one of those people who fits the military mold. It’s all he knows and it’s all he really wants to know, at the end of the day.

I’m not. I don’t enjoy it at all, it’s not for me and I didn’t join for the right reasons (basically to pay for my college education and that is about it).

It’s okay if you don’t join.
The marines are no joke. It’s about as hard core as you’ll get without going into the special forces.
Plus, if you really want to look at becoming an officer…I know it’s a bit easier to go Army instead of the other branches. The Navy and the Air Force are REALLY picky about what majors they look for…and the Air Force is much harder to get into, in terms of officer positions. The Marines officer boot camp is just HARD. Really hard.
 
First off you don’t have to be violent to be a good soldier, actually a good soldier usually tries to avoid violence unless the mission at hand calls for it.

Secondly, is there a reason why the Marines and not another branch of the Armed Forces?

What did the recruiters say that made you think that the service was not for you? If you want something bad enough you will find a way to achieve it.

My Husband (Retired AF) did a stint as an Air Force Recruiter, he had one girl who came in that was out of shape, needed to lose 50 lbs and bring up her asvab score to qualify for the Air Force. The other branches of the Armed Forces wouldn’t even give her the time of day, his office partner handed her over to my husband because they all thought she was a lost cause and he was new to the office.

He had a nice talk with her and told her of the Physical standards, and how to work on bringing up her Asvab score. She left and hubby told all the other recruiters that she will be back, she wants it bad (they all laughed at him and said you will learn). It took her a year, but she did come back. She lost 65lbs was tone and fit, then passed the Asvab with flying colors. He was proud to put her in the service along with her Girlfriend. She told him that he made the difference in her life, that he was the first one in 2 years of trying to join the service that took her goal seriously, and told her what she needed to do to achieve it.

So if this is something you want, then go for it, because only you can make it happen. 🙂

Good Luck and Prayers
 
I remember having those thoughts too. If you are a technical type of person I would suggest either the Air Force or the Navy. Why do you want to join? Do you have dependents? It is a lot harder to move a family around the world compared to being a single person, especially as kids get older. I think it boils down to what are your motives.

I’m active duty Air Force, and my husband served 12 yrs in the Marines. The military lifestyle is demanding and there are a lot of sacrifices but there are a lot of benefits as well. You don’t have to give up your identity as a Catholic to serve in the military. Pray about your decision and God will lead you to where he wants you. Best of luck.
 
I just wanted to make one more comment.

How old are you?

Judging by your post…if you graduated on time, and on a typical timeline age wise and got your job upon graduation…I’d guess you are around 26-27?

Active duty won’t take anyone over the age of 27. In fact, now, with the job market the way it is, it’s a fight to get in at 27 anyway.

Not to mention that the marines recruit young…very young. I think the average age is around 19 or 20.

You could still get in because the reserve and the guard will take people up to 32? I think, you might have to check those numbers.

I was 26 when I joined the Air Guard. It’s actually very common for people who are interested in the air force to join when they are older.
I think the average age for the air force is closer to 22-23. A lot of enlisted air force join after obtaining their degree and many choose to use the education benefits to go for a masters or higher.
I know enlisted in my unit who have several degrees, masters and one PhD. That’s in a civil engineering unit too…which is a more blue collar squadron to begin with.
 
Thanks for all of your responses. In response to questions:

How old am I?
27 years

Why do I want to join the Corps?
I don’t know. See more below.

What did the other recruiter say that led you away from military service?
Eh…nothing really. I think I just freaked out when I met some real military people in a recruiting situation.

For a bit more storytelling: my sister dated a person who did join the Marine Corps, so she’s had an opportunity to learn about the Corps that way. She told me that the Corps does not accept office candidates older than 26. Anyway, I’m sure I could find out the exact age limit for sure if I talked to a recruiter.

As for why I want to join, I can sometimes be attracted to extreme things (someone else actually described me this way some time ago). For example I like endurance activities like long distance running. So maybe the Marine Corps represents another extreme that I’d like to take myself to.

I don’t think I’m unusually patriotic. In particular I don’t think this country’s leadership has made good decisions in recent decades in deciding when and against whom and how to wage wars. So I’m not sure I’d like to put myself under a position of such obedience to a power that I view as unreliable at best.

On the other hand, I think it’s possible that our country could become engaged in a just war. Also, most importantly, I think that individual service members can live justly in their job’s duties even if the country’s leadership is corrupt. So…I don’t know.

I have other little details for why I might want to join the USMC…I was kind of labeled the egghead in high school, and I’d like to dispel that notion. However, I think this is a terrible reason, even a non-reason, for thinking about the USMC. For one I rarely see anyone from my high school any longer. But much more importantly I can deal with this particular issue in many, many other ways. Definitely a mismatch between the purpose of the Corps and the purpose of my actions. So that’s a non-reason that’s still floating around in my head.

Another little detail: I read a book when I was 17 about the Navy SEALs in the Vietnam Conflict. The book made an impression on me; I liked to think of myself joining the SEALs. So that’s kind of related to wanting to join the USMC. I was really into that book.

Here’s a question for anyone who’s still reading this thread: do naval infantry service branches always have the same cachet as the USMC? Or is it just the USMC? I mean, does being naval infantry inherently make for a “few, proud, always faithful” group of individuals?

Summary: reason for joining the USMC: I figure I’m among the “phony tough” as Stanley Kubrick put in one of his movies IIRC.
 
One more thing: I met a US Marine recently who I’m looking forward to talking with about this. It’s a good thing I think to have someone to talk to in person about this, and I’m thankful for the opportunity. But thanks to all of you as well for helping – I do feel some peace from having posted the OP and then read your responses.
 
Also, as to “why” – I read a book by Nathaniel Fick, One Bullet Away, that I was really into.
 
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