My son told us this morning he's joining the Marines

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OP, the other thing you’ll learn is that when vets get together it almost always turns into a “whose is bigger” contest between branches. 🙂
 
I was in the same position at age 18, back in 1970.

I too joined the Marines and no one could understand why, especially in light of the fact that I would most likely go to Vietnam.

Well, if I didn’t go, I would’ve questioned myself for the rest of my life.

I went, became an M60 Machine Gunner and never stepped foot in Vietnam

It helped me to grow up.

He’ll be fine, just tell him not to volunteer for anything. 😃

Jim
 
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When a boy grows to manhood, it is quite difficult for his mother, especially when he makes a courageous decision to place himself in harm's way for others. I once helped parents choose a St Michael statue for their son, who had been appointed to head a company in an active combat unit, and the mother felt the same.
also, the middle son of very close friends joined the Marines several years ago (but It wasn’t a sudden decision)- May St Michael be with him Our Lady give you heart’s ease.
 
I dont mean to sound dramatic but things going through my mind and heart now are
The bond with his teen sister will be broken.
They are so close and now there will be gaps of a year she may not see him.
The fact that I may not see my son for a year, I don’t have words.
For almost 2 decades we all looked forward to our little 5 day vacation in the summer at the lake. No more.
But, thank God he is alive and healthy and that’s all my heart can think of as I try to remain counting my blessings with a heavy heart. I should be grateful and I am proud of him. He had this on his mind for some time. His friend is actially leaving this March I asked him if he will see him, he said probably not since my son has to graduate first and his friend already did early.
 
momof2angells said:
I dont mean to sound dramatic but things going through my mind and heart now are

The bond with his teen sister will be broken.

They are so close and now there will be gaps of a year she may not see him.

The fact that I may not see my son for a year, I don’t have words.

For almost 2 decades we all looked forward to our little 5 day vacation in the summer at the lake. No more.
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I can understand feeling that way. My family went to the same state park for a week every summer for nearly 20 years as I was growing up, too. But then the family sort of spread out to different places and that came to an end. Things change, and there is a sense of loss when that happens.

And not that things will be as they were, but that doesn’t mean that family bonds will be broken. I moved away for nearly 15 years, but now I’m back in the same town with my brother. It’s great! Even though there were times where we saw each other infrequently, the bond remained. And now we get to see each other all the time.
 
He’s becoming a man and needs to spread his wings, so to speak.

All you can do is pray for his safety.

He has this on his mind and won’t let go until he does it.

Jim
 
I’m afraid of how this will affect my teen daughter too. I will just have to learn how to be a prayer warrior. I actually mean that seriously.
 
It’s totally understandable. I hope you don’t think I was criticizing you. It’s a big change. I’m sure I’ll be a wreck when my daughter leaves the nest.

But this change had to come either way, whether it was the military or not. You can’t keep him as a child forever. He’s a man now and needs to forge his own identity and his own life. For example, even if he wasn’t joining the military, he still might have to move away. What if he got a great job offer in his chosen field, whatever that is, and had to relocate? Would you try to stop him? Hopefully not, because you want what’s best for him.

I would encourage him to talk to as many vets and active duty servicepeople as he can and ask lots of questions. It will serve him well if he goes into it eyes open as opposed to thinking it’s all about wearing a snazzy uniform to impress women.
 
I didn’t cut and paste anything.

I typed it all myself, and it’s the truth.

I’m sorry your partisan sensibilities have blinded you to the truth.

I would bet anything the Commandant of the Corps would agree with everything I wrote.
 
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Thank you very much. I think he may have been worried about his future because his academics weren’t great. High school was tough for him and we instilled in him he has to be able to earn an income that would be able to support family one way or another. In a sense I’m proud he thought it through. On the other hand I’m sad this road takes him away from me, but he sees it as a road with, as he says “great benefits for my future”. He’s looking ahead and I have to be proud of that.
Great point about the eventuality of it all, whether military or work. Thank you again.
 
You missed the major point. Sure “one team one fight”…this isn’t the topic though…it’s individuals and motives.

That bookshelf stuff comes later.

I get it. The Marine Corps down to the private/PFC understands in a very real/operative way the concept of combined arms/maneuver warfare far better than most Air Force Lts…because it’s part of how an individual fire team operates.

We get 'horns of a dilemma"…that’s what an infantry fire team does, a squad, a platoon, a company, a battalion, a MEU, a regiment, a division does for a living.

Marines learn: “task and purpose/mission mindset/decientralized execution” in bootcamp
 
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It’s okay to do it in a good spirit, say in sports or competition or jokingly, or advising someone to join the branch you served.

It is NOT okay to claim one branch is the “real” military or other branches are pathetic and inept. Edward clearly insinuated that the USMC is the only respectable branch, which is an absolutely unacceptable position.
 
Sure, every Marine is a rifleman first.

The Marines, in general, are the most combat oriented and “militant” of the five branches.

But your post about the recruiters office, insinuating the Navy was a bunch of fatbodies, the Army is a bunch of unorganized zipperheads, and the AF are a bunch of useless video game nerds, was incredibly insulting.

Those are rash, untrue, and unfair generalizations, and I will not stand idly by while several branches of the US Armed Forces are besmirched for no apparent reason.
 
Edward_H said:
I get it. The Marine Corps down to the private/PFC understands in a very real/operative way the concept of combined arms/maneuver warfare far better than most Air Force Lts…because it’s part of how an individual fire team operates.
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This is kind of a “no duh” point, though. I mean, yes, obviously, the Marine Corps is better at small unit tactics than the Air Force. But that’s not the purpose of the Air Force. That’s like saying, “The Navy is better than the Marine Corps because the Navy is better at submarine warfare.” I mean, yes, that’s true, but the Marine Corps isn’t supposed to be doing submarine warfare.

Any serious answer to the question “Which branch is best?” has to begin with “best at what specifically?”

If you mean the Marines have the most rigorous standard for physical fitness, then sure, that’s true.
 
momof2angells said:
but he sees it as a road with, as he says “great benefits for my future”.
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He’s not wrong, especially if he picks an MOS that gives him an expertise that is marketable in the civilian sector. I know guys with nothing but high school diplomas who have great jobs at places like Boeing because when they were in the military they were trained to repair and maintain some highly specialized piece of equipment.
 
Your son WILL get leave. There is no reason that he cannot take some of that leave for a summer lake vacation.

Your son will be working a job or in class, he will have time off and will text or call or email you, he can Skype with his sister.

He is not going back in time to the mid 20th century when one had to wait weeks for a letter or further back when a foreign assignment meant no contact. The world is very small now!
 
TheLittleLady said:
Your son WILL get leave. There is no reason that he cannot take some of that leave for a summer lake vacation.
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Oh, there can be reasons, haha. I wouldn’t bank on being able to take leave at any particular time, outside of maybe the holidays. If his unit is going for a big training evolution or deploying, his leave would almost certainly not get approved.
 
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