Reply Appreciated: US Army and Marines

Infantry Officer wrote:

As I said I don't want a desk job. So the Air Force isn't for me, since my vision isn't good enough to be a pilot.

I remember reading a few years ago that lasik had been approved for (Navy) pilots. Apparently the submarine corps was suffering because top cadets with poor eyesight who previously might have become submariners were now choosing to get lasik and become pilots.

Here's the link:

I am not an American but know a bit about runners, boots and packs.

Before showing up, spend your weekends for several months going for hikes with a pack and boots. Add weight and duration progressively. Make the most of the lousy winter. Treat it like serious training. You want to be very sure you don't get blisters or develop a bad back when you show up for training.

I was an Army officer for 4 years (and was ROTC in college, so for high schoolers reading this, both can be done as ROTC likes having varsity athletes), and I cannot stress that it is the best career starter for any college graduate who wants challenges and leadership opportunities.

Your assessment is pretty good. If you are looking for the challenges that the infantry offers, the Army and Marines are your best bet. If you are looking for just accomplishing the training and checking blocks, neither branch is ideal. You will become bored and/or jaded. Either branch will have weak marines/soldiers among you that you will have to lead and motivate. This is not gym class or even a XC race. You will see a desk, have to wear your blues, clean equipment etc. You will be bored (even when deployed to war. Yes, there is terror. But tons of boredom...).

As for which one, whichever accepts your application for it, be proud to go. I would caution the more nautical part of the Marines, and that your deployments could include being on a ship for a large amount of time. You are right, it is a small branch, so opportunities like Rangers/Special Forces are more abundant in the Army. I have met some phenomenal Marine officers and great guys. The Army is larger. You will run into some worse officers because of that. That is really more of the size issue. The equipment in the Army is newer (on average), and different. Light infantry is light infantry, but mechanized stuff can be different. You might want to look online and see if some stuff looks better or worse to you.

Whichever you choose, you will look back and laugh at the idea of being interested in the other. That is the fun part of inter branch rivalry... You will meet some of the best people in the world in the military. Sadly, you will encounter a few of the worst. It is still the best decision you could ever make.

Good luck to you!

Rothermj,

If you don't mind me asking, what is your job outside of the military? I am just curious.

Once I am assigned a platoon. How frequently will physical training and military training occur. The physical training will be daily, I assume. But from what I gather the Marines are continuously being drilled and practicing for war.

You goals can be met by the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and Army. Realize that 90% of the US military have combat support and logistics jobs and that's for you. They serve proudly and work their asses off for our country.

just be careful of how you go about posting on that professional soldiers forum if you decide to seek advice there, because they are some mean SF motherfckers with short fuses and zero patience for redundant or idiotic threads, no bull!

Not at all. The last time the US had SF was Vietnam. The Pentagon can't let troops die en masse because of Congress and the American people. Modern SF operate like civilian police officers with risk managers, statisticians, and lawyers. Modern SF operations have billions of dollars of supporters with drones, helos, Navy aircraft carriers, Air Force fighter cover, satellites, you name it, to help them with their boutique missions.

Infantry Officer wrote:

Once I am assigned a platoon. How frequently will physical training and military training occur. The physical training will be daily, I assume. But from what I gather the Marines are continuously being drilled and practicing for war.

Infantry Officer,

First off, I commend you on your desire to serve. You seem to be a balanced and rational individual which I can respect. I am a Marine Officer and therefore biased, but was in your shoes debating similar issues not long ago. I went to a top tier running university (consistent top 5 NCAA team XC) and had a desire to become an Officer for many of the reasons you have spoke about.

Personally, I love the Marine Corps and have never looked back since my first day at OCS. While I have enormous respect for the Army I do believe that the Corps is second to none in its ability to train and develop leaders and Officers. The screening and training in the Corps is a process no other branch comes close to matching. The time frame from OCS, to TBS, to the completion of ones MOS school, takes AS LITTLE as a year,conservatively speaking. (some jobs take much longer). The attrition at OCS is close to 40% or more. TBS recycles or gets rid of an additional 6-8%. The Marine Corps takes a great deal of time in preparing you to meet your platoon day one and will not accept an incompetent leader.

As far as the frequency of physical training that occurs on a daily basis for infantry platoons- it is for the most part completely up to you. They are your Marines, you PT them and set up schedules for them to help mold them in to combat ready Marines. Combat skills and various platoon level "military training" exercises comes from a combination of set events and goals assigned and developed by the Battalion Commanders, your company CO and then you. These things take place on a daily basis as both you and your Marines are prepared to deploy.

Thats all i have for you. But if you have any questions feel free to shoot me an email. Good luck with your decision. Semper Fi

I am a senior at a fairly prestigious school, have a 3.65 GPA (Economics with Math Minor), and a DI athlete. I am interested in becoming an Infantry Officer in either the Army or Marine Corps. I haven't done ROTC (because of athletic commitments) but I am looking into attending OCS/OCC.

My biggest fear is not receiving a commission in the infantry and getting stuck with a desk job after Basic Training and OCS/OCC (possibly Ranger school).

Insight into OCS/OCC for both Army and Marine Corps would be extremely helpful. Any additional info for both branches is encouraged.

I have also browsed military forums and read on the selectivity of infantry officers.

Thanks.

Sounds like the Army is for you. You did T&F which is an individual sport. You write well, and seem level headed. The Army is a large organization with many opportunities and mid-career options. The Army has common sense and long term stability.

Marines are all required to be grunts as well as do their technical job. Marine training is continuously intense, physical, and tortuous. Fire teams, squads, platoons, companies, battalions, wings at all levels compete against one another. Officers and enlisted men who can't continuously perform at a high level of proficiency are separated from the Corps.

If you want to go full bore, take it one step at a time: infantry, airborne, rangers, special forces, Delta. There are other tactical operational assets that may find you too, if you are highly proficient in a foreign language. Just don't get married, and if you are smart, fit, and brave, unlimited potential options.

Naval AV8TR,

Thanks for your input. From what I have gathered the Marines do develop the best officers because the Corps can be more selective. I am a fan of exclusivity because only the most proficient are selected.

Jokers Wild,

I feel like the Army is the best fit for me, but there is primal instinct in me which directs me to the Corps. However corny that may sound... What exactly deems failure to meet a "high level of proficiency". I assume you are referring to PT requirements and incompetence as a leader.

There is no way I will post on Professional Soldier or any other military forums. The search function is good enough and I honestly would contribute nothing to the quality of the message board.

The Army has the breath the depth the flexibility but limited patience for your career goals and will consider the needs of individual officers. Being a track guy means you can handle the PT. The Marines minimally want PT guys but also want aggressive (but not criminal) persons who have been involved in boxing, wrestling, judo, street fighting, karate, etc. The Marines are focused on the mission and not on your personal career needs.

Jokers Wild wrote:

The Army has the breath the depth the flexibility but limited patience for your career goals and will consider the needs of individual officers. Being a track guy means you can handle the PT. The Marines minimally want PT guys but also want aggressive (but not criminal) persons who have been involved in boxing, wrestling, judo, street fighting, karate, etc. The Marines are focused on the mission and not on your personal career needs.

This post doesn't make sense.

squids wrote:

Marines are squids with a combat MOS. They are part of the Navy. Enough said.

you are a dumbass, we are not part of the navy, we are part of the department of the navy (which consists of both the navy and Marine Corps), don't ever call me a squid again

to the OP,

lots of good info posted so far. you need to decide which service you want to join and focus on getting in. Marine OCS is a kick in the balls, but there is a lot of info out there to help you prepare. Once you are in and get to TBS, you will have a better idea of what you want to do in the Marine Corps. I wanted infantry from day 1 and managed to get it. Being a platoon commander was awesome, but you will be at a desk job eventually. When i was a platoon commander, i was outside training with the platoon all day long. Now, i'm a company XO and i sit at the desk in my office all day long. Just something to consider. You don't get to run around shooting people your entire career if you are an officer.

Good luck to you and thank you for your service if you do join. The best advice will come from guys that are in (not jackasses with second opinions). Learn as much as you can, make a decision, then start preparing.

Once I am assigned a platoon. How frequently will physical training and military training occur. The physical training will be daily, I assume. But from what I gather the Marines are continuously being drilled and practicing for war.

RE: Army side ... if you're in Infantry, Armor (Cav is a subset of Armor), Combat Engineering, it's very likely you will PT on the daily, 5 times a week. That's just with your unit. If you want to be a PT stud (trust me, you do) you should make time to exercise more than that.

Typically, there will be some kind of major field time once every month or so. Maybe a typical day/week will involve waking up to PT from 630-730, then getting to "the office" by 830. You'll do some paperwork/inventorying the arsenal, get the guys squared away, and line up the things you'll need to make the mission successful. If you have time, it's a good idea to go learn something from your enlisted men, too. If your platoon has an unfamiliar weapons system, for example, make the time and get one of your men to teach it to you. Your day will end around 5-6 pm.

Maybe towards the end of the week, you'll go out into the field with your men and work on maneuvers for a few days. If you're in an airborne unit, you might do a refresher jump/ruck/ambush/ruck back to base.

The war games/FTX stuff can vary quite a bit depending on your assignment. Another big factor is where you are in the run-up to a deployment/recovery from a deployment. Plus, it'll be part of YOUR job as the platoon leader to set the training agenda. Make sure it's one where your men gain the proficiency they need to succeed as soldiers.

There's a lot of good advice in this thread. Some really dumb posts, too. Hope this one helps. Good luck!!!!

the army is for you. you seem like a sane person. a gentleman. you'll do well as a soldier. good luck.

I would like to thank everyone for replying to my thread. Posting this on Letsrun was a shot in the dark and I expected to receive only a few responses. Any info and insight is always encouraged!

Most of you are steering me to the Army and I appreciate that. I plan on contacting an officer recruiter in both the Marine Corps and the Army. Meeting the recruiters, I feel, one-on-one will allow me to fully assess both branches.

Thanks again.

delta wrote:

If you want to go full bore, take it one step at a time: infantry, airborne, rangers, special forces, Delta. There are other tactical operational assets that may find you too, if you are highly proficient in a foreign language. Just don't get married, and if you are smart, fit, and brave, unlimited potential options.

Delta doesn't exist. You have seen too much Chucky Norris!