You really shouldn't join the military if you're looking for job experience. Getting grunt experience at the ground level will help you in management in the long run. Most people I know who have gone through the military do not get their choice of jobs assigned to them until they have been promoted pretty high up. In management, its not so much what you know but knowing how to work with people. The marines will better suit you for this.
I was in the Navy for 10 years and I agree with fchowd0311. Your experience is going to boil down to what type of job they give you, where you get stationed, and your immediate supervisors. It's like choosing to work for two different corporations that offer many types of jobs at different places in the world. Its difficult to say working for one is going to be better than the other. With that said, it boils down to the experience you want to have and the type of action you want to see while serving. In every branch of service, there are jobs that place you in harms way. On the other hand, there are plenty of jobs where you never see any action. By joining the Army or Marines, your chances of being stationed in hazardous areas go up significantly compared to the Navy, Coast Guard, or Air Force. I do have some advice for you: 1) If there is any way you can hold out for two more years, finish your bachelor's degree and then join the military. The difference in pay and lifestyle between officers and enlisted is night and day. 2) Think about the type of job you want and don't settle for anything else. Until you actually sign the contract to join, you actually have a lot of leverage on the conditions of your enlistment. I wish someone would've told me that before I joined. In your case, identify the EXACT type of logistics management job you want and have them include the schools/training associated with that job in your contract. I can't emphasize this enough, if they don't offer it to you and include it in your contract, refuse to sign until they do. Remember it's the recruiter's job to get you in the military. Whatever they tell you right now carries absolutely no weight once you've joined. So basically they can lie and say, "Oh yea, you'll get that job/location/etc with no problem" but if it's not in your contract, the military will put you wherever they want to and give you a job that fills their needs. So instead of logistics management, you could be standing gate guard in Afghanistan for the next four years.
The Marines are not and have not been a subset of the Navy. They're not like the Air Force which split off from the Army after WWII (used to be the Army Air Corp). There's a relationship between the two branches and the , but despite falling under the Department of the Navy, the Marines are their own distinct branch and were founded the same year as the Army and the Navy. The highest ranking Marines don't report to any Navy officers.
I have been in the Navy for nine years and for the most part love it. Being a Sailor is a cool experience that only Sailors can really appreciate. I'm talking from the time the first Sailors in history set sail and pulled into port. That includes civilian mariners. The way we try to cram so much of life into the port visits we get lends to great tales. On that aspect I would not trade it for any branch. I also enjoy the job I have and agree with your job in any branch will dictate how happy you are. I have heard from colleagues that worked hand in hand with the Army that the Army is terribly run and super inefficient. This came from people who thought the Navy was bad until seeing that. As for the Marines, nothing wrong with them I just prefer Navy. We tend to be a bit smarter and funnier. Not to mention the women in different ports if that's what you're into.
I plan to be a Army or Marine reserve so do you know how that life is like? I plan to leave to the military later this year because i'm just not happy being a normal college student that life kinda bores me, I just like to have things to do, although I do understand finishing college getting a bachelors and being an officer makes more money, money isn't a priority right now for me I guess you can say, I think i'm in it more for the experience as of right now. Since it's the recruiters job to get me in, what happens if he makes some B.S. and won't offer it? Would they keep trying to chase me? I should just walk away and try with a different recruiter?
According to my buddy who was in the Navy for several years his view of the hierarchy was as follows in terms of the quality of the branches. Air Force Coast Guard Navy Marines Army.
lol... ive been in for 3 years and have yet to ride on navy equipment. Our next deployment is in Afghan(again) so that means my entire enlistment i will never see a naval vessel.
Hey, fchowd0311 can you tell me what it's like to be a reserve? Cause that's what i'm aiming for as of right now.
this is the dumbest comment listed so far. There is no mathematical formula or reasoning to rank branches. How do you determine quality of branch? There are so many factors and individual needs from person to person that everyone will have a different branch that suites them better? Each branch is the best at what they do. Air Force is best when it comes to air support. Navy is when it comes to the sea. Army is best when it comes to ground invasion and holding ground and Marines are best at rapid deployments and amphibious assault. So what makes one branch better than the other? According to your rankings you prefer to stay away from ground combat. If that better suits you than so bet it. Your selection has narrowed down to Air Force, Navy, and Coast Gaurd. However, like there are jobs in the Marine Corps where you will never experience ground combat, there are certain jobs in the Air Force and Navy where you will. Now if you based this decision on which branch provides better career opportunities after your service than don't bother. Why? Because in the air force and navy all the high skill level jobs are reserved for the officers. Unless you want to be a mechanic or something of that nature there are not many "skills" to learn. A college education will get you farther. Join the military for a way of life. For me the Marine Corps has taught me more than what any other branch could... leadership and discipline. I was a team leader and lead 3 men to war. I was responsible for them. You do not get that opportunity and that learning experience in any other branch besides the army. Besides i plan on using the GI bill and getting a real education... not learning some technical skills to base my career off of. I could go to ITT Tech for that stuff.
O another thing. What makes the Air Force a more mentally demanding job than being a Marine Grunt? I keep hearing that. Last time I checked, operating machinery is less mentally demanding than leading men in counter insurgency operations in Afghanistan. It requires more common sense, maturity, discipline, and quick thinking.
in fact,i i just sat through a 2 week course that was worth 4 college credits... combat life savers course. Though have the class was practical application in the field.
Totally disagree with your point. You only have one experience so how can you say what would have taught you more. I can easily say I learned more in the Navy than I ever would have in the marines. I would have nothing to back that up on. As for only officers getting the skills, maybe you should quit getting your background on this matter from movies. Officers are in charge of things, but its the enlisted doing the work and getting the skills to do it. My job is pretty tough and takes a lot of smarts, so much so that I am going to work at the Office of Naval Intelligence in a few months. What is yours?
