Should i join the army or marines?

Question

ok,so i will be graduating high school in about a year and have really been considering joining the army(19k) or marines. so i have questions

which has a better program for college after your service marines or the army?

i also have been hearing the army is weak and since I'm going to be the first in my family to join the military i want something to proud of in the future,i dont want to say "i took the easy road",but the army does seem to have better tuition programs,and you can choose your mos.

also which has better technology?whos the first into combat?

so right now im undecided. thanks

Answer 1

so what i would have to say is go to college first then join the army as an officer (u make more money) but if u wana join right outta HS then go to army. they have big signing bonuses which are really nice and they pay for ur college if u decide to go. marines are first to fight.

and no way is the US Army weak. marines are trained harder in BCT but if u go army ranger or special forces its much tougher than marine BCT. also the army has more jobs and the better technology. only thing the army dosnt have that the marines do is the ability to say "Im a Marine"

Answer 2

i have to agree with first poster.  school first military after.

Answer 3

go to college after high school and do AROTC or NROTC marine option and become an officer.  

Answer 4

well dazedchick is a fool, since every single branch pays the same its 100% about paygrade, and the Corps is apparently the fastest promoting branch but I'm not so sure about that because I've never been in the other branches.

Answer 5

marines:  hardest training programs, harder to move up in rank, lower pay, first in combat, shorter times of stay in iraq, marines get hand me downs from the army (not clothes, but equipment), not as much of a sign up bonus.  They are said to be most prestigious because their training is so hard.

army:  best pay in military, best sign up bonuses, longer times of stay in iraq, better college payout program, easy to move up in rank.  

I would def go with the army... it just makes more sense to me.  they pretty much do the same stuff, but the army gets paid better.  The stays in iraq are longer, but not by much.  (like 6-8 more months, but just think about it.  when you are in iraq you get paid for being out there and it's tax free and you're really not spending any money.  i know some people in the army that come back from iraq with 30k).  if you are one that wants to prove that you're a bad a*s, go with the marines.  but it makes someone pretty bad a*s already, if they are willing to put their life on the line for their country.  so whatever you pick, good luck and thank you!  

Answer 6

Your best bet would be to take your ASVAB with a recruiter from whichever branch you're leaning towards. Then find out what they offer you. Next, take your scores & go talk to a recruiter from the other branch and see what they offer you.

The Marine Corps will not offer you signing bonuses because they don't believe in bribing people to join. The Army can offer you any where from $0 - $20,000.

The Army cannot always guarantee your field/MOS. The Marine Corps will guarantee you your occupational field.

The Marine Corps has a longer, tougher boot camp. Army basic training is still difficult.

If you don't like what either branch offers you then go to school and figure out what you want to do at the end of your for years. It takes passion and drive to be a Marine... if you don't have it then you most likely will not be happy in the Marine Corps.

--Raymond-- Of course Army special forces training is harder the Marine Boot Camp... It IS special forces.

Answer 7

While both branches are combat oriented, the Marines are more likely to see combat, as they are trained to fight in smaller more mobile units.

Answer 8

If you want to be a Marine, join the Marines.

If you want the most options, the most bonus money, the most college money, and guaranteed job training; join the Army.

It's pretty much that simple.

If you compare the average Soldier to the average Marine, Marine is going to be more hard-core.  That is also not a fair comparison.

Compare the average Marine to the average Soldier in 18th Airborne Corps, and they are pretty much equal.

The Army tends to have slightly better equipment than the Corps.

Its pretty much a toss-up who goes in first, depending on how the attack is carried out.

Oh, and if you enlist now, you should get at least $10,000 bonus from the Army.

Answer 9

The college benefits are the same across the board regardless of branch. Any branch is what you make of it. If you go Marines and they make you a mechanic how hard core are you really? The Marines being the first in is a big bs rumor. It's something they say to impress girls and people who don't know any better. If we wanna get technical the CIA is usually there first and then army SF advisors. Along with them are AF PJ's and TACP's. In the army we have units who are deployable anywhere in the world in 18 hours. The Marines do not have that capability. Our technology is quite similar. Though I admit the Marines personal combat equipment leaves me a bit envious. Their rucks etc. are those nice ARCTEX bags that are nice on a good roadmarch. Little tent system and all that jazz. And the short tours in Iraq are a big seller for them. The dumb person who said 6-8 months longer isn't bad obviously never did a deployment or met a family whos relative died after that 7 month mark where a Marine would be gone. Or got extended after a year for a few months and wondered d**n, is this 3 months the 90 days that hadj gets me? I personally think the army is better because your career is more in your control. Wanna go airborne? volunteer! Wanna go Ranger? Volunteer! SF? Volunteer! Tons of programs out there for a motivated individual who wants to get after it. The men make the service. The service doesn't make the man.Or woman for that matter. So in reality the road is only as easy as you make it. If you like a challenge every service has  more than enough for anybody. Even coast guard can go to BUD'S now. It's just up to you to pick your poison.