What is the best branch to join, between the Navy, or Marine Corps, in your opinion?

Question

This is another question from my 10 year old, son. He can't figure out which one he wants to join, and I'm near at my ends rope. How the heck do I know? I tried the Army at 17, but disabled, so I couldn't but that's all I could tell him. So he needs your help to aim towards his goal, please? His thinking I know will change as he gets older, but he's curious RIGHT now! LOL, please, can you help me, also, so I'm not bombarded with his questions I can't always answer?

Loads of thanks for taking time for us!

Answer 1

If he is only 10 now, you should tell him to pay attention in school and get very good grades. And, do some community service, boy scout etc... Later on, try to get into Naval Academy, then, he can pick which route to go from there, Navy or Marines.

But if he is just curious, let him know that the Navy isn't all about ships, we also have to 2nd largest Air Force in the world. And our NSW (Naval Special Warfare Command) and NECC (Naval Expeditionary Combat Command) are getting larger every year. The USMC are not all about grunts, there are many different jobs within the Marines too: Aviation, JAG, etc... For me, it's not the Navy that I enjoy, it's the Navy EOD that I love.  

Answer 2

  He is way to young to watch it, but HBO has a seven part series about Marines during the early days of the Iraqi invasion.  It is graphic, the language is x*x rated, but it indeed does realistically show life in a combat situation.  The hurry up and wait factors, the incompetence at every level of command. The mistakes that are made, the casualness of collateral damage, the discomfort of living in the field for weeks at a time.  It's all there.

A ten year old is much too young for this, but in a way, it's the hard sell and the realism of combat.  If you have a chance to see it, see it first without him.  Only you can determine how much he can tolerate.  All the sweet talking in the world will not give him a realistic impression of what he wants, but this might easily convince him of what he does not want.

Answer 3

if he is tough by the age of 18 (legally an adult) and i meen tough then the marines but the marines hav the toughest recruit training and the navy has the easiest but if u cant decide jus go to the army...or how about don't join at all so u dont get shot in iraq

Answer 4

you son being intrested so young may have been born to be a marine....it takes a special kind of person...and someone who cares so much maybe that kinda person....i know its safer to go navy or AF but i know alot of marines wouldnt change what they do for the world....(even those who have lost there lives)

Answer 5

I spent 22 years in the US Air Force; I am a retired Master Sergeant.  Then I worked for The Department of Defense for another 10 years where a former Marine made me an Honorary Marine.  So much for my pedigree, now for an answer.  Note I said "An" answer, not "The" answer.

Your son is comparing apples and oranges.  The US military (all branches) have different missions.  That said, there is no way to correlate any two branches directly.  The Navy has a huge Air Force.  The Air Force has a small Navy.  The Marines have an Air Force and a Navy and the list goes on and on and on.  Add to that, the fact that all branches cooperate and coordinate their activities in order to make the best possible fighting force and you will spend a lifetime trying to unravel one very tangled web.

The Marines are a small elite service.  The recruit is completely disassembled in Boot Camp and reassembled as a Marine.  He or she will be the closest thing to all other Marines that is humanly possible to make him/her.  After the reconstituting of the individual they will attend some school that will give them a quasi primary job.  Keep in mind all Marines are Riflemen first and foremost.  He or she may be trained as a pilot, a tank driver, reconnaissance work, high technology and on and on.

The Navy is a bit more relaxed, it has some of the best electronic schools available, it has nuclear schools, aircraft maintenance and so forth.

There missions are simply not the same so any direct comparison is a waste of time.

For Pride, esprit de corps and teamwork the Marines are hard to beat.  Once a Marine, always a Marine and the "Ex" Marine is a dead one.

For intense and diversified education, virtually unlimited travel possibilities and many skills that can easily be converted to the civilian job market the Navy would be hard to beat.

I accept email (sometimes it takes a while to answer) but if your son wants to talk with me, I will respond.  Just contact me through my profile.

Answer 6

I think the Navy is by far better for education and benefits. Plus something  you can leave and do perfectly well in the civilian world. If you want more information feel free to go to http://www.mynavyonline.com. You can ask all the questions, get true answers with details. He can join too!

Answer 7

The Marines are part of the Department of the Navy,depends on what job he wants.

(yeah I know the mens department).

Answer 8

I was in the Marine Corps for 4 years and loved it.  But as far as a career and standard of living, I'd probably say the Air Force is the best deal.  It's always nice to see the respect that you get for being a Marine, but it seems like we get the short end of the stick on a lot of other things.  I was stationed in Hawaii and used Hickum AFB for almost everything like the gym, the chow hall, I even went to thier "baracks" to play air hockey.  Their barracks were like dorms and the girls are prettier too.  And to be honest about it, the Air Force lays down some serious smack during times of war.  All though it's from a mile away from the nearest enemy.

Answer 9

the marine corps came from the navy, so basically they are the same. They are both WATER based so lets hope your son likes water.

if he joins the navy he wil get to to travel on those ships all around the world but he will be stuck on the sea for months at a time.

if he joins the marines, he would learn how to shoot, how to do amiphibious assaults and other such things.

so basically, it comes down to how much water your son likes! haha,

hope this helps you out!!