Big decision, which branch to join...

[Milford Cubicle II]

Long story short I'm seriously considering joining the military. I'm 22 now, I got a 98 on my ASVAB in high school and I've got ~90 credit hours ~30 of which are in criminal justice. My five year plan is to finish my degree (CJ) and get on with a metro police department. I'm really leaning towards a 3 year committment which I know will probably limit what I do with the military but 3 years is still a really big deal to me. Soooo... Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines? I know a lot of you have been there and done that so gimme some 20/20 hindsight!

 

[RichP]

Navy has master at arms as a rate now, before it was usually one chief on board and a bunch of bodies from other rates doing a 3-6 month stint in the position. It's more technical now, could also lead to a fed slot in LE. Out of all the services the Navy offers the best travel in relative comfort, tech training and overall quality of life. No sleeping in water filled foxholes.
My son got a CJ 2 year then went back to college, he graduates with a biology and environmental engineering degree. He's currently in New Hampshire working an internship with the federal park service, managing back woods camp sites and such, does 10-20 mile hikes over his territory, sleeps out as needed but otherwise lives in a dorm.
You want my advice, go back to school and get a 4 year in something else other than LE, go for a science degree or engineering degree and Obama will pay for it 100%.
You forgot the Coast Guard, good service, you get to go out and rescue the people too stupid to come in BEFORE the storm. But you do get to go out in those neat unsinkables, the ones you can leave your footprints on the overhead....

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

Air Force all the way. More comfortable, better deployments. And you can still go Security Forces and get some OTJ training that would be easy an easy skillset to bring to a PD on the civilian side.

 

[djwright4341]

Coast Guard. Boatswains Mate or Machinery Technician (my rate) rates are the biggest. You'll learn your rate (job) and can go to Boarding Officer school at the Maritime Law Enforcement Academy in Charleston, SC. Overseas is voluntary. I did 8 yrs Army (military police) and am much happier now. gocoastguard.com

 

[theNAST1EST]

NAVY


It's obviously the best...we incorporate the skill sets of every other branch, AND perform them at a higher level.

 

[mrrbby]

Oh great, another "which branch is best" thread. Hasta

Seriously, check them all out for your career field. All have their pros/cons. I'm currently having this conversation with my friend's nephew. In the end, it's up to you.

My disclaimer. I did four years Active Duty Marine Corps, and 12 years Air National Guard in the same career field. I've been full time for a little over two years now (technician status, not AGR). My living standards are better on the AF/Guard side (when I'm activated). I would still trust my active/reserve Marine counterparts over most of my AF/Guard counterparts.

I've had the priveledge of working with all the branches. ALL are honorable professions. If I had to do it over again, I'd be torn between the Marine Corps, and the Navy. I'm proud of being a Marine, but my six months aboard the USS Nassua were the best six month of my Marine Corps career.

Remember, with the AF, if the t.o. says "touch the electric fence", you will touch it, or be written up by Q.A. no matter how much it hurts.aperwork Oh yeah, they love paperwork...

All the branches have good law enforcement. It's My understanding that the AF teaches the Marine PMO's...but I could be mistaken. SFS/PMO/MP/Master at arms...all good. It's just a matter of what you want to deal with.

Don't overlook the Coast Guard.

As a former Marine, I enjoyed hearing AF people whining how their AEF rotations went from three months to four. Tell that to the other branches, and AF SFS

Seriously, also check out the reserve(pick a branch), or the Army/Air Guard. Same opportunities, just one weekend a month, two weeks a year.

Good luck. BTW, contracts are for 8 years. The balance is served in the inactive ready reserve. And yes, you can be called up.

 

[Coastie]

You didn't mention the Coast Guard in your selections, if you didn't know it is one of the five branches.

If you are looking for law enforcement type job then the Coast Guard is a great choice. I don't remember the time line but we are introducing a new rate devoted only to LE.

I have never served in another service and have never been happier then I am now in the CG. So I can be a little bias :clap:

If you have any specific questions PM me.

 

[heyhar]

I'm an electrician, and most of the more important types- nuke plant operators, techs, etc. are almost all ex-Navy. Knowing what I know now, if I had it to do over (and my eyesight didn't make me 4-F), Navy is what I would do. When you're young, a few years seems like a big chunk of time. Looking back at the 36 years since I graduated from high school, it's been a blink of an eye. I guess the best thing to do is consider what you'd like to earn a living at, and see which branch will take you the closest. Good luck....Ray

 

[AL BUNDY]

If you join the reserves and like it, you can always go full time. If you do not like it, it's only 1 weekend a month. Plus, you can still continue your education while in the reserves instead of starting over in 3 years. Good luck.

 

[Boatwrench]

If you are looking for law enforcement type job then the Coast Guard is a great choice. I don't remember the time line but we are introducing a new rate devoted only to LE.

The new rate will be ME and it's a pet project of the COMDT & MCPO-CG Bowen. Expect to see the 1st laterals by the end of this year. The class A school will be at FLETC - Charleston SC and a practical factor (JQR) for ME2 will be Boarding Team Member qualified. A Law Enforcement career path is something the TACLETs (and later MSSTs) have been after for years. The Chief at the next desk over is PACAREA's rep to the process so I know more than I want to.

Now to OP. Here's my take on military service, it's not for everyone, but if it fits you, it's a steady job. There is no other job with retirement, medical and 30 days paid vacation from the very 1st day. If you have no fashion sense (then Go Navy** :laugh3 the military will take care of that for you, teach you how to dress and provide the clothes and prescribed manner for wearing. Want to learn a skill? they'll teach you one and only ask for 4 years of your life as payback in return. Except for outboard motors, don't go to outboard school and expect to touch my engines!

For two 2 of the 3 sea services, Navy or Coast Guard, unless you are expeditionary (SeaBee, Port Security Unit, or Harbor Defense) you'll have clean sheets, A/C and 3-4 meals per day. After an exchange tour on a USN frigate I can safely say that marking the USCG box was the right choice for me. As an engineer, I was also expected to navigate, take the helm, run the radios and at times cook the meal for the crew on our patrol boat.

There are no greater friends than the bond between Marines, when you earn the Buzzard & Beach Ball, you are in the club for life. There are no former Marines, just Marines. My stint with them at MEC-P in Korea was enlightening.

Through my other joint tour, if I had to select a DoD service it would be USAF, those boys are spoiled. The room I had as an E5/PO2 was nicer than my USCG room as a E7/CPO.

Good luck to which ever you choose, but about the reserves, that one week-end a month two weeks a year myth... my a$$, maybe during the cold war it was but not anymore.

**I have stood on the quarter deck and watched the sailors depart for liberty in civies, the easiest to spot are the CPOs with their velcro strap tennis shoes.

 

[buschwhaked]

It all depends on what you want to do. You're getting into it pretty late in the game as far as the wars are concerned, but if you want to kill people you can join the Army as infantry and they offer 3 year contracts. If you have student loans, this may be the route you want to take because the Army will pay the loans off for you. And after basic, if you don't like it, you can always put in the paperwork to go to OCS with the amount of college that you have.

With your ASVAB score being as high as it is though, you may want to consider doing military intelligence. Assuming of course that you aren't a repeat offender and have decent credit, you should be fine. There are a lot of cool jobs you can do in MI. If you want a combination desk job/out in sector killing people job, I highly recommend you become a HUMINT (Human Intelligence) collector. MOS designator 35M. You'll work in small, close knit teams and at least some of the HUMINT guys here in Afghanistan wear civilian clothes and have beards and stuff. They didn't do that in Iraq though. If you like talking to random people and are a relatively quick witted orator you should do fine. But that probably requires a four year commitment.

I'm active Army in Afghanistan right now attached to an infantry company. I was in Iraq from 06-08 and I'll be here until middle next year some time. But you won't have to face that level of a deployment schedule with the war in Iraq slowing down. Also, the Army is doing away with stop-loss, so you'll be able to get out when you're supposed to.

Whatever you do, just don't go Super POGe. Get a trade skill or a specialty, just make sure it's something where you can get enough of a taste of being in some action or you'll probably regret it.

"Grandpa, what did you do in the military?"
"I shuffled papers."

That would suck.

 

[Milford Cubicle II]

I agree, I think I'll be disappointed if I don't have at least a decent amount of action so that's another thing for me to consider. Oh and guys, I appreciate the help, but you need to keep in mind I'm not in the military yet. Probably 85% of boatwrench's post might as well have been in Hebrew

 

[fscrig75]

16 years active Army here. Take your time look into what you want and what the service are going to offer you. Bonuses, loan repayments, station of choice.

Everyone says they want "action" but be careful what you wish for. Combat is a different mind set, when your there you have to become something different and when you come home you HAVE to turn that other person off and leave him off. A lot of people can't do that.

I'm not sure how well MP/SP translate into civilian LEOs. I've always been told that it doesn't. MP/SPs give orders service members have to follow those orders. It isn't like that in the real world, civilians blow off cops all the time.

Everyone brought up some good points about why each branch is better than the other. There are also negatives in each branch. Speed of promotions is something you should look at too. Combat Arms (INF, ENG, AR, FA) are pretty fast in the Army. 4-5 years in service and a SSG (E-6) is almost the norm now. Some faster than that.

Ok now I'll push my favorite. Combat Engineer, you get to disarm IED/VIEDs, blow stuff up with C-4, learn how to make explosives. You learn some basic carpentry/plumbing/electrical skills, drive some cool vehicles and do all the Infantry stuff. They also offer dog handling, searching for explosives and land mines. Plus you will do deployment.

Regardless research research research, don't let those stupid recruiters bully you into something. They will throw lines at you like, "well I can only get this job for you today, you have to sign now" that is BS. Walk away, they need you more than you need them.

 

[AIbandit]

If you want Law enforcement experience I would scratch out Army The MP's are phasing out of garrison work and becoming line units more and more. the DOD is taking over the roads.

right before I left Iraq in 07 we started training AF SF on doing combat patrols. I don't know what there op tempo is but there is a chance of combat with them.

I work for the navy now and there MA's don't deploy as a unit so going outside the wire probably wont happen. But they do deploy regularly on what they call "IA's" for 6 months I believe. AF tour is the same Army is 1yr- 15 months.

Marines I don't know much about ran into a few downrange good people glad to have them with us.

Anyone that says there branch is better is generally an ignorant fobbit

As for craving action we'll see what you say once you've seen it

 

[wvrefugee]

I got a better idea.....get your hind end back into school and finish up, ASAP!

 

[ZomBrady]

If you have to ask what branch you should go in, then don't bother with the Marines.

Go the Navy or Army, you'll probably be happy with either of them.

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

my brother is in the navy. and he seems to be happy.. i dont know much about it but the navy has changed his life for the better for sure. he seems very happy.

 

[Darky]

Marine PMO is moving more towards a line unit type job as well last I heard. Civilians are taking over the police work.

 

[bigalpha]

Marine PMO is moving more towards a line unit type job as well last I heard. Civilians are taking over the police work.

Civilian contractors are taking over everything. The soldiers hardly even perform their own maintenance or anything. I think there's more contractors on Post than soldiers!

 

[RichP]

After an exchange tour on a USN frigate I can safely say that marking the USCG box was the right choice for me. As an engineer, I was also expected to navigate, take the helm, run the radios and at times cook the meal for the crew on our patrol boat.

**I have stood on the quarter deck and watched the sailors depart for liberty in civies, the easiest to spot are the CPOs with their velcro strap tennis shoes.

And your problem with being multi faceted is ........ Heck, on subs you get to do all of the above including both control seats. EVERYBODY takes a turn cooking and that include ensigns too. X2 on the velcro sneakes but add in double knits along with it..... LOL....