Beware all you military men out there my son maybe joining you....

[Wingate1217]

Ok, my son will be a senior at Charleston Southern University this coming school year and he is dead set on joining the Army National Guard. On one hand I am proud of him in making a commitment to serve his country, but on the other hand I am afraid he may get deployed.

The army has offered him bundles of incentives in order to sign on the dotted line.....
I have heard from several friends and work associates that the army is the worst reserve service to join and most likely will be one of the first to deploy.
I would some our members here on BP to share their viewpoint on the branches of the service and which one should he give more consideration than another. My initial thought is the air national guard, but I am sure that the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard have their incentives (pay, money for college, etc.) and their disincentives (possibility of early deployment, bad living conditions (barracks), etc.
I know it is hard but please try to be objective and not be partisan to your particular branch. Thanks!!
Please give your pros & cons on each and denote your experience level

[Muck]

Originally Posted by Wingate1217

Please give your pros & cons on each and denote your experience level

As a Marine I'm sure my views are skewed in comparison to yours as a parent.

Many of the things that you probably think of as negatives are the things that attract many of us to the 'Corps.

Possibility of deployement? Damn straight! Why would you join to just sit around with your thumb in your ass?

Fewer creature comforts? New carpeting & pretty wooden furniture in the barracks doesn't do you much good when you're out in the field sleeping in the mud & training hard. On the other hand constant training is a bit more important to your survival when you DO get deployed.

The reality is that the benefits of being a Marine are primarily intangibles that are hard to explain to those who don't feel the same.

Pride, sacrifice, honor, duty, discipline, overcoming challenges....these are very real and very meaningful things to Marines. We place great importance upon our past, our accomplishments, our fallen brothers and with those who follow us and pick up and carry the flag after our individual time is past.

Our traditions are important to us. They define us. They make us who we are. They give us a common ground that binds us inseparably together no matter where the world may take us.

Why become a Marine?

If that is a question that you must ask...then you can never truly understand the answer.

Originally Posted by Lt. Col. David W. Szelowski USMCR (ret.)

I wonder how many times during Operation Iraqi Freedom that the phrase "Goddamn Marines" was uttered? Even in the best of times, Army and Air Force officers have been heard muttering some epithet about Marines, invoking either heaven or hell. Interestingly enough, we Marines find it all rather reassuring and, at times, amusing.

Most of the time, Marines do not go out of our way to be obnoxious; we are just doing what Marines have done for over 200 years. A good example is the fact that Marines always raise the American flag over mountains or cities they have conquered. From Mt. Suribachi to the City of Hue, to Kuwait City to Baghdad, U.S. Marines have raised the Stars and Stripes -- in the latter examples, much to the chagrin of higher headquarters. You don't get these kinds of problems with the army.

So what is it about the U.S. Marines that they stick U.S. flags on everything and do more with less, a less that is either old or an army hand-me-down? We call it Esprit de Corps, but it goes deeper than that. We learn and maintain myths of the past, which also means living up to those historical examples. Marine Corps boot camp is the longest of the services; it is where we mold young men and women into the mythical image called a Marine. You can be in the Army, you can join the Air Force, but you become a Marine. All of the other uniformed services have songs; the U.S. Marines have a hymn. The basic pattern of Marine Corps uniforms comes from the late nineteenth century; our emblem "the Eagle, Globe and Anchor" has remained largely unchanged since 1868. The buttons on our dress blues, whites and greens date back to the founding of our corps. The Marine Corps is the only service that requires its officers to carry a sword, whose pattern dates back to 1805.

I think that the path of being a Marine was established long ago. On the 10th of November 1775, the Marine Corps was first established...in a tavern. To this day, no matter where in the world, Marines celebrate the founding of our beloved Corps, much to the confusion of the other services.

But the proof is in the doing, and during Iraqi Freedom the Marines demonstrated what Marines can do. I watched with some amusement as a reporter asked a young lance corporal about being in Iraq and under rifle fire. "Love it, sir!" was his response. The reporter was taken aback and asked, "No, really." The Marine then tried to explain that this is what he was trained to do, he looked forward to doing it and was now happy to be doing it. No doubt in boot camp he was told that he was "a minister of death praying for war." Contrast that with the poor U.S. Army Apache pilots who said that if they had to take life, they would do so reluctantly. You are either a warrior or you are not.

Marines are mission oriented. Live or die, the most important thing to a Marine is accomplishing the mission. Whether taking the bridge, river or town, accomplishing the mission is the Holy Grail of being a Marine. How the mission is accomplished is not so important, as it is expected of all Marines to accomplish the mission with the tools available. This is probably why we heard that Marines in one engagement were fighting with knives and bayonets. This was hardly high tech, but it was effective. These Marines now have bragging rights, for they have proven that they talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk. I doubt there is a single Marine who is not envious.

Marines are practical, as well. I enjoyed hearing two reporters interviewing each other, one embedded with the army, the other with the Marines. The reporter with the army noted that the sandstorm had blown down many of the soldiers' cots. The other reporter countered that the Marines did not have this problem because they slept on the ground. The Marine learns to live with what he can carry on his back. He expects to be moved around on the battlefield via his two black Cadillacs (boots). If he is lucky and gets a ride on an amtrack, so much the better -- but it is not expected! . At the end of a mission, the priority for cleaning is weapon, then equipment, and finally, body. When the other services talk about "quality of life," they are referring to housing, clubs and food. Marines are talking about better weapons, equipment and training, winning the battle and coming home alive is considered "quality of life."

All of this translates into combat power. In comparison to the U.S. Army's 3 rd Infantry Division, the Marines of I Marine Expeditionary Force were lightly equipped. Yet, they battled through the heart of Iraq, fought to the center of Baghdad and then moved off to Tikrit, taking that city as well. The press was so enamored with the Marines that in the final days of the war they even credited the Marines with deeds actually accomplished by the army. Little wonder we heard "Goddamn Marines!" so often.

So we need to give the Marines some slack when they do something politically incorrect, such as raising the flag or appearing insensitive when killing the enemy. In the field, they look sloppy compared to the army, but are aggressive in the attack and generally unhappy in the defense. Marines take pride in their work, even if that work is war. We are just Marines and that is what we do.

What are your son's goals? What does he want out of life? Where does he need to grow as a man? Who is he and what would best meet his needs?

Those are the important questions that will help him (and help you help him) find the best answer for his life.

[BuckeyeMike80]

Originally Posted by Wingate1217

Ok, my son will be a senior at Charleston Southern University this coming school year and he is dead set on joining the Army National Guard. On one hand I am proud of him in making a commitment to serve his country, but on the other hand I am afraid he may get deployed.

There is always that possibility no matter the branch though.

The army has offered him bundles of incentives in order to sign on the dotted line.....
I have heard from several friends and work associates that the army is the worst reserve service to join and most likely will be one of the first to deploy.

That all depends on MOS. It used to be that the Air Guard deployed more on average than the Army Guard. I don't know if that is still the case or not.

I would some our members here on BP to share their viewpoint on the branches of the service and which one should he give more consideration than another. My initial thought is the air national guard, but I am sure that the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard have their incentives (pay, money for college, etc.) and their disincentives (possibility of early deployment, bad living conditions (barracks), etc.
I know it is hard but please try to be objective and not be partisan to your particular branch. Thanks!!
Please give your pros & cons on each and denote your experience level

All of the branches have their pros and cons and it's all about who and what your son is to fully evaluate each one.

That said, no matter what he does, tell him to go to Officer Candidate School. That always looks good on a resume.

[generaladm]

I am not in the military, but I have several friends in the Marine Reserves and they have all been deployed multiple times. I would put the four branches into two groups, USAF & USN in one, USMC & Army in the other. (This is just for the example of the young man's interest, I am not saying that Marines and Army are similar, so don't get offended, Muck) I would say that any of them give him an equal chance of getting deployed, USMC more so, but the state we're in, they need fresh bodies over there, period. As far as seeing combat, the first group has a much lower probability. Your son's college education will play a role in what options he has. If he has engineering experience, for example, the chances of him being in a combat unit will be decreased. With the USAF & USN, unless he becomes a pilot or assigned to a smaller ship, he would spend most of his time in the relatively safer confines of an airbase or large ship. I'm sure your son's attitude towards flying and sailing will help him decide.

If he chooses Army or USMC, the chance of deployment would be high. Most Guardsmen and Reservists are deployed for multiple tours. Again, the more he can utilize his education, the less chance he'll be in a combat unit. As Mike said, OCS would be a good thing. Since he's got another year in school, you may look into ROTC to get a head start. I know in some cases ROTC participation can give you a boost in rank. My grandfather, after 4 years of ROTC and a few years in the NG, was commissioned as a 1st Lt. when called up. I don't know if one year would have an effect, though. The USMC would have the highest risk of getting deployed and seeing combat. The Marines are primarily a combat force. There are less non-combat specialties and it is harder to be promoted. Muck was dead on about Marines, they are fiercely loyal. Hope that helps. I'm no expert, but I talk to my military buddies about it a lot. Seeing as he will have almost a year to decide, it should be a well informed choice. I would have him talk to some Iraq veterans.

[scooter1369]

A mother's quote about the Marines:

For all of those that have son's or daughter's at bootcamp let me pass on what I found. Let me give you a little back ground first. When my son left home he had no motivation, he was lazy, slobby, no pride, no self worth. This is the boy that got off the bus March 18th at Parris Island. The man that I met on Thursday for parents day is AWESOME. There is no way I can describe to you all the difference. He looks different, he walks different, he talks different, he has such a sense of bearing and pride all I could do was look at him in awe. Oh yes, the training is hard, what he went through is unimaginable to any one that has not been there. They are definitely taught to be Warriors. Let me tell you the surprise of what else they are taught. My Marine son has better values, better morals, better manners than any one I know. It is so much more than Yes Sir, Yes Mam...so much more. He cares about how he looks, he cares about what he does, and its not a boastful, bad ass thing. He is a true gentleman. I saw patience, and a calmness in him that I have never seen. I could never express my gratitude enough to the Marine Corps for what they have given my son. I know this, I have an 11 year old Devil pup still at home. When the time comes for his turn if I had to I would take him kicking and screaming all the way. Although I'm sure that will not happen. The hero worship I see in my younger sons eyes for his Marine brother tells me I will have two Marines in the family, and I will be one very proud mother.
"Cybil", Mother of a Marine writing to the myMarine Group

Eleanor Roosevelt

The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!
Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States, 1945

Others:

Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.
Ronald Reagan, President of the United States; 1985

Freedom is not free, but the U.S. Marine Corps will pay most of your share.
Ned Dolan

Do not attack the First Marine Division. Leave the yellowlegs alone. Strike the American Army.
Orders given to Communist troops in the Korean War;
shortly afterward, the Marines were ordered
to not wear their khaki leggings.

If I had one more division like this First Marine Division I could win this war.
General of the Armies Douglas McArthur in Korea,
overheard and reported by Marine Staff Sergeant Bill Houghton, Weapons/2/5

Yes, I have a serious bias towards the Marines. The Marine Corps has been doing so much for so long with so little, they are now prepared to do anything with nothing.
There are benefits of joining the other services, but to a Marine, those benefits are make make the other services inferior.