How do I choose which military branch to serve in?

Question

I want to serve for 2-4 yrs and then get out with money for school, but thats not my concern for going in. Which would you choose, whats the difference between them, and why might I avoid one and not another?

United States military branch to be more specific.

Answer 1

it depends on what job you want.what do you want to do?i will say the army as thats what i served in.talk to the recruiters and get a better picture.

Answer 2

Make sure you realize that by enlisting, you are signing up for an 8 year service commitment. Even if you are signing up for a 4 year contract, they have the right to hold you or call you back for an 8 year term of service. This is the same for enlisted or officer, and I'm pretty sure it's for all branches of US service.
That said, the army or the air force are the only two branches I'd consider, even for a few years. The marines and the navy really aren't the best choices for women.Esp if there is any chance you want to get married or have kids while in service..
The army promotes faster, but the air force gets stationed in better places and has better housing and bases. (I've been married to my army husband for 17 years, and we've lived on both Army and AirForce bases. AF is better for housing) With the army, you can pick your job or your first assignment after basic, but not both.
My advice would be to talk to someone on a base close to you, in a field you are interested in going into. That's the only way you will get the real story. Some recruiters are less than honest, and will misrepresent the truth to fill their quotas. You NEVER have more options than when you are about to sign up. If you want a particular job, wait for it to come open. ANy high pressure recruiter needs to be told to go away. You are holding all the cards before you sign that line. So make sure you really look into any job you sign up for BEFORE you sign.
Good luck to you.

Answer 3

I haven't looked at the other answers, yet, I just wanted to answer this first.

First and foremost, congratulations and thank you for thinking about the military service. It a HUGE step, but one that I think you will find fulfilling, rewarding and satisfying.

Now, to answer your question. There is NO bad branch of the US Armed Forces. I retired from the Army, my brothers were in the USAF and USN, and I have a cousing in the Marines. We all enjoyed our time, and learned valuable lessons.

Unfortunately, that doesn't help you with your decision. The best advise I can give you is to talk to ALL the branches. Have them show you their contracts, and obtain copies. Have them show you what they have to offer, and take samples. Have them SHOW you what guarantees you will receive, and take an example. Then go home and peruse the information. Talk it over with your parents, and military veterans you know/trust, and remember that if it's not in writing, it's not guaranteed. A LOT of recruiters will make promises, but that's all they are, promises. A guarantee is something that is written, signed, sealed and delivered. All the branches have the standard contract which is filled out on a DD (Department of Defense) form. If there are ANY other guarantees to be made, they MUST be in writing and on the branch specific form (DA = Dept of the Army).

I know for a fact that the Army will guarantee, in writing, your job, any/all bonuses, and time to be served on a DA form.

Good luck

Answer 4

eeny-meeny-miney-moe always works well for me.

I'm joking, of course. This is an important decision!!

Why not talk to the recruitment officers at the various branches of the military? Come up with a list of about 10-15 questions that you really want answered, then make an appointement at each office. Once you have a list of answers, and have spent some time doing some research, you'll better be able to make a decision for yourself.

I can't really answer more specifically, because you don't say which country you are in, and that would most likely make a difference. (I'm assuming you're American, though)

Answer 5

Each branch of the military, IE: Army, Navy, Marine Corp, Air Force, Coast Guard has an excellent web site loaded with all kinds of information you may be interested in. Since you're already sitting in front of your computer, why not check them out. Then after you narrow down your choices, actually speak with a recruiter from those branches. The web sites might help you find questions you would like the recruiter to explain. Just a thought.
PS: If you do join , "Thank You" for serving your country.

Answer 6

I agree with the first person Airforce. The Army is the worse. All you do is march. Navy, sea sickness, even if you have experience in water, They go even if the water is choppy. Airforce, you are not in the front line so you are safer, and the accomadation is better than the army. The army always make fun of the other branches because they get airconditioning. Not always, but I doubt with the range of our planes that we would need to make an airstrip from scratch. As learning from the military, most of the stuff is not applicable in civilian life. The high tech equipment the military uses if fairly specialized. Unless you get a good job with a subcontractor is useless. How often a company needs someone that know how to blow up a ship. The best jobs to get have civilian purposes like mechanics. THis is probably moot since you are in it to get the college money to expand yourself. I personally think your better off finding alternative means to get to college though. Part time job and go to JC first, but I don't know your individual circumstance.

Answer 7

the army is a fairly basic situation and will take 2 yr enlistments, i think all the others take only 4 yr enlistments, however i would chose the airforce. the navy spends more time away from home usually than any other service, especially if you are on shipboard duty. The coast gaurd is a possiblity too. they are usually not sent away from the states. but you have to be able to stand boats . marines are very tough. army is tough, airforce is a little easier on you physically i think. my husband gave them 32 yrs.

Answer 8

Depends on what you want to do... you will most likely deploy in all of the branches... what do you want to go to school for, getting a job in that field may be your best bet...

Remember none of them (Jaime is mis-informed) are a cake walk and all come with difficulties that must be overcome.

Slew: You are also misinformed, there are many jobs in the military that directly correlate into civilian jobs, ie. med field, computer networking, Air Traffic Control, and the list goes on.

Answer 9

Navy, so you wont have to worry about serving on the front lines and plus you will get a chance to maybe learn something for future use, when i retired i had the following knowledge, security, firefighting,medical, hotel management, restaurant management, training, customer service, purchasing and receiving, maintenance, all this and i was just there to cook

Answer 10

The best military branch for females all over the world is the medic . or try Civil affairs .

Answer 11

This is a very personal choice which has to be made by you. You are the one who will be spending 2-4 years in service, so choose wisely, you can't just switch branches in midstream.