I want to join the Military. I am debating whether Army or Marines. I am 28nyears old.?

Question

I really want to joing the military, but my fear is, I have a 5 year old son, and a wife, and am worried about being killed in Iraq. My MOS will be Admin or Paralegal. Which branch is more likely to send me to Iraq, and if they do, how much will I be involved in Combat.

Answer 1

I was career Air Force, my husband a retired Marine. The unfortunately reality is that now, every branch of Service is Fair Game for a deployment to Iraq. (Yes, even the Air Force).

Without knowing exactly what your MOS would be, it's hard to say which branch has the least chance of sending you to Iraq. I think you would have to prepare for that liklihood regardless, and consider it a high probability.

Your age certainly makes me curious as to why you would want to join the military at such a late stage in your life. Most people that age, will have been in 8 to 10 years and will very likely be senior in rank to you. Is your personality equipped to handle that? Do you have any college under your belt? You may want to consider going in as a commissioned officer rather than enlisted. Do some more research, talk to recruiters of all Services before you make your decision. The military is an awesome lifestyle if you are prepared for it! Keep in mind, it is very very hard on families. My husband and I didn't get married until we were both out of the military.....As a senior enlisted leader in the Air Force, I had the unfortunate pain of watching families deteriorate as spouses and children are not equipped to deal with the things that come along with being a military spouse. It's a very demanding job! Yes, being a military spouse is a job!

I loved the military and I miss it! It is not for everyone tho. Please be sure to consider ALL of your options and seek good solid advice from those who haved served so that you can make an informed and educated decision. I wish you and your family well.

Answer 2

Mostly good answers except for some parts.

The assertions that some make that your are too old or wonder why you would join is simply........ stupid. 28 is a great age. Young enough to be fit and old enough to suceed because of having more maturity. The military is perfect for a young family.

You are going for support MOSs so don't worry about the Iraq thing and combat.... though the deployment of even a year could be tough on a family.

What you need to think about is quality of life for your family. Air Force has the best. Marines have the worst as far as base housing and such. But if you are picking between the Army and the Marines pick the Army. There are way more possible duty stations and the general caliber of people is a notch higher.

Answer 3

Your chances of winding up in Iraq are probably better if you join the Marines. Every Marine is 0311 first, as far as MOS goes. With the latest practice of the military to replace active service personnel with civilian personnel, I doubt that any service will have a big demand for paralegals or administrators.

Considering your age, and if you do mind the nickname of pappy, the Marines may not be a good first choice. Most Marine recruits are twenty years old or younger, so for a guy who is just on the sunny side of thirty years old, you will seem like an old man to many of those youngsters.

In your case, I would recommend the army. Many years ago, I was one of those young Marines who could not understand why someone who is twenty eitght years old would consider such a move at such an advanced age.

The combat thing is a crap shoot regardless of which of the services you choose!

Answer 4

Well the truth is that if you join the military you are subject to whatever they want you to do and where ever they want to send you.
Here are a couple of facts to ponder..
The Marines are a small force that is subject to multiple rotations in Iraq. Many Marines are on their third combat tour. Marines are trained to fight first and provide logistics second. If you become a Marine you will be subject to frequent absences from home and an intense training regimen.
The Army is a lot bigger force with multiple assignments and missions world wide. You are not as likely to end up in a combat role in the Army due to the differences in their mission. Since you would be in admin or legal, it is unlikely that you would be patrolling or actively engaged in combat unless it was defensive. The Army does not rotate into Iraq as often as the Marines either.
However if you enlist in the Armed Forces, you are going to be in a position that you are supporting the war in one way or the other. That is a serious commitment, not to be taken lightly. You need to discuss this very carefully and thoroughly with your wife. She is your main support system while you are deployed and the trust between you needs to be 100% at all times.

Answer 5

I'm in a very similar situation, except that I just recently finished 8 years of service in the US Army. I have a wife and two children (the eldest is 5, too) and my age is very similar to yours. So of course I had to answer your question by saying, join NEITHER.

Do not enter the military until you and your family are prepared to see you die in the line of combat. Odds are that you won't die and the odds are even high that you won't get injured. But before you join, you have to accept that you will be a casualty in Iraq, or Iran or North Korea (future possible conflicts).

I began (21 years old) as a Communications Security MOS in a Military Intelligence battalion, and moved to the Interrogation MOS in a Mechanized Infantry Brigade, during which time my units were activated and mobilized for Iraq three times for 1.5 years each. To my knowledge, we had no casualties, but many (including myself) suffered psychological stress conditions because we were not prepared to stay calm and with peace during intense battlefield stress situations. My family also suffered with my daughter fighting the instability of lacking the frequent presence and support of having her father home every day.

I say that, in your current circumstances, you should do admin or legal stuff in the civilian world.

Answer 6

We were in for over 20yrs and loved it. Absolutely the best people in the world to work with (that includes all the services), lots of interesting career fields (many hi-tech), great training and the opportunity for advanced education. It’s a great chance to do something for your comrades, your country and yourself.

It's my opinion the Marines have their act more together than the Army. But that could also depend on which unit your in. Remember the Marine's culture is that everyone "is a rifleman first" and then a specialist. But the Marines are very focused and usually know what they need to do and how to do it.

It’s taken the Army 3 years to figure out it’s a guerilla war in Iraq; not good. They’re so short of troops that they’re borrowing personnel from the USAF to operate convoys. So no matter what you MOS, I suspect you’d go when your outfit goes.

Answer 7

Well 1st, it sounds like you WANT to go Air Force. 2nd, call and MEET a recruiter from each branch, it's a big decision, so spend some time REALLY thinking about it :). In the Army, at least here locally, you can go GFAD, that's Guard for a day and at least get a peak into what a day at Basic Training for a soldier in the Army (it's the same for National Guardsmen and Active Army) will be like, so that's definitely worth asking about. If you're going for college, it's said that Navy and AF have more downtime, so they have more opportunity to take classes while they're active for free. Take the ASVAB, talk to recruiters, find out what jobs you qualify for :).

Answer 8

As a veteran myself, I applaud your deep thought in gathering information prior to making a commitment to serve this great nation. If you are worried about being deployed to Iraq, don't even sign up. I understand the fear of having to leave your family behind and the possibility of not coming back. The possibility is always there and once you VOLUNTEER to enter into service no matter what the branch is, you are subject to serve the needs of that branch. There are no guarantees. This is definitely a family decision as a commitment like this will affect each of you directly. Good luck .
You can enter into the Marines as long as you are 29 or younger, not sure where queen of diamonds got her information.

Answer 9

With the exception of 'Loser', the advice you've received looks good.

Bottomline: Unless you (and your family) are prepared for you to go into combat, do not join the military.

Both branches are superb fighting forces, but if you want to shapen your "admin" skills, pick Army. Its size would mean you have a better chance to do the job you trained for.

As for getting killed, it's a risk many noble professions share (firemen, police, etc.) I don't want to diminish the risks, but you're smart to acknowledge it.

BTW - You could join the Army (or the Coast Guard), not go to Iraq, and still die. I lost more troops in training, auto accidents and parachuting incidents than I did in Iraq.

Answer 10

Are you wanting to join as a need or as a desire?

Visit this website for more information: http://www.jagcnet.army.mil/

My cousin just returned from a tour in Afganistan and Iraq. He was attached to a Special operations unit and came back in one piece. He is part of the JAGC. I appreciate your willingness to serve our country, but before making a decision as important as that, please think hard about those who are even more important; your family. You may or may not be deployed, but if you are, it will be for at least 8 months to a year. Just keep that in mind.

One more thing to consider is if your spouse is prepared mentally for such a move. Is she ready to be a Military wife? Its a different world, but its a structured and funtional one. Support will be provided. I am sure you have thought of these things already though.

I will say this. Please don't let the media coverage concerning our conflicts disturb or worry you. You will be ok. Whatever you choose to do, I am sure it will be a wise decision. Oh and if your choices are between the Army or Marines, go Army.

God bless.