What is the safest branch of the US military to join?

Answer 1

The Air Force has no enlisted combat troops and very few enlisted troops that are ever in combat areas. In this service, the officers do the fighting. And even in the commissioned ranks of the Air Force, there are plenty of 'weather officer' positions and the like. This service earns its nickname -- 'the country club'. AF in a war zone is safer than most civilian jobs, and more comfortable too.

The Coast Guard deals with local security and port security in war zones, but they are extremely safe. The are also very small and with limited postings and opportunities.

The Navy is busy, but because of their undisputed command of the planets oceans they have few causality's -- mostly medics (corpsmen) assigned to Marine ground troops and pilots. Very safe and with lots of cool travel too.

The Marines are iffy -- the majority of the Marines are on sea duty with the Navy and enjoy the same safe existence the sailors do. A large chunk of the remainder are scattered about the world on lush embassy duty where the greatest risk to their person is a smudge on their brass. However, they do have large portions of two Infantry divisions engaged in Iraq. This service can be very safe or slightly unsafe (remember, a combat soldier in Iraq is still at less risk than a Tree Surgeon or a Commercial Fisherman).

The Army is the least safe. They do the majority of the fighting and will tend to put more troops, even support troops in harms way. However, depending upon MOS, the Army can be a very safe place. An Armed Forces Radio Announcer or a Tuba player with a division band is in a safe situation...an Infantry or Armor soldier, not so much.

Still, remember, Iraq is a very low causality war with less than a 0.5% chance of getting killed and perhaps less than a 2% chance of injury (I'm excluding the 72 hour Return-To-Duty's). The largest factor in your personal safety will be your choice of MOS (job), and, of course, your willingness to train hard and stay alert.

FWIW, try the Army Armor. The safest place in a combat zone is in an M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank. They are so tough that another M1 cannot 'accidentally' knock them out.

Answer 2

The fact is, there is no safest branch. Each branch has something it needs to worry about that could pose a threat to it's personnel. Think about the Cole, bombed in port while folks would have considered it safe. People died in that attack. And ships at sea can come under attack in a number of ways. The Coast Guard helps rescue people in the middle of a hurricane, putting their lives at risk. Army and Marines are generally the ones seen doing all the fighting on land, and that put's them at risk. Air Force pilots could get shot down or crash and Air Force bases can come under attack putting ground forces at risk. Plus there is always lending aid to devestated regions around the world that will bring members of all branches into potential danger.

Am I trying to dissuade anyone from joining? Far from it. But I honestly don't think we can claim there is a safest branch.

Answer 3

No branch of the military is safe right now. With our nation's general consensus on war at the moment, the draft would never fly. The military is so strapped for people that the next best thing they can do is pull from every branch to support our operations overseas. I have personally known people from the Navy, the Air Force and even the Coast Guard who were pulled from cozy duty elsewhere and sent to Iraq and other hot spots where we are short on personnel. My husband recently coordinated these augmentations for the Navy for more than a year and sees 15% of his shore based command gone on a regular basis. And they are a training command, which has nothing to do with what is going on in Iraq! Some of these people don't come back for more than a year, if they come back at all. One of my cousins does telecommunications for the Air Force but he was sent to Iraq as a security guard. I spend 6 years in the Navy and my husband is still in. The climate of the US Military has changed dramatically since September 11 and this never ending war. Although I felt a strong patriotism at the thought of serving my country, I joined largely for the college money, the free benefits and the travel. If you are having similar thoughts, you might want to seriously ask yourself if those benefits are worth a likely and lengthy tour in Iraq.

Answer 4

the guy above me while being able to write a compelling essay on the matter seems to actually have no reference in what he is talking about.

The USAF does have enlisted combat troops on the ground, and though we have fewer than say the Army, we are getting killed over there. We have CCT's, PJ's, TAC-P's, Combat Weather, Security Forces, Combat comm, and LRS personnel that go outside the wire on a daily basis.

As for safest branch, I would have to say the Coast Guard. They do deploy just like every other branch, but they remain in support roles as opposed to direct combat roles.

Answer 5

I think the safest branch of the military is the navy since you go out onto a boat to some country or to the middle an ocean.

Answer 6

The Coast Guard is extremely safe. For instance, I came close to being blown up. I had a torpedo fall on me. I have burns scars on my arms. I have partial hearing loss. I had shipmates that have died on duty, been in helicopter crashes, water accidents, had body parts cut off, loss teeth, and suffer through all sorts of service connected illnesses. All this safe living goes on when you are away from home six to seven months a year. Ask the family Petty Officer Nathan B. Bruckenthal, who was killed in combat off the coast of Iraq. Ask the veteran coxswains of Higgin boats that delivered the troop on Normandy Beaches in 1944. Ask my former CO who spent six months on a hospital ship off Vietnam after a enemy round hit his spine while he was conning a patrol boat in support of the Marines. Before making uneducated statements on the Coast Guard, research its history.

Answer 7

Air Force

Answer 8

If you want to be safe stay home and get a job in the Private sector. But the Air Force or Navy if you feel you must join the military.

Answer 9

While any one of them can be dangerous, in general I would say that the Air Force is the safest to join.

Answer 10

none right now, they are pulling from all jobs to fill the front lines, so even if your air force you can get IA to a ground force in the war zone. Generally it all depends on your Job but Air force or Navy