Air Force, Army, Marines or Navy?

Question

Which branch treats it's people the best?

Answer 1

I think you'll find career military will probably recommend their service. On the other hand, the military is not for everybody. There will be those who will recommend a service other than the one in which they served, because of some bad experience(s). Then there will be those who have no idea about what they speak... and will still be adamant in their recommendations.

I was career Navy. I was a bachelor during my 25 years of service. I cannot therefore address the Navy's treatment of dependents based on personal experience. However, I was in command of married men and never received a serious complaint.

When I had a roof over my head, I usually lived on base. Everything is free... well... except for expendables like toot paste, shaving gear, etc. When stationed in D.C., I lived off base, but my housing allowance paid for that. If I needed anything, I shopped on base. Back then stuff was inexpensive in the BX (Base Exchange... the Navy's term for the PX... post exchange... in other services -- kind of like a department store) and Commissary (grocery store).

Aboard ship, depending on the ship... I operated off a carrier and a submarine, I'll tell you... you can't beat carrier duty except at home. Food's available 24/7 at sea. You have a gym, barber shop, hospital, dentist, movie theaters, television and radio stations, library, The darn thing even has its own airport. Mail service is awesome. I suppose they now have satellite Internet access.

And the Navy pioneered the concept of "mobile home." Doesn't make any difference where you go... you go back and sleep in your own bed every night. The food's always safe to eat and the water's always safe to drink.

The only down side I can think of in the Navy is the deployments. There's no way you can bring your family with you. So, for 6-9 months at a time, you're away from loved ones. But, though the other services contend that, since they're land-based, the families can come with them... I somehow doubt spouses and children are allowed everywhere the troops go... I'm thinking Iraq and Afghanistan. And, if you get shore duty somewhere, you can send for spouse and kiddies.

Base housing, and base approved housing (BAH) vary. Some of the base houses I've visited are fantastic. I've also visited some that were older and a little worse for wear. But even those are well maintained.

So much for domestics...

In the Navy officers and enlisted alike are advanced based on three things: Time in grade, demonstrated expertise (leadership and your specialty), and need (does the navy have a need for somebody with your qualifications with a higher rank. The Navy does not give field promotions... even temporarily. If you are an E-5 doing the job of an O-2, you are an E-5 doing the job of an O-2. It looks good on your evaluation, but you don't walk into the Skipper's office one day an E-5 and walk out an O-2.

I enlisted with a BA in math. After a very few years somebody found my degree and recommended me for OCS. So I did go from enlisted to officer, but it was through channels.

You're expected to advance. Officers are observed by their superiors with that very thought in mind. Enlisted are trained and observed in their specialties also with thought in mind. Officers and enlisted are constantly improving their skills every way they can.

There is a rather inflexible promotion schedule for officers in the Navy. The promotion schedule for enlisted is a little more flexible. If you don't advance, it means that something could be wrong. If you're an officer and you miss a couple promotion cycles, they start looking at getting rid of you.

I said I retired after 25 years. Some guys got out after 4. They got civilian jobs. Maybe they started out in the mail room. After a couple of years those with degrees may ahve gotten to a supervisory position. After a few more years they got into management. Some of them probably worked their ways up to those glassed-in corner offices waaaay up in those tall office buildings... you know the kind. They have a ton of responsibility. They are loaded with cares. And, in their few free moments they dream about a maybe a vacation. They dream about travel, excitement, adventure. They think about sports like SCUBA diving, sky-diving, sailing, driving fast boats and cars.

While they were still in the mail room, I was in a supervisory position. By the time they had gotten to a supervisory position, I was in management. By the time they finally reached a management position, I was in policy. And for about 22 of those 25 years know what I was doing? I was having some pretty exciting adventures all over the world. I was SCUBA and sky-diving. I was driving and riding in some pretty hot boats and cars... and planes. And I was able to do it while I was young enough to enjoy it... and I got paid for it.

At 45 I retired. While that may not be unheard of in the civilian world, I'd guess it's pretty rare. I own my own house, purchased on a VA loan. I got two more degrees on the GI Bill. I can travel space available just about anywhere I could want to go... for free. I have access to base facilities. I have access to VA facilities. I'm not idle. I run three days a week, swim every day, do Karate or Kali 5 days a week, work out with weights 3 times a week. But if I feel like sleeping in... I do.

Those guys waaaay up in corner offices... they're working 50-60 hours a week... and dreaming.

Oh, next year I'm going to move into a Veterans Retirement home. The fees are less than rent... and they include EVERYTHING. Food's free, Medical/dental... included in the fee. Transportation (if I ever want to get rid of my car), entertainment, everything's covered... just like when I was in the Navy. Oh, and they have two pools.

I'm sure other services have people with similar stories. All I can say is the Navy was VERY good to me.

Answer 2

The Airforce has great chow and are on land. The Navy has the best chow and I only ate any of it at a galley on Adak and on the USS Plymouth Rock. I was in the Army and the food is just fine, just not quite as good as the Navy or Airforce.
I had chow with some Marines a few times but they were the same C-Rats and MREs we get in the Army.
I don't think any branch has it easy really. Sure, if you have a job that is comparable to a civilian job you don't sleep in mud
or on the back deck of a really hard tank but there are aspects of all military jobs that are really tough. Then again, my hats are off to those who pick up our garbage and work at McDonalds, those are some really tough jobs too.

Answer 3

Definitely the Air Force.

Answer 4

The Air Force does.

Answer 5

I've been around several different branches over the course of almost 6 years in the Army and I can tell you first hand, I t is defiantly the Air Force. They seem more family oriented to me more so than the others. I have to say though, since my family and I have just pcsed to germany, the Army has been great to us.

Answer 6

In this order.....Air Force, Navy, Marines, Army.....they call it the "Quality of Life" and the Air Force is the best....

Answer 7

Air Force hands down.

I was in the Navy and work with the Marines.
I also had to deal with the Army from time to time nothing came close to the Air Force.

Answer 8

Air force tends to have shorter rotations where you are deployed away from your home base. They also tend to move around less often. In the Navy you have 6 month "cruises" that can turn out to be even longer, plus Change of duty station happens regularly every 4 years. ( you can get luck sometimes in the navy, my father was changed from a Ship to the Base HQ for one deployment so we weer able to stay there 8 years instead of just 4)

Answer 9

it sounds unanimous to me. the air force really is the way to go. they are picky too, so if you do get in you don't work with so many morons. air force serves shorter deployments, has a much higher quality of life on air force bases, and they seem to make more sense in their logic on many aspects. i regret going army after being in Iraq on an air force base. those guys have it good! unfortunately the air force doesn't accept prior service, otherwise i would already be trying to switch. i had an AF recruiter call me after i took the asvab cuz he liked my score, and i stupidly turned him away. my dad did the air force for 20 years and i guess i thought it was weak and i wanted to one-up him so i went army. I've regretted it everyday since. do the smart thing....go air force.

Answer 10

While in Iraq I went to an Air Force camp and it was like a club med compared to the Army side.