Is military fun?

[Anonymous]

Hello all!

I've been thinking of joining the Marines lately. I've talked to several girls who used to serve in the Air Force and I've also read people's military experience on many websites. Unfortunately, I found that the military isn't such a good experience for most people. Like, they said people always tells us what, when and how to do something. Loneliness and boredom attack all the time, most of the time we ended up with the job we hate, rape of women of color, last but not least, our loved ones could lose us at any time.

Is this true? What do you guys think?

As far as sexual harrasment cases, I think it always happen everywhere.

Thanks for sparing time reading my message, I really appreciate it :)

Best, Felisia

pink_lizard29@hotmail.com

[Anonymous]

I think you would fit best with the Air Force. It's a lot more informal and they have additional buget to spend on ammenities. Good luck with your choice. Cpl. F

sfirmiss@rwbaird.com

[Anonymous]

Thanks for replying my msg. However, how's Air Force less formal? And how formal is Marine?

Felisia

[Anonymous]

Felicia ~ you need to look long and hard at what your goal is here. For example, your thought that, "Like, they said people always tells us what, when and how to do something"... there's no question there. A job needs to get done, so there's no questioning. This isn't DisneyLand where you can have fun and do what you want, the Marine Corps is the most elite fighting force in the United States. You join the Marine Corps because of the sense of pride you get when you accomplish joining the ranks of those who've gone before us, among many other intangible things. We have to do the most and toughest job with the least amount of money. They don't promise you a rose garden; that's the Air Force. You are fighting for our country's freedom, not for college money. In the world we now live in, it's likely you'll be involved and not sitting back in the rear. The manner in which you present your question and the language that you use lead me to believe you're about 12 years old, so you have time to grow up and figure out what you'd like your life to become.



sfirmiss@rwbaird.com

[dougo]

Hello all!

I've been thinking of joining the Marines lately. I've talked to several girls who used to serve in the Air Force and I've also read people's military experience on many websites. Unfortunately, I found that the military isn't such a good experience for most people. Like, they said people always tells us what, when and how to do something. Loneliness and boredom attack all the time, most of the time we ended up with the job we hate, rape of women of color, last but not least, our loved ones could lose us at any time.

Is this true? What do you guys think?

As far as sexual harrasment cases, I think it always happen everywhere.

Thanks for sparing time reading my message, I really appreciate it :)

Best, Felisia

pink_lizard29@hotmail.com its not bad in the service, i spent my time in marines
and my exwife was in marines she loved it

[Admin_USMC]

Cpl F is right the difference between the Air Force and Marine Corps is like night and day. We are hard corps and serious about the job we do. The Air Force is a the most lax branch of service. For example as a Marine you would never walk and chew gum in uniform, but in the Air Force it isn't a big deal. The Air Force is probably the branch of service furthest from the front lines of combat. In the Corps you are the front lines. In bootcamp we are trained as rifleman first and our boot camp is 13 weeks long. The Air Force provides no weapons training in bootcamp and their bootcamp is only 6 weeks long. Also it doesn't matter what you do in life someone is always going to be telling you what to do, when and how to do it, that is just life. The difference is that there is a common bond among Marines and we are working toward the same objective. We have all been through the same training and hardships and therefore relate to one another and it forges that bond. As a civilian most people are there to get a paycheck and go home to their family. In the military you serve your country with pride and aren't there for the paycheck because in the beginning it isn't much. The military is fun and it was the best four years. I enjoyed the training, the comraderie and everything that entailed being a Marine. As far as all of the other things that you mentioned I never personally experienced any of that.





Felicia ~ you need to look long and hard at what your goal is here. For example, your thought that, "Like, they said people always tells us what, when and how to do something"... there's no question there. A job needs to get done, so there's no questioning. This isn't DisneyLand where you can have fun and do what you want, the Marine Corps is the most elite fighting force in the United States. You join the Marine Corps because of the sense of pride you get when you accomplish joining the ranks of those who've gone before us, among many other intangible things. We have to do the most and toughest job with the least amount of money. They don't promise you a rose garden; that's the Air Force. You are fighting for our country's freedom, not for college money. In the world we now live in, it's likely you'll be involved and not sitting back in the rear. The manner in which you present your question and the language that you use lead me to believe you're about 12 years old, so you have time to grow up and figure out what you'd like your life to become.



sfirmiss@rwbaird.com

[Anonymous]

Actually...my sister and her husband are both in the Airforce and they do have weapons training during bootcamp. They learn the M16 and they go to the range. It is just not NEARLY as in depth as the Marine Corps and they do not constantly have a rifle with them throughout their bootcamp.

[bandit1865]

I guess I could add my 2 cents in here. In all these replys to your question, I failed to see a very important difference and reason for joining the Marine Corps.................PRIDE!!!!!
I spent 22 years on Active Duty (1976 to 1998) and retired as a MSGT. I have so many people that are rather stunned to find out about my Active Duty time. They assume I was in the Army or the National Guard. When I tell them I spent that time in the Marine Corps, their responses range from "Isn't that the hardest one to get through?" or "Why didn't you choose another branch that was easier?" or just plain "WOW, you must've been hard and mean to survive."
Being that the Marine Corps is the smallest branch of the Armed Services, you can only imagine how small the number of women are. That fills me with pride to know that I was "ONE OF THE FEW OF THE FEWEST".
And of course, the dress blue uniform is far more eye-catching than any other I've seen.
Looking back on my career in the Marine Corps, I feel so proud and honored to have my small piece of the Marine Corps that no one will ever take away.
"ONCE A MARINE, ALWAYS A MARINE"

SEMPER FI

[Stormrider]

As far as sexual harassment goes, yes it does happen everywhere, to some degree, but it's much, much worse in the military, where a woman can be raped and then be blamed for "asking for it." Disrespect towards women is part of the military machismo, the attitude that is instilled in military men. Sure, they have regulations and official procedures for investigating complaints, but there's basically nobody to police them and make sure these procedures are followed and policies applied accordingly. What your recruiter doesn't tell you is that you forfeit your Consitutional rights when you enlist. All the things you've heard about through the media over the last 20 years or so, the Tailhook affair with Navy pilots, and SGM MCKinney at Aberdeen, etc. are just the tip of the iceberg. The things I saw and endured every day...

Let me tell you just one story as an example: When I was in AIT, I was having a conversation in a common area with several male Marines about a nearby amusement park, and we decided to go ride the roller coaster. We got into a van owned by one of them, and were waiting for a few more enlisted women to join us, when one Marine piped up with, "Boy, if God made anything better than pussy, he must have kept it for himself!" That's all you are to them, a government issue whore. If you won't sleep around, they call you a lesbian, and that can get you kicked out, just being called a name. And this was not some isolated incident, it was a common type of occurance, the rule rather than the exception.

[bandit1865]

I would like to address the issue of sexual harrassment and the comments made by Stormrider...
It is very sad and unfortunate when individuals seem to take their own bad experiences and generalize all things, especially the military...
Everyone has their own story to tell, be that good or bad. I was harrassed when I first enlisted in 1976 and was told that women didn't belong in the Marine Corps.. to my surprise a lot of civilian women at that time told me that there were only 2 kinds of women that went in the Marine Corps- sluts and lesbians....
Well, since I was neither I saw that as a challenge to prove them wrong. I didn't quit and I never came to conclusion that they were right. I stayed and eventually was part of the change for the good. People respected me because I didn't sleep my way to the top and because I had the guts to stick it out. And because I wouldn't back down in any situation that I was confronted with, if I knew in my heart I was right. Yes, I was threatened on occassion and even given Office Hours NJP because of my disrespect but those same people I proved wrong. In fact, some of them were forced out due to their attitude and other violations, or they were never promoted beyond E-5 or E-6.
So, you see it all depends on how strong you are and how much you are willing to fight for what's right, not just for yourself but for the ones that follow you.
I have always told my troops that the hardest thing you will ever do in your life is the RIGHT thing...
Now, ultimately it is up to eveyone to decide what they want in life but just make sure you have all the information to make an informed decision.

[Stormrider]

Bandit, I'm not generalizing all things military, just illustrating how bad it can get. And my situation was very common, not just one individual's experience. I thought a potential recruit might like to know the potential bad side, because it's one of those things that people won't believe until it happens to them. If some women manage to escape that kind of treatment, good for them, but it wasn't as if I were singled out. And please don't be condescending by addressing me in the third person to someone else when you know I'm going to read it. If you wish to comment on what I've said, please have the courtesy to say it directly to me.

[MCIWS Sgt]

I agree with bandit. Stormrider...big surprise men can be crude and say inappropriate things! Is sexual harassment a living thing in the military....yes, is it a living thing in all work force in the civilian world...yes. You are joining a male predominant environment...you have to expect some crudeness, and if you can not handle immature comments made in your presence then join the cub scouts. It is a cruel world and the Marine Corps is no exception, but if you choose to focus on the negative then you start to have tunnel vision. Negativity is contagious and just like anything in life, you get out what you put into it. There are many gentlemen in the Marine Corps as well.