AF vs. Marines

[Chubby]

Didn't mean to confuse you, I'm Navy, sorry about the threadjack by the way. My comment was meant more as a generality that you should go where you feel that you would best fit in and you will enjoy it more. That's all encompassing Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Army etc. I didn't mean it in a strictly Air Force vs. Marine Corps situation. That being said, I'd still stab myself in the eye. They are like the metrosexuals of the military, who irons a flight suit? Come on guys. ... Just kidding.

 

[Baalzebub]

LMAO! Iron their flight suit...omg. Even with the Just kidding, I almost fell out of my chair laughing. Great post.

 

[jamnww]

who irons a flight suit? Come on guys. ... Just kidding.

Son of a B!TCH...you mean we aren't supposed to? Now I have to go and through it in the laundry...

 

[Flash]

Would any of you fly boys jump ship to the AF.... if you could? Or if you could start over, would go for AF instead.

I know a few guys that have, including two 46 pilots and a Navy guy. They transitioned to fly the U-2 though, not the real Air Force :icon_smil .

 

[Steve Wilkins]

I especially like the attitude carried by marines.,

Marines

 

[rare21]

speaking of ironing flight suits


http://www.dynamictruth.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=003345

 

[corona]

I've done research on both and think both are great. in my opinion, wouldnt be upset in either branch

 

[phrogpilot73]

Would any of you fly boys jump ship to the AF.... if you could? Or if you could start over, would go for AF instead.

I wouldn't change anything I've ever done in my life. I'm proud of being a Marine, I love flying helicopters, and I've made some of the best friends in my life. However, I am considering "jumping ship" to the air force for one reason - you can't stay in the military forever, and the opportunity for flying jobs outside the military are better if you have fixed wing time. Not going to get that as a career helo guy. So, I am considering the active duty guard thing in the air force.

 

[Odom]

Go to Baseops.net or aptap.org and ask the same question. You might find more guys who have been doing the job for awhile with a different perspective. Or just search for how many guys are asking about guard jobs on those boards. Good luck.

 

[phrogdriver]

I wouldn't have done things differently. I definitely am proud of having earned the title, "Marine." However, having done that, the USAF is not nearly the slack-ass hellhole that some (especially brand-new) Marines would have you believe. They do good work and are good people, especially their special ops flyers. I have a good deal going on right now, but wouldn't mind flying with the USAF, given a chance.

 

[HueyCobra8151]

Dude, don't make your decision based on some rah-rah "slit 'em with a K-Bar" image.

Being a Marine sucks a lot of the time.

You will deploy a lot to places that aren't great, you WILL miss a lot of family time.
The base facilities on Marine Corps installations aren't nearly as nice as on an Air Force installation.

When you ARE stationed stateside, you will probably be working longer hours, because in addition to being a pilot, you will have a collateral duty as well. You will have Marines that work for you that you have to take care of. If you aren't a pilot, it's the same story. The Marine Corps has the highest Enlisted per Officer ratio (the Air Force, the lowest), so you will invariably have a lot of Marines under your charge.

Finally, you have to pay a price for who you are. The Marine Corps has an image to uphold, and you are constantly reminded of that. There are a lot of mickey mouse "image" regulations. (Although, I have heard that the AF has a lot more mickey mouse operational regulations, so pick your poison I guess)

Bottom line, it is easy to sit at your computer with a beer and think that you would love being miserable in some shiat hole. Make sure when you really are in that shiat hole 5 years from now, it's because of something you really want, not because you are trying to impress someone with your rah-rah gung-ho mentality.

Edit: BTW, I am a Marine and I would become a civilian before I would put on another branches uniform.

 

[freshy]

The Marine Corps has the highest Enlisted per Officer ratio (the Air Force, the lowest), so you will invariably have a lot of Marines under your charge.

Exactly. Marine officers are leaders of enlisted first and foremost. The AirForce are......well, something else, but when I picture an AF officer the last thing I think about is LEADERSHIP.

 

[freshy]

By the way if you are in Pensacola right now and need a car wash, MATSG 21 is having a car wash off Navy Blvd. Cherity of course.

Right now its 15:30 EST.

 

[jamnww]

...removed...

Situation resolved...

 

[FlyingBeagle]

Baalzebub,
Just curious, any reason why you are interested in AF vs Marines and not Army or Navy? If you aren't sure which you want to do, maybe the Navy or Army would be the right fit. If you can't decide between the two, the Navy might be the happy medium you're looking. Nothing wrong with the Air Force though: don't give up on them because of a bad recruiter. The AF academy guy who came to my high school was an outstanding officer (I wasn't impressed with the Marine or Navy guys, but I went Navy anyways).
Do make sure you make your decision for the right reasons, which no one but you can know, and think about the long term consequences of your choice. For someone in his early 20s, selecting Pilot is a long term kind of thing (1/3 of your life), so choose wisely. Also, beware that your long term goals and desires, and even the short term ones can change in a heartbeat. For example, females have that effect (for better or worse).
Tell us how the decision is coming.