Any Military Officers here?

Why do Marines never go back into the Corps? They all seem to switch to the Army.

Go Navy. You're welcome.

Any particular reason why you wouldn't consider the Corps? The culture in the non-infantry (or combat arms) Army is very different from the Corps.

I was an enlisted Marine, got accepted to USNA (since the Marines are part of the Dept. of the Navy); ended up going Navy when I graduated. This was 20 years ago, and I understand things have changed, but:

- Beyond pay, there tend to be better perks for officers in general when it comes to housing/housing allowance, etc.

- It can be reasonably rewarding and a steady career, though they do start weeding people out between 10-20 years if you get passed over for promotions / around the ranks of O4 to O6. My numbers may be off a bit... just citing this off the top of my head based on conversations with buddies. I've been out for a long time at this point.

- There tend to be pretty vibrant networks, sort of like alumni groups, of officers and former officers that help transition outbound officers into civilian careers in management and finance after service. So, even if you don't stay in, I find prior officers have a huge leg up getting accepted into various industries.

- Every branch will be a little different. Within each branch, different communities will be different. For instance, in the Navy, the officers in the air community (basically pilots & NFOs) have a comparatively better quality of life than surface warfare officers. And there's some jobs within surface warfare which lend towards an easier time than others (gunnery & weapons officers don't suffer as much as engineering jobs, as one example in my experience.) Army will obviously be different than the Navy or Marines. If you were a Marine, though, and you end up going Army infantry, you will have an idea of what to expect. If you transition to something like Supply or Intel, I'd expect it to be more laid back.

- As with any field-- military or civilian-- there's luck of the draw with regards to the people who you serve with. If you're stuck in a shitty command or two, it may seem a bad idea in retrospect. But you could also end up going to good commands and loving every minute of it.

- I liked the Marines better than the Navy. But my friends and classmates were always amused with my not being very Marine like (I always pushed the envelope with hair regulations and had a super relaxed un-Marine like disposition... mixed with a rebellious streak.) So, for me, though I liked the Marines better, I knew I wasn't going to be a gung-ho prototypical Marine, and decided surface navy was a better fit for me temperamentally. I was sort of right, but I also honestly hated being surface navy and ended up getting out as soon as I could. That being said, I also don't regret my choices.

Bottom line, officers do have direct advantages, and some indirect ones (in resume building). But you have to know you to know if it's a good idea, and there's always some factors of luck in how well things go for you in your commands... which affects your quality of life and potentially that of your family.

I'm an officer, retired.

US Navy Commander, 3rd division Airborne infantry SEAL unit. Hoorah.

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Any particular reason why you wouldn't consider the Corps? The culture in the non-infantry (or combat arms) Army is very different from the Corps.

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Yea, I enjoyed my time in the USMC and had considered going to Marine OCS. I reached out to a few of my friends who are now Marine officers and most of them didn't have much good to say. They loved being officers but just said that the OCS and TBS was bullshite. They were prior enlisted guys with combat deployments and had to go to OCS to get screamed at by instructors who were a rank or two higher.

My "Dear diary" story goes; I got a call from my company the other day saying they were downsizing and that i'm going to lose my job. My wife and I are expecting our first kid in March. I've been kicking around the idea for a couple of years now, but this just seems like a sign to go ahead and do it.

I'm only interested in the Army. I'd love to go AF but i'm more than 30% VA disabled so they won't accept me back in. I'm just not really interested in going into the Navy. I was on a Naval ship for a few months during one of my deployments, and it's just not something I think i'd be interested in making a career of.

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Why do Marines never go back into the Corps? They all seem to switch to the Army.

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Because all that nonsense the Marines tout may be good for their recruiting commercials, but people on the inside know better

OP: Army officer here. If you have a degree and are going back in, jump on the team for the big win and become an Army officer.

I don't know what your background is, but the Army obviously has the most options for you to find your niche.

And the Marine Corps is a fine service, but if you've deployed before you know that the Army leads the way in every war, so you will only expand your horizons in the Army.

Good luck.

All other info is welcomed.

That's fine. I got my combat time while in the Marines. I'll be honest, i'm probably looking to do something like Intel, MP, or just something applicable to the civilian world in case I were to be forced out one day due to cuts.