Having Doubts... Marines or Army

[letsgfuad]

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So im having doubts about becomming a dentist. I a little pestimistic and some other things have not been so great in life. Anyways, if i dont get accepted to dental school, the next thing on my list is to join the armed forces. What do you guys think marines or army. I know marines are better (if you will) but army seems to have more options. I wonder if i could get into flight school anyone have any details on pilot training or marines or army.

Also, i have one more year of undergrad left. Should i stick it out then become an officer or just be a grunt.

 

[dexadental]

I say finish your undergrad and join the marines. They'll probably have you doing much more exciting things as an officer in the marines as opposed to an officer in the army. You will be deployed no doubt no matter what service you choose with our current situation in the world. Definitely finish your education though, the life of a grunt in the military is hardly close to that of an officer. What would your degree in? Have 20/20 vision? If so, maybe you'd be qualified to be a pilot.

 

[makushin]

So im having doubts about becomming a dentist. I a little pestimistic and some other things have not been so great in life. Anyways, if i dont get accepted to dental school, the next thing on my list is to join the armed forces. What do you guys think marines or army. I know marines are better (if you will) but army seems to have more options. I wonder if i could get into flight school anyone have any details on pilot training or marines or army.

Also, i have one more year of undergrad left. Should i stick it out then become an officer or just be a grunt.

..

 

[letsgfuad]

Tahnks for the replies.
im just away from 20/20 maybe lazer will fix it.

Anyways, i would never just join because certain things didnt go my way. I have always thought about it, just am very reluctant as my family would freak and kill me if i didnt get killed. Personally, the world is goign to **** and unfortunately there will be MANY more wars/battles in the middle east. Anyways, if i do become a dentist, i am very interested in doing a residency in the army or navy, but we will see.

 

[drhobie7]

The military sounds awful to me. You have no choice of where you live or what you do. There are no chicks. And people are trying to kill you.

 

[coolslugs]

I wonder if i could get into flight school anyone have any details on pilot training or marines or army.

Is being a pilot your top priority? Would you join if you are not going to be a pilot? What do you want to fly? Both marines and army have helicopters, but only the marines have jets. The best planes are in the navy and air force, but if you want to be close to action then it will be the marines or army.

 

[aphistis]

The military sounds awful to me. You have no choice of where you live or what you do. There are no chicks. And people are trying to kill you.

Actually, there are tons of chicks. Not necessarily the kind you want to be touching with anything intimate, though. 😛

 

[pmantz]

What about going to grad school for chemistry or biology. In the event that I don't get into to dental school, I am going to pursue grad school for biochemistry. You get paid (not much) to do research and get your phd. Your a doctor and the only hazards you have to deal with are biohazards in the lab, or perhaps disgruntled pre-profesional students.

 

[whiskeysour]

What about going to grad school for chemistry or biology. In the event that I don't get into to dental school, I am going to pursue grad school for biochemistry. You get paid (not much) to do research and get your phd. Your a doctor and the only hazards you have to deal with are biohazards in the lab, or perhaps disgruntled pre-profesional students.

i'm hoping you have done some undergrad research, otherwise your reasons to attend grad school are completely unfounded and chances are you will probably hate life as a grad student.

why? well...

pros: actually get paid a stipend to get a degree (most of the time)

cons:
-you will work very closely with students w/ absolutely NO social skills
-you will be the professors bitch....they WILL work you to the bone
-you may spend weeks or even months on something and then realize all that work meant nothing and will have to start from step 1 all over again
-4 years does not equal an automatic PhD.... the average is 5-6 years and some people even take 7+ years..... the time it takes to get a PhD has little to do with your work ethic, but merely relies on when your professor "thinks" your ready... but rest assured he/she has alterior motives... he/she is keeping you around b/c you are experienced and have no choice but to stay and finish.
-compensation afterwards varies.... some get hired as "postdocs" making $30k/year which in my opinion is just a made up position so they can pay you **** money... others will go into industry making a cool (lol) $70k/year...are you serious??

if you LOVE research and science then go for it....however, if you see it as a stress free way to getting a Dr. in front of your name rethink, please...

nuff said,
WS 🙂

but to answer the OPs original question 🙂 ...

realize that you are an officer first and a pilot second. like you, i was once infatuated with becoming a pilot (but in the air force), i even got my private pilots license. then i started thinking about the lifestyle i'd lead & realized that all i really wanted to do was fly.... not put up w/ all the other BS. it was at that point i decided against joining the military. if you've done your research then i wish you the best of luck...the men and women of the US military are among the most respected bunch in the world.

WS 🙂

 

[xxJuiceDxx]

Research sucked as an undergrad. Research at the doctorate level sucks 100x more with extreme levels of stress. Like the other guy said, do it if you love, and I mean unconditionally LOVE, science and research.

 

[Walleye]

for what it is worth - I asked my sister ex-army officer and still contractor, and her husband 21+ enlisted - here is the answer :

Army has far more options and better/quicker promotions. No way would I go in the army as a grunt….if I had to go in the army I would only go in as an officer….better pay, don’t get treated badly etc.

Flight school in the army is pretty easy to get into. He needs to talk to the ROTC department at his university….NOT A REGULAR RECRUITER!!!!!

 

[reapply2007]

A lot of people enlist in the Army because they will repay up to $65,000 of student loans for a minimum three year enlistment. You receive credit for your coursework and enter as E-4. U.S. Govn. pays off 1/3 per year (approx 22K) at the end of each of your first three years, once you fill out the reimbursement request. This 22K is taxable as you experience a financial gain. Your monthly income at E-4 without prior years service is currently $1,662.90 (pretax) plus you may get subsistence allowance and housing allowance tax free. Your annual tax liability for the loan repayment alone will be approximately 7K which you will need to pay in full at the end of the tax year, out of your pocket. You incentive pay will only be given to you once you complete all of your specialty training and you inprocess at your first duty station (If your training is 18 months plus 8-12 weeks for basic this means almost two years before you see the pay) and also comes with a tax consequence. You will only get housing allowance if you live in private housing off of the military installation. Typically, junior enlisted personnel live either in dorms on base if single or in housing on base if married(no housing allowance). You will live on base during training(no housing allowance).

Lifestyle, military customs, following the mission of the military are difficult to explain and fully appreciate unless you really get to know someone who is prior service. However, people in the military get frustrated, depressed, mood disorders, and even commit suicide - frequently due to stresses resulting from the lifestyle, customs, and mission requirements. It's all about getting the mission done - people are secondary. Entry level career fields and training environment usually are designed for people who recently graduated high school. In your second enlistment you may be able to change career fields, and re-enter the training environment. People with college degrees may find the training environment overly restrictive due to the minimal amount of independence as compared to a common college environment.

You may want to consider being commissioned as an officer if you decide to go into the military. Most enlisted people with college degrees think about getting commissioned. Officer training is specific to the branch but typically very challenging and quite a culture shock for most civilians attempting to become officers. Medical, Legal, and Chaplains go to an accellerated and less intense officer training program summarized as "knife and fork" school but is still challenging but definitely a different experience from "line" officers. Pay is better and responsibility is greater at initial levels of entry. However, your level of knowledge of customs and mission will be learned at a sharp curve and frequently not in your preferred method of learning.

Do not do this for the money or just because you are bored or just because "what else was I doing?" as you'll most likely end up being miserable and in a very stressful, demanding, and unforgiving environment that is completely out of your control. There are always options, I encourage you to really think it through before you decide.

 

[polarnut]

id join the air force. god, that'd be awesome to fly one of those f-22s.

 

[hockeydentist]

to add insult to injury

getting a ph.d only has perks when you're a tenured track professor on the other hand trying to get tenure track involves...

Having constantly to prove your self sucks as well, whether it be service to the school through mentoring, writing grants, publishing work, teaching loads, running a lab,... Just a lot of Bull $hit .
but to answer the OPs original question 🙂 ... I am not saying research does not have its rewards, I worked in the field for 5 years...

hd

 

[tom_servo_dds]

The military sounds awful to me. You have no choice of where you live or what you do. There are no chicks. And people are trying to kill you.

Sounds like my high school experience!

 

[50dent]

Your best chance of flying will be with the airforce. Your second best chance of getting a pilot slot is in the navy. Make sure you qualify physically and buy a book that prepares you for the military flight aptitude test to see if you are mentally capable. You HAVE to have a degree to fly except in the army where you can apply for a warrant officer position and fly helicopters. Aviation Officers in the Army fly helicopters some but are mainly managers. Make sure u are ready for a long commitment. I believe the navy and airforce pilots are required to sign up for a 12 year commitment. This is to retain pilots that would otherwise go into the commercial industry(not as big of a threat to them as it use to be though.) Most professional commercial pilots would tell you to get a job that you semi-like that pays very well if you love to fly and buy your own private airplane. The passion of flying can easily die when u are are told when and where to do it...just like alot of passions.

If it's your grades that you fear are holding you back then you can always do a post-bacc program or a masters program...id say someone trying to decide between the two has more of a risk of regretting their decision if they were to choose the millitary over dentistry. Heck you can always be a military dentist.

 

[drhobie7]

Sounds like my high school experience!

central watts high school?!

 

[pmoney]

Oh boy this has opened a can of worms.

If you want to go to dental school, go ahead, it is a great proffession and if you would like you can still serve in the Army, Navy or Air Force.

Going in as an officer in either service is a much better idea than going enlisted. I don't know if you qualify for ROTC since you have only so much time left, but talkt to your recruiter and see what they can do. If you do end up going to OCS, check out armyocs.com, a great resource.

As far as Army vs Marines. Everyone fights on the same side so half of these arguments are complete BS. The Army often gets better equipment, easier promotions, and much much more opportunity. The Marines are great but as far as a future career the army offers more opportunities. Besides if you were an infantryman, would you want to sit on a ship for 6 months when you should be out in the mud training? The Army has a vast array of branches as well. Military Intelligence is getting very tough to get since a lot of women are getting these slots since they can't go into combat arms. However, the Combat Arms branches are usually well disciplined. The Army was 3,500 junior officers short last year so they are letting and extremely high percentage of soldiers through OCS. And if you have perfect vision, being and Army Aviator and a warrant officer is a job second to none.

The Chair Force is downsizing and is top heavy anyways, so forget any promotions. Getting a pilot slot is damn near impossible, even if you end up being a trash hauler. Besides, they are all up tight about stupid mickey mouse stuff in the AF, though you can find that in all the branches depending on your CO.

If you want to be on a ship for 6 months, join the navy.

 

[letsgfuad]

No chicks in the military, well damn there are no chicks in my life as of now. Im not ugly and am funny dunno whats the deal, maybe im to shy.


About the f-22 raptor (i think its raptor)
My friend in my developmental bioligy class just got accepted into AF flight program. He said the pilots cant even use the plane to their capabilities, the pilots will pass out FAR FAR FARRRR before they push the limits of the plane.

 

[Da Bomb]

Have fun doing patrols in Mosel as an officer, and watching your troops get their limbs blown off. Hell you may even end up loosing an arm. I saw a painting this weekend in museum that was beautiful. It was painted by a guy that had his right hand blown off in Vietnam and had to relearn to paint left-handed. So, if you do end up only loosing your dominant hand, there is still chance you can become a dentist or orthodontist, that is if you still have your sanity.

The only way to join the military is as a medical/dental officer. You can never guarantee pilot spot.

Listen to your family...they are wise.

 

[dmfDMD]

id join the air force. god, that'd be awesome to fly one of those f-22s.

you're not going to be flying if you are a dentist in the air force

 

[dmfDMD]

are you going to join the military to pay back dental school or are you saying you may not go to dental school and just join the military??? If you mean to pay back dental school, i don't believe the marines has a program.

So im having doubts about becomming a dentist. I a little pestimistic and some other things have not been so great in life. Anyways, if i dont get accepted to dental school, the next thing on my list is to join the armed forces. What do you guys think marines or army. I know marines are better (if you will) but army seems to have more options. I wonder if i could get into flight school anyone have any details on pilot training or marines or army.

Also, i have one more year of undergrad left. Should i stick it out then become an officer or just be a grunt.

 

[Ankylosed]

[

 

[jackbauer!]

are you going to join the military to pay back dental school or are you saying you may not go to dental school and just join the military??? If you mean to pay back dental school, i don't believe the marines has a program.

dude read the guys post??... in the first sentence he writes..

"So im having doubts about becomming a dentist. I a little pestimistic and some other things have not been so great in life. Anyways, if i dont get accepted to dental school, the next thing on my list is to join the armed forces."

jb!

 

[letsgfuad]

dude read the guys post??... in the first sentence he writes..

"So im having doubts about becomming a dentist. I a little pestimistic and some other things have not been so great in life. Anyways, if i dont get accepted to dental school, the next thing on my list is to join the armed forces."

jb!

Hehe well said =], jack bauer rocks 24 rocks

 

[SugarNaCl]

I would say join the NAVY. Still serving our country, but if you ever change your mind and want to be a dentist, they have a GREAT program that will pay for a lot if not all of it for equal time of service when you get out as a NAVY dentist. Something to consider. Maybe the ARMY or Marines have such a program too, but the Naval program for dentistry is much more well known. Good luck...and don't give up...because I'm a firm believer that you can do and get through anything with enough determination!

"A great leader is an ordinary person with extraordinary determination." afterall 🙂

 

[pmoney]

I would say join the NAVY. Still serving our country, but if you ever change your mind and want to be a dentist, they have a GREAT program that will pay for a lot if not all of it for equal time of service when you get out as a NAVY dentist. Something to consider. Maybe the ARMY or Marines have such a program too, but the Naval program for dentistry is much more well known. Good luck...and don't give up...because I'm a firm believer that you can do and get through anything with enough determination!

"A great leader is an ordinary person with extraordinary determination." afterall 🙂

First of all, there are no dentists in the marines, meaning you navy boys might get sent to shore with the green machine after everyone stretches their legs from the 4 month stint in the troop ship. I would rather be in the Army and deal with less super officer/nit picky BS that the air force is known for.

If the OP wants to skip D school, he has to make the marines vs army choice, which I would not be asking this board's opinion about. If he goes to D school, and opts for the HPSP he has to choose navy, AF, or army.

 

[reapply2007]

If you don't get into dental school is the military your next best option or do you really want to go in because of some rational reason? If you really want to go into the military I suggest you should just go into the military and worry about dental school later - which you can subsidize with the GI bill. You can even change between branches of the military if you want. Choose which branch you want to go into and do the interservice transfer at the end of your contract.

If you get into dental school you may regret not doing what you really want to do, and fill a slot which could possibly be filled with someone more interested in dentistry. I still caution anyone going into the military about the potential stresses and hazards associated with military service.