Which branch of the military should I join; the army, the air force, or the marines?

im a US ARMY recruiter. but im not going to try to sell you on the ARMY. instead what i want you to do is research the retention (re-enlistment) rates for each of the branches. the way i figure it is the one with the best retention rates must have something pretty good going on with them because everyone who is there wants to stay there. you may also do some cross research on how many are crossing branches into others.

ultimately its your decision, make it a good one!

I salute your desire to serve.

Now the question is HOW you wish to serve.

The different branches have different purposes, all of them equally honorable and necessary, but the differences mean that there are different job opportunities. For example, if you wish to be an aircraft mechanic, there are probably fewer opportunities in the Navy than Air Force, and if you want to work with nuclear power, that means "submarines" and the Army doesn't have any.

Figure out what JOB you want to fill. You can't get a lot of help on that, but once you do, recruiters can answer your questions and help you decide on a branch.

Personally, I'm ex-Army. However, that doesn't stop me from recognizing the importance of the Navy in predicting and preventing "the next war", or the Air Force being the "fast strike" capability. They should also recognize that while together they can make a war "winnable", there's no avoiding the ultimate need for someone to go hold onto something, and that's what the Army does.

All three are honorable. They're just different.

Make the choice based on what job you want to do, and who offers the most opportunity to do it.

Personally, I'm joining the Air Force as an officer after finishing my degree in May.

Pay, benefits, and leave are all exactly the same across the board depending on rank and years of service.

Promotions come slower in the Air Force than in other branches because there are more people in the USAF that want to stay in because they like it so much. Conversely, you will get faster promotions in the Army, but that's because so many people go in for the 4 years and then leave because they hate it.

In general, standard of living in the USAF is higher than the other branches; since I'm married and have a son on the way, the happiness of my family was a major factor. If you're single and don't care if you're in a cramped dormroom, that may not matter to you.

Obviously, I would encourage you to go Air Force. However, go to all the recruiters for the ones about which you're thinking, and talk to them. Find out what are the hot jobs that give you bonuses, and see what your ASVAB score is. Try to figure out what job you could get that's most easily transferable to the 'real world' after you get out. There isn't a lot of need for infantry in corporate america, but there certainly is for surgical assistants and things of that nature. Assume you will leave the military after one term, and plan accordingly. If you stay in for 20 years and retire, all the better.

Good luck, and thanks for serving your country.

It all depends on what job you want to do. There are perks to every service and downers to every service.

Marines-get all the women but are usually hard headed gung ho types.

Army- get to spend time in Iraq opportunity to be stationed all over the world in decent locations.

AF-quality of living but being stationed on an AF base I would have to ask how much you enjoy complainers because boy can these people whine about everything. It's like being around a bunch of spoiled brats.

Navy-we have women but usually not the ones you want to look at to often, But it is like being on a cruise ship except you are working until you pull into port. So lots of foreign travel for free. Now the comment about not having a chance to be an A/C mechanic, the Navy has more planes then the AF so you would be able to do that.

Huge demand for ARMY right now, may be great idea to see if you can choose a job your interested in and get a huge bonus. Also if your uncertain if the ARMY is for you , you can try the Active first contract and go active for 2 years and then if u decide you can do the rest of your contract with the guard. I recommend knocking out as much college as possible before you join. come in as a E-3 or E-4

It depends what you want. Every branch has its ups and downs. I'm in the Air Force and wish I would have went Army. I don't like the Air Force because the branch tries to be so P.C. that it shoots itself in the foot protecting itself with thousands and thousands of regulations. I think we're the only branch that has to wear reflective vests/belts in combat zones so we don't get hit by cars. I'm not kidding. But we have the best food and the best living quarters... So like I said, every branch has its ups and downs.

Anyone who calls the air force wimpy is just being jealous and stupid.

The fact is, the army is the one people join when they lack the ability to get into the other ones.

In the army you are far more likely to be on the front line being shot at or maimed. Is that really the action you want?

The marines are going to be the hardest, and will require a lot of physical effort on your part.

The air force and the navy have cool jobs, and would certainly be my choice. Although I wouldn't want to spend months on a ship with a bunch of men. So for me it would be the air force all the way.

Each branch of the military is paid according to rank and the pay is equal. An e1 in the army makes the same as an e1 in the air force. Leave & medical benefits are the same as well.

Are you athletic? Army and marines have longer, tougher training. Air Force and Navy are easier.

Air Force!!!!

the quality of life is better. It all depends what you want out of it. But don't take my word for it. talk to someone who is in the military. they will give you an honest answer. Also ask them what they think about the other branches. and why. Not a recruiter..

The Marines focus on getting the job done and killing the enemy. The Army has about 50% benefits on the individual, and the other 50% on the mission, and the air force on having fun.