Ask an E-3 in the USMC 2nd MarDiv

What are you going to do when you get out?

That's disappointing, you're probably right considering the slowdown in Afghanistan, plus Iraq is "secure" now, at least from Isis.

Guess the next big conflict will be China.

There are pro’s and con’s to every branch. I’m proud to be a marine but I don’t delude myself anymore with our abilities (some people act like mariens are basically superhuman, and they arnt) A lot of it just propaganda. I’m more physically fit than the average human but not near a college level athlete.
What the Marines have over every other branch is being superior to company level and below assults, this is where it thrives. The Marines are a more strict and tougher conventional force over the others, and thats pretty much it.

Not OP, but i bet smoke herb and get fat.

I don’t know if I am getting out. I kinda wanted to be a DI
I’m still on the fence though.

>A lot of it just propaganda.
Definitely. Like the "The Few, the proud, the Marines", lol great slogan. The nice uniform. The "we do more with less" bullshit. The "why should the marines take you" instead of you taking the marines.

I heard Mattis say in an interview a few years back the reason why the marines live in such shitty bases is because it builds "solidarity" among the men. LOL. How many 18 yo's do you sink with that line?

"The first in!" - translate to "the first to die"

You've been in for 3 years and you're ONLY an E-3. What a fuck up.

Isn't there a mandatory time in rank before it's possible to promote again?
I'm joining as an E3 since I have college credits, in 4 years what rank can I expect to be?

Shittier conditions can build solidarity, but it also make Marines fight each other a lot more, which ironically also builds solidarity.
There is a weird more primal and ancient social hierarchy with groups comprised of abled bodied men with a goal at hand. I can’t describe it exactly myself.
Sometimes the hierarcy is good, sometimes it’s not