Why Join The Marine Corps?

Why did I join the Marine Corps? I didn't join because of 9-11. I joined the Corps 39 years ago during Viet Nam but why didn't I join the Navy or the Army or the Airforce? Why the Marines? I guess everyone who joins has their own reasons for wanting to join the Marine Corps. I grew up watching "The Sands of Iwo Jima" with John Wayne and I wanted to be like Sgt. Stryker. I remember playing with little plastic soldier figures, tanks and planes as a kid with my young friends but mine weren't just any soldiers - they were Marines. I wanted to be a Marine.

My dad and his older brother were in the Navy during WW2 but my two favorite uncles (one my dad's younger brother and one my mom's younger brother) were Marines, both during Korea. Both of them loved to hunt. I loved to hunt. Neither of them talked about Korea but I knew I had two very brave and tough men as uncles, family. I wanted to be like them.

I liked shooting weapons, wanted to blow shit up and simply wanted to see if I could become a member of the world's best warriors. In other words, I wanted to know if I had the guts to make it through the most difficult basic military recruit training on earth and then walk the walk as it were. That may not be the best of reasons but it was mine and I just wanted to be a Marine. I also knew, since my family wasn't wealthy, I needed to earn benefits, like the GI bill, for college tuition and buying a home . But ...

When it's all said and done, I joined the Marine Corps to prove to myself I was a man.

The Marine Corps Times lists 232 reasons to love your Corps and one could definitely consider all or at least a large majority of those 232 reasons as reasons to join the Marine Corps as well but aside from those good and potential reasons I'd like to list some other reasons to join the Marine Corps here as well.

The U.S. Economy

With unemployment at an all time high, since the Great Depression, the economy inside the United States easily dictates the need for what many mothers might consider as drastic measures for their young teenaged sons and daughters, joining the military as a career. If you are finding it difficult to obtain gainful employment, lack funds for college and are of good moral character you may want to consider that to be a good reason to join the Marine Corps. The Marines are always looking for a few good men or women and for those who qualify the Corps offers steady employment.

Free Medical, Dental and Life Insurance Benefits

President Obama may have pushed through his so-called health care reform with certain benefits for some with the money to afford health care but when you join the Marine Corps you will have complete health, dental, and eye care at no charge. I did a real quick quote via Premera for basic health care (no dental or eye care) for those who are single, under 25 and don't smoke. If you purchased their best coverage you'd still be responsible for 20% of any bill and you'd pay $5,100 per year in premiums. If your employer offers health insurance your employer may cover a portion of the costs of a quality health care plan; however, they are not required to do so but when you join the Marine Corps and you'll have 24 hour per day total health, dental and eye care anywhere in the world with no deductibles, co-pays, or premiums. You'll also receive an insurance policy for $250,000.00 absolutely free.

Travel Benefits

Like to travel? When you join the Marine Corps you have the potential, depending on your MOS, to travel to foreign places, meet new and exciting people and if they are enemies of the United States, of course kill them. Your travel is always paid by Uncle Sam as are your meals and lodging in fact no receipt is necessary for travel claim expenses less than $75. And for cruise lovers the Marine expeditionary units provide the cheapest cruises you will ever take.

The Training

Depending again upon your MOS (Military Occupation Specialty) you may become highly qualified and in demand for civilian employment should you decide to re-enter the civilian world. Certain Marine billets such as pilot (fixed wing and helo), aircraft maintainence, air craft control, communications, data processing and others will help you secure employment in the civilian world. For example many Marines become police officers after enlistment.

Career Benefits

These include obtaining a college education on Uncle Sam, Marine courses and schools, VA loans for buying a home, retirement income and medical, commissary privilidges and lump-sum re-enlistment bonuses up to $80,000 which if invested wisely could help you retire in comfort after 20 or more years of service and at a fairly young age, as young as 37. Imagine retiring as young as 37 with a nice pension, full medical, commissary privilidges and an outstanding nest egg due to 4 or 5 lump-sum, wisely invested re-enlistment bonuses.

Joining the Marine Corps was probably the best decision I ever made in my life simply because of the benefits of service and the fact that the Corps made me a better man by instilling ceratin values I may not have learned any other way.

The Marine Corps offers tangible benefits such as the GI Bill which will help pay for a Marine's college during or after completion of enlistment. A Marine also has the benefit of a VA loan to help with the purchase of a home for his family. After my tour in the Corps I was able to buy my first home with the benefit of a VA loan. But even more important are the intangible benefits ...

When you join the Marine Corps you'll learn the core values of honor, courage and committment. You'll learn that quitting anything is not an option for a Marine because it robs the soul of pride and dignity and then steals the integrity that allows a man or woman to stand tall in the face of adversity; against all odds. It's the intangible benefits that last for the rest of a person's life that may be the most important benefits of joining the Marine Corps.

If you are serious about becoming one of the finest fighting warriors on earth and joining the Marine Corps the best place to start would be to contact a Marine Recruiter. Once you are in contact with a Marine Corps Recruiter, preferrably in your hometown or as close to you as possible, you can then sit down with your recruiter and discuss your qualifications and the options open to you. You can learn whether you should become an enlisted Marine or if you qualify to become a Marine Officer. You can also determine what MOS (military occupation specialty) you would like to shoot for as well. So the first step is to get more information about joining the Marine Corps and overcoming your first major obstacle to earning the Eagle, Globe and Anchor and the title Marine by learning how to survive Marine Corps Boot Camp.

There are some really great reasons to love and join the Marine Corps. In fact, according to the Marine Corps Times there are 232 great reasons to LOVE the Corps. You can read all right here:

232 Reasons to Love and Join the Marine Corps