Being an “ex-marine” no longer scares people? That’s a bad commentary on the present state of America.
I mean I guess if your goal is to go around scaring people, then I guess it could help…
People always guess I was Air Force, so I’m not getting anywhere with it.
Speaking for the Army, my only enduring lessons were how much it sucks to be cold, hungry, dirty, constipated, and sleep-deprived. Meanwhile my Navy buddies were learning how to run nuclear reactors and maintain a girl in every port. In retrospect, there are lots of ways to fight, and some of them are extremely comfortable.
It is my understanding that there is no such thing as an “ex-Marine”. At least that is what the several Marines I know, who are no longer currently serving, have told me.
You sir, are a blasphemer and a heretic and quite possibly a subversive!!!
:mad:
Propaganda aside, the Corps can instill all sorts of positive traits. The Marine Corps makes learning to get the job done with less than optimal equipment a badge of honor. Improvise, overcome, adapt. Do what you have to do to get the job done. No whining, no quitting, no can’t.
Teamwork and self-discipline are also greatly stressed. Self-confidence almost to a fault sometimes.
All of my technical training began in the Corps. I worked on secure communications gear, weapons systems, RADAR, FLIR, attack aircraft, fighters, helos, the list goes on and on. I also learned to rappel, fire rifles, basic first-aid, orienteering, etc.
The meat-head Marine is a thing of the past. They still exist of course but the Corps wants more than that now.
Whoring and drinking and bar-fights, well we still do that also. 
but those are perks.
Some of that you can get in any branch of the military. Some you can get as a civilian. I only knock the other services as a joke, I respect them all.
But ONLY the Corps gives you the title Marine. And there’s no such thing as an ex-Marine.
So basically, you agree with me.
mostly just skimmed the thread, so if this has been said, sorry.
everyone noted that flying requires a commission of one variety or the other. if you have corrected vision already, it used to be in the army that was an automatic no go for flying if corrected vision happened before pilots license. not sure if that’s so now. I would suggest looking into getting a civilian license before joining any branch (along with of course the preferred 4 year degree, I recommend mathematics or economics degrees as the preferred in the army) Its just easier that way, trust me. I looked at flying too when I first started thinking about joining and ended up in a different MOS field altogether. Its not that the military doesn’t train pilots, they do, and maybe even prefer it, but if you go to the recruiter with license in hand, its just so much much easier. For the physical stuff, don’t worry about it, you are nothing new or special and they expect that these days. Even the Marines. I served with several Marines that retired to the Army. The toughness isn’t physical, its mental and emotional. They keep getting up. And any Marine randomly passing by will drop all and pitch in and help their fellow Marine and ask questions after the dust has settled and bail paid. That’s the biggest thing with any branch, the mental game, the physical is just the cream puff on top. (I weighed 130 pounds, couldn’t run, push, or much of anything when I enlisted)
Welcome to the Dope.
I encourage your consideration of military service as a career and life choice.
I hope you DO enlist, and have a successful career.
My impressions of the Air Force:
-Better food
-Better housing
-Better recreation facilities
-Good technical schools for aircraft maintenance and engineering
-Better duty assignments than all of the other services (but the bad ones are really bad: Shemya, anybody?)
-No ground pounder assignments in combat
-Laxer grooming standards
-Laxer discipline
-Poorer advancement opportunities; I knew a lot of very senior E-5s
I thought the Navy had the best food?
Navy Times ran an article years ago comparing promotions in all the services - average time in service to reach each paygrade. After about E4, the Air Force lagged well behind all of the others.
I never served in the military. However, if I were to go back in time and was to consider it, I would probably look at Navy, Air Force, or Coast Guard. Seems like those would offer the least chance of getting shot and the most opportunity to learn useful skills, if you are thinking long-term. I know that may not be easy for the OP to think about at the age of 16.
Since it’s IMHO and joke answers are more tolerated:
US:
Army - I’m not sure what to do with my life, so here I am.
Navy - I want to get drunk in a foreign country.
Marines - I didn’t go to Harvard so I want something to mention to someone 5 seconds after meeting them.
Air Force - DESK JOB!
Coast Guard - I will never get tired of insisting that we are the real military.
Seriously, go to college first. The military will still be there when you get out. If you must enlist at 18, join the Air Force and have a decent life.
… depend on whether you consider admin, training, and the trades “useful” or not…
The pilots wouldn’t be able to pee without everybody else.
Last I checked the Army was already overstrength on helicopter pilots. It’s totally possible to become one, but it just means competition will be stiff and you might be cut early in your career. On the other hand, even if you just do six or seven years that is still more training and experience than any civilian pilot could acquire. I’ve often heard that virtually all helicopter pilots are ex military because civilians just can’t compete.
I’d also echo the others on this board. Do at least a few years of college to set yourself up for success. At a minimum, knock out your general education classes before you join.
Do ROTC programs carry financial assistance, in exchange for the promise to serve? You may want to check out those, R.E.Lee.
I was frankly surprised when I found out how many different ways there are to join the US Military, between ROTC, military colleges, service academies, enlisting, whatever you call it when people sign up to be an officer and already have a college degree… you have time to explore them all at least a little before taking the plunge.
ROTC scholarships, AFAIK, require one to accept a commission upon graduation.
Enlistment is a pretty popular way to enter the military. Depending on a number of factors (educational level, for one), one may enter at higher than pay grade E-1.
ROTC is a military training program at universities other than the federal service academies. Those who pay their own way through school or use other than ROTC scholarship but still participate in ROTC are not required to accept a commission.
OTS (Officer Training School) is another nifty commissioning program. This is the one where someone enlists and then applies for OTS.
There are also the federal service academies (USMA, USNA, USAF, USCGA) at which all cadets/midshipmen are in the military at that rank and are commissioned upon graduation.
See if your high school has ROTC. If so, join it. If not, find a local AF recruiter and find out what you need to do to get an ROTC scholarship after you graduate high school.
Attend college on an ROTC scholarship, graduate an AF officer. During your college years, find out what interests you and try to become that type of officer.
If you can’t do that, enlist in the AF right after high school. As soon as you can, start taking college classes for free. Save your money, don’t buy a brand new corvette. Don’t marry a stripper.
Finish your degree while still enlisted, then decide to try to become an officer.
In any event, AF is the way to go.
I may be biased 
But Air Force runways are absurdly wide and dangerously short.
I’m speaking from my Seabee perspective. Our chow was barely one step above Marine Corps chow.