The military offers many opportunities and benefits for those who serve. There are five branches - Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard - that each provide different training programs and jobs. Joining the military is a major life decision that requires meeting eligibility requirements. Reasons for joining vary between individuals but can include patriotism, family tradition, leadership development, and benefits like education and health care. Each branch has its own ranking system to indicate levels of experience and responsibility.

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Michael Airington
October, 13 2011
Ms.Tillery
The Military
The military is one of the most honorable things someone can achieve in their life time.
Joing such a brotherhood is a giant leap and or feat in that person’s life. It is also a life changing
experience that not even words would begin to describe. When one joins the military that person
is putting his or hers life in the mercy of the United States government.
The military has given men, and until the 20th century women many opportunities to
serve their country and themselves. When joining the armed services your community and
country will look upon that person with the up most respect and honor. The armed forces have
been around almost as long as humans have been on this earth. Many people join for many
different reasons such as honor, a sense of pride in one ’self, and some feel it is there civic duty
to serve. When thinking about joining the service takes time to look at all the different branches
and what each branch offers. These branches include the army, the United States Marine Corps,
the navy, the air force, and the coast guard. If in the future one thinks about joining take time to
think it over.
Every person has many different reasons for putting their life on the line. For many
reasons people join because they want to kill, but that’s not what the military is all about. Yes,
taking life is in the job description, yet it is not the largest part of the occupation. Most of the

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veterans say they joined to be respected and honored by their country and people. Some soldiers
feel they joined because they had something to prove to themselves. Patriotism plays a
gargantuan role in making that decision. Patriots admire nearly every aspect of that person’s
country, and are willing to put their lives on the line to defend that it. Tradition in family is one
of the top reasons people join. They feel that if there family was out fighting for what they have
now they need to up live the family honor. All in all, in making this very large decision only the
person signing the documents to join will know the true reason why he or she joined.
Every person has different interests than one another. The military has many different
branches to fit those people’s particular interests. Each branch offers opportunities that fit them.
The navy involves traveling all around the world protecting the world’s oceans, health and
educational benefits. The united state Marine Corps offers leadership skills, medical benefits,
housing benefits, and educational benefits. The United States army offers close to but not equal
to the Marine Corps. The recruiters are there to help you decide whether or not you are cut out,
and in the words of a former marine “can’t hack it”. They are the ones to give that person the
final push in joining the military. To qualify to be a part on the military one must meet the
requirements of the government. Before joining take a look at every branch and what they offer.
The requirements are one must be at least 18 years or older, that person must be a united
states citizen for at least 5 years, they must have a high school diploma and or GED, and meet a
stricken weight limit criteria as well as a physical and mental criteria. If one meets all of the
requirements that person can be well off to basic training the next week.
Training between each branch is very diverse, but they all have one thing in common
they require one to be dedicated and motivated to that particular training program. About 10% of

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the training is physical strength and the other 90% is mental toughness. The marine corps
training is a 12 week program that teaches mixed martial arts, leadership skills, firing a weapon
safely, and at the end a marine must complete a fake mission that will last 20 hours. The navies
training is a 9 week program that teaches people to help others and to be able to put out a fire on
a ship. The army training is a 12 week program consisting of basic combat training, advance
individual training, and ongoing training.
Each branch of the military has many different jobs to offer to the people who want it.
The Marian corps has jobs that consist of aviation, ground, logistics, and command with many
jobs within each subtopic. The army has over 150 ways one can be a soldier and serve their
country. Some of these jobs are army combat engineer, army jag (army lawyer), army ranger,
and combat soldier. The coast guard jobs consist of coast guard officer, coast guard reserve, and
coast guard auxiliary. The main job for the coast guard is to save people that are lost at sea. With
so many jobs one can find the job those best suits that recruit.
One may think that each branch of the military has the same ranks, but this is wrong, they have
different ranking system. The army has 20 different ranks but here are a few Private, corporal,
sergeant, staff sergeant, lieutenant sergeant. The Marine Corps have 27 different ranks such as
private first class, lance corporal, gunnery sergeant, and captain. A few of the navy’s ranks are
Seaman Apprentice, seaman, petty officer 3rd class through first class, and master chief petty
officer. There are many more ranks within each branch these are just a few that are ones
occupation.