The other branches don't need 10%ers either. If you're only there for college money, with no regard for what you're doing, stay home. Joining for college money and having pride and drive to excel is perfectly acceptable.

Charge that's well said. Don't go into the army if your just up for benefits and tuition. You can do it for that but also for the determination and strength to serve your people and country with pride.

Thanks, RankIt

Also, sometimes yes, Marines do become killing machines, this is a Marine's function. A Marine or any other military service is to protect the interests of their respective country when all diplomatic services have been exhausted. If a serviceman is not trained to kill, he or she does not serve much of a purpose then.

I suspect, grinch, when you get to Norwich, and should you be able to last there, you will come to see the folly of those words. As it appears I will be teaching there this Fall, I'll make damn sure you do if you step into my classroom. People are not machines and although we are trained to kill, we serve many more purposes than that that are quite valuable indeed.

To further expand on the valuable purposes served by the Military in general and the Marine Corps in particular grinch I will give you two of many examples of the Corps doing more than waging total war.

At the conclusion of Gulf War I elements of the 5th Marine Regt and attachments formerly Task Force Ripper. Were diverted to the Indian Ocean to aid in diaster relief in Operation Sea Angel. These Marines delivered water, food, medical aid and assistance to the population of Bangladesh. Marine Helo crews flew countless relief and resupply missions, Medevacs and inserted Navy Medical and Civilian Medical teams and aid workers into remote areas and kept them resupplied.

Marine and Navy Boat crews took supplies into areas accessible only by small craft. Marine Grunts, Tankers, Trackers, Supply Clerks, Cannon Cockers, Pencil Pushers and Communicators formed ad-hoc shore parties to off load, stage and deliver Supplies. Water Purifaction Specialists kept the water flowing and Combat and Heavy engineers started to clear and rebuild. Not exactly a bunch of killing machines.


The Marines who landed in Somolia for Operation Restore Hope were not there to target Aidid or the Clans. Their Mission was to safe guard relief efforts and assist in rebuilding the infrastructure of a country in chaos. The ROE's were restrictive and the amount of combat minimal.

we dont only to global op's like what 03 says, we also do community projects like city cleanups, setup Special Olympics and Toys for Tots. we are very much into community services and helping people and not just on the battlefield.

Yes yes yes absolutely both 03 and Milidar are totally right. They do a lot of non-combat missions, it's just that the media ignore it.

The US Marine is a professional.

Unfortunately accidents and mistakes do happen in training in any of the armed serviced around the world.

I think some people have watched FULL METAL JACKET too often.

Originally Posted by Baby700

The US Marine is a professional.

Unfortunately accidents and mistakes do happen in training in any of the armed serviced around the world.

I think some people have watched FULL METAL JACKET too often.

I agree.

just today we had Marines running an orienteering course today, who had just gotten back from Iraq and taught us basic medical stuff, about camouflage, gave us MRE's to try (delicious ), and let us exercise with them and they were basically a lot like us just grown up and had been to war, a lot of them said that they were going to come visit our school.

Marines do their job when they are at war, and are basically normal people when they are back home
my 2 cents

I think it is not so smart for anyone to say that anybody is an anydoing machine. Marines (not only US marines) are humans and like all humans they need a sense of identity, a sense of belonging and a sense of achievement. Problem is that those needs are used by some in order to persuade the (whatever nationality) marines or other armed humans to do deeds they woulnd't do, were they detached from the sense of belonging and achievement their group offers them.

Well it's a part of being a professional.
When you are armed by your country, it is your duty to defend what they tell you to defend, kill who they tell you to kill, stand where they tell you to stand etc.
I guess a civilian equivilent is if you are a courtroom lawyer (litigation is it called?) and you've just been told by your firm that you will defend a man regardless of what he did or didn't do. It's your job. You have to do it.

What's in your mind does come 2nd, but as for killing machine, that depends on the mission that's been handed over doesn't it? Mindless is quite unfair as you do have to mind Rules of Engagement etc. and not to mention, if you have command authority, you're going to have to make decisions to make sure the order works.