This is one of the most important decisions you make when joining the military. The United States Military currently has 6 different branches. Marines, Army, Airforce, Coast Guard, and the new edition, SpaceforceThis might not seem like a big deal at first when thinking of joining the military, but trust me, it is huge. Each branch offers different aspects of life. From seeing you family, combat situations, deployments, lifestyle, and more. This page will help you make this decision.
One of the top reasons people join the Navy is to see the world. When on deployment you go on a ship and visit different countries. In a single enlistment you could see up to 12 different countries. From Australia to New Zealand. However, you are on a ship for 6 – 9 months which can be very mentally taxing and stressful. You can learn tons of experience with the job you pick in the Navy. You could learn to be an electrician, mechanic, or even a weather person.
If you are looking for a challenge, the Marines may be the branch for you. Marines go through arguably one of the toughest bootcamps in the world which comes with a lot of pride in doing it. You can put your head on your shoulders proudly. Whenever someone thinks of the Marines they think of tough, mentally, and physically individuals. They also see a lot of combat. So, if you are looking for combat and pride, this is the branch for you. They also get some nice-looking uniforms as you can see in the picture.
The Coast Guard is considered a military service, because, during times of war or conflict, the President of the United States can transfer any or all assets of the Coast Guard to the Department of the Navy. In fact, this has been done in almost every single conflict that the United States have ever been involved in. The Coast Guard is the nation's oldest continuous seagoing service with responsibilities including Search and Rescue (SAR), Maritime Law Enforcement (MLE), Aids to Navigation (ATON), Ice Breaking, Environmental Protection, Port Security and Military Readiness.
The Army offers lots of schooling where you can jump out of planes, special operation missions, guard the tomb of the unknown, fly in planes, and so much more. To sum it up they do lots of cool stuff. Army is the easiest branch to join and are always looking for members, which means you can get shipped out faster to bootcamp. Depending on the job you choose, you could see a lot of combat or you could be behind a desk doing office work. It is a great branch to do almost anything. The branch is also known to give out a signing bonus for joining which is a great plus if you already know you want to serve your country.
A lot of people want to join the Airforce and there is a reason for it. Airforce is relatively one of the more laid-back branches. They see almost no combat when deployed. They also have great food and quality of life compared to the other branches. Great barracks, food, being able to see family more often, and luxuries. So, if you are looking for a more laidback military experience, then this branch is the one for you.
The U.S. Space Force (USSF) is a new branch of the Armed Forces. It was established on December 20, 2019. Although there is not much information about the Spaceforce, we do know that only select individuals are in the branch and you currently must be a member of the Airforce in order to transfer over. The USSF is responsible for providing space capabilities such as, gathering intel, preparing for a war time event, and more