Which Branch of the US Military Service Offers the Best Quality of Life?

Marine Corps all the way (okay, I might be slightly biased 😋 ). I was in a gun squadron that traveled a fair amount with our planes, so we got a chance to visit many bases from all branches and overseas allies. USAF had top notch facilities, best chow halls, treated the best, etc., from the bases I got to visit. Loved going to AFB deployments, but USMC is still way to go even if you don't get all the bennies that USAF or some of the other branches get.
 
I will have to say the Chair Force, sorry Zoomiies.

I was a young Marine on Liberty and had the pleasure of taking home a fine Air Force Lass. We went back to her place. A woke up to the sound of a vacuum cleaner the next morning with no fine lass laying next to me. First thing I did was check to make sure I had both my kidneys and then I asked Consuelo who was running the vacuum where the hell I was. She told me I was at Bolling Air Force base. I said are you the Maid? She said sort of, you are in the enlisted barracks. The Air Force have suites for enlisted personnel with maid service! So, this is before cell phones and I didn’t even have a car! I called my duty NCO up from the phone in this fine ass Air Force lass’s suite to have one of my buddy’s come pick me up. Never heard from the Air Force lass again and I never needed my bore punched, thank god!

Go Chair Force!!!!!😂😂🫡
 
Best time in the service was AT at Lowery AFB food was fantastic, dorms were nice private two man rooms and well the airforce women were far nicer than what we had in the army.
 
I joined the Army out of high school. I was going through AIT at Ft Devens (see the world my ass) and we had Air Force trainees in our class.

We were living in the old WWII open bay barracks, and the Air Force guys were getting sub standard housing pay for living in the old Officer's quarters. My next enlistment was to the Air Force - glad I went Army first, but I thoroughly enjoyed the fine dining and accommodations in the Air Force.
 
The Navy of course. What other branch of the service takes you to ports (Westpac rules) where you can drink, eat, play pool and have sex with little brown women all for $20. Granted the beer is questionable at best, the food is most likely dog or monkey, the pool tables are warped and you'll get the black clap from the women, but who cares. You're living life to the fullest!!!! [laugh]
 
tuna said:
I joined the Army out of high school. I was going through AIT at Ft Devens (see the world my ass) and we had Air Force trainees in our class.

We were living in the old WWII open bay barracks, and the Air Force guys were getting sub standard housing pay for living in the old Officer's quarters. My next enlistment was to the Air Force - glad I went Army first, but I thoroughly enjoyed the fine dining and accommodations in the Air Force.
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What’s the saying, the Air Force always builds their runways last? So when they spend all their budget on niceties, they can always ask Congress for more money because… well they NEED a runway, right?
 
Rockrivr1 said:
The Navy of course. What other branch of the service takes you to ports (Westpac rules) where you can drink, eat, play pool and have sex with little brown women all for $20. Granted the beer is questionable at best, the food is most likely dog or monkey, the pool tables are warped and you'll get the black clap from the women, but who cares. You're living life to the fullest!!!! [laugh]
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Yeah...never got to go on a westpac...two cruises to the med where everyone hated us there...sucked having to run the gauntlet of protesters protesting against NATO, Nuke Carriers, and whatever else happened to be the protest du jour. A friend and me bought eurail passes and got the hell out of the port cities as often (and fast) as we could. Interior Europe was usually friendlier.

Being flight crew did have it's benefits though. Landing at NATO bases and AF bases had it's perks...As a rule, Naval Air Bases were nowhere as Posh as the other bases.
 
Knob Creek said:
My Dad who was in the Army told me to join the Navy or the Air Force because you had the best chance for three meals and a bed for the night.
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As former Army and Air Force with two children, my advice for them is:

Daughter - wants Air Force, my suggestion is Air Force. Her goal now is a nurse, but she wants Security Forces in the military (her cousin does this). I think its a good fit for her.

Son - not sure, wants military though, my suggestion is Marines or Army for first enlistment, learn something you can tell stories about. If he reups, go Air Force, preferably Civil Engineers, as he leans toward wanting to do electrician / plumber / construction / heavy equipment in life and I think that a Reserve or Guard job to get experience and training would be helpful, and deploying to build / fix bases would be a good skill builder. But learn infantry / artillery / armor etc first - do something cool when you're young, not safe and boring.
 
tuna said:
As former Army and Air Force with two children, my advice for them is:

Daughter - wants Air Force, my suggestion is Air Force. Her goal now is a nurse, but she wants Security Forces in the military (her cousin does this). I think its a good fit for her.

Son - not sure, wants military though, my suggestion is Marines or Army for first enlistment, learn something you can tell stories about. If he reups, go Air Force, preferably Civil Engineers, as he leans toward wanting to do electrician / plumber / construction / heavy equipment in life and I think that a Reserve or Guard job to get experience and training would be helpful, and deploying to build / fix bases would be a good skill builder. But learn infantry / artillery / armor etc first - do something cool when you're young, not safe and boring.
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Not sure if it's different for each branch, but in the Navy once you choose your rate that is what you're pretty much keywholed in during your career. I've hear of people changing rates from time to time, but it's the exception not the norm. They don't make it easy to do so once they've spent the time to train you for the rate you've chosen.
 
Rockrivr1 said:
Not sure if it's different for each branch, but in the Navy once you choose your rate that is what you're pretty much keywholed in during your career. I've hear of people changing rates from time to time, but it's the exception not the norm. They don't make it easy to do so once they've spent the time to train you for the rate you've chosen.
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It isn't difficult in the Air Force, I had several in my time, but I was talking about changing services. When you're 17 - 22 or so, I say go Army or Marines, learn to do stuff that they make movies out of. Then get out, join the Air Force, learn a real job, live in hotels, have great food and the best looking women before your body deteriorates.
 
tuna said:
It isn't difficult in the Air Force, I had several in my time, but I was talking about changing services. When you're 17 - 22 or so, I say go Army or Marines, learn to do stuff that they make movies out of. Then get out, join the Air Force, learn a real job, live in hotels, have great food and the best looking women before your body deteriorates.
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You could just do the cool stuff in the Air Force.
 
Picton said:
Longer pipeline, it's harder to get into, and it's still not as cool. Sorry.

I like @tuna 's advice.
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Combat Control and Pararescue are both as cool as can be.

Even though I was a Combat Controller (pre-Special ops days) I gotta hand it to the PJs. They are the only ones who endure all that training, not to kill the other guy and break his toys, but to save people.

"These Things We Do, That Others May Live"

1652403162470.png
 
FPrice said:
Combat Control and Pararescue are both as cool as can be.

Even though I was a Combat Controller (pre-Special ops days) I gotta hand it to the PJs. They are the only ones who endure all that training, not to kill the other guy and break his toys, but to save people.

"These Things We Do, That Others May Live"

View attachment 615478
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Don't get me wrong: they are, indeed, plenty cool.

But being an Airborne Ranger is cooler. Quicker, too, and easier to get a contract for.
 
Picton said:
Don't get me wrong: they are, indeed, plenty cool.

But being an Airborne Ranger is cooler. Quicker, too, and easier to get a contract for.
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USAF special ops > rangers.
A motivated airman can go directly to the training pipeline for USAF special ops - no need to have another job first.
 
NHKevin said:
USAF special ops > rangers.
A motivated airman can go directly to the training pipeline for USAF special ops - no need to have another job first.
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USAF special ops is absolutely badass. At the end of the day, you’re still Air Force.

Ive known many that went from Army or Marines to AF. All of them lead out with their prior service. Air Force just isn’t as brag worthy as other branches. Just look at T Shirt opportunities.

Again, for me it was 4 years Army, 22 Air Force, I’m not just running down the AF, just being honest.
 
FPrice said:
Combat Control and Pararescue are both as cool as can be.

Even though I was a Combat Controller (pre-Special ops days) I gotta hand it to the PJs. They are the only ones who endure all that training, not to kill the other guy and break his toys, but to save people.

"These Things We Do, That Others May Live"

View attachment 615478
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And they get to have a cool (dumb tattoo) on their ass...
 

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When I was on the Dwight D. Eisenhower, the LDOs, CWOs and a few others used to eat together in the main wardroom. One of the others was the resident NIS agent, who had been a Norfolk cop, and, before that, a member of the U. S. Air Force. He readily admitted the last, but said that it wasn't such a soft outfit as usually alleged. He claimed that during his entire time in boot camp, he had to put up with a roommate he couldn't get along with. Couldn't change roommates, or anything. Just stuck.
 

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