Considering Joining The Marine Corps in 2022? | 4 Things to Consider!

So you want to be a Marine?

As a Marine Corps veteran myself, I understand the feeling of wanting to join the world’s greatest fighting force.

It’s an exciting feeling.

Joining the Marine Corps is a great decision, but it is no easy feat!

Basic Training is a long, grueling 13 weeks, and it will test you both mentally and physically.

You will be pushed harder than you’ve ever been pushed before!

The good thing is that if you are considering joining the Marine Corps, most likely, you are motivated, driven, and you have a general idea of what you’re getting yourself into!

This article is for those of you who are considering the Marine Corps.

It’s for those of you who are still in high school, in college, or maybe you’re in your twenties with a small family and are finally considering pursuing a lifelong dream.

Whether you’re on the fence and keeping your options open, this information is for YOU!

4 Things to Consider Before Joining the Marine Corps

Again, these are my opinions and are based solely on my experience.

Although I have been out of the Marine Corps for almost seven years now, I remember the day I went to speak to a recruiter like it was yesterday.

I was young and fired up!

The experience wasn’t bad by any means, but they are salesmen, and their job is to get you to sign the dotted line!

They tell you what you want to hear and embellish the Corps a little bit.

After joining, you quickly realize that the Marine Corps is not all sunshine and rainbows!

But, it is an awesome experience if you go in with an open mind!

Depending on your situation, you may have an excellent support group around you.

Maybe your family has a long tradition of military members or Marines.

Hopefully, you have people encouraging you and reaffirming your decision to join the Corps.

If you do not have the support, and those around you are instead trying to talk you out of joining, you may begin to second guess yourself.

Always remember that you should NEVER let others dictate the way you feel or allow them to persuade your decision.

Joining the Marine Corps is challenging.

I would be lying if I said that it wasn’t.

But, it is EXTREMELY rewarding, and I guarantee you’ll be proud of your accomplishment after you officially earn the Title!

Alright, enough rambling.

Let’s get into the 4 Things you Should Consider Before Joining!

1. Are you ready to Leave your Friends and Family Behind?

Unfortunately, the Marine Corps comes first, and your family and friends come second.

That’s just the way it is.

For some, this may be hard to wrap your head around, but at the end of the day, you and your family must be willing to make this sacrifice.

Many of you have never been away from home for more than a couple of weeks at a time.

This was me!

You may have had a comfortable life, or you might not have.

Some of you may be rich and come from affluent families, while some of you grew up in extreme poverty.

The good thing is that the Marine Corps does not discriminate.

The Marine Corps does not care about your background, race, or ethnicity.

If you are willing to sign your life away and accept the challenge of becoming a Marine, then the Corps will take you in!

Now, it is important to understand that you aren’t just going away to boot camp for 13 weeks.

In the Marine Corps, you are constantly training, which may require frequent travel.

You will most likely deploy at one point or another, and you may even get stationed overseas.

Your family will not always be able to accompany you on these endeavors, and it is important to recognize this reality.

I can tell you from experience that homesickness does not last forever.

At first, you will miss home, your family, your friends, and the life you once had.

After getting through Basic Training, Combat Training, MOS School, and finally making it to the Fleet, you will make friends and become accustomed to your new routine and life.

The thought of home will always reside in the back of your mind, but you will be too busy to miss it!

If this is something that is holding you back from joining, you should think long and hard about whether or not this should prevent you from following your dream!

You will have plenty of time to spend with your family throughout your time in the Marine Corps, and you will have plenty of Paid Leave to use to go back home and visit.

2. Are you ready to Commit?

Joining the Marine Corps is a BIG commitment.

If you’re going on Active Duty, as I did, you are most likely going to be signing a 4-year contract.

These four years will either go by with ease or be the longest four years in hell you’ve ever experienced.

I say that because the Marine Corps is not easy.

I will not sugarcoat it.

It’s a dog-eat-dog environment, and if you allow it to chew you up, it will!

It is a testosterone-filled environment and very competitive.

If you don’t have thick skin, you will quickly acquire it!

On the other hand, it is extremely gratifying and an experience you’ll cherish for the rest of your life.

If you go in with an open mind, be willing to “embrace the suck”, and give 110%, you will have a great experience.

You get out what you put in.

The Marine Corps is demanding and a continuous challenge.

Although, in my opinion, there is no better place to realize your full potential and to grow into a better version of yourself!

Don’t be afraid of commitment!

3. Are you ready to take on the Challenge of becoming a United States Marine?

As I said above, the Marine Corps is a challenge, and it’s not easy!

If your considering joining the Marine Corps, chances are you are driven and will have no problem succeeding.

But, with that title of Marine, comes great responsibility.

As Marines, we a prideful, we hold ourselves to a higher standard, and we have a relentless fighting spirit.

As a Marine, you are representing the Marine Corps as a whole, not just yourself.

You should understand this moving forward in your decision-making process, and you must be willing to accept this newfound responsibility.

Let’s get back to the challenging aspects of the Corps.

Boot Camp is long, and it is most likely the most physical and mentally challenging experience you’ll ever go through, but the buck doesn’t stop there.

Your entire Marine Corps career, be it 20 years or 4, will be a challenge.

It expects nothing less than excellence.

If you are going in and expecting to slip through the cracks and give the bare minimum, you’ll be exposed.

You will also hate your time in the Marine Corps if you do the opposite of what I described above.

If you go in without an open mind, aren’t willing to embrace the suck, and give anything less than 110%, you will have a miserable experience.

Becoming a Marine and doing what so many are unwilling to do is an amazing experience and earning that Title is worth the hardship.

Just go for it!

Are you ready to FAIL?

Failure is inevitable.

Throughout your time in the Marine Corps, you WILL fail often and regularly.

The Marine Corps demands it.

As human beings, fear is in our DNA, and we avoid uncomfortable situations at all costs.

We’re just hardwired that way, but you can overcome this.

You need to learn to overcome your fight or flight response to fear and instead understand that you are in charge!

Be uncomfortable being uncomfortable!

This is developed over time, but the thing you can do now to ready yourself for facing these situations is to embrace them!

If you are nervous or afraid to face something, then that is all the more reason to do it!

I am not telling you to be reckless, but rather to be confident in yourself and realize that everything will work out.

In basic training rule number, one is to understand that nothing you do is right!

Your Drill Instructors are not there to give you high fives and pat you on the back.

You can do anything to try and impress them, but at the end of the day, they will find something you did wrong.

They are there to push you mentally and physically and see how you react under pressure.

The sooner you recognize this, the better off you’ll be!

Conclusion

Nothing you read was intended to frighten you or deter you from joining the Marine Corps.

As a Marine Corps Veteran, I can tell you that I enjoyed every bit of my time in the Marines and I still think about it to this day!

I often regret my decision to leave the Marine Corps after four years, but things happen for a reason (as I like to believe).

After reading this I hope that you have given more consideration to joining!

These four things to consider that I have outlined were things that I thought were important from my own experiences.

If you are on the fence about joining, I would get off of it and go for it!

The Marine Corps is incredible, and once it becomes a part of you, it will be with you forever!

WAIT! Before you go…

Grab your FREE copy of the Marine Corps Knowledge eBook!

Thanks for stopping by!

Semper Fidelis,

Tony 
Sergeant (Marine Corps Veteran)
For The Corps

Before you leave, here are some Articles you NEED to Check out!

• What To Ask Your Military Recruiter? Ask These 20 Questions!
• Marine Corps Benefits | Are They Worth It?
• Ranks in the Marines | Enlisted and Officers Ranks Described!

Visit the For The Corps YouTube Channel for more content! For The Corps YouTube Channel!