Asking what is the best MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) in the United States Marine Corps is like asking what is the best tasting beer. The reason for that is because everyone has a different answer and there really is no wrong answer. Since you asked the question, we feel obligated to answer it for you. In response we have created a sort of disclaimer to the answer to be able to provide you with the best possible answer to the question of what is the best MOS in The United States Marine Corps? Lets look at the criteria for the answer.
What are your goals while in The United States Marine Corps?
Are you looking to make it a career?
How long are you planning to stay in the Corps?
The Best M.O.S.? Heck, Can You Even Finish Boot Camp???
Once again it becomes tricky when answering this because as life goes on, things change. Here is an example…You decide to enlist and while you are enlisted you enter the artillery field. While in the arty MOS you learn to blow things up. You become the best blow things up person the Corps has ever seen. Something happens along the way and you decide you want to get out and return to the civilian world. Now is the important part you need to think about before you answer the question….What do you do when you get out? Have you ever seen a wanted ad for someone to blow things up? If not, your job choices after the Marine Corps remain about as limited as they are right now. So, when you answer the question of how long you will remain in the Corps, it is something you really need to consider when asking what is the best MOS in the United States Marine Corps.
Another thing that you really need to think about is what is your personality like? How do you react to physical hardship? Sure it seems cool to be on the frontier of some back ass country, but the reality of being wet, cold and hungry for days on end are really not that glamorous, to those that have to live through it. If you are not an outdoors person, you need to think about NOT being in the infantry. The job or MOS you choose is the life you live for a few years and being “cool” really may not be what you wanted to do after all. If you are a person that seeks adventure and physical gruffness, then by all means…learn how to blow things up and learn how to do it anywhere, any place and at any time.
One thing to consider is advancement while in the Corps. If you enter a field that is very narrow as you get promoted, it may be more and more difficult to stay in the Corps. As the ranks start to peak, the competition causes those still in uniform to rise to the top. If you are not rising to the top, you may find yourself promoted to civilian sooner than you wanted.
If you really want to be a Marine, your best option is the infantry because that is the MOS that is wide open. That is the MOS that the future leaders historically come from. If you are interested in sticking around for 20 years, then the infantry is the place to be. The ranks get thinned by combat (not insensitivity, but reality) and the field is always looking for leadership that can and will rise to the top. The Marine Corps is the elite and the grunt is the warrior that makes it happen.
One other alternative is the air wing. They generally have it easier and less spartan than the ground pounders. Do not think they have it easy all the time because if and when things go south, they will find themselves in the thick of it also. Generally the air wing has a greater choice of MOS’s that can offer you decent jobs later on in your life.
Asking what is the best MOS in The United States Marine Corps is really a question that nobody can answer for you. This is one time you will have to make that choice after looking at all of your options and then just go for it. Choose wisely because the day will come when you exit the active ranks and will need a job. Are you joining for the adventure? The excitement? The toughness? Are you just trying to see if you can get through boot camp?
What ever you decide to do, just remember that after boot camp you will start the school for specialized MOS training. After boot camp you will get into the nitty gritty of the actual job you will be living for the next few years. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. There really is a very good chance you will not even graduate from boot camp. Nobody thinks they will fail, yet many do each and every day.
Choose wisely because if you do finish boot camp, you will be living the life of a Marine for a few years. You should really try to be what you enjoy, because being a United States Marine should be the best years of your life.
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Semper Fi!