USMA vs. Marines (USNA)

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freedom

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What if you want to lead men on the ground? I am torn with which way to go between USMA and going USNA (Marines or Seals). What criteria should I use to help me decide?
 
You won't go wrong either way. The REAL problem is surviving the Academy. You should consider the Academic Majors, sports, ECA'a, and location to see what might make you happiest. If you like the water, you can add USMMA because you also have an Army and USMC option out of there.
Both (plus USMMA) Academies will get you leadership of the troops on the ground. You have to add-in which Academy is more survivable to the math of your question.
Good Luck
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The Army and Marines are very different fighting forces with different missions and makeups. My best advice is to talk to both sides and do some research into both services (not the academies) and make your choice based on that.

Personally I'd go USMC because I feel its a more balanced force with a wider variety of warfighting MOS's and the enlisted are some of the best of any service.

But, I'm in the Navy so what do I know.
 
I am gonna get crap for saying this but......

I know a couple of kids who are at USNA and wanting to go Marines (actually one graduated). Both said they were frustrated that they didn't have as much infantry training as they would have gotten at West Point. Even if you want Marines you still have to do summer sea training - the Marines are after all Land and Sea. For starters Beast is very very different than Plebe summer.

That said - some of the summer training that is done at West Point is open to USNA midshipman. You could seek it out.
All I am saying is consider the whole picture. If you want Marines, fine. But if you want Infantry - consider both.
 
I have to dissagree with Just A Mom,

The Marines will give you plenty of training in TBS and IOC if you go that route.

DO NOT pick a career based on the four years of college.
 
The training you get during the summer has nothing to do with what you do when you hit the operating forces of either the USMC/USA. Don't let the fact that West Point plays paint ball in the summer sway you one way or the other. To go along with Kero, you should examine the culture of the respective services and the missions that each performs while making your decision. When the country is at war (OIF, OEF) the Army and the USMC get to go break things. When the country is at a presumed peace (1992-2001ish) the majority of the Army sits in bases in what many people consider to be America's gutter. Others get to go to attractive locales like South Korea. Regardless of the war footing of the country, the USMC is always on the move, deploying from both coasts on board wonderful haze gray ships. Think about things like that when you decide. USNA provides the most desirable options if you eventually change your mind on what you want to do.
 
Remember that waht you want at 16/17 is not necessarily the same as what you want at 20/21. Some people showed up wanting to go USMC and stayed that way for four years. I thought I did, and changed my mind within about a year. Don't really know a whole bunch about the Army, but at USNA you get to see a bunch of very different communities, and my service selection choice changed with my interactions with officers and changing life priorities. Someone Army can speak to the extent to which that's true at USMA, but that's just my two cents.
 
Service selection?

Thanks for the replies. It is helpful. I went to both SLS. I am a very strong candidate for both. My one concern is if I choose USNA and then don't get to choose marines. What are the odds of that?
 
A higher percentage of USNA grads than ever are going USMC. The belief is that it may hit 33% at some point -- right now, I think it's around 25%. My understanding is that, if you want to go USMC and you do well at Leatherneck (your 1/C summer program where you go to Quantico), you have a pretty good shot. Of course, service selection is always based on your order of merit w/in your class and the needs of the Navy/USMC. But I've not heard of many folks not getting USMC.
 
Kero - true but you won't have that opportunity until much later in your USNA career.
that is my point.
Paint ball? they use live fire.

Let put this another way - if you think Air Assault, Airborne and Sapper school would be fun; if you like night patrols and land nav; if you want experience driving tanks; if you would like to go abroad or study abroad - think USMA.
If you don't mind spending your summer on a ship - go to USNA.

or apply to both and see where you get in or go with your gut.

One other point - what is your intended major? If you want Engineering or other "hard" science; pick either one. If you want to major in History, Military Science or other Liberal Arts major - lean toward USMA.
 
I think that comparison, was a little biased to tell you the truth.
 
Just_A_Mom said:
If you don't mind spending your summer on a ship - go to USNA.
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JAM, you seem to think the Marine Corps and the Navy are diametrically opposed. Not true. Marines typically deploy on Naval vessels, which are a tactical part of their battle plans.

Look at the promotion rate for field grade officers. It may not matter for a 2nt, but later on, familiarity with ships and their capabilities becomes invaluable.
 
Kid loved Marine Week @ Lejune, Cherry Point, New River and yes the Marines play high speed paint ball too just like Army. Played in Afghan village mock up. Impression was "Marines had it together, knew their job, not a lot of down time twiddleing your thumbs and everyone actually liked their job"! Phone call scared the crap out of Mother but hey it's their decission.:thumb: Kid's luck would be assigned FLEET MARINE and be on BATAAN for six months twiddleing thumbs.
 
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mombee said:
JAM, you seem to think the Marine Corps and the Navy are diametrically opposed. Not true. Marines typically deploy on Naval vessels, which are a tactical part of their battle plans.

Look at the promotion rate for field grade officers. It may not matter for a 2nt, but later on, familiarity with ships and their capabilities becomes invaluable.
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Not at all. Read my post again. I was relaying the comments of Two Mids who plan on going Marines. I even commented that Marines serve on Land and Sea.
My comment was only "food for thought". Something to think about.

Also, my comment concerning curriculum was not a result of "bias" at all. There are differences in curricula. Someone's choice of major may make West Point a better fit and vice versa. Not only that - I hear that USNA is imposing a "quota" on Liberal Arts majors. One might attend intending to major in Poli Sci and end up in Ocean Engineering.
 
Just_A_Mom said:
I hear that USNA is imposing a "quota" on Liberal Arts majors. One might attend intending to major in Poli Sci and end up in Ocean Engineering.
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In theory this "quota" has existed as long as I know, in practice I have never heard of anyone denied there choice of major except in a rare case where the dept not the administration just couldn't handle the number of students. In that rare case, provissions were made that if those denied students performed well they would be transfered into the major after a semester or year I don't remember.
 
freedom said:
Thanks for the replies. It is helpful. I went to both SLS. I am a very strong candidate for both. My one concern is if I choose USNA and then don't get to choose marines. What are the odds of that?
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Not getting your first choice on Service Selection is extremely rare. If you want to go Marine Corps for service selection, I would say you have a 99.9% of getting exactly that.
 
I wouldn't say it's "extremely rare," but the vast vast majority (if i recall ~ 90%) get their first choice. Once you factor people trying for something super selective (seals etc.) it's a bit higher. As they increase the number of USMC spots, probably going to make it easier to get Marines. Not saying you can be a complete screw up for four years and get Marines. 99.9% is a bit extreme, but I know a few people who didn't get Marines, and it's always really obvious why they didn't.
 
Since the opportunity of serving as an infantry officer exists at both USNA and USMA, consider some other factors that may sway you in one direction or the other. One very important fact to consider is that USMA is in West Point, NY. Go visit and see what it is like. Then go to Annapolis and see how it is. This one isn't rocket science.

Marines serve in the air, on land and sea...so goes the song.

The difference in curricula shouldn't matter in your decision either. You are going to learn about some engineering things and some liberal arts things and some professional development things. If you're smart, you'll sneak a sudoku or crossword in while you sit in class and listen to the prof blather on. You'll then graduate and go on to gain competency in some war fighting skill, probably never once relying on what you learned in either Boats or Steam. What is the otto cycle? Either way, pick what works for you then just ride it out.
 
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