Navy vs. Army

I'm a junior in high school and want to attend one of the service academies or do ROTC in college if I am not accepted into an academy. At first I really wanted to be in the Army, but now I can't decide if I want to do be in the Navy. At some point in time I would want to try out for a special forces groups such as the Navy Seals or Army Rangers. I understand that both of these sf groups are really hard to get into, but I would at least like to attempt to get in one. From the research I've done I really like the thing the Navy Seals do and it seem like they a lot more training than the Army Rangers and they do more specialized missions. I kind of understand what the Army Rangers do but not completely. What exactly do they do? Do they only deal with land warfare? I feel like the only reason I would want to be in the Navy is so I could try to become a Navy Seal, but other than that I rather be in the Army. I understand that I may not get into either of the two, I at least want to attempt to get in though. Also, is there any other kind of special forces group that is in any way like the Navy Seals?

First, I suggest doing a little more research. Special Forces are only Army (Green Beret); Navy Seals are Special Operations. Technically, Army Rangers are not Special Forces.

Now, Green Beret and Navy Seals do many things that are similiar, and many things that are different. I suggest talking to special forces and special operation recruiters; however, do not trust everything they say (find a source -maybe google - that can validate for you). Both of these paths you can join off the streets, if you meet the minimum requirements. However, I believe you must be 20 to go Green Beret (maybe comlpete some college, then you join through the 18 x-ray program).

Hope this helps!

A bit of a correction to the post above.
The above advice seems to be geared toward Enlistment.

I assume from the OP that he is looking at gaining a commission. That being the case you can't just join either SF or SO "Off the street".

For the Army, an officer will need to be a Captain or 1LT Promotable before they apply for SF.

You'll have to ask the Navy about there requirements for Naval Officers looking to apply to SO.

Just wondering, if you were to do something such as the 18x contract can it lead to a long career in the military? I just don't want to enlist and be in the military for several years, I would like to be in the military for as long as I possibly could.

Jcleppe said:

A bit of a correction to the post above.
The above advice seems to be geared toward Enlistment.

I assume from the OP that he is looking at gaining a commission. That being the case you can't just join either SF or SO "Off the street".

For the Army, an officer will need to be a Captain or 1LT Promotable before they apply for SF.

You'll have to ask the Navy about there requirements for Naval Officers looking to apply to SO.

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Oops, I apologize. My post was definitely directed at enlistment. Should have read his post a little closer.

maxpatty02 said:

Just wondering, if you were to do something such as the 18x contract can it lead to a long career in the military? I just don't want to enlist and be in the military for several years, I would like to be in the military for as long as I possibly could.

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I cannot give you an accurate answer (nor would I want to make an assumption) to that. The military can be very unpredictable, especially with the downsizing that is happening.

Try actually researching this yourself instead of asking people on here to type you out a general overview of different units and their missions. It's all readily available on the internet. Educate yourself, and then ask specific questions, not just "what do they do?"

Like the poster above me said, look into it. Also consider things like surroundings, would you rather be on a ship or on land? And why enlist when you can be an officer? Unless that's not possible for you...

I see your point, but it seems like it's taking forever to start my military career. I've been really thinking about it since I started middle school.

maxpatty02 said:

I see your point, but it seems like it's taking forever to start my military career. I've been really thinking about it since I started middle school.

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Well, Rome wasn't built in a day either. Patience... patience... every day is a step closer and time you can spend preparing.