US Marine Corps reviews

Time away from home & family. Over time, the compensation becomes less competitive. Continual moves make building equity in anything almost impossible and creates conditions where you too often live paycheck to paycheck. As the ladder for advancement progresses, personalities begin to play a greater role. Working at the crossover point where you are required to work for political appointees with little or no experience but a decided sense of entitlement and in many cases an attitude born of unearned arrogance is frustrating. Not all are that way, but some are. But I expect that such conditions exist in almost any environment at the senior level. There is little or no time to commit yourself to anything but the Corps if you expect to be successful at the senior level. That is okay, but you must understand that fact when you decide to stay...it is a calling.

Deployments, I have done five in the past six years. Your stuck you cannot quit. The first enlistment is not as enjoyable, juniors in certain units are not always treated with much respect. Sometimes your treated by worker bees by those immediately above you because they are inexperinced and are taught to lead that way. Some opportunities are not available such as education depending on your command and mission. Some Commanders will not approve leave and education just because of a small risk of not having you available for a few hours a week. The military gets into your personal life more than any other job as well.