Would you enlist in the US Marines if it were open to Canadians?

[DogOfWar]

Yeah. thats another thing I love about the Marine Corps. Every Marine's a rifleman first.

Thats good news about your cousins. I read a book called Making the Corps. It was pretty much an author spending every day with a Marine boot platoon from start to grad. The transformation they would make in these kids who just came of the streets and were involved in gangs and violent crimes was crazy. They'd go from drinking a 40 oz on the corner to standing rigid as a stature guarding embassies.

Thats my cousin! The court actually ordered him in......and Ive never seen a bigger change in someone. I dont mind him now LOL. He was top of his class. Quite the turn from his coke habit for sure.

 

[McAllister]

Top of his class?? Holy S***! Out of how many people?

 

[DogOfWar]

Top of his class?? Holy S***! Out of how many people?

no idea. I wouldnt hesitate to guess. 5 or 100 I was impressed none the less.

 

[McAllister]

yeah. I think only the Marine Corps boot is hardcore enough to make THAT much of a transformation in such troubled youth. It must be tough s***. At one point in this book I mentioned earlier, the Marine boot platoon was doing a combat training exercise against an opfor of a US Army boot platoon. The Marines would fix bayonets, charge bunkers, and scream war cries, while the army performance was sad at best. The author wrote about how during the ex he saw one US Army recruit fall into a trench during the firefight, hurting her ankle. The recruit took her helmet off, dropped her rifle in the dirt, and started crying. The marines war cries, base of fire and dummy grenade blasts could be herad in the distance as they rolled em back. Nothing against the US army, but the USMC is not for everyone.

 

[jmackenzie_15]

Bah - America, Canada, Britain or Australia; you're basically on the same team.

Exactly.
We all defend and die in the name of the same interests.
Odds are pretty good that if any of the above countries get into a situation where they need armed soldiers, so will we.
Afghanistan is a good example.

 

[PJ D-Dog]

Allow me to rephrase: I HEARD from both a Marine and a CF soldier that the basic Marine was not as well trained in the broader sense, like advanced fieldcraft, nav, AT, AA, etc.

I think I am more than qualified to answer this post.  I'm not trying to flame you, I just want to set the record straight in case there are others with the same misconception, maybe through no fault of their own.

Marine recruits will attend three schools before they get to their first duty station.  They will go to boot camp, School of Infantry and then on to their trade school or what we call MOS school.  On average, it takes roughly eight months to fully train a Marine for the fleet.  I am speaking of the enlisted side here.  For aviation Marines, their schools are longer and therefore it takes them nearly a year to get trained.

To train a CF soldier (regular or reserve) to the same level as an entry level Marine, it takes roughly two years.  Having said this, the CF soldier will still not do everything an entry level Marine will do i.e. rappelling, fast roping, martial arts, hand to hand combat etc.

Where the Marine Corps falls down a bit is in the professional development area (what we call a PME or Professional Military Education).  Although we have leadership schools, they are not all mandatory attendance schools such as the CLC and SLC in the CF.  The Marine Corps is moving toward this but at a slower pace.  We do have something called the Marine Corps Institute (MCI) courses which are correspondance courses that are mandatory for completion at different rank levels.

In addition to all the training the Marines goes through, many of the couses are college accredited.  A Marine leaves boot camp and has three college credits.  As he takes more training, more college credits are accumulated.  MCI courses also count toward college credits.

I hope this clarifies things for you.

PJ D-Dog

 

[McAllister]

I planned on trying to get into the MArine Corps if the Canadian Forces wouldn't take me, but it's hard to do. My friend from high school got into the Corps but that's because he was born in texas. The USMC recruiter told me I needed to get a green card from the dept of homeland Security, but their 1-800 number can only be accessed from within the US. Odd.

How difficult would it be for a law abiding, clean criminal record Canadian citizen to join the Marines?

 

[D-n-A]

I planned on trying to get into the MArine Corps if the Canadian Forces wouldn't take me, but it's hard to do. My friend from high school got into the Corps but that's because he was born in texas. The USMC recruiter told me I needed to get a green card from the dept of homeland Security, but their 1-800 number can only be accessed from within the US. Odd.

How difficult would it be for a law abiding, clean criminal record Canadian citizen to join the Marines?

Impossible without a family member(who is either a US citisen who a US green card holder) to sponser you. Also, I believe you talk to US Immigration(INS) to get a green card or citisenship, etc not homeland secruity.

 

[DogOfWar]

I planned on trying to get into the MArine Corps if the Canadian Forces wouldn't take me, but it's hard to do. My friend from high school got into the Corps but that's because he was born in texas. The USMC recruiter told me I needed to get a green card from the dept of homeland Security, but their 1-800 number can only be accessed from within the US. Odd.

How difficult would it be for a law abiding, clean criminal record Canadian citizen to join the Marines?

Yup impossible. I cant get in even witrh all my family being in the states, it has to be either a mother/father/brother or sister to sponser you. My mother gave up hers so i am ineligible.

 

[PJ D-Dog]

That is absolutely right.  You can only be sponsored for a green card (I-551 visa) by a mother, father, sister, brother, spouse in order to obtain one.  The time lines are up to 24 months waiting time from when you apply and receive your receipt from immigration.  All the info you need is at www.immigration.gov.

Another route would be to claim 50 per cent native status.  That will get you in under the J-treaty for natives.  You don't necessarily need to have proof of native status from Canada.  If your recruiter has the connections, he can get you the status letter that will in turn get you a social security number and then the processing can begin.  You have to be a natural born Canadian for this to take place.  It does not give you a green card but you don't need one using this process.  Some recruiters know how to do this, while others don't have the connections.  It's hit or miss.

Again, this should be changed to pre-1968 immigration laws that would allow Canadians to join.

PJ D-Dog

 

[DogOfWar]

That is absolutely right.   You can only be sponsored for a green card (I-551 visa) by a mother, father, sister, brother, spouse in order to obtain one.   The time lines are up to 24 months waiting time from when you apply and receive your receipt from immigration.   All the info you need is at www.immigration.gov.

Another route would be to claim 50 per cent native status.   That will get you in under the J-treaty for natives.   You don't necessarily need to have proof of native status from Canada.   If your recruiter has the connections, he can get you the status letter that will in turn get you a social security number and then the processing can begin.   You have to be a natural born Canadian for this to take place.   It does not give you a green card but you don't need one using this process.   Some recruiters know how to do this, while others don't have the connections.   It's hit or miss.

Again, this should be changed to pre-1968 immigration laws that would allow Canadians to join.

PJ D-Dog

reeeeealllllyyy  >

 

[JBP]

In addition to all the training the Marines goes through, many of the couses are college accredited.  A Marine leaves boot camp and has three college credits.  As he takes more training, more college credits are accumulated.  MCI courses also count toward college credits.

I hope this clarifies things for you.

PJ D-Dog

Wow, I think that is a fantastic idea, another recruiting incentive and something else to think about while your on course. Even if it's just a "gimme" credit, it might help someone make the decision to try and go to college/school again which is great! The higher the education level in general, the better. GREAT incentive/stepping stone to want to go to college. Out of EVERYTHING I've heard about the US Marines, that and thier ability to kill I like best!

We need something like THAT in Canada...

 

[Infanteer]

Now I'm going to cry. Because I really was considering going south, a country with values more akin to mine. Oh well, back to square one.

As I said before, we are all on the same team.  I am trying to figure out what difference in values there is - rule of law, elected democracy, political egalitarianism, sanctity of life, enshrined rights - they all seem to be shared by both us and the Americans.

 

[McAllister]

It's a fine team we're on. Doesn't get any better than this.

 

[jyn]

Don't you know that is a law in Canada about that; a canadian citizen can't joint another military forces. They must serve in Canada because we have a military forces too. An y think it's the same for any of those country who have military forces.

 

[DogOfWar]

Don't you know that is a law in Canada about that; a canadian citizen can't joint another military forces. They must serve in Canada because we have a military forces too. An y think it's the same for any of those country who have military forces.

show us that law. I guarantee you are wrong.

 

[Cloud Cover]

As I said before, we are all on the same team.   I am trying to figure out what difference in values there is - rule of law, elected democracy, political egalitarianism, sanctity of life, enshrined rights - they all seem to be shared by both us and the Americans.

Interesting. What about survival of the richest and/or most privileged? I would argue this is where the US blows us away ... brilliant, hard work really does pay off more handsomely in the states than in Canada as long as one keeps their nose clean. On the other hand, in Canada the rich and privileged [and only the rich and privileged]have the ability to negotiate with the government wrt to their fortunes and privileges as "equals", whereas in the US this does not appear to be the case. Look at Martha Stewart, Enron etc.

 

[PJ D-Dog]

Don't you know that is a law in Canada about that; a canadian citizen can't joint another military forces. They must serve in Canada because we have a military forces too. An y think it's the same for any of those country who have military forces.

You need to provide substantiation on this statement.  What is your reference?  Which law states this?

I'd like to point out that I am a Canadian and I am serving in another nation's military and I've never even heard of this.  Please make sure your statements are accurate either through personal experience, reliable sources (more than one) or a legal written reference.

PJ D-Dog

 

[jyn]

Ok guys, i'll try to reach the information asap.
If i can, i would like to give you my opinion about that: You must have a good reason for prefere to serve another country than yours. If you didn't have permanent résidence in US for a while, and if its just for see  more action then in the CF, i think this reason is not very patriotic.
In CF we didn't see the same action but we are good in another kind. Keep peace, reconstruction. US forces need also peoples like us and we have to be proud to be Canadian.
I evently not understand why Canadian  peoples would serve in US country ??.
Thats my opinion.

 

[Infanteer]

Read the posts in this thread and you'll find the answers to your question.  Don't feel that your opinions on service and motivation are shared by everybody else.