Why Join the Marine Corps? If you ask any current or former Marine, you’ll probably just get a chuckle and an abrupt “Why not? What else would you do?” From an outsider’s perspective the Marine Corps may be very similar to some of the other branches of the military. Once you are on the inside, it couldn’t be further from the truth. One word sums up the difference between the Marine Corps and the other branches of the military: intangibles. The Marine Corps is the finest fighting force on the planet. They continue to set the standard for courage, esprit, and military prowess. You will quickly find that many of the other branches highest levels of achievement are the Marine Corps’ baseline. Marines are physically tougher, mentally sharper, and are better trained than members of all other branches of the military. What’s so important about intangibles you ask? The intangibles are what separates the few and the proud from the masses. Anyone can carry an M-16 but few can wield it with the accuracy of a Marine. Only Marine Aviators are trained to lead troops into combat AND fly with such great precision and deadly accuracy. The Marine Corps has the highest dedication to their profession and their country. Marine Corps aviators have the closest ties to the men on the ground and because of this, they fly more close air support missions than any other branch of service. If intangibles alone aren’t good enough, consider this: if you want to fly the Marine Corps is the only branch of the military that guarantees IN WRITING a spot in flight school before you committ to the program. It's as simple as passing the mental and physical qualifications and a written aviation exam. No gimmicks, no tricks, no fuzzy print. Nothing can change your path to flight school once you sign with the Marine Corps. Nothing can stop you from being an aviator escept yourself. The Marine Officer Programs are completely voluntary and you can dis-enroll at any time. If you sign on as an air contract and decide flying isn’t for you, you may switch to a Naval Flight Officer contract or a ground contract with ease. For more information regarding the Marine Officer Programs, explore the site, contact one of the individuals listed on the contact page, or check out this brochure (.pdf)