Army vs. Navy
There has always been a rivalry both on and off the field between the Army and the Navy. There has also always been some competition about which branch is best.
Who’s the Best: Army or Navy?
Personally, I believe it all depends on the person and what they want to do in the military.
I have been fortunate to serve and deploy with both branches. I first served in the Navy for 5 years, and I’ve now been in the Army for 12 years. I have learned many different things in both, and both have taught me many lifetime values to live by. I can say with confidence that they are both good branches to serve in and be a part of.
However, the main thing I have learned is that no matter what branch you serve in, we are all part of the same team. We’re all part of the United States Armed Forces, and we’re all working to protect freedom.
With this in mind, my experience serving in both the Army and the Navy has also taught me that, although they are obviously very different from each other, they also share a lot of similarities.
The Differences
The differences in the Army and the Navy aren’t just in the colors of the uniform. For me, one of the first differences I noticed was in boot camp.
My experience going through both the Navy’s and Army’s boot camps was that the Navy’s was a lot easier. I spent more time spent in the classroom and learning how to march in cadence. We also only fired our weapons on 1 day and only carried them for about 3 days. Army boot camp, on the other hand, was a lot more physical with push-ups, running, and a lot of time spent in the field.
After boot camp, the Navy seemed more generous with time off during training. In Navy “A” school, as long as we didn’t have duty, we were allowed time off in the evenings and on weekends. In the Army’s infantry school, this was not the case.
NCOs in the Army also have a lot more control over how things are run. Though NCOs also help run the Navy, Navy officers play the primary role. To me, this is the biggest difference.
When it comes to food, they are both very similar, but if I had to pick one I would say the Navy is better.
As for physical training, most of the Navy is less physically demanding than the Army, except for the Navy’s special operations like EOD, SEALS, and SWCC, which are all more physically demanding than the Army.
Finally, some of the other differences include promotions and deployments. In the Navy, you are required to take a test on your military occupation in order to receive a promotion. In the Army, this is not a requirement. And, as for deployments, these happen more often in the Army and last for a minimum of 12 months while most Navy deployments only last about 6 months.
The Similarities
Despite all of the differences I described about, there are still many similarities between the Army and the Navy.
They both have many MOS opportunities. (However, because the Navy also has ships in addition to shore positions, their opportunities are slightly more diverse.)
Also, when it comes to discipline, both the Army and the Navy follow the UCMJ in the same way.
The Honor to Serve
All in all, both the Army and the Navy are very good branches to serve in, and it has been an honor to serve in them both.
However, if I had to choose one over the other to serve in, for me the Navy would be where I would choose. This is simply because I personally prefer how the Navy operates its special operations units like EOD and SWCC. Also, the Army sometimes makes it more difficult on families during deployments and at home here in the United States.
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