Oddly enough, the Marines are the only service that REQUIRES a HS diploma to join. Waivers on this happen, but VERY seldom. GED will get you into any of the other services.
As far as inter-service rivalry...in the last 17 years, I've served with great men and women in ALL services. As I age and mature I realize that if I could do it all over again, I'd join the Air Force--they get more money and spend most of it on taking care of their people. Then again, as prideful and intense as I am as a person, the Air Force probably would've just pissed me off.
BTW...I'll admit that Marines aren't known for their smarts, but plenty of us do our best to break that mold. I teach literature and writing by night at Hawaii Pacific University, when I'm not running young Sergeants into the dirt by day.
Semper Fidelis,
Minor
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