Author Topic: Are you smarter than a Marine? (Read 2850 times)

MillCreek · « **on:** November 25, 2012, 01:00:19 PM »

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2012/1109/Are-you-smarter-than-a-US-Marine-Take-the-recruitment-quiz/Word-Knowledge-1?google_editors_picks=true

According to the results of this and the explanation at the end, I am smart enough to enlist in the Coast Guard! 24/24!

Tallpine · « **Reply #1 on:** November 25, 2012, 01:12:37 PM »

But are you smart enough not to ?

Devonai · « **Reply #2 on:** November 25, 2012, 01:18:58 PM »

In the Army Guard, my ASVAB scores were high enough to get an eyebrow or two raised. "What the hell are you doing in the Infantry?" was the usual result. When I joined the Air Guard, they wanted me to be a radar systems operator, but with a 32-week tech school and no signing bonus, I declined. My recruiter said it wasn't that often they got someone with scores high enough for the radar systems operator; I simply said "Show me the money."

Now I'm a cargo handler, sitting on the first half of a sizable bonus.

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #3 on:** November 25, 2012, 01:36:26 PM »

My scores were high enough for pretty much all enlisted schools. I was a pretty lousy student and when I took the ASVAB I was one of the first ones done.

Scout26 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 25, 2012, 02:45:04 PM »

When I first took the test for Navy Recruiter, He said I scored in 98th or 99th percentile. He got alll excited and was talking about Nuke school in Idaho, and bonuses for enlisting, finishing school and re-enlisting numbers like $20,000 and $50,000 (This was in 1986). I got excited too, then asked "Where will I be serving?"

"Most likely on nuclear submarines."

I later went down the hall and joined the Army Reserve instead, so I could go to college.

vaskidmark · « **Reply #5 on:** November 25, 2012, 03:05:10 PM »

Am I smart enough to be a Marine private, or a Marine Gunnery Sergeant? There is a difference.

Scored in the 99th percentile (only because they don't have a 100th). They wanted to send me straight to OCS.

I enlisted in the Marines for 4 years in order to avoid being drafted for 2 years. (In 1967 that made a lot of sense. Since there has not been an active draft for a while I'm not sure the younger generation could appreciate the smartness of that plan.) After Boot Camp/AIT they wanted to send me to OCS. My contract said Basic Electronics School. San Diego was a nice place, as was most of the rest of California and Maryland (but not New Jersey) between 1968 and 1970. When they ran out of schools to send me to they sent me on a tropical vacation - did you know there were no palm trees in III Corps (even before Agent Orange)?

stay safe.

zahc · « **Reply #6 on:** November 25, 2012, 03:45:04 PM »

Quote

I enlisted in the Marines for 4 years in order to avoid being drafted for 2 years. (In 1967 that made a lot of sense. Since there has not been an active draft for a while I'm not sure the younger generation could appreciate the smartness of that plan.)

I'm one of the younger generation that does not understand this. I assume you would get a better deal or better position by enlisting?

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #7 on:** November 25, 2012, 03:52:09 PM »

Quote from: zahc on November 25, 2012, 03:45:04 PM

I'm one of the younger generation that does not understand this. I assume you would get a better deal or better position by enlisting?

Pretty much under the draft on 2 year enlistments you'd expect to be a grunt, or some other not so fun in the Vietnam sun job. Considering the length of some of the technical schools, plus many real technical jobs keep you out of the line of fire, it was a good option for many.

Hawkmoon · « **Reply #8 on:** November 25, 2012, 04:05:37 PM »

Quote from: vaskidmark on November 25, 2012, 03:05:10 PM

I enlisted in the Marines for 4 years in order to avoid being drafted for 2 years. (In 1967 that made a lot of sense. Since there has not been an active draft for a while I'm not sure the younger generation could appreciate the smartness of that plan.)

10-4. I enlisted in the Army to avoid being drafted 1n 1966. I understand completely.

On this little test I hit 23 of 24, and the one I missed was because I rushed, and dropped a zero doing a math question in my head.

However, question #14 was bogus. I got the answer they wanted, but the answer isn't a valid answer.

This was the one about if it takes 15 people on an assembly line to build one smart phone in 5 minutes, how many people does it take to build 5 smart phones in 5 minutes. The answer is 75 ONLY if the assembly lines don't operate as assembly lines. In reality, on an assembly line of 15 people, to build one copy of the product in 5 minutes means the product goes through 3 operations per minute.

On an assembly line, then, by the time the 5th item has been started the 1st has only reached person #5. At the end of the 5 minutes, the first product is finished and the LAST of the five has just gone through station number 11. So in reality we only need four additional people to get all five phones finished in the five minutes.

That wasn't one of the choices.

Northwoods · « **Reply #9 on:** November 25, 2012, 04:07:40 PM »

Quote from: Jamisjockey on November 25, 2012, 03:52:09 PM

Pretty much under the draft on 2 year enlistments you'd expect to be a grunt, or some other not so fun in the Vietnam sun job. Considering the length of some of the technical schools, plus many real technical jobs keep you out of the line of fire, it was a good option for many.

Ayup. That's what my dad did. Enlisted in 1968 for a 3 year hitch in the Army. Spent the bulk of that time in a pharmecutical lab in MD. And he was the experimentor, not the experimentee.

dm1333 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 25, 2012, 04:13:02 PM »

Quote

According to the results of this and the explanation at the end, I am smart enough to enlist in the Coast Guard! 24/24!

I've been dealing with some of the people who are smart enough to enlist in the CG and I'm not impressed! There are a couple of recruiters I would like to talk to!

(I got 23/24, dropped a zero and answered 1800 instead of 18,000)

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #11 on:** November 25, 2012, 04:39:24 PM »

Oh, and my original job desire was 8114 Coxswain. I only got lured to ATC for the enlistment bonus.

ArfinGreebly · « **Reply #12 on:** November 25, 2012, 06:11:26 PM »

I, too, am a draft dodger.

Volunteered (1968) for a four-year USAF tour to avoid a two-year Asian picnic. My original plan was to follow one or the other of my uncles in the Navy. Changed that plan when one our ships unexpectedly got to explore the ocean floor. Figured USAF radio electronics was likely safer.

Spent the first year in assorting training -- tech schools for radio stuff, mostly. Spent the remaining years in the UK with a trip to Germany and Greece.

Never got to see Asia. Broke my heart.

RoadKingLarry · « **Reply #13 on:** November 25, 2012, 06:21:28 PM »

Quote from: scout26 on November 25, 2012, 02:45:04 PM

When I first took the test for Navy Recruiter, He said I scored in 98th or 99th percentile. He got alll excited and was talking about Nuke school in Idaho, and bonuses for enlisting, finishing school and re-enlisting numbers like $20,000 and $50,000 (This was in 1986). I got excited too, then asked "Where will I be serving?"

"Most likely on nuclear submarines."

I later went down the hall and joined the Army Reserve instead, so I could go to college.

I got the same song and dance about going nuke program as well. I went advanced electronics. But I don't understand your aversion to submarines.

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #14 on:** November 25, 2012, 06:56:08 PM »

Quote from: RoadKingLarry on November 25, 2012, 06:21:28 PM

I got the same song and dance about going nuke program as well. I went advanced electronics. But I don't understand your aversion to submarines.

Long and hard and full of seamen. Every young man's dream.

Hawkmoon · « **Reply #15 on:** November 25, 2012, 08:17:06 PM »

Quote from: dm1333 on November 25, 2012, 04:13:02 PM

I've been dealing with some of the people who are smart enough to enlist in the CG and I'm not impressed! There are a couple of recruiters I would like to talk to! (I got 23/24, dropped a zero and answered 1800 instead of 18,000)

That's exactly what got me, too.

Hawkmoon · « **Reply #16 on:** November 25, 2012, 08:19:29 PM »

Quote from: sumpnz on November 25, 2012, 04:07:40 PM

Ayup. That's what my dad did. Enlisted in 1968 for a 3 year hitch in the Army. Spent the bulk of that time in a pharmecutical lab in MD. And he was the experimentor, not the experimentee.

Edgewood Arsenal?

I was there for awhile. My barracks overlooked the end of the air strip. We could look out in the mornings and evenings and see deer grazing. I thought that was a nice touch on an Army post -- then someone explained it's because deer are more susceptible to nerve gas than humans. The advice was, if you see the deer keeling over -- get out of Dodge!

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #17 on:** November 25, 2012, 08:23:49 PM »

Ooh, is it time for us to brag about our high scores on .mil entrance exams again? Awesome! I'm also in the too smart to be in the infantry but too dumb to pick a civilian-applicable MOS club.

41magsnub · « **Reply #18 on:** November 25, 2012, 08:25:44 PM »

Quote from: fistful on November 25, 2012, 08:23:49 PM

Ooh, is it time for us to brag about our high scores on .mil entrance exams again? Awesome! I'm also in the too smart to be in the infantry but too dumb to pick a civilian-applicable MOS club.

Yep! :) Must be the end of November again.

I'm the guy who maxed the ASVAB yet still went in as a 12B.

Northwoods · « **Reply #19 on:** November 25, 2012, 08:39:53 PM »

Quote from: Hawkmoon on November 25, 2012, 08:19:29 PM

Edgewood Arsenal?

I was there for awhile. My barracks overlooked the end of the air strip. We could look out in the mornings and evenings and see deer grazing. I thought that was a nice touch on an Army post -- then someone explained it's because deer are more susceptible to nerve gas than humans. The advice was, if you see the deer keeling over -- get out of Dodge!

Not sure. I do know it was near NIH (mom was working there - they met in the cafeteria). So pretty close to DC.

Fitz · « **Reply #20 on:** November 25, 2012, 10:00:18 PM »

Quote from: fistful on November 25, 2012, 08:23:49 PM

Ooh, is it time for us to brag about our high scores on .mil entrance exams again? Awesome! I'm also in the too smart to be in the infantry but too dumb to pick a civilian-applicable MOS club.

This

Recruiter couldnt understand why I picked 11b

BobR · « **Reply #21 on:** November 26, 2012, 01:43:08 AM »

Quote

Are you smarter than a Marine?

I am sure I can answer that without taking an online test.

bob

dm1333 · « **Reply #22 on:** November 26, 2012, 07:24:55 AM »

Quote

Ooh, is it time for us to brag about our high scores on .mil entrance exams again? Awesome! I'm also in the too smart to be in the infantry but too dumb to pick a civilian-applicable MOS club.

I can always get work driving the launch at a yacht club!

280plus · « **Reply #23 on:** November 26, 2012, 08:40:39 AM »

Went to Navy nuke school. Did you know nuclear stuff involves a lot of high end math? Who woulda thunk. Smart enough to max the asvab but not a mathematician by any means. At the end of the first 6 weeks I had a 2.7/4.0 and they offered me a deal where I could go back to the fleet and they'd drop a year off of the 6 I had signed up for. I jumped. Ended up turning wrenches on a destroyer for 4 more years. In hindsight I wisht I'd stuck it out but then I've heard from others that maybe I made the right choice. They had a saying. "The only thing in the navy smarter than a nuke is an ex-nuke because he was smart enough to get out of the program."

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #24 on:** November 26, 2012, 09:01:09 AM »

Quote from: fistful on November 25, 2012, 08:23:49 PM

Ooh, is it time for us to brag about our high scores on .mil entrance exams again? Awesome! I'm also in the too smart to be in the infantry but too dumb to pick a civilian-applicable MOS club.

As hard as I tried to pick a useless mos (tanker or, coxswain....), being talked into ATC turned out to be a good thing

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Author Topic: Are you smarter than a Marine? (Read 2850 times)