Best branch for MP?

[jkw]

I have always wanted to serve my country and I didn't do well on the ASVAB back in high school, but I didn't study. After marriage and 3 kids (only age 25), I am passionate about getting the military experience and doing something in law enforcement afterwards. I also have mild dyslexia (using spell checker) and it takes me awhile write a report correctly (previously when I was a Correctional officer).

We have been looking at the Marine Corps and Air Force, but I am wondering which one in MP/SF will help me the most afterwards in law enforcement. Ideally, I want to be a PO for state, city or something federal. What are my best chances making it during military and schooling afterwards for my dyslexia as well? Thank you so much for your time.

[Creeker]

I am no expert by any means, but if you didn't do well on the ASVAB, I'm pretty sure the USMC won't take you and the Air Force may not.

You can't assume that any Service will take you just because you want them to and you have nowhere else to go.

When I took it back in the early 80's, I was informed that the enlisted scoring Pyramid was USMC, USAF, USN, USA, top to bottom.

I'm not disparaging the Coast Guard, but I don't think it was on the ASVAB charts when I took it.

I have no reason to believe that has changed.

[MP_Steve]

I am no expert by any means, but if you didn't do well on the ASVAB, I'm pretty sure the USMC won't take you and the Air Force may not.

According to usmilitary.about.com, the Marines require a high school diploma, have a minimum 'ASVAB' score of 32, which can be waivered down to 25.

Like the Marines, the Air Force also requires a high school diploma, but requires a minimum score of 36, which can be waivered down to 31. Over 70% of persons entering the USAF achieve above 50 on the ASVAB.

Those are minimum scores to enlist. When I enlisted as an Army MP I believe the minimum score for that MOS was in the 50's.

Good luck.

[jkw]

Like I said, I took the ASVAB over 6 years ago and I didn't even study then. I am very determined and will study study study. This time I need a 65 though because I have 3 kids and wife (total 4 dependents) and all the branches are cutting way back on who they allow waivers for right now. Since you are only a certain # of dependents to enlist, I would have to get a waiver and therefore get at least 65 on ASVAB.

For the Marine's, I would need an ST95 score (line scores) for MP and I'm not sure about the AF. I also don't know what that translates for a round about idea of ASQF score.

I am just wondering what branch will get me the best MP experience once back in civilian world for law enforcement. Thank you.

[Sgt. Slaughter]

Marine Corps sends their MP candidates to the Army MP school. You're gonna get the same training in the Corps that the Army gets. The Air Force and Marine Corps are two different worlds. When I was in the Marines (EAS'd in '97) the Air Force was referred to as a uniformed corporate job.

You'll have better living conditions in the Air Force which will be better for your family life. The Marines normally live in the crappiest conditions. Pray to God you and your family don't get stationed in 29 Palms. The Army deserted that thing long ago as it was "unfit to live in." That's when the Marines moved in.

Study and re-take the ASVAB. THEN see what options you have. With the Marines, you will have pride like no other branch can give you. The AF option might possibly be better for your family, though.

[retdetsgt]

This was all years ago, so it may not be relevant now. But I had a cousin who was a Marine MP. Most of his time was spent working in brigs as a guard. He did periodically take trips to pick up AWOLs and deserters.

A friend of mine was AF AP (gives you an idea of how long ago that was!) He told me a fairly small percentage the people actually did LE. In the Air Force, SP (I think that's what they are now) do all the guard duty. My friend spent a lot of time standing around a B-52 on a deserted runway somewhere.

But it may have all changed by now.

But I can tell you the AF has the best food, housing, etc of all the services. I don't think that's changed.

[BSmitty]

Like everyone else has stated, the USAF has better food, quarters, bases, etc than the others. Marines are proud of doing without. I was army MP, later became a federal agent. My son was MP in 82nd Abn, became Immigration Enforcement Agent (he works with other former army and AF MPs). I was in MPI and that is an advantage to the army, but most MPs are now combat support. USAF SF does a lot of base security and some combat support with army MPs. Any of these will give you a good career or a path to law enforcement. Study hard, ask questions, and see who gives you the best offer. Army MPs used to have higher scores than most GIs; air force APs were often the guys who didn't score well enough for the high-tech jobs the air force has. Don't know about Marines or Navy MAs. One advantage to the army- CID agents come from within the army (mostly within MPs), while NCIS is civilians, OSI is both civilian and military. Good luck.

[retdetsgt]

I remember in Vietnam, the AP's couldn't leave their bases to chase VC who were mortaring them. They had to call the Army or Marines to go after them. After a while, they started training special units to nothing but leave the base and chase them down. I remember talking to a couple of them, I forgot what they were called. They were sent to Ft. Benning for infantry training, the AF had none up until then. One told me they only saw a rifle during basic when they went to the range once to qualify.

At the time, I thought it was kinda stupid for them to have to wait for us or Marines to show up to do something.

I saw a show on the Military channel or one of them and apparently the AF does do some rudimentary infantry training now.

[mcsap]

I remember in Vietnam, the AP's couldn't leave their bases to chase VC who were mortaring them. They had to call the Army or Marines to go after them. After a while, they started training special units to nothing but leave the base and chase them down. I remember talking to a couple of them, I forgot what they were called. They were sent to Ft. Benning for infantry training, the AF had none up until then. One told me they only saw a rifle during basic when they went to the range once to qualify.

At the time, I thought it was kinda stupid for them to have to wait for us or Marines to show up to do something.

I saw a show on the Military channel or one of them and apparently the AF does do some rudimentary infantry training now.

When I got out of basic ( Dec 78 ) , we were sent off to Camp Bullis Texas for combat training. The " old dogs" at the time told us the exact same thing. That the Army and Marines got tired of defending Air Bases and pretty much told the AF " Go do it yourself".

So they started giving us training on infantry and light to medium weapons. At that time every SP went to Bullis for 2 or 3 weeks. I went back before going to Korea for another 2 weeks.

I became a M-60 machine gunner but we also had training on the .50 cal mg, 40 mm grenade launcher, hand grenades, claymores, 90 mm recoiless rifle and the 81 mm mortar.

A typical 16 man squad would have 4 fire teams. Each fire team had the following. One M-60 mg, one asst m gunner ( with an M-16) , one M-16 with a 203 grenade launcher and one with just an M-16 ( may have had a PRC-77 radio) We also used the Armored Personnel Carriers.

We were sent out on offensive missions as well as general base defense.

Our AFSC ( Air Force Specialty Code) at the time was 81150. But having been to Camp Bullis gave us a SEI ( special experience identifier) of 327 aka Air Base Ground Defense.

[retdetsgt]

According to that show I saw, some infantry training is now done at Lackland by AF instructors and given to all airmen. Somebody finally woke up and realized the AF is military too..... Not just the guys flying the planes.

[mleehogg]

Before you get to far in this, you need to talk to a recruiter. The fact that you have 4 dependants probably will DQ you. There are waivers, but with 4 it will be very tough! I was an Officer in the AF and I required a waiver for dependants, and I only had 2. Just check it out before you get to far into the process. I don't want to discourage you, I just want to make you aware of the possibility. Ive seen multiple people get their feelings hurt over this regulation.

[Cat_Doc]

When I went in the AF in 1973, my job (AFSC) was as a Law Enforcement Specialist. We were actually the base police. Others went in as Security Specialists and ended up humping B-52's or missle silos.

I took Air Base Ground Defense twice, the first time at Bullis in Texas, the second an in-service at Whiteman AFB, MO.

As I understand it now, those speciality codes are no longer there and everyone is in Security Forces, with even more advanced infantry training. I could be wrong of course on the specialities, because I still saw base police cruising around when I would visit my daughter.

You really need to speak with the recruiter and ask specific questions.

[USMC OCS]

Just by the ASVAB minimums, the USAF has the highest around a 36. The Navy is 35 and the Marines are 32. The Army is at 31.

But talk to a recruiter. Don't worry about MOSs quite yet. Talk and figure out if they won't cut you at MEPs for the dependents like mleehogg said and make sure the dyslexia won't be a DQ.

[Coastie 585]

Just to throw this in there, USCG also requires a 36 minimum to get in.

[kobrakai]

As an Air Force Security Forces member, I wouldn't suggest entering my career field for the purpose of LE experience.

I joined for the same exact reason and it turns out the only LE situations I've dealt with include: issuing tickets for defective tail-lights and failure to signal, some larcenies at the BX and a few drunk Airmen, Soldiers and Marines being stupid. The rest of my experience involved being in the desert doing convoys, outside the wire patrols, flightline security and checking IDs at the gates.

I'm deployed right now and we perform law enforcement functions back at home station. However, those aspects of this career field are slowly disappearing as stateside Air Force bases have already started the process of contracting SF jobs out to DOD civilians. So far it seems that our career field will pretty much consist of ABD(Airbase defense) infantry type missions and flight-line security with a constant deployment tempo. They've already started calling us the "infantry of the Air Force" even though what we do is nothing compared to what the Marines and Army have to do.

Any type of military experience regardless of your MOS, NEC or AFSC should look pretty good on an application to a Police Department. But if you are serious about being an MP, I suggest looking at the other branches such as Army, Marines or Navy. From what I understand, they get to do a lot more LE than we do.