Pros
Bottom line: reputation. Even several years after I have received my honorable discharge, the reputation of the hard working men and women of the Marine Corps follows me everywhere. In addition to fantastic resume filler, my service has provided me with the majority of my education expenses; adding many potential professional networking contacts in the process. When I mention that I was formerly a Sergeant of Marines, I can instantly see people straighten up and take notice.
Cons
Unfortunately, unlike it's private sector counterpart, innovative minds and outside the box thinking are squelched from anyone other than those with shine on their collars. The phrase "work smarter, not harder" does not always apply, and when methods are questioned those doing the question making are reprimanded. It is downright INSULTING that an E-7 with 20 YEARS tenure is underpaid compared to an O-3 with FOUR YEARS tenure. In a society that largely measures worth by the size of the paycheck, this tells many enlisted members that their opinion is not as valuable solely because they lack a piece of paper that signifies their four-year commitment to amassing student loan debt. The promotion ladder is methodical and far too rigid and dogmatic.
