Shaka, when the walls fell

How would a Tamarian get me to make the following observations and then cut it out of a post?

As for service differences, my subjective opinion is no more or less perfect than anyone else - so let me put this out there.

1. USMC: Agreed with RADM Klien, they do have the best culture in the aggregate. They are smaller, more selective, and are all focused on supporting the rifleman - their core competency. From a distance, that comes from mutual respect derived from high standards and a culture that tries to promote both obedience and contrary opinion. Tradition, yet innovation. Not that it does them all that good, their opinions as of late have been treated with disdain by their civilian leadership - but at least they tried. If you love being part of a well coordinated organization that will let you become something greater than yourself, a great place to be.

2. Army: Years of garrison duty have made the Army in general a bit more rigid and bureaucratic, and with the exception of certain branches of the combat arms, run by the lowest common denominator. Anyone who has tried to get issued gear from the Army knows of what I speak. Slow to move, and difficult to change. If you want to serve, but not sure how, what, or for how long, a great place to be.

3. USAF: Take the most irritating parts of the DMV, mall cops, and a country club - throw in a little IT support center - and you have the USAF. They took the Army's love of process and combined it with a aviator's disregard for admin overhead. If you are good at shutting up and coloring, aren't a big fan of dirt and discord, a great place to be.

4. Navy: Pick your rate, pick your fate. As I am Navy, I really can't look at the Navy from the outside. My subjectivity is just too subjective. But let's play opposites for a bit. What I noticed first while serving with other services, perhaps the opposite is what the Navy is. Perhaps. So, we are big and wide from SEALS to Surface Nukes. From VFA types to AMPHIB CHENGs. From Riverine to Submarine. All we know is we do what we do, and everyone else is somehow not as good as we and our command is at what we do. That, or someone has stolen the strawberries and gets too much sleep. We may be a bit slovenly and messy, perhaps a bit soft in the middle, but who cares? We tend to be loose and inconsistent with procedures, and if you can't keep up, well, every command needs FITREP fodder. We can't do configuration control for squat - but we like it that way for some reason. Sure, there may be a governing instruction, but that isn't quite how we do it here. No you can't park on the grass, no we aren't building new parking lots, no there isn't a shuttle. If you want a better spot, then come in before 0545. Not my problem. SUPPO ordered too much asparagus and only Rice Krispies are available until we get back home. Suck it up.

Our Navy culture? Worked great for me.

Well you have to go over to USNIBlog to find out.