Army vs. Navy – Which is Best for You?

Are you comparing the Army vs. Navy right now? While the Army vs. Navy football game is very popular and something you may enjoy if you join one of these branches, this post isn’t about the football game. Instead, it’s a comparison of the Army and the Navy meant to help you decide which one is best for you.

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Below, we will compare Army vs. Navy in multiple categories including how you can join, enlistment options, enlistment incentives, job choices, recruit training, and education benefits.

Joining the Army or the Navy

Both the Army and the Navy offer the same basic ways you can join. You can join as an Active Duty member, which means you’ll be a full-time member of the Army or Navy. It’s also possible to join the Army and the Navy as a Reserve, which means you will serve part-time. In addition, you can join the U.S. Army or U.S. Navy as an Office. This includes multiple options, such as:

ROTC
Officer Candidate School
U.S. Military Academy at West Point (Army)
U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis (Navy)
Direct Commission Officer (Army)
Direct Appointment (Navy)

Joining the Army or Navy as an officer will require the right qualifications and training.

Army and Navy Enlistment Options

Two basic enlistment options are offered for both the Army and Navy. You can join through standard enlistment, which means you sign up and start immediately or you can use delayed entry, which means you sign up and delay joining for a certain period.

Delayed entry enlistment for the U.S. Army comes in two ways: Delayed Training Program or Delayed Entry Program. Both programs allow you to delay basic training up to 365 days while enlisting now.

The military delayed entry program is also offered by the U.S. Navy, which allows you to delay starting your training for up to 365 days.

Enlistment Incentives for the Army and Navy

Enlistment incentives may be the deciding factor for some when choosing between the Army and the Navy. However, some of the incentives are the same or may depend on the job you choose. When speaking with a recruiter for the Navy or the Army, make sure you ask about the possible bonuses and incentives you may gain from each job option.

Enlistment bonuses vary depending on the type of enlistment you choose. The job you choose may also determine how large or small your bonus will be for enlisting. These bonuses change regularly, depending on need and you will need to ask your recruiter for details. Your enlistment bonus will also depend on your rating from the Navy or Army, along with the length of your contract.
If you plan to join the special forces of the Army or Navy, you may receive special incentives. While these are incredibly competitive programs, those in great mental and physical shape may fit perfectly into the military Special Forces.

Other possible enlistment incentives include:

Student Loan Repayment
Voluntary Education Programs
G.I. Bill
Accelerated Promotion

All of these options are offered by both the Navy and the Army, but may vary depending on your job and type of enlistment. You may be able to get promoted faster if you were/are a Girl or Boy Scout, already have college credit or a degree, were a member of the Civil Air Patrol, Participated in JRITC in high school or you refer a friend.

Army Job Choices

More than 200 Military Occupational Specialties or MOSs are offered by the U.S. Army. They include:

Administrative Services
Combat Operations
Communications
Engineering and Construction
Electronic Maintenance
Health Car
Intelligence and Electronic
Mechanical Maintenance
Media, Public, and Civil Affairs

Navy Job Choices

The U.S. Navy offers more than 100 career options in fields, such as:

Accounting and Finance
Arts and Photography
Aviation
Business Management
Construction
Computers
Dental
Electronics
Engineering
Education
Information Technology
Legal
Law Enforcement, Intelligence
Medical
Music
News and Media
Special Operations
Transportation and Logistics
World Languages

The job choices of the Army and Navy may become the deciding factor in your decision. Both offer some similar careers, but both also offer jobs you cannot find in the other military branch.

Recruit Training

While job choice may be the deciding factor, another difference between the Army and the Navy is how they handle recruit training.

Army Basic Combat Training

The Army uses what is known as Basic Combat Training, which lasts 10 weeks. Out of all the branches of the military, the Army is the only one offering more than two locations for basic training. You may do your training at one of the following locations:

Fort Knox in Louisville, Kentucky
Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma
Navy Boot Camp & Fort Benning, Georgia
Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina
Fort Leonard Wood in Waynesville, Missouri

The recruit training for the U.S. Navy is known as Boot Camp. It may last from 7 to 9 weeks and will be held at the Great Lakes Recruit Training Depot in Great Lakes, Illinois.

Education Benefits for the Army and Navy
All branches of the U.S. Military provide some type of education benefits. However, these benefits do vary a bit from one branch to another.

The U.S. Army and U.S. Nay both offer the GI Bill, College Funds, College Loan Repayment, and Tuition Assistance Programs. However, the Army also offered a Concurrent Admissions Program, while the Navy offers a program called CASH, which stands for College Assistance/Student Headstart.

Making Your Final Decision Between the Army and the Navy

While looking at Army vs. Navy in a comparison can help with the decision-making process, one isn’t better than the other, overall. The Army may be a better fit for you because of the job you want to perform. Usually, making this decision will come down to the job, the bonus, and the possibility of a shorter or longer enlistment.