If the person is doing this because they don't know what else to do, it's a bad move. If they are set on it get them to go to college and get a General studies Degree either Humanities or Math Science and go into the Reserve Officer Training Program (ROTC) Air Force is the best and try for a ROTC scholarship or post pone and get a two year Associates Degree. If the guy is 16 to 20 years they are going to do a hard sell because male frontal lobes don't kick in and they will not question authority to charge that hill because they don't believe they can die. Remember they want you to kill people, is that what he or she wants to do? Don't sugar coat it.

Neither. Just, as said below, make sure everything is up front AND in writing.

Find a veteran you trust to tell the truth about USMC....NEITHER discourage nor encourage enlistment....if the teen is under 18 it's illegal to enlist without parental consent form signed in front of a USMC OFFICER not some low life corporal....and furthermore a gung ho recruit should consider applying to your SENATORS or Congressmember for appointment to the officer 4 year program
....grades in school must be high with many civic references SPORTS SCOUTING ROTC DEMOLAY KEY CLUB community volunteering family business farming 4H Isaac Walton.....some teens fear gay feelings and ASSUME military training will cure them.....successful life in the military brings men closer together.....ultimately joining the military is a death wish to kill and may be killed ordered into battle or invasion of other countries..
....fire arms proficiency is on top of hand to hand combat training with knives bayonets and ANY available substance or object for weaponry.....joining the military is only ONE direct action of citizenship and your teen may meet foreign nationals in the Services as anyone MAY become a servicemember ....Filipinos, Afghans Samoans many others.....American Atheists exist in the military but most are PRESUMED TO BE xian and dog tags are issued with religious preference stamped upon the tags....Jews Catholics 7th Day Adventists are readily accepted but usually Atheists are forced into PROT or NP protestant generic or no preference.....ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS without bias.....it is fair to state your feelings you fear the teen will come home in a flag draped coffin or with missing legs arms or the deafening ringing in my ears....FUCKING WAR IS LOUD.....6 Veterans are committing suicide every day USA and the reasons vary GREATLY.....take the teen to the nearest veterans Hospital and spend the day eating in the canteen buying USMC stuff in the gift shop wander the halls or just sit and watch vets line up for pills from pharmacy....talking to a RECRUITER is senseless THEY ALL LIE.....EARNING money for college is bullshit ....it is much better to become an officer than a grunt private

I was army so I'm biased, but I would encourage them to make damn sure it's what they want and don't get stars in their eyes from the recruiter. READ ALL THE PAPERWORK. They "accidentally" shorted me on my college money by at least $10,000, but I caught it before I signed and made them change it. It's not going to be easy, in fact a lot of it is going to suck. Marines are a different breed. I would also encourage talking to Marine veterans. Of course there are a lot of crazy veterans out there too, so that's a crapshoot. Also depends on what job they want to do. I was in the army band, and for the most part it was really good. I would never ever want to go back, and a lot of my experience was really shity, but I'm glad I did it. It really put me ahead in life as far as financial stability when I got out. That alone was worth it.

Encourage

The millitary is a great option except for the whole millitary part of it, and the war thing. That being said, you can't run orher people's lives, and the best way to encourage people to make good decisions, is to let them think for themselves.

I would do neither. The teen in question has to decide.