Been given the option to serve his country with the Marine Corps or face a lengthy stay in prison Clint joined the Marine Corps and earned his way up to the rank of Lance Corporal, when he selected by his battalion to join the scout-sniper platoon and went on to complete an approved scout-sniper course which he passed with flying colours and broke several course records in the process. After completing basic training he went on to complete Urban Snipers, High Angle (Mountain) Snipers, Scout Snipers Team leader course (Formerly the advanced course) as well as Foreign Forces Snipers Schools with British Royal Marine Snipers School and Israeli Foreign Forces Snipers Schools and became a United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper.
As a Marine Corps Scout Sniper, he excelled and received numerous commendations and medals for his service. it was also during this time as a Marine Corps Scout Sniper that he met Nicholas "Nick" Joseph Fury and while the two didn't get on immediately, Fury did see great skill and potential in Clint and after a bar fight in which Clint knocked out a superior officer who was being less than gentlemanly with a female Marine, Fury offered to make sure the Superior officer was fired and Clint's record was expunged, in exchange Clint would receive an honourable discharge and join Shield.