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I know it's stupid for me to ask but can a Buddhist kill? If he know what he is doing and does it, can he?

As it stands at this moment in time I want to join the Royal Marines, probably infantry, and feel I have no problem killing another person. I also feel practicing Buddhism will help me in life.

What should I do? Any advice?

I practice Buddhism, but I am also enjoying a bacon sandwich for breakfast...

I wish I could find the quote so I could post the exact words, but either Buddha or a Buddhist teacher once said something along the lines of "choosing not to follow a path just because you can't follow all the guidelines/rules is like being dehydrated and not drinking from a river simply because you can't drink the whole river." In other words, practice what you can apply to your life now regardless of what you can't. Perhaps later you'll decide you do have a problem with killing, and if you're lucky when you join the marines you won't be placed in a situation where it is kill or be killed.

All that said, if for any reason things don't work out with me going to college I will be joining the National Guard and transferring into one of the other branches. With the economy the way it is, no logical(and non-pacifistic) person can really blame you for going military. On top of good pay- you get $200 food allowance, $200 clothing allowance, and you can either live on base or if you are married and want your own home you can get a housing allowance of up $1000 a month. Most of the money you earn can either be put in savings or enjoyed in other ways. Plus, the food allowance goes up and you get a pay bonus for all dependents(spouse and kids), I don't know many if any other places that do that. Considering the fact that there are college graduates working at those fast food restaurants most people would work at part-time while in high school so long ago, the military is not at all a bad choice for someone who needs to make a living.

Besides all that, it is a civic duty to serve for at least six years, but most people don't know that and it isn't really enforced.

EDIT: I just noticed you say "Royal" Marines. From what I have heard before, that refers to the Marines of the United Kingdom. What I said about benefits and civic duty refers to the American military, so that may or may not be different. I don't know, but it's a possibility.

Actually, most branches of Christianity support killing only when necessary for defending your homeland and/or family. In fact, if your family is attacked and you do nothing to try and stop them the Bible says that you are as guilty as those who attacked your family. Christianity also teaches that you should follow the laws of your country. If you are ordered to kill while in the military and choose not to, you are treated as if you broke the law because by being in the military whatever orders you are given is pretty much the law.

If I remember correctly, Shaolin Kungfu was developed so the Buddhist monks could defend the local people from bandits and other thugs without killing, however there have been cases of them killing to protect others when necessary.

Most pacifistic religions or belief systems place higher value on others than on the individual practicing. A Christian's job is to follow their God and their God supports supporting the country, but if as an individual a Christian were to be slapped they are supposed to turn the other cheek. A Buddhist's job may depend on their sect for specifics, but generally they are to end suffering for all sentient life and not anyone in particular, so they would defend someone who is being attacked and turn the other cheek if they themselves were attacked.

Killing for fun, vengeance, experience, money, or any other such reason is not supported by either Christianity or Buddhism. Killing may not be supported in any sect of Buddhism, but defending others is. Defending others is also supported in Christianity and Christianity does support killing when necessary, but only when necessary.

EDIT: In the end, it does pretty much come down to whether or not an individual feels they can handle killing. I'll be joining the military when I can as well, but I hope I don't have to kill anyone. I'm sure I could handle it if I have to since I'm not going to kill unless I have to, but that doesn't mean I'll enjoy it.

Its just something else that we can attach to ourselves. True killing is bad, but it can be worse if it is dwelt on. To kill? To not kill? Don't fill yourself with questions, just be. You know?

While as others have said, if you're prepared for it and it'll improve your life somehow, then go for it.
But I'd like to add, if you kill, don't kill in hate.
When I was researching about killing and Buddhist (when killing bugs), the answer I got was, first, it's not really good, but try not to kill in hate. And second, the precepts aren't commandments.
Buddhists should try to uphold them to the best of their ability, even the Dalai Lama kills mosquitoes as said..