Possible Marine Reservist

[Guest]

yea, like the title said, im looking into the marine reserve. been reading other threads about this and understand ill get treated like s*** from AD marines and that I could get deployed. my few questions and thoughts are these:

1. what are the odds of getting deployed? I mean, I could care less if I get deployed but looking reserve to get more schooling
2. if I go reserves, go to basic, then MOS, can I become an officer just from that? im in college now but juss changed my major so itll be another 4 yrs before graduating, so do I have to graduate before I become an officer of can I o for OCS after MOS?
3. If I get deployed, am I considered AD marine and will I get paid like an AD marines?
4. if you could pick ur MOS again, what would it be? I was looking at combat engineer. thoughts?
5. i don't wanna join another branch. I understand I could have it better at another branch but semper fi has been in my familys blood for multiple generations. so please don't clutter the thread with that bull right now please.
6. I haven't talked to a recruiter yet so he didn't fill my head with crap I wanna hear instead of stuff I need to hear. all my intelligence in the reserves is from the website so its not the most helpful but got the ball rolling
7. if I have a good chance getting deployed, is it better to just enlist in the corps and be an AD marine?

Any thoughts and comments will help weigh my options! thank you!

[tkent02]

Syria is nice this time of year.

[chuck hahn]

Since your still in school and don't have a diploma, your not likely to be an officer straight from boot. Your recruiter will confirm this.

Doesn't matter what MOSC you choose, your first and primary is always gonna be as a regular infantry man...Army, Marines, whatever...Basic infantry is what your basic is all about. AIT will micro train you to your specific MOSC.

You may come out of basic an E2 or E3 based on what educational certs you already carry. You can apply for OCS and /or CWO candidancy.

Either way your starting out at rung 1. As for deployment..things are "supposed" to be winding down in Afghanistan but Syria is all the rage now, so I see no "real" drawdown in the Middle East for the next 5 to 10 years.

Obamas gonna get out boots on the ground in Syria one way or another..even if its the WMD fabrication like got Operation Freedom in Iraq underway. Are there gas attacks..yup. So do we need to be there..nope. Let them fight it out their own way, kill off as many potential future terrorists amongst themselves and keep our kids from dyng for a fruitless cause and a peaceful sand box!!!!

[Danaconda7]

Becoming a Marine is a fine and noble choice. However becoming a USMC "tampon" is not the road i would sugest you take If you want to lead Marines i sugest you finish school and then get your ass into OCS. I served in the USMC infantry and wished I had gone to school first so I could have lead marines, or flown cobras! Oh and if you were wondering what "tampon" is all about join the reserves and then hang with some AD 0300's. They will be happy to explain in a way that might make you second guess your decision. But all kidding aside this is a choice that will change your life, or even end it. Really consider all aspects of your life. Do you have a girlfriend? if so how serious is it. If it is serious dont join, I saw lots of cats have all sorts of problems, myself included. It can make thing really hard for the both of you. It will not make a difference if you are reserve or active, if things get crazy enough count on being in a very dangerous place quickly. And never forget that you might get killed, no matter what lame ass behind a desk job you might find. Wow, I sound like an a**hole! listen if you want to ask me anything just PM me. you will get honest answers from someone who served between 2002-2006. Just dont ask me those CoD, battlefield fan boy questions about seeing "action" or killing people. Good luck.

[bonanzadave]

Doesn't matter what MOSC you choose, NOT TRUE.

your first and primary is always gonna be as a regular infantry man...Army, Marines, whatever...Basic infantry is what your basic is all about.TRUE

How old are you ?

Try the Marine Air Wing. Get it guarantied by your recruiter (in writing). Also ASK for any signing bonuses. You will always be a basic rifleman but if you have air wing training you wont have to tap dance around IEDs.

[chuck hahn]

Put my post back INTO context please Dave!! I saidm it doesn't matter what MOSC he chooses...the basic infantry man is what boot camp is all about.

You THEN ( if you graduate boot ) go onto AIT and get your MOSC specialized training. I was referring only to the boot part of his training. He said he wanted to be in the engineers..but they are just as vulnerable as the ground pounders and many times even more so.

[bonanzadave]

.the basic infantry man is what boot camp is all about.

You THEN ( if you graduate boot ) go onto AIT and get your MOSC specialized training. I was referring only to the boot part of his training. He said he wanted to be in the engineers..but they are just as vulnerable as the ground pounders and many times even more so.

Agreed.

If you're going to serve just to get money for school I would reconsider. Like stated above, be prepared for a total life change. Be open minded. You'll be spending time with people from all walks of life. Choose a MOS that you find most interesting.

[Badooka]

My advice- UPS- they will pay for your schooling. Do not waste your life, limbs and mind doing garbage that is useless. I spend a major amount of time getting treatment from the VA- you should spend a few hours there and then make your decision. Once your health is gone- you get thrown in to the side. I talked my son out of the service- and my family did it since the civil war. Patriotism is propaganda fella. My voice of experience.

[80-81, GS 1100]

Its hard to recommend an MOS because I don't know much about what you are good at or what you like.

If you are good at working for people you disagree with, and making things better for those who work for you, (or think you could be) its possible that being an Officer is for you. The pay is much better, and if you think you can have what it takes to get your degree, why not let the Marines pay your tuition?
Why not? Because you are committing yourself to more years than if you just enlist.

If you are more like my best friend (while a Marine) you can't deal well with people who lie, are lazy, or incompetent, perhaps you should enlist to drive a tractor trailer. He did over 20 years and retired a Staff Sargent. He was more intelligent than most he worked for but not very flexible.

Its an important decision that needs a lot or research. Talk to recruiters over the phone before you ever talk to ones in your area in person. Go on You tube and watch Marines tell you their experiences. Get a book on the ASFAB, study it and take the practice tests.There are tests you can take to tell you what you like to do. Remember, they will want to put you where they need you not where you will be happy. You have to figure out where you will be happy.


If you are physically fit and go enlisted, you picked the right branch if your competent. You put 100 percent effort and you will make Sargent quicker than any other branch if you pick a good MOS.

No one knows if you will be activated.
I was in the Army Reserves when they said Desert shield would turn into Vietnam. I joined the active. Marines, did 4 years, and they never sent me to Iraq.

I picked a combat MOS (field radio operator) active duty. I wish I would have picked Tractor trailer driver, because I may have stayed in. But I don't really regret getting out. Its hard to stay Married as a Marine and I would not trade my wife for a career.

I now drive a Tractor Trailer and enjoy fighting traffic instead of being under the thumb of some one in an office or on a job sight.

[Bert Patterson]

It's nearly 40 years since I got out of the Corps, so I don't know much. I know that for OCS, you needed a four-year degree and a GCT of at least 120. As hard as it was being an enlisted grunt, being a 2nd Lt. platoon commander is certainly harder.....yea, being an officer pays a lot more, but there's a reason. Becoming a warrant officer did not require college, but you had to be at least an E5 (Sgt.). There were no rank guarantees on MOS (like those in this job leave boot an E3). It may have changed, but that was an Army thing. There were only two ways to get rank....time in grade (length of time since last promotion) or meritorious (being exceptional).

If you want to be a Marine, join the Marine Corps.....there's really nothing comparable. If you want to go to school, join the Air Force. No offense to our AF vets, but it's less taxing and your likelihood of being killed or maimed is really, really low.

[....and when I was in, the reserves were essentially a way to avoid Vietnam, since they were, with tiny exception, never activated. Since we're not honest enough to draft, that's no longer true.]

[Badooka]

If you want to be a Marine, join the Marine Corps.....there's really nothing comparable. If you want to go to school, join the Air Force. No offense to our AF vets, but it's less taxing and your likelihood of being killed or maimed is really, really low.

LoL- you've never been on a flightline-
One of the most dangerous places on the planet. Bombs, ammo, radar, hydrazine. JP-4- etc. Marines, Army and Navy couldn't score high enough on the ASVAB to get in and aim high. Never saw any of these folks complain about our food either. No longer a place of honor to serve- now it's a meatgrinder.

[dr_puter]

Usmc

Being a former Marine I'll chime in. It doesn't matter if you go AD or reserves. The Tampon joke is just that a joke. Once you finish boot you have earned the title US Marine. Having said that I will promise you that earning the title is not a walk in the park. There is a reason that once you have completed USMC boot camp you can change branches and not have to do that again. The good / bad to that is that you will be a completely different person coming out of boot camp. You will have much less of a gray area on everything. If you are some sort of new age hippy type person that will come to a crashing end.

Don't get me wrong you will definitely have much more discipline in your life. You will be a rock for people around you. Unless you are part of the 10%. The 10% of fine Marines that give the 90% a bad name. I can personally say that 20 years in the Corps is a very long hard road to travel. My father did 26 in the Army. I could have done 20 there. I could do about 50 in the Air Force. It is about as close to civilian life as you can get. Great chow, wonderful base locations, and as my brother in law says " The only branch smart enough to send the officers in first". I couldn't have done any time in the Navy. I already served in the mens department of the Navy. Ha Ha. Just kidding the Navy is fine for a lot of people.

If you are in it for school alone then join the Air Force or the Coast Gaurd.

If you just want a challenge run a marathon. The Marine Corps is not a branch of the military for people that are unsure. You will be different than you are today and those 3 months change the rest of your life. I don't know if you'd ever get called to AD from the reserves. That would depend on your MOS more than anything.

There are only so many people in the USMC. It is not a million man army. Every Marine is there for a specific MOS. There aren't 5 of these or 3 of these. There is one. The budget for the USMC doesn't allow for extras. You get a lot of hand me down type equipment. Not that it might not be new, but the cutting edge equipment is not there. Make do. Excell with what you have. Nobody else is going to ever pick up the slack for you.

I have nothing but appreciation for what the Marine Corps gave me personally. But it is not for everyone. You could be unhappy in your life now, finish your education, and move on to your life. If you are unhappy in the Corps you don't get to quit or start over or change your MOS. You are in for your commitment.

The argument about which is the best branch is just BS. If you serve in the military you have my respect. And i'm sure most people on this board would thank you for your service no matter what you decide.

Good luck and I'm really glad you are trying to make an informed decision.

[Bert Patterson]

If you want to be a Marine, join the Marine Corps.....there's really nothing comparable. If you want to go to school, join the Air Force. No offense to our AF vets, but it's less taxing and your likelihood of being killed or maimed is really, really low.

LoL- you've never been on a flightline-
One of the most dangerous places on the planet. Bombs, ammo, radar, hydrazine. JP-4- etc. Marines, Army and Navy couldn't score high enough on the ASVAB to get in and aim high. Never saw any of these folks complain about our food either. No longer a place of honor to serve- now it's a meatgrinder.

No, I have never been on a flightline. Only ate one meal on a USAF base and the food was good.

This just a very short period of time (2003-2006), but is probably the period of highest casualties in Iraq, so most relevant to current state. This represents the rate of death per 1,000 by branch of service....

Army 3.94
Marine Corps 8.48
Navy 0.83
Air Force 0.40

Obviously, each branch has occupations with higher and lower rates of risk, but overall, your possibility of dying is more than twice as high in the USMC than in the Army, the Army is nearly 5 times as high as the Navy, and the Navy is more than twice that of the Air Force. Change of death in the Marine Corps is 21.2 times higher than the Air Force....again, for that period of time.

As for the other point, people choose different branches of the military based on reasons that are beyond counting. Family history, personal preferences, etc.... For me, I chose, specifically, Marine Corps infantry for a very silly, short-sighted reason. However, my entry test scores (is that ASVAB?) were the highest on record in that recruiting region and my GCT was the highest in each battalion I was stationed at, including the officers. There was not a single job in any branch that my scores wouldn't qualify me for, but it had nothing to do with the choice I made.

[Badooka]

No, I have never been on a flightline. Only ate one meal on a USAF base and the food was good.

This just a very short period of time (2003-2006), but is probably the period of highest casualties in Iraq, so most relevant to current state. This represents the rate of death per 1,000 by branch of service....

Army 3.94
Marine Corps 8.48
Navy 0.83
Air Force 0.40

Obviously, each branch has occupations with higher and lower rates of risk, but overall, your possibility of dying is more than twice as high in the USMC than in the Army, the Army is nearly 5 times as high as the Navy, and the Navy is more than twice that of the Air Force. Change of death in the Marine Corps is 21.2 times higher than the Air Force....again, for that period of time.

As for the other point, people choose different branches of the military based on reasons that are beyond counting. Family history, personal preferences, etc.... For me, I chose, specifically, Marine Corps infantry for a very silly, short-sighted reason. However, my entry test scores (is that ASVAB?) were the highest on record in that recruiting region and my GCT was the highest in each battalion I was stationed at, including the officers. There was not a single job in any branch that my scores wouldn't qualify me for, but it had nothing to do with the choice I made.

And now AIDS-
You know what I'm sayin'
Semper Bi

[Bert Patterson]

And now AIDS-
You know what I'm sayin'
Semper Bi

Ummm....I don't have a clue what you're saying.