Joining the Marines

[FidelisPhilo]

I know I have plenty of time before I'm able to join, but I would like to get the opinions of people in the service now, or veterans. My overall goal is to be an officer in the marine corps. I don't really know how I should get there. I talked to my local marine corps recruiter and he said there is a couple of options. 1. Annapolis - The research I have done shows that up to 1/6th of each class is able to be commissioned in the marine corps after annapolis. If you don't make the cut are you stuck with navy? option 2. regular college to plc/ocs - sounds like a good idea, except I don't know what I should major in at all yet, or what school to go to. option 3. Enlisted Commissioning Program - whats the catch? I'm keeping my options open, and right now I'd be happy being in the marines period, officer or enlisted. But I kinda like the Harrier

 

[Autumnleaf]

PLC/OCS college would save time. Enlisted commissioning program would save money and time in the long run. If you want to be a pilot you will probably have to study engineering or something like it. Annapolis is competitive to get into but if you've got the sweet hookups go for it! Whatever you do the Marines is the way to go.

 

[Deacon]

Again go to http://forums.military.com They eat their young so be careful.

 

[Ron_the_Nazarene]

Philo ... please keep a few things in mind. I'm a Navy E-8 with 25 years of service, so please bear in mind that I'm no stranger to what you're dealing with.

1 - Military recruiters are salesmen whose job it is to get people to join. Although they cannot lie or misrepresent the truth to you, they certainly can (and do) word things in ways that allow you to fill in the pieces they want you to believe. This goes for all recruiters ... not just the Marines.

2- One option is the Naval Academy. What you have to understand is that the Navy is made up of a collection of "Corps". We have Medical Corps, the Supply Corps, the Chaplain's Corps, the Nurses Corps ..... the Marine Corps ... do you see where I'm going with this? The Marines are a component of the Navy. Look at the Marine Corps Emblem and what do you see? An anchor. Also ... the Commandant of the Marine Corps answers to the Chief of Naval Operations and the Secretary of the Navy.

If you don't make the cut are you stuck with navy?

On the contrary ... the math requirements to go into the Marine Corps out of the Academy are not as strict as that of the Navy.

3 - Look at Navy ROTC. Again, you would be a Naval Midshipman, but upon completion of college, you would be commissioned a 2LT in the Marines. As with the Academy, you would still be eligible to apply for Flight School. But alas, that's taught by the Navy as well, and you'll wear Navy aviator wings. <Do you see a continuing theme here?>

4 - Join the Marine Corps as an enlisted member and go for their Warrant Officer or Limited Duty Officer program once you make E-5, but you won't be able to fly. Of course, if you were an enlisted aircraft mechanic, you would use the Naval Aviation Maintenance Program as your guide.

I say all that not to be mean, but to ensure that you understand there's a certain amount of salesmanship with any military recruiter. The recruiter you talked with has a monthly quota to fill. That quota is based on enlistments ... not on officer ascession. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions you have.