Help going back in...

[SsgtHart]

If any of you can help me get the good gouge here I would appreciate it a great deal. Here is my situation:

Got out of the Marine Corps in Dec. 04 RE-1A as a Ssgt.
I am currently finishing my degree at MTSU and my desire is to go to OCS to be a active duty officer.
I am 29 years old with four dependents counting my wife.
I still run a high first class PFT and will not need any waivers to the best of my knowledge other than possibly age and/or dependents.

When I spoke with the OSO he informed me that my chances of getting admitted to OCC is practically nil right now due to the competetive nature of the program. I was told that of the 12 applicants last board only 1 got accepted and that due to my age and dependents it just wasn't going to happen. I will say that he was very respectful and seemed to be trying to genuinely help me out. He was a prior as well.

Additionally, he informed me that I had other options. One was go to the Army because they would take me no problem. (I quickly informed him that that was in fact not an option) He then said that I should re-enlist in the reserves and apply for the Reserve commissioning program and I would get it no problem because the competition just isn't there. This sounds good but I don't want to be a reservist.

So here come the questions:

If I chose to go reserve and drop a RECEP package to be an officer is there any way at all to switch from reserve to active duty at all? I'm talking full active duty not augmenting here and there or going AR.

I have contemplated going back enlisted AD as well but with the intentions of trying for MECEP. Anybody know how competetive that is right now? That would alleviate the need to jump through the reserve hoops.

If I go back active duty how does that work? Will I retain my MOS and/or rank?

Ultimately I want to be a Marine Officer and am looking for a pathway to take to complete that goal. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Semper Fi

[SsgtHart]

Nobody?

[xbsnguy]

Sir, let me link you to a site mainly visited by Marine Officers and hopefuls. It has helped me greatly, and I hope it will help you. There should be more resources available there to address your questions.

http://www.marineocs.com/portal/modules.php?name=Forums

[Wood5831]

You can try and go reserve and put a package in to augment back to Active Duty.

[thediesel713]

The Corps is just full right now. All the recruiters are telling PS to join reserve and try from there. I have 3 in my shop right now all within the last 7 months who are trying that. My knowledge of the officer side is very limited, but I am pretty sure you can get in on the reserve side. You will probably be there for awhile though. Why don't you just put in an application for OCS anyways? You should only need an age waiver and you got a 50/50 shot.

[Supersquishy]

Go Reserves as a Warrant?

[devilbones2]

What MOS are you trying to come back in as? Does it matter to you?

[elliscraig12]

Maybe you can consider going back enlisted and then going LDO.

[SsgtHart]

I have talked to the PSR and the AD recruiters. The AD seems to want to help (it doesn't hurt he has his numbers good until October).

I talked to the OSO again and he indicated to me in a bit more detail that he has 12 people for every one slot available in general. Of those 12 about a third get through the medical and admin screening process. Of those third about fifty percent get admitted. So I figure that is pretty good chances. I am going to push for him to get a package rolling. I want to be active duty and while he stated the reserve side has about a 80 to 85 percent approval by the board I would rather wait a bit longer for AD.

We'll see I suppose.