Active Duty or Reserves?

[James321]

I know that there have been many threads about this, but I want some advice. I don't know if I should join the Reserves or go Active Duty. I want to go to college and get a degree and maybe earn a commission through the PLC program while a reservist. But I am worried that as a reservist, I will miss out on actually being a Marine. No disrespect to any reservist, I just want to be a full time Marine. I have wanted to be a marine for as long as I can remember. I know that I can become an officer after 4 years AD or through other commissioning programs. I also know it would most likely take longer to get a degree on active duty. I have talked to an OSO and they say go reserves, but I don't want to miss out on the experiences I would gain from 4 years on active duty. How hard is it to take online courses if I went active duty with a 03xx MOS? And is is more beneficial to go active rather than reserve if I want to be an officer? I have looked over the site and didnt find anything on this. Thank you for the help, I really appreciate it.

[josephd]

If you want to be a "full time" Marine and are questioning it, then definitely go active. Reserves are good if you are dead set on going to school and/or you have a good job/career to go back to.

I have been kickin myself every day for the last 3 years now for not going active duty. Playing Marine only a few days a month is not ok with me. I am glad I will be deploying soon though now.

[TheReservist]

If you go reserves, just remember that you can/will deploy. Of the 6 years that I spent in the reserves, I spent a little less then 3 of them active duty.

[josephd]

If you go reserves, just remember that you can/will deploy. Of the 6 years that I spent in the reserves, I spent a little less then 3 of them active duty.

this will depend on the unit and MOS, there is Marines in my unit that have been in/drilling for more than 6 years and have never deployed. Our company as a whole hast deployed since 03/04.

[James321]

true, I have no job to come back to and I would go to a JC for a few years while in PLC. Im not worried about getting deployed at all, I actually want to go. Is it harder to take online courses and get a degree while on active duty?

[josephd]

true, I have no job to come back to and I would go to a JC for a few years while in PLC. Im not worried about getting deployed at all, I actually want to go. Is it harder to take online courses and get a degree while on active duty?

it will be much harder to take courses even online ones and get a degree while on active duty, it is possible though. If you are active duty your job takes priority over anything else. Your first year or two in the fleet will consist of long work weeks with long hours learning the ins and outs of your job, not focusing on school.

my advice to you again is to just go active duty, get whatever school you can in while in the fleet. Once you get out you can continue your education and get in touch with an OSO to apply for an OCS slot. If you don't have a job and are only planning on going to a JC/CC you are gonna be in bad shape financially and will be a few years off from going to OCS anyway.

[James321]

oh, ok thanks for the advice, I appreciate it.