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View Full Version : Another question- PLC vs Enlistment



PFCJon
01-04-05, 06:32 PM
Sorry to keep bugging you guys, but you have been the best source of general information I have been able to find- I'm learning things here that the recruiters probably wouldn't tell me and that would have been hard to find out on my own. So here's another plea for guidance from you Marines. I have been holding off on my enlistment because I am going to finish my semester here at college before entering the DEP. I will have been in college for two years at that point, working towards a sociology or political science degree. I wanted to stop after this semester and enlist with the Recon option. I feel a calling, a sense of duty, and I want to serve one way or another. I hav been trying in vain to help some family members understand why I want to do this, and my mother in particular refuses to consider it as a possibility. I'm 20 years old, and not afraid of ****ing off my family, but they have supported me through some hard times and to ignore their input would be wrong. This leads me to option 2- wait. I have been told that if I was to enlist with a college degree I would probably be run through OCS. I don't know whether or not I would better serve the Marines as an officer or a grunt. I am considering PLC as a possible way to fulfill my duty while not burning bridges at home. I will have to meet with my recruiter again to go over the application process and all of that, but I am now concerned that I won't be able to get my shot at Recon Indoc since the need for officers is less than that of the enlisted ranks. I'm just a bit lost with this difficult decision coming up, the fact that we are in a war right now is of course something to consider as well (I don't really want to be assigned to a base and to spend my tour training stateside). I just want to do the right thing. Can any of you with experience with the PLC program or maybe some college guys who have put off graduation for service chime in? Thanks
Jon

GunnyL
01-04-05, 07:40 PM
Well DEPJon,

The thing you need to remember about OCS is that your future is purely the needs of the Marine Corps. You could go Infantry, You could be in Logistics, You really only know if you are going Ground Option or Air Option. Recon? If you make it to Infantry as an Officeer and there is absolutely no guarantee, you would have an opportunity to take a shot at Recon depending on how well you stand out above your fellow Officers and the needs of Recon at the time. I won't say there's no chance but the chance is much slimmer than if you were enlisted.
As for the College degree! That in and of itself doesn't guarantee you will go to OCS. I know plenty of Enlisted Marines with BS/BA and some with Masters Degrees and beyond. It depends on your desires as well. I was a Recruiter and I wouldn't have been mad at you for going PLC. I had a lot of guys who went Reserves and had the option of dropping their Reserve obligation when they joined PLC but chose to stay with the reserves until they went to OCS. As for your Family, they will be immensely proud of you when you graduate Boot Camp and besides, they're not the ones enlisting, You are! You need to do what you want to do and follow your dreams, in the end they will have more respect for you than if you follow their dreams for the wrong reason.
My advise, you need to look deep inside your heart and determine the path that you truly want to follow. Listen to your Heart, it will never lie to you! The mind plays tricks but the heart never lies.
Best of luck on whatever you decide to do, just make sure you are doing it because that's the path you chose to follow for yourself and not someone else.

Semper Fi!

GunnyL

TRLewis
01-04-05, 07:46 PM
Heh, as political science degree eh?

::sings:: "I love the infantry..."

gwladgarwr
01-04-05, 08:12 PM
That post right before mine was hysterical! Better if you were Art History, though (THAT sings "Care for more coffee, ma'am?")

GunnyL is right, though: the needs of the Marine Corps take priority, regardless of which path you take going into the Marine Corps. However, you really do have to listen to what your heart tells you - even if it tells you not to go Marine Corps at all (yeah, I know, heresy, but easy for me to say since I've gone the "U've Signed My Contract!" route already!) :o

If I could do it over again, I never would have listened to my OSO. I asked about going Reserves; I already had my B.A. so didn't qualify for PLC. He discouraged me from going enlisted Reserves. Well, long story short, I did two trips and five applications to Camp Chompawasmic and never got a commission. It didn't stop me from going enlisted afterwards, though, and no one could tell me I didn't earn it. Take it from me, I was going to be a Marine by hook or by crook, officer or enlisted, and I did. It doesn't matter if you do PLC or PLC Combined or straight enlistment or DEP or whatever. If you want a commission eventually, you can make it happen -it's not at all impossible. However, if you want to go Recon, I wouldn't suggest PLC or Reserves. Go active duty off the bat. You can finish college while in the Marine Corps (and be sure to CLEP out of some classes with any Marine Corps training - you'd have to check with your USMC career planner while in the Corps.

I personally still want the commission I've been seeking for so long, but chances are against me. It still doesn't stop me from being the Marine I've wanted to be for such a long time. You're right not to depend on your recruiter - if you want some answers you're not getting from the recruiter, you will find them elsewhere.

The pride of walking off the grinder with your Eagle, Globe, and Anchor is worth more than anything any recruiter, career planner, or college can offer. See if that appeals to you, and good luck on your life in the Marine Corps.:marine:

MillRatUSMC
01-04-05, 09:36 PM
God, what I wouldn't do, to pick the brains of some of the Officers that I served under in 1st and 3rd Recon.
On how they got assigned to Recon, or did they volunteer.
One thing back then, they did not going through screening for Recon and than the training to qualify for Recon.
They led us in training and in the field, so they had to have gone through the training someplace else.
My advice would be to complete your college education, than volunteer to go to OCS, if you complete that than the Basic School.
To become an Officer of Marines.
But its all up to what you want, we can give advice on some course of action.
Still it all comes down to you.

Semper Fidelis/Semper Fi
Ricardo

HardJedi
01-05-05, 12:58 AM
good advice has beengiven all through here.

one question DEPJon? did you say enlist with the recon option? you can't sign up for recon, or at least you COULDN'T. Used to be, and pretty sure it still is, you sign up infantry , and then you can try out for recon.

sadibenz
01-05-05, 01:44 AM
DepJon,
Well, I'll say this too you and you can pick it apart for yourself.
As MillRatUSMC stated, " Complete your colledge education, then volunteer to go to OCS." Once that is done, your outlook will have changed by then.You will be better prepared to face the demands of what will lat in your path.
If you decide that your desire is to pursue a carreer with Recon/Anglico. I should say Force Recon/Anglcio. Because there is a difference.
I'll say this.
I spent 90% of my Marine Corps career as 1st Anglico, 2nd Anglico, 2nd Force Recon TDY, 1st Force Recon TDY, 1 year with 12th Marines B Co Comm, and 3 1/2 months with 9th Comm Bn.
The promise of being assigned Recon/Anglico or any other SIOP Unit within any branch of the Military is not something that anyone can promise too you or make absolutely sure you get.
As for as the Corps is concerened. Most Marines apply for a slot through their command. If a slot is available, the process begins. It's a very tedious and sometimes a very long process.
Unless, your S/DI and DI's see something unique in you and it goes up the chain of command while your in boot camp. Which is what happened to me.
There are alot of qualities that you need to pocess. You either have them or you don't.
1. WSQ Qualified or S-1 Swimmer
2. 1st Class (280-300) PFT'er
3. The ability to over come and adapt
4. The ability to never quit.
5. The burning desire to be a member of one of the Corps most Elite Units.
I had never even heard of Recon/Anglico.
I joined the Corps to be a Field Radio Operator.
The next thing I knew, a few tears passed by and I was a 2531/9962/0861
Passing the endock is just the start. There isn't any fan fare or big time glory being Recon/Anglico.
The promotions a very slow. After all, you are competing against other Marines beside yourself that don't just sit down and settle for second best.
There is alot more to Recon/Anglico than just being a grunt, or jumping out of aircraft and combat scuba diving. Mostly, Recon/Anglico Marines do it for love of the Corps, the tightness of the Teams, and the ability to work together to occomplish what most others would deem as not possible.
Once in Recon/Anglico, life as you know it will never be the same.
Take it from a former Anglico/Recon Marine who has been there.
If you decide that is what your heart and your mind desire. Go for it with all you've got. Don't look back once you get into a Recon/Anglico Unit. Stay as long as your desire remains.
The experience that you will get will stay with you for ever.
Good luck with your future.:banana:

law_student
01-05-05, 06:45 AM
After active duty, I spent about a year with 4th Recon in the reserves and we had several enlisted Recon Marines that went on to OCS after finishing their degrees. I'm now getting ready for a PLC-Law board. However, if finishing your degree is a high priority, be aware that the deployment schedule is currently demanding on both active duty and the reserves. Gwladgarwr is absolutely right that you can finish your degree on active duty, especially with the great tuition assistance and CLEP programs that the Marine Corps offers, but deployments could make it a tremendous challenge to finish in four years.

As for the Reserves, your recon options could be limited by how far you are willing to travel for drills. I believe 4th Recon has units in San Antonio, Billings, Albuqurque, and Anchorage. A couple of the companies are either deployed or scheduled to deploy. If you are close to any of those cities, then the Reserves could be an option.

PLC is a great program, but so is boot camp. If recon is your dream, then have a plan and get it done. Our old CG over in Okinawa was Lt. Gen. Hailston. He's a good example of a Marine that served as an enlisted Marine and later worked his way through recon and all the way up to three star general. (http://www.usmc.mil/genbios2.nsf/biographies/373B128EE39C7FE98525680800446D90?opendocument)

I respect your desire to serve your country, but GunnyL's advise is priceless. Don't get in too much of a hurry to fight, you'll get your chance. The War on Terror is a long-term engagement. Keep asking questions and at the end of the day do what's best for you.

PFCJon
01-05-05, 09:10 AM
Thanks for the great advice guys, I'll take it all to heart. I have been told by people on this board and by recruiters that you can enlist with a recon option- this only means that you will be placed in recon indoctrination, not a unit. All I want is a shot at making recon- I want to do whatever it takes to be the best. College was more my parents' idea than mine and I would really rather earn it the hard way- it will mean more when it's done. I don't know if I have what it takes to make it as a Marine, recon or not, but I do want to try like hell to make it happen. I don't really see myself hunting for promotions or medals or recognition- I just want to do my job to the best of my ability and come home safe. I also wasn't really interested in the Reserves- I'd rather keep it simple and jump in with both feet for active duty. Thanks for the advice everyone and I'll do some heavy thinking this week.
Jon

Jarhed
01-07-05, 02:14 PM
gwladgarwr

It might not be late for you to chase down that commission. Remember, anything is waivable depending on who's pulling the strings (or so I learned at Career Planner's school). I wanted a commission my entire childhood and time in the Reserve. I'm re-upping with a LOT of broken time and being six years older than you. Going back Reserve but will go active duty in a HEARTbeat if I can figure out any way to at least get a slim chance to be WO. I'd be giving up almost a six figure income and an executive position but I really dont want to sit behind a desk for the rest of my life with my ass spreading (doing exactly what I swore I'd never do when I was in high school).

Start digging brother, you never know!!

SuNmAN
01-09-05, 03:23 PM
My goal is to one day become a commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps !

This is a great thing ! But if they won't let you go to OCS yet because you dont have a 4 year degree, earn the title 1st !