Reserve to Active Duty

[ja98]

I was at the recruiters and they told me I should do reserves and then switch to Active duty to stay close to San Diego. I asked dont I have to get permition from my command to do that? He said yes but its never a problem only when trying to switch to Army or a different branch. He said they will grant it since I would be doing the same job in the Marines. Does anyone know if this is true?

[CrazyBrave83]

From what I know, it's not necessarily an easy thing. You wont just immediately be granted Active status...although it IS probably easier than going from Active to reserves.

[MKocher]

I may end up doing this, and from what I've heard it's easiest if you are just coming off a deployment, but you always have to have permission of your command and hope there is a slot open for your job in Fleet Marine. Because if there isn't.. well.. Needs of the Corps and all that, you might just get retrained as an 0311 or somethin'.

The only way I'm swtiching from Reserves to Active is if I don't get accepted to OCS when I get my degree. If that's the case then I'd rather serve out my 4 years as a Marine enlisted than to be a Reservist.

[outlaw3179]

you mean 4 years on active than 4 years reservist?

[MKocher]

you mean 4 years on active than 4 years reservist?

Ahh, yeah. I'm actually signed up for 6 years as a Reservist now, so that I get the GI Bill Select Reserve.

So I believe it would be 4 years as an Active instead of 6 years as a Reservist. Regardless, I want to be a "real" Marine.

Although the unit that I am attached to has been deployed at least twice and possibly 3 times already, so I don't really see the big difference ;)

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

If you want to be active duty, be active duty. If you want to be a reservist, be a reservist. Don't count on being able to change. I know many people that changed their mind at boot camp, MOS school, or after a couple of years of reserve duty. Simply put, it isn't as easy as you think. Many good Marines have been unsuccessful in making the transition to active duty from the reserves.

[outlaw3179]

Regardless, I want to be a "real" Marine.


What the hell does that mean ? Do you know how many of those unreal Marines have been through boot camp ..all of them . Do you know how many of those unreal Marines have died in Iraq ...lots of them. Theres no such mammal as an unreal Marine. The only ones that I know of are people who have not yet gone through boot camp.

[MKocher]

What the hell does that mean ? Do you know how many of those unreal Marines have been through boot camp ..all of them . Do you know how many of those unreal Marines have died in Iraq ...lots of them. Theres no such mammal as an unreal Marine. The only ones that I know of are people who have not yet gone through boot camp.

That's why I put it in quotation marks. Those aren't my words. Those are the words that I've heard Active Duty Marines use to describe themselves vs. Reservists.

I, being just a poolee, am obviously not fit to judge who is, or isn't, a Marine. But from what I've been told there is a stigma that people apply to Reservists.

Which doesn't make sense to me, because like I pointed out above the Reserve unit I'm joining has already been to Iraq at least twice.

I guess I should have explained that further. I just really don't have that much interest in being a Reservist once I have an alternative.

Sorry if I offended anyone.

[ja98]

I would never consider doing this except my wife is in the Coast Guard stationed near San Diego and the recruiter is telling me to enlist this way to keep me from being stationed in Japan for example for a year. And to make sure I get Miramar where I would be working on F-18's then switch to Active Duty that way I am sationed near my wife.

[irishprincess]

Hi yall
I signed up for the reserves (supply adm) I ship out July. I really want to do combat photography but want to finish college where I am at. So Im kind of in the same situation as some of you. I'm thinking about transitioning to active once I have my degree which wil be little over 2 years if everthing goes good!

If anyone would like to talk about anything my aim sn is honeybear121485

good luck to everyone!

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

Just because you enter that reserve in California, there is no gurantee that you would be stationed at Miramar (it still seems odd that Miramar isn't a Navy base and that El Toro is gone). You will be subject to the needs of the Corps...meaning that any of the three Air Wings could be your future home. That being said, the reservists that I have known that were able to switch to active duty usually had to change MOS's as well. There may not be a need for you as an F-18 mech, they may need you to work on the AV-8B or a Cobra, who knows.

[ja98]

Im confused my recruiter said I would sign as F-18 Powerplant Mechanic then go to the unit I will go to, to interview at Miramar then to Boot Camp.

[Marine84]

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!! Your recruiter said? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Make him put ANYTHING he tells you in black and white. If it cannot be written in black and white - you have NO guarantees.

[jryanjack]

From what I understand of the reserves, he's right. They know what unit they are going to before they go to boot camp. Remember, he's going reserve, not active. If he's a F-18 mech then he's going to the nearest reserve F-18 squadron.

I looked at joining the reserves after I go off active duty. Was living in Charleston, SC at the time, my choices were an LSB unit in Charleston, or a tank unit in Columbia, SC.

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

ja98, you will do just that. I didn't mean to confuse you at all. What I am saying is that just because you go to a reserve unit in California to work on F-18's that does not mean you would stay at that base, keep that job, or anything else if, and when, you are selected to change from reserve to active duty. You may well be told that to change to active duty you will become a tech working on the sites for TOW missiles and tanks at Camp Lejeune. Of course, they would rather not have to retrain you but... needs of the Corps prevail every time.

[cgkades]

i was talking to a Marine who said it was easier to go officer than to go active... it's not too easy to go active, but i dont know first hand, i havent tried