Officers in the Reserves

[valacech]

I'm 21 years old and about to graduate college. I wanted to become an officer. Can anyone advise as to whether or not it is possible to complete OCC/OCS and serve as a reservist? I understand that it is possible to enlist in the reserves. I also understand that it is possible for an existing officer to eventually transfer from active duty to the reserves/active reserve. Is it possible for one to complete OCS and serve within the reserves straight out? I am pursuing a career with the New Jersey State Police and would like to do both if possible. Any insight?

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

Nope. You can enlist as a reservist and possibly be able to become an officer later but you cannot start your career as a reserve officer in the Marine Corps.

[valacech]

That's what I thought. Looks like AR is the way to go. At this point if I were to enlist in the reserves the unit will be activated anyway. Might as well be an officer at this point. Thanks for the information.

- Chris

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

Valacech, one of our fine poolees brought something to my attention that I had over looked when I read a MARADMIN message. It is possible to go from civillian to Officer in the SMCR. Follow the link below and look for subsection C, it is near the bottom. I will post the section below the link. You will have to go to OCS, TBS, and your MOS school all at once, which will take a significant amount of time, but then would be a reservist and could go forward with your other goals.

http://www.usmc.mil/maradmins/maradmin2000.nsf/37f49138fc3d9c00852569b9000af6b7/edb2f9167ae233a58525723a0072b4ab?OpenDocument


C. OCC-R IMPLEMENTATION. THE OCC-R PROGRAM IS FOR QUALIFIED CIVILIAN
COLLEGE SENIORS OR GRADUATES WHO MAY APPLY FOR A RESERVE COMMISSION AND
FOLLOW-ON SERVICE IN AN SMCR UNIT UPON COMPLETION OF ALL REQUIRED
TRAINING; OCS, TBS, AND AN APPROPRIATE MOS SCHOOL.
OCC-R PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS WILL MIRROR THOSE LISTED IN REF (D) FOR OCC
WITH THE EXCEPTION BEING THE COMPONENT IN WHICH APPOINTMENT IS MADE.
(1) ELIGIBILITY. THE OCC-R PROGRAM IS AN ADDITIONAL CATEGORY OF THE
OVERALL OCC PROGRAM AS FOUND IN REF (D). THE OCC-R PROGRAM IS A
COMMISSIONING PROGRAM FOR COLLEGE SENIORS AT, OR GRADUATES OF, AN
ACCREDITED COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY. MEMBERS OF THE READY RESERVE ARE NOT
ELIGIBLE FOR OCC-R AND SHOULD APPLY FOR COMMISSIONING VIA RECP OR MCP-R.
FEMALE APPLICANTS WHO APPLY FOR OCC-R, AND ARE ACCEPTED, WILL BE
ASSIGNED TO THE APPROPRIATE TRAINING COURSE OF PRESCRIBED DURATION AT
OFFICER CANDIDATES SCHOOL (OCS). FEMALE CANDIDATES ATTEND OCS IN THE
FALL OR SUMMER ONLY.
(2) APPLICATION PROCEDURES. OCC-R APPLICATION PROCEDURES/REQUIREMENTS
ARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH REF (D).
(3) COMMISSIONING CRITERIA. IN ACCORDANCE WITH REF (D).
(4) TRAINING REQUIREMENTS. MARINES SELECTED FOR OCC-R WILL BE ASSIGNED
TO OCS IN QUANTICO, VA TO ATTEND THE APPROPRIATE OCC.
UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF OCS, AN OCC-R PARTICIPANT WILL BE
COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT IN THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE AND
ASSIGNED TO THE NEXT AVAILABLE COURSE OF INSTRUCTION AT TBS.
RESERVE LIEUTENANTS WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THE APPROPRIATE MOS SCHOOL BASED
ON MOS DESIGNATION.
(5) MOS AND UNIT ASSIGNMENT. AS PART OF THEIR SERVICE CONTRACT OCC-R
CANDIDATES WILL COMPLETE NAVMC 11534 ANNEX C WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE
OFFICER SELECTION OFFICERS TO CHOOSE MOS PREFERENCE, CITY/STATE
PREFERENCE, SMCR UNIT PREFERENCE, AND IDENTIFY PRIORITIZATION OF MOS OR
GEOGRAPHIC/UNIT SELECTION. FINAL MOS AND ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE DETERMINED
IN THE SAME MANNER AS PRESCRIBED IN PARAS 3A(4) AND 3A(5) ABOVE.
(6) SELRES SERVICE OBLIGATION. OCC-R MARINES WILL INCUR A 48 MONTH
(4-YEAR) SELRES SERVICE OBLIGATION FROM THE DATE OF COMMISSIONING.
TIME SPENT IN TRAINING AT TBS AND MOS SCHOOL WILL COUNT TOWARD THE
48 MONTH REQUIREMENT.
4. Post ENTRY LEVEL Training Opportunities. ALL NEWLY cOMMISSIONED
LIEUTENANTS IN THE AFOREMENTIONED PROGRAMS WILL BE AFFORDED THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ACCEPT UP TO twelve (12) CUMULATIVE MONTHS OF ADDITIONAL
POST TRAINING ACTIVE DUTY VIA CMC (RA) FUNDED ACTIVE DUTY FOR SPECIAL
WORK (ADSW)/ACTIVE DUTY FOR OPERATIONAL SUPPORT (ADOS) ORDERS IN ORDER
TO FACILITATE OFFICER LEADERSHIP SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN EITHER THE
OPERATING FORCES OR THEIR PARENT SMCR UNIT. MCP-R LIEUTENANTS WHO HAVE
NOT COMPLETED THEIR DEGREE REQUIREMENTS AS IDENTIFIED IN PARA 5c ABOVE
WILL ONLY BE ASSIGNED ORDERS TO THEIR RESPECTIVE SMCR
UNIT/INSPECTOR-INSTRUCTOR/SITE COMMAND IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THEIR
CONCURRENT BACCALAUREATE DEGREE COMPLETION. ALL NEWLY COMMISSIONED
RESERVE LIEUTENANTS WILL be available for activation as required to meet
operational REQUIREMENTS REGARDLESS OF COMMISSIONING SOURCE.
5. THE AFOREMENTIONED PROGRAMS WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE APPROPRIATE
REFERENCES.
6. QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS MARADMIN CAN BE DIRECTED TO CAPTAIN J.
SCHUMACHER (JOSEPH.SCHUMACHER@USMC.MIL) AT (703) 784-9136/37/38,
DSN: 278-XXXX.
7. THIS MARADMIN APPLIES TO THE TOTAL FORCE. //

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

To give credit where credit is due, grodunt is the one that brought this to my attention.

[valacech]

THAT'S A BIG 10-4! Looks like I've got my work cut out for me at this point. See ya in Quantico. I'm absolutely thrilled about this opportunity. I've been training hard. However, what is SMCR?

[valacech]

One more question: How long is the tour of service for reservists? Is it four years or more/less? I've got to time this right for the police academy.

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

For enlisted it is 6. It would be at least that for an officer, maybe 8... I don't know how they're doing that.

I don't know how the academy works there, but here you get hired and the department sends you to the academy (other than the couple that run their own.) If it is like that, the best advice would be to go to OCS, TBS, and MOS school and save as much money as you can. Live on that while you go through the hiring process and then they would send you. Reserve units are usually pretty good about allowing people to miss a drill for something that is pressing in their normal life. You would just have to make the time up after the academy if you had to do that, and ensure it did not get in the way of your 2 weeks in the summer.

[rvillac2]

SMCR=Select Marine Corps Reserve aka Active Reserve.
This is in contrast to the IRR or Individual Ready Reserve.

SMCR refers to the 1/wknd per month + 2 weeks/year.