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View Full Version : Switching from Reserves to Active?



Glin2111
02-25-08, 11:53 PM
I had just recently graduated my MOS school and am awaiting my first Reserve drill event...
During all my training I had come to the conclusion that this is what I want to do full time and that I want to make the jump to active duty, I was hoping someone on these boards has perhaps tried to done the same thing (and hopefully, succeeded?) When I checked in with my unit I briefly spoke to my First Sergeant about it and he pointed me in the direction of the career planner. My only concerns are that I will no longer have the option to put in a "request" of the area I want to work in (I recall during my MOS school, all the active duty Marines got to chose where they preferred to be stationed, either West Coast, East Coast, or Overseas). My #1 choice would be go to work in Camp Pendleton with a victor unit, but that's best case scenario. Does anyone know any information that could hopefully help me out?

Thanks much in advance, I appreciate any information I can get here.



Gregory Lin
Lcpl, United States Marine Corps

Native Warrior
02-27-08, 08:34 AM
I too did the reserve route to begin my Marine life. I served a year and a half as a reservist before going active duty. When I decided to go active I was given a dream sheet, where you list 5 duty stations and they go down the list until they find an opening for your MOS. I was able to remain in my MOS during the switch with no hint of having to change. Granted this was all back in 1980 and things may have changed since then.

Glin2111
02-27-08, 12:31 PM
I too did the reserve route to begin my Marine life. I served a year and a half as a reservist before going active duty. When I decided to go active I was given a dream sheet, where you list 5 duty stations and they go down the list until they find an opening for your MOS. I was able to remain in my MOS during the switch with no hint of having to change. Granted this was all back in 1980 and things may have changed since then.
That was exactly what I was hoping to hear. Thank you very much for the info, much appreciated.

jennifer
02-27-08, 12:49 PM
LCpl Gregory Lin, I am a reservist as well and at one point wanted to go active duty. I started to fill out my packet and at the last minute I found out that if you do go Active Duty or Active Reservist your composite score for promtion goes back to 0. I am not too sure if you know what that is. Composite score is what gets you promoted to the next rank. When I was working on my packet to go active duty I had already been a Cpl for a year and said it wasn't all that worth it. If I did go active my composite score would go back down to 0. This is something you may not know or if you do may not really care about. So all in all, if you do not mind getting your composite score down to 0 then go for it, but if you do then I would wait until at least you pick up Cpl, that way you start fresh and you do not have to wait for your composite score to restart. Am I making sense? I didn't want to go active after all because it would be as if that year of me being a Cpl didn't count towards Sgt and you are always striving to pick up that next stripe. It also takes about a year and half after being a Cpl to even get a composite score and it was not worth it... plus some other personal issues came up.
Also, you mentioned that the Marines during MOS school got to choose where they wanted to go. Well, they may have chosen where they wanted to go but not everyone gets what they want. You go where the Marine Corps needs you. Not all those Marines got went to their choice of coast correct?
All in all, it is a fairly easy process to go active duty. Hope I helped you out.

BEST OF LUCK! :banana:

Glin2111
02-27-08, 02:19 PM
Thank you very much for that information Jennifer, that's the kind of info I was looking to gather on these boards. Having your cutting score reset is a pretty big deal, I think I will stay in for a year or at least until I pick up Cpl. And actually, everyone that chose where they wanted to go managed to get where they wanted, although this could have just been luck.

jennifer
02-27-08, 02:22 PM
You are welcome and it would be good to stay reserve for one mor yr or at least until you pick up Cpl... that way you get a taste of the reserve side of the house.