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nmilla

Marine Reserves

Rating: 2 votes, 4.50 average.
When I decided to become part of the USMC it never occur to me to start as a Reservist. I am the type of person that I either go all the way give my 110% instead of just doing 50%. Once in I was glad and proud to be a full active duty Marine. I learned that even though reservist are needed their is a fine line of difference between a full time Marine and a part time Marine. Some say yeah I did bootcamp just like you, I am no different then any other Marine and for the longest I truly really didn't understand the differences between a full time Marine and a Part Marine until now. I am in the police academy now and their 3 male Reservist Marine at first they were all hard core but as time passes and you start to get to know them better I did see a difference in the way of thinking of an Active Marine compare to a Reservist Marine.
In my obervation the part time Marine thinking is more if I am not getting paid to due something I am not doing it, I am not risking my life, I am not going to go above and beyond and I sure as hell don't have to listen to anyone I don't want to.
An Active Marine is not about the money is about doing what is right is about being their for your brother or sister is about accomplishing the mission of the day or unit or what ever their is a mission. Its not about choosing to risk your life or going above and beyond is it about doing what ever it takes for you to come home with everyone in your unit is that brotherhood or sisterhood that unit, team, that knowledge that no matter what you will not be left behind dead or alive. that is so hard to find out in the world. Is not about if I don't benefit from helping you I am not helping you.

Time and time again I would see Marines helping other Marines train to get that higher pay or higher rank or a particular desirable job. One helping the other improve and what they are lacking or need just an extra little push in the right direction just because we want to see them succeed becuase if they succeed so are you.

Respect
Everyone has a chance to earn respect in the Fleet if you screw up oh well you screw up but your given a chance to show what you got....respect is not just given to you just because both from man and women...

I have come to understand Reservist Marine seem to be more laid back more easy going ...going as far as referrring to each other by first name, rank structure it dosen't sound to be as enforce am I wrong in my assumptions or just this group?

I have thought re-enlisting in after the academy as a reservist so I can finish my 20 with the core and due 20 in law enforcement I havent decided yet to go State or Federal. Having this experience though has turned me off in re-enlisting as a reservist....
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Comments

  1. Old Marine's Avatar
    I believe you need to step back and look at the whole ball of wax.

    I have trained Draftee's, Reserves, and Recruits who were going to be full time active duty Marines. Draftee's, Reserves, and full time Active duty Marines all have a job to do and you have birds in all three of them.

    The thing is that they all will eventally get the job done, and that is the bottom line. They get it done or they are not around very long.

    There are good and bad Marines, just as there is in the dis-organized civilian division. Just not as many bad Marines.
  2. aabeckman's Avatar
    Wow.....that's pretty harsh. You can't judge the whole bundle on a few of them.
    I am a reservist. And I'm damn proud to be in my unit. We all work hard (well except for those select few but I've seen them on the active duty side as well). I'm part of a primarily bridging unit and that's all we do. We spend our one weekend a month putting up and tearing down bridges. One platoon will do one 12 bay with link and then tear it down while another works on a 2 smaller ones. Over half of our company has deployed and at least a third of those that deployed have done 2 tours. And not once have I heard of the active duty unit they attached to complain about having to work with them.
    When I deployed and we met up with our active duty counterparts and while we did our work up we watched them do a lot of standing around, drinking, and washing their cars.
    But guess what?! I don't think active duty is lazy or anything. I just know they have a lot more time to train. We have to pack our training in our one weekend a month and those two weeks during the summer.
    You are right we are more laid back. Because when we aren't at drill we are in college classes with each other or working together or going to parties together. We don't use the rank structure everyday of the week when we see these people only on the weekends when we're drilling. And we do use the rank structure then. But yes, when we are sitting around smoking waiting on the next job to be handed down and we're talking casually first names do slip out. Is it wrong? I don't think so. I think your a little quick to judge us based on that. We aren't in uniform everyday when we see each other and only call each other by rank during those weekends, and if you were put in the same situation you'd slip out a first name here and there too.
    We have several marines who were prior active duty. They love drilling with us. We work hard, and we get our **** done. that's the way we are. We've had some come with an attitude like they're better and they're gonna show us a thing or two about the marine corps. But in the end they drop the attitude because they know that when we're called up we are just as good as active duty marines. And we even give a little extra because of all the trades we know from our civilian jobs too.
  3. nmilla's Avatar
    thats is why I posted my thought I really haven not had the opportunity to state my views and hope that I am wrong on my assumption.
    Thank you for your input to the both of you.Both of you are right their are good and bad Marines. So far this has been my first experience with the reserves. While on active duty is not that we were told to keep our distance but at the same time it was not promoted to talk to the reservist who came on duty either. Much to think about and I guess a hope to continue my time as a reservist.

    Thank you
    Nancy
  4. Silentwarrior17's Avatar
    Pretty messed up that you are posting things that you have no idea about. Almost 8 years ago I enlisted in the reserves. From that time on I have been on multiple combat deployments and am gearing up for another. To sit here and say reservist don't pull their weight or are turds is absolutly out of line. I have done 5 plus years of active time while in the reserves, serving with both active duty and usmcR Marines. They are Marines period. Some of the "We are active duty and hard core" bs that I hear is just crazy. I have met just as may sh*t bags on the active side as I have on the reserve side. I have had marines in the reserves that could run circles around active duty marines, with their eyes closed. Some of the best Marines I have ever had the honor to command were reservists. To think that a reserve Marine doesn't earn it...well you are just plain wrong. As a reservist I have been Meritoriously promoted to every single rank so far, and will be in zone for staff with in my eight year mark. I recieved a Meritorious combat promotion, I run a 294 PFT and a 300 CFT. Countless Marine Corps schools under my belt that most active duty guys would have killed to go to. So don't sit here a group a couple of turds that you seen in the reserves that don't give a sh*t with the rest of us who are always ready and are always looking either for a school or a deployment to hop on. Do some research and maybe talk to some people before you start posing stuff that you have no idea about.
  5. nmilla's Avatar
    Your entitle to your opnion.
    My questions,doubts and thoughts are exactly that..
    I will not apoligize to you or anyone on that.
    The purpose of Blog Silentwarrior17 is for that purpose to post your thoughts..your opnions...and your doubt as well as to share any life experiences one wishes to share.
    I posted my personal experience so far I got the input from other Marines and helped me realized how wrong I was and to think outside the box...I am glad your an outstanding Marine..
    During my time as active Duty I was the best that I can be and I continue to pursue the same mentality in the Law Enforcement field I am entering now...
    and for your information I did speak to other Marines and did due some research but it helped to post my thoughts in this log to direct me to find the correction answers to my thoughts....
  6. HardChargerCruz's Avatar
    ...and you guys are "ragging" her for what...??? Yeah tha' Marine Reserves might be different today...and IT might even be a little more fine tuned...Unfortunately Marines she is a bit right...Tha' reason I went active duty some years ago...were for tha' very same reasons that she has quoted...tha' obvious "laid-back...!!!" Which most Reservist are...But to be fair, one can not just contribute this solely on tha' Marine Reservist themselves...Alas' in truth, it is a very boring world in Reservist-land...One would think, however, that after 9/11, and with Iraq, Afgan et al...that these 'so-called" marine-reserve slackers would learn from their "Gung-Ho" Marine Reserve Compadres...But it seems that they didn't get tha' memo about Marine Corps values und Esprit de Corps...Oh well just a few [right...???] Fella's realistically...it hasn't really changed that much...My daughter who was a Marine Honor Graduate [tha' Gung-Ho, Espirt de Corps etc type...] is also losing her faith in her fellow Marine comrades...for tha' same reasons being sited here...most reservists just don't give a damn...not to say that they "ALL" do...just most...!!! Some of you Marine Reservist entering into tha' Corps during "War-issues" might be Gung-Ho and sh#t...But that is just a handful of you guys [and I mean this from my heart when I say...thank-you for your time and your services] But the rest [oh I don't kno 65%] are lazy "sums-of-beeches"...and I should kno...I had tha' distinquish honor of being in charge of three reserve platoons...!!! But you are right...to assume that; One bad apple "should not" account for ALL tha' good ones...However, if it sits too long and it is allowed to ferment...Then Marines [tha'] apple "will" [as we ALL kno IT will]...will affect the other ones around it...!!! I LOVE tha' Marine Corps and would die for tha' Scarlet and tha' Gold...und for what I believe in...my daughter hasn't reached THAT plateau because she is attached to a unit WHO hasn't reached that state...either....so it's not tha' Marines themselves [although some do contribute]...it's quite possible that the "real" blame is the actual functioning of tha' Unit ITself...WE are ALL Marines when we report in...whether to G-d, our Country, or our asigned Units...Some would have it said that, " We are Uncle-Sams-Mis-guided-Children..." I however would like to think that "there is nothing" Misguided about a Marine at all...Except for a Marines mind, when there is no camaraderie...!!! I'm a GySgt in tha' USMC and you can quote me on that...!!!
    Updated 10-19-10 at 08:14 AM by HardChargerCruz
  7. Jarhead1975's Avatar
    When I was on active duty at the begining of my enlistment, I had similar feelings about the reserves. But after several years on active, I myself went reserve to be close to home (my father had several strokes and my mom needed help caring for him). Having served on active duty with a reserve unit, and as a reservist, I soon changed my view of the so called "weekend warrior." There are many reasons why many go reserve, some are going to college, others have full time professions like police officers, doctors etc, yet they want to serve their country. When they are needed, they go on full active and fulfill their obligation and do their duty like anyone else. Yes, many reservists are more laid back, rank structure may seem lax (it isn't always, all depends on where and what they are doing), remember the environment they serve in. Sure active duty may be more spit and polish and a bit stricter than reserve. But none the less a Marine on duty is a force to be reckoned with. All wear the same uniform, and when the bullets fly, there is no one better to have at your side tham a fellow Marine. Semper Fi.
  8. Jarhead1975's Avatar
    When I was on active duty at the begining of my enlistment, I had similar feelings about the reserves. But after several years on active, I myself went reserve to be close to home (my father had several strokes and my mom needed help caring for him). Having served on active duty with a reserve unit, and as a reservist, I soon changed my view of the so called "weekend warrior." There are many reasons why many go reserve, some are going to college, others have full time professions like police officers, doctors etc, yet they want to serve their country. When they are needed, they go on full active and fulfill their obligation and do their duty like anyone else. Yes, many reservists are more laid back, rank structure may seem lax (it isn't always, all depends on where and what they are doing), remember the environment they serve in. Sure active duty may be more spit and polish and a bit stricter than reserve. But none the less a Marine on duty is a force to be reckoned with. All wear the same uniform, and when the bullets fly, there is no one better to have at your side tham a fellow Marine. Semper Fi.