A Foreigners Questions about the Marines Reserve

[ilhan89bln]

Gentlemen, (How about Marines...there are female Marines on this site, me being one of them)

first of all I'd like to thank you for having this great forum.
I have done a search already, but couldn't find answers to my questions.
Also, I have tried to contact a recruiter but couldn't since I live abroad. I have tried to ask a lengthy question at marines.com but got an unsatisfying one line answer (again, because I live abroad).
This is why I am making this post. I'd like to apologize if my question has been answered before and also if this post is too long.

A little bit about myself:
My name is Ilhan. I am a citizen of the Republic of Turkey (an ally of the US), born and raised in Germany. I am a Muslim. I love the United States, probably going to marry an American lady.
I have a bachelor of science in aerospace engineering at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and I am finishing graduate work at TUM (which will include 6 months at Georgia Tech), I'll be done around March 2015.

Upon graduation I want to earn a Green Card and work in the US in aerospace and defense.
While I am working in the States I also want to serve this great nation by joining the USMC Reserve as an infantryman.
I know I have to have a Green Card prior to contacting a recruiter and also that the military cannot assist me in getting a Green Card. I am aware of this.

I'd like to ask a few questions about being in the USMC Reserve:
-Can I, as a foreign national and (soon to be) legal alien in the US become an infantryman in the USMC Reserve?
-Bootcamp is 12 1/2 weeks, how does that work for folks with a full time job? Would it be wise to reserve 4-5 months prior to starting my job?
-How often do new cycles at bootcamp start?
-How is the Corps/life balance in the Reserve?

Again I am sorry for such a lengthy post and thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

Kind regards,
Ilhan

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[irpat54]

-Can I, as a foreign national and (soon to be) legal alien in the US become an infantryman in the USMC Reserve?

yes you can, when i was in the Reserves, in the 90's,(my second enlistment) the Gunner in my squad was from Mexico, (He also just had a green card)

-Bootcamp is 12 1/2 weeks, how does that work for folks with a full time job? Would it be wise to reserve 4-5 months prior to starting my job?

you will need to put off your work or get a leave of absents from your work place, because once your in Boot Camp there is no leave, liberty or anything until you graduate..

-How often do new cycles at bootcamp start?

there is a back log now, some are waiting as much as 1 year to get in,, and you have to get in before you turn 30

-How is the Corps/life balance in the Reserve?

unless you get deployed, you life consist of 1 weekend a month and 2 week a year in training,, you would have to let you job know that this is the schedule, you will get a schedule from the reserve center for the years training dates

hope this helps,, good luck

[ilhan89bln]

Hi,

thanks a lot for the answer!
I hope the backlog gets worked out until I'll have to go to bootcamp. I am sure there is not one employer in the US (or anywhere else) who'd let somebody go for 4-5 months.

Sorry for the "Gentlemen", "Marines" or "Dear Marines" or "Ladies and Gentlemen" would've been better.

Kind regards,
Ilhan

[irpat54]

I am sure there is not one employer in the US (or anywhere else) who'd let somebody go for 4-5 months

my employer did, when I got deployed for a year, and my job was waiting for me when i got back,, most of the time they will work with you on it,, specially if it is a Gov. Job that you are doing..

[ilhan89bln]

my employer did, when I got deployed for a year, and my job was waiting for me when i got back,, most of the time they will work with you on it,, specially if it is a Gov. Job that you are doing..

Thanks a lot for the answers, I hope my employer will do the same.

How was your general experience in the Reserves?
Is it something you would recommend?

[josephd]

Reserves consists of much more than 1 weekend per month and the 2 weeks a year. That is just the required training time you have to be at your HTC.

My honest opinion, if are wanting to join just so you can call yourself a Marine and still lead a civilian life then please don't bother. Unless we go into another ground campaign somewhere the chances of you getting deployed are slim to none. From the sound of it being that you have a good career ahead of you wouldn't want to deploy.....what is the point then?

[ilhan89bln]

Reserves consists of much more than 1 weekend per month and the 2 weeks a year. That is just the required training time you have to be at your HTC.

Could you please elaborate on this?

My honest opinion, if are wanting to join just so you can call yourself a Marine and still lead a civilian life then please don't bother. Unless we go into another ground campaign somewhere the chances of you getting deployed are slim to none. From the sound of it being that you have a good career ahead of you wouldn't want to deploy.....what is the point then?

No, that is not the reason.
I'd like to go active duty, however there are a few personal reasons (that have nothing to do with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan) that I cannot.
I have also gone to school for almost five years and I'd like to use the skills I got.

I want to serve and I want to be a Marine. I want to experience this band of brothers and serve the US in times of need. The Reserves seem to be a perfect way to combine duty, service and civilian life.

Kind regards,
Ilhan

[josephd]

Could you please elaborate on this?

The standards and training that is required is the EXACT same as the active duty counterpart. It is not possible to fit that into 1 weekend a month and the 2 week AT. A few things are left to you to work on on your own personal time. And then once you've been in awhile and become an NCO or billet holder you will have to spend some more of your own personal time doing various things for the Marines in your charge. I spend on average about an hour every day and 1 extra day per week taking care of various training things, schedules, rosters, etc for my platoon. That one weekend a month is just the time required to spend with your unit to train and take care of things.

And I will be completely honest and I know I can speak for many other reserve Marines when I say that the "band of brother" experience you are looking for you will not get in the reserves. You get that from spending days, weeks, months, and even years together with the same group of guys. You'll make some friends at a reserve unit but you won't get that experience that you want.

I am not trying to talk you out of this, I just want to let you in how things really work that a recruiter won't tell you and that most don't know about. I hate to see another guy join, become a Marine, only to become disgruntled after only a few months at their unit. This happens WAY too often.

[ilhan89bln]

The standards and training that is required is the EXACT same as the active duty counterpart.

I love it! That's what I am looking for!

It is not possible to fit that into 1 weekend a month and the 2 week AT. A few things are left to you to work on on your own personal time.

No problem for me. I really have no problem committing to something and then spending a lot of my free time on it. I realize the Marines, no matter if active duty or reserve, are not a weekend "let's have some fun" activity.

And then once you've been in awhile and become an NCO or billet holder you will have to spend some more of your own personal time doing various things for the Marines in your charge. I spend on average about an hour every day and 1 extra day per week taking care of various training things, schedules, rosters, etc for my platoon. That one weekend a month is just the time required to spend with your unit to train and take care of things.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but can foreigners become NCOs?

And I will be completely honest and I know I can speak for many other reserve Marines when I say that the "band of brother" experience you are looking for you will not get in the reserves. You get that from spending days, weeks, months, and even years together with the same group of guys. You'll make some friends at a reserve unit but you won't get that experience that you want.

I see.
Well, I can't go active duty in the immediate future, but if things work out that way after joining the Reserves I will do it.

I am not trying to talk you out of this, I just want to let you in how things really work that a recruiter won't tell you and that most don't know about. I hate to see another guy join, become a Marine, only to become disgruntled after only a few months at their unit. This happens WAY too often.

Thanks a lot for the info. I really appreciate it!
It's better to know the inconvenient truth than to believe in lies.

I am sure most recruiters are honest men and women that don't deserve bad reputation because of a few bad apples, but I don't trust them in general (better safe than sorry), especially after I have experienced how one of them wanted to coerce a friend of mine into a contract that wasn't for him at all.

Thanks a lot for the help!

Kind regards,
Ilhan

[Burke7051]

First of all, there is no big difference as far as I'm concerned between a Marine and a "Woman Marine". I can't stand it when people throw that term into everything. A Marine is a Marine regardless of gender. I don't see why some people on this site make such a big deal about it constantly for God's sakes.

Anyway, now that's been said. You must have a Green Card to join any branch of the Armed Forces, and you must be able to fluently read, write, and speak English.

Actually no, not all recruiters are honest. They lie to recruits a lot. I will personally attest to that. My recruiter was an a**hole. Listen to josephd also, the "brotherhood" in the Reserves is nothing compared to Active Duty.

There are also 3 types of Marines, the "Grunt", i.e. any Marine in the infantry (and a Male-only area of the Corps (hopefully permanently)), the "Winger", i.e. any Marine who's MOS is aviation related, and the "POG", i.e. any Marine who is not a Grunt or a Winger. However, to the Grunt, the Winger is also considered a POG regardless. Also when you first enlist, you will forever be referred to as a "Boot", well at least for awhile anyway.

That being said, should you be able to get into the USMC, every experience varies on how you make it, and how others make it for you.

Good luck.

DEREK

[ilhan89bln]

Anyway, now that's been said. You must have a Green Card to join any branch of the Armed Forces, and you must be able to fluently read, write, and speak English.

Yes, I got that. I will take care of my Green Card myself.
And obviously my English is not the worst

Actually no, not all recruiters are honest. They lie to recruits a lot. I will personally attest to that. My recruiter was an a**hole.

Yeah, I observed myself how a recruiter tried to make my buddy sign a contract and take a job that was not for him at all.

Listen to josephd also, the "brotherhood" in the Reserves is nothing compared to Active Duty.

Thanks for the information.
Unfortunately Active Duty is not an option for me in the foreseeable future.

There are also 3 types of Marines, the "Grunt", i.e. any Marine in the infantry (and a Male-only area of the Corps (hopefully permanently)), the "Winger", i.e. any Marine who's MOS is aviation related, and the "POG", i.e. any Marine who is not a Grunt or a Winger. However, to the Grunt, the Winger is also considered a POG regardless. Also when you first enlist, you will forever be referred to as a "Boot", well at least for awhile anyway.

My goal is to be a grunt!

That being said, should you be able to get into the USMC, every experience varies on how you make it, and how others make it for you.

Good luck.

DEREK

Thanks a lot for your answers!

[Rocky C]

The Marines here have given you great answers to all of your questions.

Let us know what you decided when you finish graduate school in March 2015 like your post said.

Still a long way to go until you Enlist. Things change.

Best of luck.

[ilhan89bln]

The Marines here have given you great answers to all of your questions.

Let us know what you decided when you finish graduate school in March 2015 like your post said.

Still a long way to go until you Enlist. Things change.

Best of luck.

Yes, sir. Thank you and everybody else!

Kind regards,
Ilhan