Enlisted to Officer Programs

[Ventus]

Good Morning Everyone,

I have a few questions but here's just a brief version of my story.

-Was in Air Force ROTC first two years of College. Had good scores, grades, PT. Did not get selected for training because only Engineering majors and Language majors got selected that year.
-Heard about the Marine Officer Program. Applied for PLC 2 years in a row. PT wasn't the best. Was not selected.
-Fast forward to senior year of college. Applied for OCC Air contract.
PT greatly improved
278 PFT.
GPA 2.79,
ASTB 6/7/6
Good letters of rec. No priors, no tattoos, no drugs, etc. Some flight training. Very committed to military. Now heart set on Marines.
-Feel like I have a really good chance of being selected. Find out last week that only 7 people were selected for Air east of the Mississippi. Was not one of them.

Is it just bad luck that I'm trying to apply at a time where the military is getting a whole mess of cutbacks?

I do not want to give up. However, I have graduated college in the spring with a Psychology degree. I have been considering enlisting in the reserves to at least go through some training and not feel like I'm sitting around spinning my wheels. I'm working two dead end jobs and living at home.

My question is, will enlisting in the reserves improve my chances of being selected in the future? I'm guessing my PT will improve even more through boot camp and will give me something to accomplish short term. I have some friends that have done this as well (go reserves and then get selected for OCC), but I always hear people in the military saying "If you want to be an officer, go officer. Don't waste your time going enlisted." Also, I have heard that currently other branches (if I considered them) are not very friendly application-wise towards prior enlisted.

I have been told stick with it. Keep applying to OCS. But is this really feasible where I am right now and where the military is right now? It seems like only the top of the top are getting selected. Wouldn't being in the reserves make me stand out from someone else who is applying?

I guess what I'm saying is that I've been training to go into SOMEthing for years now and It seems like the date just keeps getting pushed back for me to go. I've applied to OCS 3 times without avail. I've improved my PT and my extra-curriculars, but now I'm done with school and am doing nothing but waiting.
I don't know anything about the statistics of recruiting, but I'm guessing the increasing and decreasing of the military is a cycle. There will always be another conflict in the future. By going reserves, I'd be kind of waiting out that decreasing period. I don't know. I could be completely wrong. I'm just thinking out loud.

I made it a personal goal of mine to be at least a Marine by my 23rd birthday. I turn 23 in May.

Bottom line. I am not giving up on applying to OCS. Is it a good idea to go reserves first and keep applying to better my chances?

Thank you for taking the time to read my situation and providing any input that you can.

Very Respectfully,
Ventus

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[crazymjb]

One of my close friends is in the same boat, he's at PI right now for a reserve grunt slot in my company, he just got his degree this May. He's planning to keep looking for civilian employment after he gets home, and decide whether or not he wants to pursue OCS from there, or wait until he gets a deployment (to somewhere) in.

If flying is what you want to do, I would give the army and even the Guard a good look. Many guard units need Helo pilots, and they will send you to all the schools which take about 2 years, and then you just owe your unit a few years where you get to log flight hours on a helicopter every month. The kicker is when **** goes down in the country (like Sandy, Katrina, etc) you can be mobilized to help with rescue and supply missions, so stuff stays interesting as we role back into peace time.

As a college grad ultimately looking to go the officer route I would recommend the reserves if you keep following the USMC route, and look for civilian employment when you get back. Depending where you live, the reservist enlisted guys may be closer to your peer group than active duty enlisted. Most of my company has at least some college, many have degrees or are working on graduate degrees, and minus the 10% of dead beats the rest are working professionals.

Mike

[Tennessee Top]

Your PFT score is still too low. From what I've read here over the last year you need to have a 295 or higher to be competitive. But, if you can score a 295 then you can score a perfect 300. Sounds rediculous I know but that's the waters you're looking to swim in (only the top of the top like you say).

Have you ever talked to an Officer Selection Officer (OSO)? I know they actively recruit on campuses but don't know their role with college graduates. If not, it may pay to seek their advice. You can get their contact info from the local recruiting station.

I understand your viewpoint on the reserves but if you can't raise your PFT score it won't make a difference (the reserves will not be your saving grace).

[crazymjb]

Eh, I've seen a couple reservists commission as recently as 6 months ago with lower PFTs. That said the ones in my company who STILL HAVE NOT PASSED A BOARD have 300 PFTs and a better GPA than you.

Marine Corps OCS is very very competitive right now. As Top said prior serving will not be your saving grace, but if you go the reserves route you can still work to better yourself and apply to OCS as a reservist. It is not rare for reservists to commission. My former platoon Sgt is a LT in Afghanistan right now.

Mike

[Ventus]

@crazymjb I have looked into other flight programs and as tempting as they look, after all this time spent wanting to be a Marine, I don't think I can give that up. I think I would regret it in the long run. As far as what reserve unit I go to, I live in Upper Michigan. The closest units are a bulk fuel detachment in Green bay, and units in Milwaukee, WI and Minneapolis, MN. It's going to be at least a 4-5 hour drive for me for that one weekend a month. I've driven both routes before though. They aren't a problem for me but gas is expensive. Right now I'm living at home working two jobs.

@Tennessee Top I completely understand. The majority of my improvement for my run time came over the course of one month and two weeks during this past summer training with my track coach. I shaved my run time of 25 minutes down to a 21:34. If I can improve that much in one month I know I can get to at LEAST a 295 after going to boot camp. I just need more time to train.

And answering your question, yes I have been dealing with the Minneapolis OSO Office for the better part of 3 years.

@crazymjb I know there are some exceptions depending on what the recruiting quotas are and whether they go Air, Ground, or Law; but yes it is very competitive right now. I wish I had been born a few years earlier so I'd be able to get in with a 278 no problem. Like you both said I need to improve my PFT. I know I can do that if I am in a training environment. Being by myself right now with no one to work out with is tough. I do what I can to stay on top of my fitness but I just really want that tough rigorous training environment.

[crazymjb]

If you do go reserves and do a 4X4 contract, if the officer thing doesn't work out with the USMC, as soon as you hit your IRR time you can lat move to an army unit with the same MOS and not need to retrain, and keep your rank. From there you can submit a flight package with them, with no more than a year obligation, you would not be obligated until completing flight school. This is how it was described to me by my guard recruiter. I understand the wanting to be a Marine thing, but if you are talking being an aviator, I think you will find yourself happier as a pilot for another branch of service than a bulk fuel specialist in the Marine Corps.

As much as we love to rag on the other branches, the job is paramount in my experience. My army grunt buddies and I have a lot more in common than I do with non-infantry Marines. I can say looking back, of course I am thrilled to have been Marine Corps infantry, but I would have been happier as army infantry than doing something I didn't want to in the Marine Corps.

If you want to check the Marine box off on the enisted side, go right ahead, but I'd make sure you do a job you WANT. There is no shame in the other branches of service, and frankly in the current climate some offer better deals. I have even considered flying cargo planes for the Air Reserve. One of the kids I go to school with is a load master, he spent last spring break in Afghanistan, he'll go to Germany for long weekends, etc. There are some other exceptional gigs out there.

Mike

[djj34]

Would you rather spend the next four years not being able to reapply, or would you want to continue applying? If I were in your position, I'd keep applying. Enlisting is not a means to an end of becoming an officer, especially a pilot - that age cutoff pops up really quickly if you don't nail the application on the first try after finishing your active duty service commitment. Good luck.