What is the best Route

[racd95]

Hello Marines,

I am currently a poolee and have signed up as a 92 day reservist. I am looking to got to college and participate in Platoon Leaders Course while I am there in order to fulfill my dream of becoming an officer in the Marine Corps.


To me, college is secondary to serving my country and being a Marine and as such I would like to switch into active duty upon graduating college. Lately I have been wondering if I made the wrong choice by signing into the 92 day reservist program and have considered attempting to get my contract changed to active duty.


You all know much better than I do how realistic it is to move from being active duty enlisted to becoming an active duty officer without college experience.


If I continue my current path and become a 92 day reservist and attend PLC while in college what are my chances of having a request to go active duty as an officer after college go through?


Are my thoughts about going active duty instead and then attempting to go to OCS reasonable or far fetched?


I currently have an 88 on the ASVAB and a 1220 on the SAT critical reading and math. Thank you for your time,

Roarke Dooney

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[josephd]

My opinion/$.02....

Enlisting in the reserves as a 92 day reservist serves no benefit to you or to the Corps, it also does not increase your chances of being accepted into a commissioning program.

If you want to be a Marine Officer then go to college, once your done with your freshmen year go speak with the OSO(officer selection office(r)) in your area and get a PLC package started for board.

Going into the reserves will just hold you back in my opinion and you don't gain anything from it like I said before.

[Huklebuk]

My opinion/$.02....

Enlisting in the reserves as a 92 day reservist serves no benefit to you or to the Corps, it also does not increase your chances of being accepted into a commissioning program.

If you want to be a Marine Officer then go to college, once your done with your freshmen year go speak with the OSO(officer selection office(r)) in your area and get a PLC package started for board.

Going into the reserves will just hold you back in my opinion and you don't gain anything from it like I said before.

What are you basing this info off of?

[Huklebuk]

The 92 day reservist program allows you to drill and go to college. That's the short answer on the benefit of it. I'll leave it at that. Getting to college and then just attempting to get a PLC package started isn't that easy. As a reservist, there are 5 boards held annually for PLC. 1 or 2 for regular college students. By spending time in the reserves you gain experience which makes you more marketable. I have enlisted three Marines this year who already had degrees that didn't get selected for a commission. And they already had degrees. They are using the reserves as a catalyst to boost themselves. So explain to me how you the reserves "hold you back". The 92 day reserve program is a great way to serve and still go to college without losing continuity. It splits the training so you can focus on school. And it most certainly does increase your chances by giving you experience. Not to mention that you also get 6000 a year for school for three years so it helps pay for it until you get into PLC or NROTC. It can also increase your chances to get into the Naval Academy. Had a guy in the office earlier this year that went. The big takeaway is gaining experience. No college class can give you that. Its ultra competitive in the officer world. We had six across the whole RS get selected this Fiscal Year out of 12. 12 out of hundreds that got screened. You need to bring something extra to the table.

[Tennessee Top]

josephd is just giving his opinion based on his own experience as a reservist trying to get commissioned (more than once).

[Huklebuk]

I assumed josephd was an active duty Marine. I still contend what I said to be what the current situation is. I'm not on here to bash, I'm looking at the big picture and this is just an example. To say a program has no benefit is just not accurate info for people who are on here trying to get good info.

I stand by my previous statement, you need to do everything you can to make yourself more marketable if you want to become an officer. Being a reservist and gaining experience is something that goes "on the resume'" so to speak. Its not a guarantee but it does help and thats the point I was trying to make.

I'm not on here to start a holy war, just trying to give good info. My apologies if feelings were hurt.

On a side note, switching to active is going to be a few shades lighter than impossible. I will tell you this. The SNCOIC isnt the one making the decision. Its coming from district most likely. They are the ones who have to approve a comp code change.

[crazymjb]

I've seen a handful of reservists commission, or who are in the process, so it's not impossible. UPON COMMISSIONING in these instances they went from the reserves to active duty as officers. The most recent was this past summer. That said, that kid dodged our deployment to finish school so he could commission on time, I have my own opinions on that.

If being a Marine is your priority I'd say go right ahead. I personally took a year off between HS and College to go to Boot/ITB, and then another year off between my sophomore and Junior year to go to Afghanistan. I'll be graduating with a normal 4 years at school, but it ended up taking me 6 years.

As a reservist, unless you deploy, you won't get great education benefits (you'll get some, but nothing special). Student loans are no joke, so if you don't have money or your family doesn't have money put aside, and college is something you know you want to do, consider looking at other options like ROTC or an enlistment beforehand to cover school. Plenty of my class mates started school at 22 with 4 years in the military and it costs them nothing, and they will only be 2 years older than me when they graduate.

If you can foot college, and that is what you want to do, I'd say go reserves and then worry about commissioning from there. Be aware they do have a 4 year reserve contract, maybe Huklebuk can give you some more info on that. Also, be aware that you very well may be asked to deploy during school, and that will cost you a year. Personally, I have an issue with those who dodge deployments (even in the reserves) to go to school.

The officer world is wicked competitive right now. My good friend just enlisted after getting his bachelors in May, and he had been talking with an OSO for a couple years during school to no avail. Another friend from Umass just took a semester and the summer off to do the same as he wasn't having much luck with PLC. Another kid in one of my classes who was trying desperately to get into PLC is now in Army ROTC.

Good luck

Mike

[Rocky C]

It's been 4 days now.
I really hope the OP comes back to his thread here.

[josephd]

I have been through the PLC process 3 times now......once as a civilian college student(dropped because I quit school) and twice as a reservist(turned down/stopped a package in order to go on deployment and the next because I was too old). I have an OSO that I consider a good friend. I can say from experience that they don't care if you're a Marine reservist or not, they just want you to meet the physical and educational requirements. And it's sad to say most of the reserve/92 day'rs they have coming in don't hold a candle to the other potential candidates they have coming in(many of them being athletes and stellar students with leadership capabilities).

I respect your view as a recruiter Huklebuk and you trying to sell the Corps but mine is coming from real world experience and how things really work.

[Huklebuk]

Again Joseph I'm not trying to start or have an argument. As you can imagine I work with OSO's on a regular basis, we refer well qualified individuals to each other all the time.


I have a pretty good understanding of the real world and how things really work. I live in it this world everyday and this world can be hard to understand at times.


For some reason I cant hit the enter button and start a new paragraph so this is gonna be one long one.


Now the OSO does in fact need you to meet the physical and mental standards. However there are minimum standards and then there are competitive standards.


So the minimum pft score is 225 to get into the program, but to be competitive you need to be about 270 or higher for the OSO to even work with you. Once that happens, then you can start to submit a package.


Now hypothetically lets say that you have 15 packages go up for the PLC. We already know the standard is high to begin with to begin with. So the pft scores and the educational bit is going to be pretty close between all packages.


The OSO did his job he got the packages up. However the board is not looking at education and physical fitness alone. They are looking at the total package. What sports do you play, are you a captain, what experiences have you had, so on and so forth.


So lets say that there are 5 spots available and lets assume that at least two have about the same asvab/sat scores and both are running a perfect 300 pft. What is going to be used to determine who gets which spot?


If one is a reserve Marine and one is not, who do you think is more likely to get chosen? I'm not saying that being a reservist guarantees you anything at all, but in the grand scheme of things it makes you more marketable.


With the way things are now with the drawdown and what not, everything is going to be taken into account. The OSO isn't making the final decision, the board does, and they are looking at everything you've done.


That is the point I'm trying to make. Being a reservist isn't the only way to do it, but in todays Marine Corps, it is helping because people are doing it. I have no doubt that there are some high quality candidates and they are better than reservists. But how better to learn leadership skills to someone that lacks them?


There isn't a class you can take that teaches how to be a good leader. It comes from experience. And I don't sell the Corps, it sells itself. Again not trying to start the proverbial holy war, just the perspective that I see it in todays day and age and I certainly am not trying to detract from you or say that your opinion doesn't matter.

[josephd]

Again Joseph I'm not trying to start or have an argument. As you can imagine I work with OSO's on a regular basis, we refer well qualified individuals to each other all the time. I have a pretty good understanding of the real world and how things really work. I live in it this world everyday and this world can be hard to understand at times. For some reason I cant hit the enter button and start a new paragraph so this is gonna be one long one. Now the OSO does in fact need you to meet the physical and mental standards. However there are minimum standards and then there are competitive standards. So the minimum pft score is 225 to get into the program, but to be competitive you need to be about 270 or higher for the OSO to even work with you. Once that happens, then you can start to submit a package. Now hypothetically lets say that you have 15 packages go up for the PLC. We already know the standard is high to begin with to begin with. So the pft scores and the educational bit is going to be pretty close between all packages. The OSO did his job he got the packages up. However the board is not looking at education and physical fitness alone. They are looking at the total package. What sports do you play, are you a captain, what experiences have you had, so on and so forth. So lets say that there are 5 spots available and lets assume that at least two have about the same asvab/sat scores and both are running a perfect 300 pft. What is going to be used to determine who gets which spot? If one is a reserve Marine and one is not, who do you think is more likely to get chosen? I'm not saying that being a reservist guarantees you anything at all, but in the grand scheme of things it makes you more marketable. With the way things are now with the drawdown and what not, everything is going to be taken into account. The OSO isn't making the final decision, the board does, and they are looking at everything you've done. That is the point I'm trying to make. Being a reservist isn't the only way to do it, but in todays Marine Corps, it is helping because people are doing it. I have no doubt that there are some high quality candidates and they are better than reservists. But how better to learn leadership skills to someone that lacks them? There isn't a class you can take that teaches how to be a good leader. It comes from experience. And I don't sell the Corps, it sells itself. Again not trying to start the proverbial holy war, just the perspective that I see it in todays day and age and I certainly am not trying to detract from you or say that your opinion doesn't matter.

Respect....I kinda missed stating my own point of what I am trying to get across to these wannabes that come on here.

The point I am trying to make to some of these kids is that joining the reserves and becoming a Marine first, while commendable, is not a great stepping stone if your long term goal is to become an officer. My advice is trying to keep them in school and focused on a long term goal, not get sidetracked in the thoughts of glory in becoming a Marine via a depot first. If I had a dollar for each reservist the joined because "I wanted to be a Marine AND go to college to become a Mustang officer", I'd be a rich man. My company is full of these guys.

The sad fact is that a majority of these guys have extreme delusions of grandeur, they never had and never will have the ability to become a Marine officer. Yes, leadership does come from experience but Lance Coolies and boot NCO's coming from the reserve side never learn any sort of real leadership skills so they are screwed from the beginning. Many of these wannabes think that joining the reserves will give them the GI Bill which will help them pay for school in order to fulfill their dream of commissioning. When they hit their unit they find out this isn't the case and then never get to school because they cant afford it. All we end up with is the reserves overfilled with a bunch of disgruntled terminal LCpl's or horrible NCO's with bad attitudes because the Corps didn't get them to what they wanted.

I'd prefer just to tell these kids that they are better off not enlisting, keep them out of our ranks until they are ready to be what they really want...a Marine officer.

[Huklebuk]

And that is a really good and valid point. Probably 99% of high school students really dont have what it takes to be an officer. Some can make it but the vast majority wont, regardless of joining the reserves or not. Although alot of guys I talk to especially in my area, they push college so much that alot of people come to me and ask how they can be a Marine and go to college to appease the parental units. And so the reserves is the answer for them. Not because they want to be officers but because they are looking for a balance. If they are under the dillusion that being a reservist is going to pay for school then we as recruiters have to set them straight. And believe me when I say that at least for me, when I'm sitting down with these guys the highlights of being a reservist have nothing to do with becoming an officer. Honestly though if they cant cut it in the reserves then they are never going to be officers, period. It can help to boost you but you are only going to get out of it what you put into it.


I do know that I would rather have an officer over me that had some enlisted experience (active or reserve) so at least they have some understanding of where I'm coming from. Hopefully people are reading all this and getting something out of it.

[josephd]

And that is a really good and valid point. Probably 99% of high school students really dont have what it takes to be an officer. Some can make it but the vast majority wont, regardless of joining the reserves or not. Although alot of guys I talk to especially in my area, they push college so much that alot of people come to me and ask how they can be a Marine and go to college to appease the parental units. And so the reserves is the answer for them. Not because they want to be officers but because they are looking for a balance. If they are under the dillusion that being a reservist is going to pay for school then we as recruiters have to set them straight. And believe me when I say that at least for me, when I'm sitting down with these guys the highlights of being a reservist have nothing to do with becoming an officer. Honestly though if they cant cut it in the reserves then they are never going to be officers, period. It can help to boost you but you are only going to get out of it what you put into it.


I do know that I would rather have an officer over me that had some enlisted experience (active or reserve) so at least they have some understanding of where I'm coming from. Hopefully people are reading all this and getting something out of it.

You're one of the honest and good ones then. I am glad we kept this civil and respectful so others can read this and be able to decide on their own what is the best option for them :handshake:

[Rocky C]

[Huklebuk]

I like to keep it as real and up front as possible. I'm a pretty laid back dude and that most likely doesn't come across in text. My eyes weren't bulging and bloodshot and veins popping out while I was typing. But yes keeping it civil and respectful is a great thing especially on forums because it can get out of hand. I'm preferential to the fist bump, so I see your handshake and raise you a fist bump!