Reserves opinion/question

[WWB5811]

Hello Marines I recently enlisted in the Marine reserves and just wanted to ask something. First just let me start off with saying I've wanted to join ever since I was a kid and was planning on going active duty once I turned 18. I planned on doing police as a job after I got out because that's something I've grown to become very passionate about as well. But with what's been going on with the police lately and what will come to happen I decided that now more than ever cops need help so I wanna get to that ASAP. But I just can't let becoming a Marine and joining the military go so I did what seems like the perfect idea and went reserves so I could serve my country in the police and hopefully be deployed in the military as well. But I've heard some things about the reserves that were negative and that some reserve Marines are not up to par with training what so ever and don't know what their doing and some don't care because their only in for college benefits. So what I'm wondering is is if I really give my all in it and put it before anything else in life like I want to is that going to be enough to be a 'good Marine' per say? I don't care about pay or benefits, and I really hope I can end up deploying a few times but from what I've read other Marines will spit on you just for being reserves and not give you a chance to prove yourself. I don't expect to just be treated like an Active Marine from other Active ones right away I get that it's two different thing completely but I just don't want the reserves to limit me to being the best I can through the corps and I never did until I started reading some of this. Sorry this was so ****ing long but I didn't wanna leave anything out and want some feedback from other reserve Marines and active as well about what you think. Thanks

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[Tennessee Top]

I'll touch on one aspect of your question, because I have some personal experience with it.

I was on the Inspector-Instructor (I-I) staff here in Knoxville, TN for 3 years. The I-I staff consists of the active duty Marines assigned to a reserve unit to make sure the reservists are ready to be mobilized and deployed if needed. The main campus of the University of Tennessee is located here and the Reserve Training Center is only 10 miles away.

Can't remember the percentage now. But, majority of our reserve company were students at UT. They were reservists, because that was the only way most could afford to go to UT. There's nothing wrong with that. Recruiting for the reserves revolves around the concept of staying home, serving part time, and getting help with tuition costs. Just like any unit in the USMC (active or reserve), we had our outstanding, average, and below average Marines in the company. They deployed different platoons during Desert Storm; all performed as expected and accomplished their missions just like their active duty counterparts.

[WWB5811]

Well I guess that does make sense. Thank you for the reply

[USMC 2571]

OP, PM madsox, he can venture some opinions about this.

[WWB5811]

How do I do that? I'm extremely new to this site and I'm on mobile version on my phone if that matters

[USMC 2571]

ahhhh, the technical side of it....let me PM him for you and ask him to take a look at this thread, that is the easiest way. Will do that right now.

[WWB5811]

Thanks a lot I really appreciate it I probably couldn't figure out how to pm

[USMC 2571]

DONE. I PMd him and explained----Be patient, he'll help you. Busy guy at work during the daytime.

[WWB5811]

Haha that's cool I understand. Looking forward to hearing what he has to say. Thanks again

[USMC 2571]

My pleasure. We're here to help, as much as we can. And even if we have no concrete info for you, we'll at least try to encourage you.

[WWB5811]

Awesome. Love this forum already

[madsox]

Welcome aboard, youngster!

Lots of questions and some concerns in that sentence of yours (I was going to give you a hard time about that, but "writing" on the phone - I understand).

I was a peacetime, non-deployed Reservist my while time in. 10 years of active reserve time spread out over 16 years on contracts. I don't regret a day of it.

Well, a few here and there, but it was definitely worth doing. The Corps taught me a lot about myself and other people, and things I never would have learned elsewhere. I enlisted while I was still in college, never got a vision waiver to get to OCS, but that's turned out to be okay.

Do some active duty Marines look down on "stinkin' weekend warriors"? Yes, some do. But especially over the past 15 years the integration between Active and Reserve components has gotten a lot tighter. Many Reserve units have deployed multiple times to SW Asia, and the training standards have honestly gotten tougher since I was in (80s and 90s). Like TN Top said, though, Reserve units do have good, bad, and average Marines in them - but here's a secret: so do regular FMF units!

So in reality, you won't be trained less than any other Marine in whatever your MOS is. You won't have as much time putting those skills to use, that's true, so if/when you do deploy (who can say if you will? You just don't know any more, the world's a crazy place), your unit will spend some extra time getting fully up to speed. You will be expected to perform up to standards if you go somewhere, but if you make it through boot camp and MOS school and out to the Corps, you'll learn how to push yourself that extra 10% to make sure you do make the grade.

The Corps is a life, a complete new identity. If you make it in, and make the grade, you'll work extra hard as "just a Reservist" to make sure you keep up with your active duty brothers/sisters when you're on orders with them. I know I did.

Good luck, you've got a while to wait I see, so stay in touch here as other questions come up. We're around.

[WWB5811]

Well first if all let me say thanks for not correcting me on my grammar haha. But wow you pretty much covered all the bases of my question, very nice to hear not only from someone who was in the reserves but for so long too. I'm hoping to deploy at least once but your very right about not knowing with how the world is now adays. I've also heard that "it's so hard balancing your civvy life with the military one" so in your experience while in college was it really that hard? I'm willing to commit and work through it I just kinda wonder. Thanks so much for your reply it really helped a lot!

[zckilby]

Quick qustion. What do i have to do to request off a drill eekend for family matters? Non emergency.

[Tennessee Top]

Talk to your Company First Sergeant.