Morrison's Many Questions

[dmorrison2k]

This is my first post on the site so to preface this thread I'll provide you with some information. I'm 16 years old, I'm currently concluding my sophomore year of High-School, and I have a desire to join the USMC. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

I'll turn 17 on the 4th of August, will my parents be permitted to allow me to enlist at this time even though I will have two years of High-School left? I understand that I'll be joining the "Delayed Entry Program" or DEP at this time assuming the answer is, "Yes."

Am I able to speak to a recruiter prior to being age 17? Note, we would clearly be discussing about me enlisting in the Corp. At this time, I believe he or she would not speak to me, as it'd be illegal until I turn 17.

What is DEP and how will it affect my day-to-day life? Please understand I have read on the USMC recruiting site about DEP, but it isn't all that specific. How will it affect me when I'm in the Corp?

Can a recruit join a MEU(SOC) or Force Recon? If not, would being a recon man be the first step there? My desire is to excel, be in a relatively small group, and a jack-of-all trades. As far as I know at this moment, I'd love to be apart of MARSOC in my career, but I don't want to give off the impression I want to act like a movie star. I genuinenly have researched special forces and what operators do, in-fact I just got done reading "Inside Delta Force" by Eric L. Haney and "Delta Force" by Charles A. Beckwith, which gave far better insight into the crafts of special operators than that of movies like "American Sniper" which are meant for entertainment and not education.

Is there any courses or training programs that would benefit me to go to prior to enlisting?

As a follow up to that...

• Do you know any good training courses in Pennsylvania for learning... firearms?
• ... Martial Arts relative to defense?
• ... Diving and or intense swimming?
• ... Fitness and or relative exercises such as ruck-running?

Can I earn a Bachelors while Active Duty? Can I earn a post-graduate afterwards?

How would I seek a commission as enlistee? Is it wiser to go do ROTC, go to an Academy, or attend OCS right out of the gate? Experience is important to me and I want to be able to take a lot of it into my life after the military.


What should I do to prepare for boot camp? Before speaking to a recruiter, before DEP?

What I've already done or am doing:

• Studied 14 Leadership Traits
• Studied 11 Leadership Principles
• Studied Rank Structure (USMC & Navy)
• Studied Devices, Ribbons, and Medals.
• Studied General Orders.
• Acquainted myself with acronyms and expressions.
• Learning USMC Cadences.
• Learning "The Marine's Hymn"
• Learning the "Marine Corps Creeds"
• Working out on a daily basis, always pushing to do so more effectively. I spend anywhere from 30-70 minutes a day. Mostly lifting and using machines.
• I run a mile a week and improve my time by a minimum of 3-5 seconds each time.
• I joined JROTC (Airforce, but apples and oranges) at my High-School for next year.
• Attending a summer camp aimed at learning leadership skills and dealing with physically demanding challenges. (Mountain Biking, Rappelling, Rock-Climbing)

As a final note I'd like to apologize for an arrogance, ignorance, or rudeness that I may have stated or implied unknowingly in my thread. I'm not a Marine, I'm not a poolee, and I try my damnest not to act like a tool or surround myself with memorabilia.

Thank you.

Similar Threads:

• Poolee - Recon, Field Operator Questions, and General Questions
• Just a few questions..
• Concerns not enough to affect Morrison verdict
• Expert: No evidence Morrison drugged victims
• Ron Morrison

[Zulu 36]

I'll turn 17 on the 4th of August, will my parents be permitted to allow me to enlist at this time even though I will have two years of High-School left? I understand that I'll be joining the "Delayed Entry Program" or DEP at this time assuming the answer is, "Yes."

The answer is "no." A poolee can be in DEP for no more than 365 days. So a recruiter will probably make you wait until after you finish 11th grade.

Am I able to speak to a recruiter prior to being age 17?

No. Not to discuss your entry into the Corps.


What is DEP and how will it affect my day-to-day life?

DEP is a program where poolees are assigned while awaiting shipment to boot camp. It should have little impact on your day-to-day life, but most recruiting stations have periodic functions poolees are expected to attend for PT, knowledge, etc. These are usually on weekends.

Can a recruit join a MEU(SOC) or Force Recon? If not, would being a recon man be the first step there?

No. A recruit cannot join Force Recon or MARSOC (a MEU (SOC) is a combat organization formed of an infantry battalion, a composite helo squadron, an artillery battery, and other supporting units, that has completed training to be Special Operations Capable (SOC). The Corps has two or three of these out on Navy assault transport ships all the time.

You can try to get a UZ (I think) contract that lets you tryout for Recon Battalion after boot camp and SOI. However, if you flunk the indoc you become an open contract and the Corps can put you anywhere.


Is there any courses or training programs that would benefit me to go to prior to enlisting?

Not really.The Corps will teach you what they want you to know. If you are interested in Recon, swim, swim, swim.
Can I earn a Bachelors while Active Duty? Can I earn a post-graduate afterwards?

You probably won't get a bachelor's degree on AD for four years. Depending on your MOS and deployment schedule, you may have time to pickup classes in brick and mortar schools or on-line.Of course, once you have your bachelor's you can go for a grad degree.

How would I seek a commission as enlistee? Is it wiser to go do ROTC, go to an Academy, or attend OCS right out of the gate? Experience is important to me and I want to be able to take a lot of it into my life after the military.

It is very difficult to go from enlisted to officer. If you want to be an officer, you should do it and not go enlisted. Your commissioning source is immaterial to the Corps, but you will need a bachelor''s degree first.What should I do to prepare for boot camp? Before speaking to a recruiter, before DEP?

You have plenty of time to prepare. One of the things DEP prepares you for is your knowledge. I would work on increasing your run distance to three-miles, work on pullups, crunches, pushups, and other calisthenics. If you walk into the recruiter's office running a sub-27 minute three mile (or preferably better), able to do 20-pullups, and 100-crunches, he will be a very happy Marine. You don't need those standards to get out of DEP (the Initial Strength Test is about 1/2 a regular PFT).


Hope all this helps.

[Tennessee Top]

One important thing you did not ask about is the ASVAB (aptitude) test. Your scores on this test will be used to determine which MOS (job) you're assigned after bootcamp. Higher the score you attain, the more jobs you'll be qualified for. So, your goal must be to make the highest score possible. You should study before taking this test at your MEPS. You can find study material at your local library, bookstores, and online. Once you join your DEP, your recruiter can let you take practice tests to see the areas you need improvement in. Certain jobs require minimum scores. For instance, intelligence requires a minimum GT score of 110. Same with officer programs. You must have a GT score of at least 110 to be eligible for any officer programs as an enlisted Marine. Be sure to talk to your recruiter about preparing for and taking the ASVAB.

IMPORTANT. If you want to join this gun club, the least you can do is spell it's name correctly. It's at the top of this page and you need to get it right.

Good luck

[m14ed]

I wanna be a brain surgeon ,
i want to study @ home and earn my deploma
Will there be a problem IF
i drive part time for UBER while i wait to graduate
HighSchool-
earn my deploma-
and enter boot camp ?

you can write out a list of questions to ask the recruiter when you get old enough.

there -
simple isn't it.

[crazymjb]

Good info here, I'll add a couple caveats
1. Even though a recruiter may be limited in what they can do with you prior to 17, it was my experience that they were still more than welcoming of other prospective Marines in highschool (with their parents blessing) when it came to coming to events or weekly PT sessions. I don't by any means think this is necessary, but it may give you the opportunity to make some friends and maybe get a more honest view of the Marine Corps from the recruiters as they come to know you. A friend of mine started hanging out at the recruiting station when he was in 7th grade (I think his parents dropped him off there to keep him out of trouble), he's halfway through his second enlistment right now.

2. If you want to be an officer and have the means to pay for college, do that first. As was mentioned, enlisted to commissioned is statistically not easy through the programs the Marine Corps offers. That said, I've met my share of officers who were enlisted first. They got out/were in the reserves, and went to college either while in the reserves or with their GI bill, and then applied to OCS from there. If you do 4 years of active duty infantry, since it sounds like that is the MOS of your choice, you have a free ride to college after those 4 years. You will get paid to go to school, and if you are set on being an officer, with summer semesters that is easily doable in 3 years. If you were going to school outside Boston for example, they'd be paying for school and 3000 a month for housing. It's a phenomenal deal.

As far as what to do for now. Stay in shape, stay out of trouble, do as well as you can in high school. Your grades do matter, especially if you think you may want to be an officer. If you have time and enjoy reading, start reading books off the commandant's reading list. There are some great lessons in leadership and military history to be had among those books. Your age will work to your advantage. You'll be 18 before October of your senior year, which means you can be in the DEP prior to all the new job slots opening up. This means if you want to be a grunt, which fills up first, you should have your pick of the litter.

Mike