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  1. #1

    Reserves

    My main goal growing up was to be in the Military. I have always been patriotic and desired to serve. I recently came across Jiu Jitsu and I now have another goal of being Jiu Jitsu World Champion, which takes lots of training and effort. I was thinking the Reserves would be a great option for me so I can live out both dreams. When does a reservist considered a Veteran and how different are the Reservist Life and Active Life?? Any advice? Also, whats the process from going Reserve to Active?

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  2. #2
    If you don't have much going on in your civilian life, I'd suggest Active Duty for the job security/full experience... and this is coming from a prior reservist. While your goal to become a BJJ World Champion is laudable, I think you'll have enough time in your first 4 year enlistment to get an idea as to how realistic it is. I'm frankly not sure if you are being serious... but in the off chance you're not a troll I'll answer your questions.

    1. Reservists get some limited benefits are compared to active duty. The definition of a "veteran" differs for different purposes. Traditionally you need a consecutive period of active duty over a certain period of time not including initial training. You may or may not get this in a 6 year reserve enlistment.

    2. You will need a real job/career. The reserves is more or less one weekend a month, maybe a 3-4 day weekend here and there, with 2 weeks of service every summer. Deployments of varying lengths do happen, but typically the orders run about 13 months. I also know plenty who did 6+ years in the reserves and never deployed. That is more common as the wars have wound down quite a bit.

    3. It is NOT easy to go from reserves to active. It's technically possible, but not likely. I know many who have tried and few who have succeeded. You would need a conditional release from your reserve unit and active duty would need to be willing to take you. Again, not impossible, but rare. Not a good bet it would happen. Likewise the other way around unless you find yourself in some extreme hardship, and even then the Marine Corps doesn't always play ball.

    My advice is to follow your dreams, even if that is to be a BJJ world champion, but with that specific goal in mind don't let it push you into the reserves if you would prefer to go active duty, unless you have serious career or education options on the civilian side. Bear in mind almost all the serious MMA fighters who were military started on the active side.


  3. #3
    Thank you for the help!


  4. #4
    Decided I will join Active duty


  5. #5
    Marine Platinum Member Zulu 36's Avatar
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    And if you want to stay with martial arts, you will be able to as most Marine Corps bases have plenty of dojos from different disciplines in the towns off-base. And that is especially true if you go to Japan or Okinawa. Korea too.

    Also, the Corps has their own Marine Martial Arts program that you will be introduced to in boot camp. If it interests you, there are rank progressions within MMAP that can take you into instructor levels. MOS is not a factor.


  6. #6
    That's awesome, thanks you again for the help!


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