Hey everyone, have a question.

[hemiman]

Well, it has been a long time since ive posted here, lately i have been goin up to the recruiting office on tuesday nights with some of my buddies that have signed, we play football, and other games, im only 16, so i was kinda relunctant to go because im not 17 but the recruiter said it was cool, hes a nice guy, if, and when i join i know he wont just forget about me. he said the cool thing about being 16 is that he cant bug me about joining but gives me a chance to go and ask questions and just hang out. i just wanted to share this with you..

ANYWAY. my question is... Can you join the reserves and go through boot camp between junior/senior year and then after you graduate switch to active, and would that year count as a year off your time?

I am just wondering Thanks, Ethan.

[davblay]

Well, it has been a long time since ive posted here, lately i have been goin up to the recruiting office on tuesday nights with some of my buddies that have signed, we play football, and other games, im only 16, so i was kinda relunctant to go because im not 17 but the recruiter said it was cool, hes a nice guy, if, and when i join i know he wont just forget about me. he said the cool thing about being 16 is that he cant bug me about joining but gives me a chance to go and ask questions and just hang out. i just wanted to share this with you..

ANYWAY. my question is... Can you join the reserves and go through boot camp between junior/senior year and then after you graduate switch to active, and would that year count as a year off your time?

I am just wondering Thanks, Ethan.

Nope! Sorry, but your recruiter could have answered that for you.

[sparkie]

High school diploma comes first. You should know that. Son.

[Chumley]

hemiman,

The USMC needs recruits / Marines that are good decision makers. Ask yourself if YOU would want someone to join your unit that is so eager to get to the end result that they skip all the important steps along the way and hand you a half-assed product, barely finished and lacking basic components...Hmmmmm????? It's not a tough one.

Make a good decision here and now. Our Marine Corps will be here when you are really ready. Enjoy this part of your youth, and prepare yourself to be an outstanding person first; only THEN do you have a chance in h-e, double L of being an outstanding Marine someday.

C

[ChiefUSMC]

Damn were being kind of rough on this young man, Have any of you been on recruiting duty?? This is not a bashing contest it is a place to ask question and get them answered if possible, I keep seeing everyone being very aggressive, were all Marines here but for those that are not they just want the opportunity to have the same title as we do so lets try not being so harsh on these young people that are asking questions, because they have no idea, "does everyone remember the saying that no question is a stupid question" think about it,

Now to your question young man, the answer is no, you can not enlist in to our beloved Corps until you are 17 you can join the delayed entry program in the beginning of your senior year for instance you grad in 08 well you then can join in the May or June this will give you the opportunity to graduate from high school, you will be given your date to recruit training which would be the following year. Like what was said earlier you can ask your Marine that is taking care of you (remember he is a Marine on Recruiting duty not a recruiter if you want to talk to a recruiter there are four other branches to talk to, but if you think you can step up to the challenge of becoming a Marine, ask all the questions you can then join you will never regret it, by the way make sure your parents are involved with your decision, they have to sign a parental consent for you to enlist. If you have any other questions please drop more lines.

[Chumley]

Gunz,

Thanks for the corrective action! You're correct that we jumped off target on a tangent BEFORE answering the question asked directly. I've been working w/ a 16 year old who wants to quit HS and leave yesterday and I've kinda confused these two individuals and my take on them.

SFi
C

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

Gunny, I think the aggression may come from the fact that questions like this tend to come in bunches. Just a day or two ago there was someone else wanting to join while they are in high school, or drop out to enlist. With about 20 seconds worth of work they could have found the answer to the question. Not saying that we should be aggressive or rude to prospective Marines, but I do understand where it comes from.

[hemiman]

Well, sorry everyone, i shoulda looked harder. i wanted to ask here because i only go up to the recruiting office on tuesdays and i was anxious for an answer. i was just thinking maybe you could because a kid at school did this in the National Gaurd and was wondering if the Marines did this also. Didnt mean to make anyone mad. Thanks for the replys though.

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

I don't think you actually made anyone mad. Just the Marines acting restless.

Regardless, the National Guard does allow people to make that decision. The Marine Corps does not. It would mean you wouldn't be deployable for a year while you finished school. A Marine that cannot perform their job for real (on deployment/in combat) doesn't do the unit any good.

[thewookie]

I don't think you actually made anyone mad. Just the Marines acting restless.

That's a good way to put it!


The National Guard does it, a good friend of mine did that back in HS, in 1989 between our Jr and Sr years. He was a little fat/overweight, but he was a big guy, typical HS kid as far as shape goes, but when he came back he was locked on. Whew. This guy grew up with no-father because his father died unexpectedly (heart) when he was very young, so maybe he just needed that guidance/motivation to "fix" him and get him going? I grew up and played football with him all my life, but our Senior year he was a legend in this area, he found something at basic that the rest of us had no clue about!

A little Sunday HS legend time,,,,bear with me

That guy's name is Joel Garrett, he went on to lead our HS football team to a state championship in 1989, we played in Foxboro Stadium and had the Patriots locker room, it's the old Patriots stadium the "turf" was basically just sitting on concrete, Dec 2nd 1989, and we won. We played a Catholic team, Central Catholic and they "the press" said they were too big for us, but they forgot about talent and skill and heart. It was sooo cold, we won 7-3. Joel went on to the 1st Gulf as an MP. Came back and played at Springfield College, Div II, good school, he was a full-back. He was the 1st person that told me that playing at that level, or higher is a lot of skill, and a lot of luck. Any way he got his masters, doctrine and now he lives happily with his wife and son in NH.

Don't be so hard on the guy, although I know I can jump at some of them at times. Maybe he needs some direction and another service can help.

Ethan, I'd wait if you can, the year off you can work out and get yourself ready, to be a Marine. It's worth the wait.

[davblay]

Well, sorry everyone, i shoulda looked harder. i wanted to ask here because i only go up to the recruiting office on tuesdays and i was anxious for an answer. i was just thinking maybe you could because a kid at school did this in the National Gaurd and was wondering if the Marines did this also. Didnt mean to make anyone mad. Thanks for the replys though.

James I see a Marine inside of you waiting to get out when the time is right. But not yet, finish school. I was a recruiter for the Tennessee Army National Guard for two years and the SPLIT OPTION was my best recruiting tool in that I could enlist HS juniors (age 17 with parental consent), send them to boot then to SOI after they graduated HS. They drilled one week end a month, just like the rest, and got paid for it during thier senior year, they went to SOI (AIT the Army called it) after graduation, then they just finished up thier enlistment in the local Guard unit.

Looking back on it now, I see several potential Marines that I cheated the Corps out of. But that was my job at the time.

[hemiman]

Thanks for the replys guys, I understand now, i wasnt trying to get out of High School, just a little anxious. You're right though, my time will come.

[LeonardLawrence]

hemiman,
Just keep your patience. Another year to enlist isn't that bad, if that is what you decide to do, it is a great choice. Hanging out with the friends lets you learn good intel that will help steer you in the direction.......

I remember many moons ago, when the Marine Corps sent me my letter that stated....."Unfortunately, since you are 14 ........ you get the rest.....but I was hooked from there.

Good luck to you!