Marine Corps Reserve

[TobyMAG]

Could any of you Marines tell about the Marine Corps Reserve?

Basically, I would like to know what life is like as a reservist.

-Does a Reserve Marine get the same MOS options as an active duty Marine?
-Do reservists see as much action as active duty Marines?
-Is it normal for a reserve unit to be called into action?
-From what i understand, A reservist is in the corps for 8 years total. Could I be in the reserve for only 4 years while I go to school and then switch the last 4 years to an active duty career?


Basically I want to serve in the Marine Corps while also taking into consideration my future by going to school (not that the Marine Corps isn't an appealing/possible future). So any information or comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,
-Tim

[rvillac2]

-Does a Reserve Marine get the same MOS options as an active duty Marine?

Not exactly. There is a Reserve component for almost every enlisted MOS. However, the Reserve unit that you will be assigned to will dictate what MOS's are available to you.
For example:
You cannot enlist as a Forward Observer in Wisconsin since their units are in Florida and California.
You cannot have an Air Wing MOS unless there's a Reserve Squadron in your area.

-Do reservists see as much action as active duty Marines?

Not even close.

-Is it normal for a reserve unit to be called into action?

At this pace, every Reserve unit will rotate into active duty. Whether it's "action" or not is questionable.

-From what i understand, A reservist is in the corps for 8 years total. Could I be in the reserve for only 4 years while I go to school and then switch the last 4 years to an active duty career?

Standard Reserve contract is 6x2, 6 years Select (report for duty 1 weekend/month plus 2 weeks/year) and 2 years IRR (no report for duty but subject to involuntary recall). It is possible but sometimes difficult to augment from Reserve to Active duty. They may let you in but you will almost certainly lose rank when transferring.
Don't plan on finishing school in 4 years. Even full time students don't do that anymore. A Reservist today is likely to go on involuntary active duty at least once in that 4 years.

Basically I want to serve in the Marine Corps while also taking into consideration my future by going to school (not that the Marine Corps isn't an appealing/possible future). So any information or comments would be appreciated.

Joining the Reserve because you want to serve is fine. Keep in mind that if you love the Corps, you'll wish you went straight into Active Duty.

[Covey_Rider]

Can't really add anything else to that. Pretty much every single reservist that I know wishes that they had gone active duty. Active and Reserves are two completely different worlds. If you want to full experience of the Corps then I would suggest going active. Besides that all that you'll really get to know about the Corps is what you experience in schools.

[davblay]

Like the Brand New Corporal said, there ain't no comparison to active and reserves. The reserves are (pardon the expression) just like the National Guard as far as drilling and annual training. The Corps has to be experienced, not read about. You will never know the routine of the Corps while serving in the Reserves. Life is completely different.

[Alphaonethree]

I think we should vote on it. ( GO ACTIVE ) You can still take classes at night. You will regret being a weekend warrier.

[TobyMAG]

Thanks alot. I appreciate your input.

[Jarhead Ruble]

Joining the Reserve because you want to serve is fine. Keep in mind that if you love the Corps, you'll wish you went straight into Active Duty.

TAKE IT FROM ME!!! I HATE RESERVES I WANT ACTIVE...

[Lisa 23]

Thanks alot. I appreciate your input.

Since you're the original poster of this topic and it hasn't been posted in in about 3 years and your shipdate was about 3 years ago, have you EARNED the title of United States Marine yet?

[crazymjb]

Reserves vs Active are two very different animals. As a reservist, you do miss out on the fleet life, to some they hate that, to others it's great. Being in a squared away unit I have no problem with it, but I am also a full time student. If you do not have much going on, it not only makes more sense to go active, but you will also be happier.

Do you see as much action... depends who you ask. year per year, probably not, especially if you are going into a combat MOS. As an infantry reservist, you may very well see more combat than non-infantry active duty guys, and in some cases, active infantry... it really depends how the cards fall. Depending on your unit, you may easily be able to volunteer to go with others on deployments. I know a handful of Marines, and of a handful more, who have seen more/traveled more year per year in the Reserves than have active duty guys. With the op-tempo as it has been, reservists deploy more than often enough.

I wouldn't compare my unit with the national guard. We are squared away, and take pride in being Marines just as the active duty guys do. Is there a 10%, yes... but I'm sure there are on the active side as well. On the plus side, most of our "10%" just stops showing up. No loss to me. The Army drills nearby us, and I guarantee you we are 100 times more on the ball than they are, in fact we've outperformed active army (as we should have) as recently as a few months ago. Again, YMMV.

Choose wisely. Don't write the reserves off if you think that may work better for you, but if you don't have much else going on it's not going to satisfy you.

Mike

[Quinbo]

Since you're the original poster of this topic and it hasn't been posted in in about 3 years and your shipdate was about 3 years ago, have you EARNED the title of United States Marine yet?

Ahh ohh Lisa made a boo boo.

[Lisa 23]

Ahh ohh Lisa made a boo boo.

What boo boo did I make Bulk?

[Quinbo]

Lisa I'm just funnin with ya of course.

Your boo boo was you quoted a 3 year old post from a sender that hasn't visited this site since December of 2007.

Someone else dug this one up from the dead. Not the original poster.

[Lisa 23]

Lisa I'm just funnin with ya of course.

Your boo boo was you quoted a 3 year old post from a sender that hasn't visited this site since December of 2007.

Someone else dug this one up from the dead. Not the original poster.

Good catch Bulk...... and I quoted the wrong post.
Thanks for correcting me!