Active or Reserves

[biker9075]

Hello Marines,

I spoke with my recruiter today, and he told me that if I want to go active I would have to wait until around December (originally September) to ship. But if I go reserves I can leave in March, and that I could switch to active after a year of being in the reserves. Reserves isn't really something that I was looking to do, however if it can get me to ship faster then I would as long as I wouldn't have any problems going active after that year. Does anyone have any opinions on this?

[Lisa 23]

If active duty is what you really want, then wait. Don't let the recruiter talk you into something you know you don't want. Switching from reserves to active duty is a verrrrrry long process, and could take up to about a year or so to happen. Use the search bar as you will see that this topic has been covered a few times, and will help give you more info.
Use your time until then to get into shape and study up on Marine Corps knowledge to help prepare you for boot camp.

[Supersquishy]

Just join the Army, unless you don't care about waiting. System is so backed up due to the economy that pretty soon the Army will backed up. Get it while you can.

[biker9075]

Maybe I should wait then. But the way my recruiter made it sound I could be doing reserves then on the 11th month I could submit the paperwork and then I would have no problem going active

[crazymjb]

What reserve unit is in PA? If you time it right as soon as you get through with boot and SOI your unit could be activating, which lasts about a year all said and done.

As others said though, if you can wait, and active duty is what you want, just be patient.

Mike

[Moderboater]

Take this for what you will, but if I was you I would try Reserve first and see if you like it. This isn't a video game and perhaps barracks life may not be cut out for you. If your goal is truly to be a Marine, I'd go Reserve first and see how you like it, then if you really want to go active duty then you may do so, but as other Marines have stated it will take a while for the transition.

Good luck with your endeavor's

Moder

[SGT0844]

Take this for what you will, but if I was you I would try Reserve first and see if you like it. This isn't a video game and perhaps barracks life may not be cut out for you. If your goal is truly to be a Marine, I'd go Reserve first and see how you like it, then if you really want to go active duty then you may do so, but as other Marines have stated it will take a while for the transition.

Good luck with your endeavor's

Moder

My advice (as a former reservist), is go active duty. I believe, having missed out on it, that at least half of the "full USMC experience" is living and breathing USMC full time 24/7. As a reservist you don't go on floats, or generally go anywhere more exotic than Fort Sill Oklahoma.

These days the lines probably blur a bit since so many reserve units are activated routinely for the GWOT.

IF you decide to go reserves on a "try before you buy" basis however, my advice is go infantry. Many other MOS's don't get to practice their craft adequately as many drill weekends are spent doing admin BS. It is hard to keep up your primary MOS skills AND background rifleman skills in such an environment. At least with 0300, your primary MOS IS rifleman stuff.

Better to go whole hog to start with.

Of course, I was never full time active duty, so maybe I am being overly rosey about it. Lord knows how many times I drove away from 29 Stumps thinking, "Thank GOD I get to leave this ****-hole after only 3 weeks, I would hate to actually live here full time."

[Melancon]

What reserve unit is in PA? If you time it right as soon as you get through with boot and SOI your unit could be activating, which lasts about a year all said and done.

As others said though, if you can wait, and active duty is what you want, just be patient.

Mike

One of our squadrons, MWSS-472, is out of Willowgrove, PA and the last wave of them is coming back from Iraq this week. It will be a while before they rotate back in.

[polizei]

One of our sister-co's is out of PA. And also being a reservist, I would advise against it. I could be making a LOT of money right now, basking in the Cali sunshine...nope. I'm jobless in cold snowy Ohio.

[crazymjb]

There are often multiple, and separate units in each state, so he would really need to know exactly what slot he would be moving in to fill.

I thought reservists always had deployments no matter what. My unit was last activated to Iraq in 06 (before my time) where they saw a lot of action. Prior to that they were activated in peace time and did a full tour in Okinawa. Our next activation is fast approaching to Afghanistan and we are looking at doing some fun stuff in Bridgeport this summer. I have a friend who is out of a different unit and went to Israel for the summer last year.

Also, if your unit isn't set to deploy for a while there is a good chance(though far from a guarantee) you can activate with another unit. We just had a bunch of guys come back from Iraq as augments, over 30. Additionally, we had a bunch of guys in Africa.

I would second the going infantry if you are doing the reserves thing. My girlfriend is motor-T, and while I'd say she is definitely more comfortable on her drill weekend and AT, I think I have more fun (as much as I like to ***** about it).

Mike

[MLMonk]

Motor T isn't that bad, just a lot of admin stuff though between field work and convoy's. I would advise going active. Just wait, there's no guarantee that you will have a chance to switch to active duty.

[biker9075]

Thanks for your opinions Marines. I think I'll just wait the couple extra months for active

[Smitty Puffs]

There are often multiple, and separate units in each state, so he would really need to know exactly what slot he would be moving in to fill.

I thought reservists always had deployments no matter what. My unit was last activated to Iraq in 06 (before my time) where they saw a lot of action. Prior to that they were activated in peace time and did a full tour in Okinawa. Our next activation is fast approaching to Afghanistan and we are looking at doing some fun stuff in Bridgeport this summer. I have a friend who is out of a different unit and went to Israel for the summer last year.

Also, if your unit isn't set to deploy for a while there is a good chance(though far from a guarantee) you can activate with another unit. We just had a bunch of guys come back from Iraq as augments, over 30. Additionally, we had a bunch of guys in Africa.

I would second the going infantry if you are doing the reserves thing. My girlfriend is motor-T, and while I'd say she is definitely more comfortable on her drill weekend and AT, I think I have more fun (as much as I like to ***** about it).

Mike

I knew that was you, Ball.