View Full Version : Enlist or officer
Jhayes1220
10-26-10, 07:49 PM
Well I got a free ride to go to college but I was planning on joining the Marines after high school. So now i'm stuck on going to school and joining as an officer or not going to school enlisting then going to school after my 4 years. What do you guys think would be best?
bballbrad22
10-26-10, 07:54 PM
No one can really tell you what's best. It depends on what you think is best for yourself. Officers make more money, but money isn't a factor for some people. It all depends on your personal preferences.
USNAviator
10-26-10, 08:20 PM
Well I got a free ride to go to college but I was planning on joining the Marines after high school. So now i'm stuck on going to school and joining as an officer or not going to school enlisting then going to school after my 4 years. What do you guys think would be best?
Justine, you have a free ride to college, take it. If you are still interested in serving, there is always NROTC but my personal choice is PLC. Let me know your choice and I will send you links to your options. It's nice to have options, so few do
USNAviator
10-26-10, 08:32 PM
You're right, Dan---I kind of glossed over the free ride thing, was concentrating only on officer/enlisted part it, but yes, if you have a free ride to college? Not many have that, so take it by all means......
Absolutely Dave... my free ride was my old man.. he cut me off after my sophomore year.. apparently drinking beer and chasing "co-eds" was not in his understanding of higher education...;) Worked for two years in the oil industry as a roughneck. My final year was working for ARAMCO in Yemen. Tough love yes...but I think I gained his respect when it was all said and done.
TunTvrnWarrior
10-26-10, 08:54 PM
This is a no brainer..... GO TO COLLEGE!!! It is paid for. Do it! The Marine Corps can wait.
indygti
10-27-10, 04:21 AM
She's going to have a free ride regardless of whether or not she enlists or goes straight to college, she'll get the G.I. Bill remember?
What I would do if I were you is to join the reserves. You basically get the best of both worlds; you'll be able to use that scholarship (or whatever tuition assistance you evidently were awarded), be able to serve in the Marine Corps and get a feel for what it's like and still qualify for extra financial aid in the form of the G.I. Bill, plus all of the other incentives for being in the Marine Corps.
You gain a lot of hands on knowledge as an enlisted member of the Marine Corps that is not necessarily lost when gaining a commission, but they certainly aren't involved with the nitty gritty if you will. After you've served your enlistment, you'll have a better grasp on what type of officer you would have liked to deal with and want to be, and have a better understanding of what it takes to be a successful leader instead of going in blind. Not only that, but being a prior enlisted Marine is major brownie points when it comes time for commissioning boards.
Like I said, you get the best of both worlds this way, but ultimately it's up to you.
Justine,
If you have a free ride to university...grab it. Free rides are getting harder and harder to find these days. Become an Officer but be a good one. Many people go the Officer route but sadly, some are more concerned about themselves than their troops. Take the free ride, become an Officer, and be the best!
Good luck to you in whatever you decide.
I'm going to echo a lot of this advice - go to college. Less than 30% of American adults over the age of 30 have a college degree. So, if you have the chance, take advantage of it. <br />
<br />
Quite...
gwcarpenterii
10-29-10, 01:40 PM
Couldn't agree anymore with 03Mike. As a matter of fact, you even have the option to do both. Enlist into the reserves and take your summer break in college to go to MCRD and then come back to school, finish up and put in a request for OCC after your graduate or PLC. Although, this path is much more difficult in becoming an officer, you will get your taste at enlistment. After 2 or so years in reserves, you can go active. And if you start early enough you might be able to get that O1E pay, which is very nice.
Don't be an idiot -- take the free ride. The best investment you can make in yourself is an education!
Many options have been outlined for you as far as enlisted vs. officer, etc. but don't regret passing up this opportunity.
Rocky C
10-29-10, 02:35 PM
Don't be an idiot -- take the free ride. The best investment you can make in yourself is an education!
Many options have been outlined for you as far as enlisted vs. officer, etc. but don't regret passing up this opportunity.
:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
TunTvrnWarrior
10-29-10, 05:00 PM
Unless you are called to active duty beyond Boot Camp, MCT, your MOS School, and your 2 weeks a year...... You are not going to get an accurate picture of what it is to be enlisted in the fleet. Dont waste your time with the enlisted route. You have a free ride for college. Do it!!
USNAviator
10-29-10, 07:06 PM
Unless you are called to active duty beyond Boot Camp, MCT, your MOS School, and your 2 weeks a year...... You are not going to get an accurate picture of what it is to be enlisted in the fleet. Dont waste your time with the enlisted route. You have a free ride for college. Do it!!
Agreed. But if you do become an officer don't be a pompous one. Seek out the advice of your SNCO's. They know more about being a Marine then you'll ever know. Learn from them, respect them and earn their respect and you'll be OK
TunTvrnWarrior
10-30-10, 07:03 AM
Agreed. But if you do become an officer don't be a pompous one. Seek out the advice of your SNCO's. They know more about being a Marine then you'll ever know. Learn from them, respect them and earn their respect and you'll be OK
I cant stress this enough. You need a balance of confidence and humility to be a good officer. Show your Gunny and Staff Sergeant that you respect their opinion and want their advice. They will help shape you to be a better officer.
Jhayes1220
11-02-10, 09:53 PM
Thanks for everyone's advice still not sure what I'm going to do but I'm thinking a year in college enlist for the summer and go into the reserves. After I have the respect of enlisted Marines i'll seek out the officers route.
Das Pferd
11-03-10, 05:29 AM
Enlist and go active duty or reserves, then do college while your in. Then you can finish college and do PLC or any of the ROTC programs and get your commission.
UMDStudent24
11-04-10, 06:29 PM
Leading Marines is a privilege. There are no better people in the world than enlisted Marines, and receiving an appointment to the rank of a Commissioned Officer makes you responsible for those Marines. If you're not completely determined that you want to lead Marines, do yourself a favor and do not become an Officer.
There are too many people who assume that the Officer route is the way to go because of the pay and the benefits. They choose that route for selfish reasons. There are too many people who assume that the achievement of a basic college education means the Officer route is the way you should go. There are many enlisted Marines with bachelors degrees and higher. Some of the best NCOs you can meet have post graduate educations.
If you want to be an enlisted Marine, become an enlisted Marine. If you find that your opportunity to go to school is too good to pass up, go to school. When you finish, become an enlisted Marine. If you want to become an Officer, do what it takes to become an Officer.
Either way, this is a question that you need to answer within yourself. If you really need to come to this forum to determine what you should do than you're certainly not ready to do either.
UMDStudent24
11-04-10, 06:39 PM
The Marine NCOs and SNCOs I've met since I began my journey to become a Marine Officer 2 years ago all gave me very similar advice.
You shouldn't need to "win" the respect of the Marines in your command. If you're true to the Marines, and you're truly there to serve them, you will gain their respect. If you're there for your own selfish desires, the Marines will see that and they will not respect you.
Mustangs have a unique perspective that can help them better understand their enlisted Marines. Ultimately though, it is not the amount of experience you have, not your PFT of CFT score, nor your final graduating position in OCS or TBS that determines how your Marines will respond to you. It is your attitude. Officers are supposed to serve the enlisted Marines. Our only job is to ensure that the enlisted Marines have the training, equipment, and direction necessary to accomplish the mission. If you're main desires behind pursuing a commission are not in line with that role, you're only doing a disservice to yourself, to the enlisted Marines, and to the Marine Corps.
VEWenneker
11-04-10, 08:23 PM
I had exactly the same choice back in 1965. I enlisted. Why? No money for college. But had their been money I certainly would have gone to college and then become a Marine Officer. I served my 4 years, rose to sergeant, racked up 12 different ribbons...and to this day, the greatest mistake of my life...was not becoming a Marine Officer. I pray you make a satisfactory solution to your quandry.:usmc: