View Full Version : How do you feel about Reserves
I am going to go in the Marines because i always wanted to but i also want to go to college. I dont know if my best bet is to go reserves or active duty. How does active duty Marines feel about Marines in the reserves? I just want to go to college and i am already 20 and dont want to wait to long to go to school. So should i do reserves or active duty? Thanks.
Swampyankee
11-20-10, 01:56 PM
I agree with dcb. In my day the weekend warriors were look at a little askewed, but that was in the day that they didn't do much except drill one weekend a month and 2 weeks a year. Now they deploy as much as we did in the 6th. I hear the NG's recent commercial on the radio where one friend argues with another about his decision to go into the guard. He rails on his buddy for getting involved and running the risk of getting deployed. But the one who says he's going in tells his friend he doesn't know what he's talking about. He would be able to serve AND go to college. Hmmmm, these two must've been living under a rock for the last 10 years. The problem with the reserves is you run the risk of getting deployed more today than in my day, and that would mean putting your education on hold. As dcb says PLC or ROTC might get your bar quicker, unless you're able to get into OCS as a mustang.
My family told me not to go in, I thought about it and decided they might have something so I decided to give the reserves a try. Not a total committment if I didn't like it. (Again, back then when convicts were given a choice of prison or the service the reserves were just that, no need to commit them.) Then my mother (the one who wanted me to travel instead, she always did, ever since she put me on a jet at the age of 8) called me chicken and sealed the deal. No matter where I've been I've never been homesick, and that's a fine way to be in the Corps. :)
Only you will live with whatever choice you make, good luck.
Having served both active duty and in the reserves, I can tell you that on the whole, the reserve infantry Marines that I served with were every bit as good as those I was on active duty with. Most folks who "look down" on reservists have had little exposure to them. From my personal experience, there was as much (if not more) experience in the reserve units as there was with the active duty units. Fully half of the reserve infantry Marines I served with had multiple active duty deployments before going reserve, and many who went straight from boot camp to the reserves had at least one activation and deployment under their belts.
Here's a general rule that I think will serve you well - don't judge a man (or woman) by silly thinks like what unit they are in, or even what ribbons they wear on their chest - judge them by their character, their actions, and the look in their eyes. Likewise, don't try to appear to be more than you are. By and large, you'll be respected by your fellow Marines until you give them reason to not respect you - and your unit has very little to do with it.
SGT7477
11-21-10, 07:56 AM
Active, Semper Fidelis
Yonkers
11-21-10, 02:39 PM
Can make lots of money in the reserves, my recruiters were just telling me about some things they could do... ask a recruiter about the different ways to do things in the reserves cause apparently it's a sweet deal if you do it right... I'm active though.
Thanks for all the info. I just wanted to see Marines personal opinions. I am going to ask my recruiter and hopefully soon join. Thanks
thediesel713
11-21-10, 11:07 PM
We're 1 fight 1 team. The reserve component is a vital part of the Marine Corps. That being said, reservists are the bane of the I & I staff.
micarr57
11-22-10, 08:04 PM
worked with reservists at 29 palms a lot they did good not just new guys there are marines there that have been active before
did give em **** in boot
this in 1975
sparkie
11-22-10, 08:38 PM
Reserves,,,,,, Joining with reservations. When I was in, we just felt they had a hard time leaving mama. Now a days they deploy like all active. Things change.
I heard somewhere that Reservists deploy more then AD. Can't verify if it's true or not but it generally depends on what you wanna do. Though if you wanna go intel, you'll have to be AD. There's some good reservists and some bad ones, in the end it's the person. AD like myself generally look down on them only for the reason that all they have to put up with is one weekend a month and two weeks extra for the most part and make more then us when they are activated. It's just the reasoning that you put up with less BS and still get the same things as we do. In all honesty, if you do your job well, don't be a little ***** when it comes to deploying and you pay attention and learn, you'll do fine. But remember FUBIJAR (fvck you *****, I'm just a Reservist.
Nawlins3761
08-26-11, 09:23 AM
Bottom line - it all depends on the unit, be it Reserve or Active. Been in weak active units, strong reserve units, and vice-versa. Leadership and organization is where it's at...you either get lucky and get a strong unit, or one that condones slack attitudes, so it's really a gamble. Best of luck to you.
PJones64
08-26-11, 11:44 AM
generally with some execptions, reserves not as squared away
TheReservist
08-26-11, 01:03 PM
No offense jones but times have changed since you were in. With the op tempo and the types of missions that the Marines are doing, the reserves are very well suited for the deployments of today.
You have reservists, who are police officers, doing police transitioning team (PTT) missions. While on the active side, as was said in another thread, they had airwingers doing PTT Missions. Which Marines do you think had the better knowledge of their mission?
That's just one example of how all Marines can excel if they are best utilized.