Reserve Help

[ALWrestler]

I have most everything planned out so far but am confused and am looking for some help. OK Im in the 92 day reserve(IIADT) program, Im going to college (ive been accepted and everything paid for). I leave for bootcamp on may 31st, my SSGT said i will graduate on Aug 12th or 19th. My first question is, since Im not there for a FULL 13 weeks, when I graduate on those days, will I be a Marine? I will I have to go back at some point and finish the remaining week or so? Also I am doing the PLC program. What steps should I take in qualifying for that? I want to be an officer, and Im going to do it. I understand that during my sophmore and junior summers, I go to officer training school, please correct me if I am wrong. Just one of my main questions is, while Im in college will I be a Private? Thanks for the help

[crazymjb]

If you go to boot and graduate you will be a Marine. By missing that one week you will be accelerated through "Team week," which is an extra week those in boot have in case they don't qualify on the rifle range. If they had qualified, they days are spent helping out around the island and getting thrashed at the squad bay. If you unq on the range, you will be given the opportunity to stay with your platoon and re-qual on team week and graduate as per your original platoons schedule. You will not need to make up that week.

I would ask your recruiter if you can forgo the 12 week boot camp. It is going to suck to get switched to another platoon 2/3s of the way through. You may even be able to ask if you can stay with your platoon when you're in boot. If you go May 31st you should get done in time to start school as scheduled.

You will be a drilling reservist in school and as such have rank, starting at private. If you do have the opportunity to do PLC don't be that guy who skips out on a deployment to be an officer and walks around college treating all Marines like his **** is ice cream.

From personal experience if you go straight from highschool to the Marine Corps, I'd take the first semester off, do Boot, SOI, and then enjoy 3-4 months before school starts.

Good luck,

Mike

[ALWrestler]

Thanks a lot for the help