View Full Version : OSO Question
DesireToServe
07-29-14, 11:17 PM
So I got in touch with my local OSO, I talked to him on the phone for a few minutes and then he sent me a questionnaire to fill out. I filled it out and emailed it back to him. He was supposed to give me a call back after he received the questionnaire, but I have gotten no such call.
It's been a few weeks now and I'm just wondering whether they are just busy and I should take the initiative to go talk to him personally, or if they thought I wasn't qualified?
USMC 2571
07-30-14, 06:36 AM
Go talk to him personally. Reason. You don't know what happened on their end, only that you didn't get a call back. He may have taken 30 days leave or emergency leave, or misplaced your paperwork, or told someone ELSE to call you, and that person dropped the ball.
Not just OSO but anyone you're dealing with for any reason, always follow up yourself. Simply because you have no way of knowing what happened on their end. Maybe they thought you weren't qualified, or maybe they just didn't end up calling you back for whatever reason. But the "burden" always rests on the applicant to follow up......good luck and keep us posted on this thread. WE'LL get back to you. :)
Baker1971
07-30-14, 07:42 AM
Great answer Dave :thumbup: Nothing more to ad here.
josephd
07-30-14, 03:04 PM
Call him and make an appointment to go speak in person. OSOs are NOT recruiters, they are not there to sell you on joining and constantly be on you about getting things done. OSOs wanna see initiative, they want to see that this is something that you really want to do. Being a commissioned officer in the Corps is no cakewalk and not something to be taken lightly
Echo all of the above. OSOs will not chase you. If you don't come to them, they don't want you. Take the initiative and make the call to make sure they'll be in before you go.
USMC 2571
07-31-14, 07:30 PM
Very true, and the more I think about it since my last post above, the more I think your not getting a phone call may be entirely by design, to see if you are the kind of person that pursues things or sits back and waits for others.
Just speculation on my part, but a possibility.
josephd
07-31-14, 08:07 PM
Very true, and the more I think about it since my last post above, the more I think your not getting a phone call may be entirely by design, to see if you are the kind of person that pursues things or sits back and waits for others.
Just speculation on my part, but a possibility.
^yes^
It was almost SOP with my OSO 5 years ago.
DesireToServe
08-01-14, 02:49 AM
Thanks for the answers everybody! I haven't had the chance to call yet because I've been working 12-15 hours a day, but I have an off day tomorrow so that call will be the first thing on my mind.
USMC 2571
08-01-14, 07:09 AM
Our pleasure...it's your thread, so come back and keep us posted as to how you make out, whether you get in etc etc Good luck to you.
And re your profile info: when you're in the OSO office, don't talk about the Auburn Tigers and their coming season next month unless and until you determine if he's a Tigers fan.
DesireToServe
08-06-14, 01:12 PM
Called the the office and no one answered. Emailed the OSA and he said they are/have been at training conferences and for me to be patient. So I'm waiting.
And re your profile info: when you're in the OSO office, don't talk about the Auburn Tigers and their coming season next month unless and until you determine if he's a Tigers fan.
Oh and don't worry I'd never talk about the Auburn Tigers unless I'm bashing them. Roll tide!!
But I see what you mean.
DesireToServe
08-21-14, 07:53 AM
OSO showed up on campus. I walked up and talked to him and I have a meeting with him next week. He said he didn't see anything wrong with my questionnaire and, he is gonna email me an application and after that set me up with the other candidates here so I can PT with them. I'm one step closer!
USMC 2571
08-21-14, 10:27 AM
Thank you for updating us as we asked---good news---be persistent--see post 8 above, where it is standard procedure to TEST you to see if you care enough to be persistent with them.....others will drop by the wayside when they don't get a return call, the Marine Corps couldn't care less---YOU be persistent, as you have been. and, again, keep us posted on this same thread.....good luck to you.
DesireToServe
09-03-14, 10:09 PM
Here's my 100 word (or less) essay on why I want to be a Marine officer. I'm posting it here for some feedback. Be brutal if you need to. Thanks!
Why do I want to be a Marine officer? The answer is simple. The Marine Corps is a tight-knit brotherhood. It is a family that I would be incredibly proud to be adopted into. For me, there is no greater honor than being entrusted to lead Marines. Marines are the finest fighters in the world, and only a few possess the ability to lead them. I have that ability. I love my country and what it stands for—freedom. I want nothing more than to be able to serve my country by leading its greatest warriors—Marines.
USMC 2571
09-04-14, 08:39 AM
Very good. Can't offer anything I would have said differently....
joseywales
09-04-14, 08:47 AM
Looks good. Let us know the outcome. Good luck.
DesireToServe
09-29-14, 09:15 PM
So I've got a question for everybody. I've been thinking lately, and if I don't get selected for OCS for next summer I have a couple options to better my chances. One being that I join the NROTC unit at my school and compete for a scholarship for junior and senior year (and a guaranteed spot at OCS), while also continuing to send packages to PLC selection boards; this way i can have two different doors open. Second option, enlist in the reserves and have a better chance at getting selection, but risk the possibility of a deployment (seeming very likely at the moment with ISIS and all) delaying my quest to be an officer. So what're y'all's opinions?
josephd
09-30-14, 12:20 AM
Second option is out of the question and shouldn't even be an option. Enlisting in the reserves WILL NOT give you a better chance at PLC or NROTC selection. If someone is telling you otherwise...they are full of $hit and don't know what they are talking about.
I thought we covered that already
DesireToServe
09-30-14, 09:31 AM
While option two is very unlikely, it's still an option for me. If all else fails I'll probably do it. However, not because I think it will give me a huge boost for selection but it may push me over the edge if it comes down to me and another guy with the same scores, GPA, etc. Like I said though it is unlikely. I just thought I would include it.