View Full Version : need info on reserves
jonesy7
03-16-10, 04:15 PM
hey everyone, im thinking about joining the marine reserves, and im just looking for a little more info than i find on those bull**** yahoo answers threads. i really want to be a marine, a family thing, something im looking forward to. at the same time im looking to going to college.
What benefits will i get as a reservist, such as education, health care, etc..
What are the chances of getting the mos i want? i scored a 58 on the asvab, if i remember my score correctly. infantry is waht im looking at, but that isnt a final choice.
What are the chances of deployemtn, or should i volunteer to go overseas?
How do i join a resevre unit? im in Ct, and there are a few units near me.
What is drill like? Ive heard mixed stories. one guy says it is a waste of time and u sit around doing nothing for the 4 or so days, another guy says its exactly what it should be, drilling. i want to train according to my mos, not according to how lazy the unit is.
and ive gotten **** from a buddy of mine who gets a hard on whenever he hears the word marine. he says "dont join the pussy reserves, come into fleet and kill people with me" He talks like he knows exactly what hes talking about, and usually i just slap him i nthe back of the head and the conversation goes elsewhere, but in all honesty, how do fleet marines look at reservists, is it the same culture, respect, etc?
i prob sound like a numnuts who doesnt know ****, but if i got question, i try to find answers.
thanks for everyone who helps me out
Lisa 23
03-16-10, 05:52 PM
You took the time to make a post, now take the time to fill out all of your profile so the Marines who are going to answer your questions, know who they are talking to. :thumbup: And you may also want to read the rules in the poolee and Ask A Marine forums also.
And when using the words Marine or Marine Corps, they will be capitalized at all times.
jonesy7
03-16-10, 06:01 PM
If doing all that helps me to get answers to my questions, than I guess I will do just that.
Lisa 23
03-16-10, 06:10 PM
If doing all that helps me to get answers to my questions, than I guess I will do just that.
[Poolee Rules] Attention New Poolee & Wannabe Members
Rule Three when using the words Marine or Corps on this site they will be capitalized at all times!
Rule Four make sure that you have a completed profile less than that is unsat and will get you banned for a period up to and including permanently!
http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29048&page=15
jonesy7
03-16-10, 06:13 PM
I didnt read the rules ahead of time, but i took a look at them now
Jonesy do a google on Lima Company 2/25 or youtube it. After review tell your friend to shut his rambo ass trap shut.
jonesy7
03-16-10, 06:19 PM
I did some seaches on i thinks its charlie company 1/25. (25th, New Englans own?) the website did not offer much except where they are and who is who in their command staff, but I will go google 2/25, thanks.
And i fully agree with you about my buddy, his vision of Marines is that he will get to punch a terrorist in the face and than pull a My Lai somewhere in the desert.
Commited a typing faux pas. It is lima 3/25 .... a reserve unit out of Ohio.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etoXUmgDiHg&feature=related
There was no reset button on that game.
jonesy7
03-16-10, 06:35 PM
Yeah i replied before watching the videos, and now i feel a little crappy about that. Thats heavy, seeing something like that.
polizei
03-16-10, 06:54 PM
Lima is a proud unit, and we are us well (Charlie out of Ohio). However, before I'll answer any of your questions, you need to edit or post a new thread, using proper grammar. This is especially important in the Marine Corps, AND college.
jonesy7
03-16-10, 07:04 PM
Sorry about my grammar, I don't really have an excuse except I type too fast. I know that reservists are Marines, contrary to what I hear from my friend. I grew up with a grandfather who served in the Corps and fought in Chosin Resevoir with the Reserves, and he is constantly telling me that "The Army is for pussies, the Marines made me the man I am today." He became a DI at Paris Island later. I've been trying to get info from some of the units near my hometown, but I don't think I tried hard enough, because they didn't help.
polizei
03-16-10, 07:07 PM
Well I don't have the time to type out an answer right now, so check back tomorrow and maybe I'll have something typed.
jonesy7
03-16-10, 07:09 PM
Alright, that sounds good to me, thank you for helping me out.
Lisa 23
03-16-10, 09:10 PM
Sorry about my grammar, I don't really have an excuse except I type too fast. I know that reservists are Marines, contrary to what I hear from my friend. I grew up with a grandfather who served in the Corps and fought in Chosin Resevoir with the Reserves, and he is constantly telling me that "The Army is for pussies, the Marines made me the man I am today." He became a DI at Paris Island later. I've been trying to get info from some of the units near my hometown, but I don't think I tried hard enough, because they didn't help.
That's Drill Instructor to you. And yes this does bother me being that my brother is a retired Marine GySgt and former Drill Instructor.
jonesy7
03-16-10, 09:19 PM
Drill Instructor, got it. Sorry about that.
smokediver3
03-16-10, 10:08 PM
Well, if you're gonna bust his chops for everything else you might as well add Parris Island, not Paris Island to the list.
jonesy7
03-16-10, 10:10 PM
I missed that too. ****.
smokediver3
03-16-10, 10:44 PM
To maybe shed a little light on your questions- You will have many benefits to take advantage of even as a reservist. I don't recall all the specifics( been to long ago) as to time served vs. what benefits you would qualify for. You can expect to be looked down upon a little by active duty being a reservist. But, unlike the Army, you go thru the same boot camp as active duty and there is no difference in the fact of how you earn the title. I'm not familiar with what all types of units you have in your area,but research it before you decide or try for a contract. If you're wanting any type of training that you can carry into the civilian world, infantry won't do you much good( I could carry heavy things long distance at a high rate of speed!). As for deployments, with todays GWOT and other uprisings that Marines have always been sent to, there's always a chance. If you're connected to any type of combat arms, there's a better chance than in support roles, but even that changes. If you've checked out 3/25 on youtube or google, or if you've even watched the evening news, you can guess we're gonna be in the sh** for a while yet regardless of what the talking heads say. You're buddy talks a big line, and there's nothing unusual about that, but until he's the one with the sights lined up and the finger on the trigger, he's absolutely clueless!
So pretty much 95% of the USMC reserves has deployed in the US's latest involvement in wars....so we get some work, which is always good. Being a reservist is tough, as you have to balance out both worlds. If you get an MOS that you are not already proficient in, it is highly likely you will be way behind the power curve when you deploy with active duty guys/gals. Drills are unique to each unit, and more often than not there isn't enough money or time to get the MOS-related training you need. Reserves is typically a six year commitment. I know four years seems like a long time, but its really a blink of an eye. I would seriously consider going active duty for four years and see how you like it. I've always been a reservists and it still took me until 27 years of age to get my bachelors degree due to deployments. Even though its required by law for employers to allow you to do your drill/reserve stuff, it is still always difficult to sort out and often creates stress. In my original MOS I definitely felt as though I was wasting my time...I never got the training I needed to be proficient and I hated that. I could PT, shoot guns, and eats CS as good as anyone else, but I felt I underperformed in my specific job skill set. Currently, I am in a position where I am on active duty more than I am not...so it works out well. When I'm not MOB'd with an AD unit, I'm at an MOS-enhancing school. Basically what I'm saying is I'm happiest deployed or mobilized b/c I get to focus on the Marine part of my life and that you shouldn't feel a four year commitment to the AD side is a lifetime...
Good luck with your decision
...sorry about the spelling, can't edit it for some reason.
Close friend of mine was a reservist with 4th force out of New Mexico. His full time job in the summer was training. He had a BTDT t-shirt for about every school possible. Literally spent all summer attending training. I'm not gonna run down a laundry list of his schools but suffice to say he had done them all.
The rest of the year he went to college. He had no drills.
Close friend of mine was a reservist with 4th force out of New Mexico. His full time job in the summer was training. He had a BTDT t-shirt for about every school possible. Literally spent all summer attending training. I'm not gonna run down a laundry list of his schools but suffice to say he had done them all.
The rest of the year he went to college. He had no drills.
Right, when your in a position like that you can do ATP's or RIDT vice regular drills. I've RIDT'd for several months b/c I was gong away for awhile. The only difficult part with that is getting your annual green-side training done. Our command now has a fetish for their training stats and is forcing guys to drop to the IIR if they can't complete them.
You're talking about Santa Fe, NM? I knew a guy from there...I think he was originally from the Force unit as a support guy. He's in your neck of the woods now as a civilian contractor.
If memory serves his name was or is Sgt Ware. It seemed every school I attended he was there. I was not a student at but did oversee the advanced sniper school at quantico. You stand a better chance of getting a halo seat than a seat at advanced sniper. They don't kill them quite as bad but you have to be the best of the best to even get a seat there.
polizei
03-17-10, 08:56 AM
hey everyone, im thinking about joining the marine reserves, and im just looking for a little more info than i find on those bull**** yahoo answers threads. i really want to be a marine, a family thing, something im looking forward to. at the same time im looking to going to college.
What benefits will i get as a reservist, such as education, health care, etc..
What are the chances of getting the mos i want? i scored a 58 on the asvab, if i remember my score correctly. infantry is waht im looking at, but that isnt a final choice.
What are the chances of deployemtn, or should i volunteer to go overseas?
How do i join a resevre unit? im in Ct, and there are a few units near me.
What is drill like? Ive heard mixed stories. one guy says it is a waste of time and u sit around doing nothing for the 4 or so days, another guy says its exactly what it should be, drilling. i want to train according to my mos, not according to how lazy the unit is.
and ive gotten **** from a buddy of mine who gets a hard on whenever he hears the word marine. he says "dont join the pussy reserves, come into fleet and kill people with me" He talks like he knows exactly what hes talking about, and usually i just slap him i nthe back of the head and the conversation goes elsewhere, but in all honesty, how do fleet marines look at reservists, is it the same culture, respect, etc?
i prob sound like a numnuts who doesnt know ****, but if i got question, i try to find answers.
thanks for everyone who helps me out
Ok, hope this helps some...
First, good on you for thinking about the Marine Corps, but slow down some! You have plenty of time to decide what you want to do, and trust me, the military is a BIG decision. Think about ALL your options before making a solid decision, because it WILL affect you.
Basically in the reserves, there are several contracts. You can sign a 4x4, 5x3 (I think), 6x2, or do a 92-day program. The 4x4 is 4 years active reserve (drilling), and 2 years IRR (Individual Ready Reserves). IRR is the time that you are "done" and not in drilling status, however at this time the Marine Corps can still re-activate you at anytime.
Typical reserves are called pipeline, that means that you ship to boot, then MCT, then MOS, and then back to your reserve unit to actively drill (once a month, usually 2-3 days). If you do a 92-day program, you MUST be in college, and you will go to boot, then come home and actively drill. The following summer, you will go to MCT, and the next summer go to MOS school. Note that if you can going to do the 92-day program, chances of deploying are NOT very good. Now, I'm sure that depends on MOS, but as an MP reserve unit, if you are a 92-day reservist that hasn't been to MCT/MP school, you CANNOT get school seats, or deploy. So keep that in mind.
As far as I'm aware, there are no reserve units overseas besides being deployed. You can look up reserve units around your area and decided which MOS you want and which is closest to you. If you are more than 50-miles from your unit, you will rate a hotel per drill weekend. Just keep in mind that driving really sucks, I got lucky and my unit is only 45 minutes away, but some people drive 4.5 hours to drill.
I cannot comment on deployments because I have never been deployed, however I can help elaborate somewhat. The chances of deploying depend on the unit. My unit for example, just got back from Iraq, so chances of us going anywhere are slim, however we DID receive a warning about deploying to Haiti, though that never went through. Chances are that if you stay in for 4+ years, you'll get your chance to deploy, and you can always volunteer to deploy if you want. Though I will say in my experience, my mindset has changed somewhat from before joining, and I'm sure many have had the same. Just keep your mind open, anything can happen in the Marine Corps.
As far as active vs. reserves, there are pro's and con's to both. If I had to choose again, I would have gone active. I enjoyed active duty while training, but I hated being away from my family, that is, until you get back home...your mindset will change DRAMATICALLY after your training, and civilians will become nasty and you won't be able to stand that life style. Now, that was just me...I felt very uncomfortable for about 2 months after I came home. There are MANY benefits of active, and some benefits of reserve, however this is where YOU have to research for yourself. Often times answers are not given in the Corps, you have to seek them for yourself.
So, if you have any more specific questions, feel free to ask; however note that you need to do a lot of research on your own before making any kind of decision.
And you mentioned that you were in CT, there are only two reserve units in CT: http://www.mfr.usmc.mil/Units/CT.asp
Use this site to find others in neighboring states: http://www.mfr.usmc.mil/Units/index.asp
Those will list what the units name is, if you don't know what the MOS is, ask.
jonesy7
03-17-10, 09:23 PM
Thanks a bunch guys for some insight guys, it helped. I spent most of the day doing investigations into the reserves and local units, and the recruiting station down the street from me connected me with a local reservist, so he gave me some good input. In CT, there is a Motor Transportation unit, and C company of 1st battalian of the 25th Marines. One of those will probably be a unit i join. I'm gonna try for the 6x2, because that will help with college, the Montgomery GI bill. The guy I talked to is in this, and he attends the college I live next to.
As for being a reservist, I know I will probably be looked down upon a little by Fleet Marines, but in the end, still a Marine. I ****ed around too much my high school life, and it's time that I shaped up, and to me, that means joining the Corps. I'm not doing it so I can rape pillage and burn, which seems to be the mindset of my friends. I want to look at my hands, and know that I am doing something that most people never will have the oppurtunity to do in their lives.
I guess my big decision on going reserves is my GF, who I've been with for a few years now. She supports me, but I know that if I go active, it will put a strain on our relationship. I'll be able to be a Marine, do my duty, and be close to her, even if I sound like a bleeding heart or whatever. I'm thinking that eventually, I would like to go active, or at least try to, because i hear transfering is pretty tough.
Thank you again guys, and if there is anymore little tidbits of information you can share, please don't hesitate.
Lisa 23
03-17-10, 10:19 PM
How about saying, 'Thanks Marines', not thanks guys. :evilgrin:
jonesy7
03-17-10, 10:31 PM
Yes, thank you Marines. My apologies for not saying the earlier, I'm still getting used to this forum, but thank you for alerting me to what im doing wrong, i would rather know than be obvlivious to it.
usmcrro
03-19-10, 01:17 AM
I would say lastly that as a reservist, you have to have self-discipline to succeed because you're not going to have anyone constantly reminding you to do things. You have to have the self discipline to pt, take care of administrative needs, do you MCI's and take advantage of MOS training opportunities outside of drill if you can. At your unit, there will be inspector/instructor Marines (I&I) who are mostly fleet Marines (though some are reservist) who help reservists out. The ones who came from the fleet usually don't speak ill of reservists (unless they are really ****bags).
I would say lastly that as a reservist, you have to have self-discipline to succeed because you're not going to have anyone constantly reminding you to do things. You have to have the self discipline to pt, take care of administrative needs, do you MCI's and take advantage of MOS training opportunities outside of drill if you can. At your unit, there will be inspector/instructor Marines (I&I) who are mostly fleet Marines (though some are reservist) who help reservists out. The ones who came from the fleet usually don't speak ill of reservists (unless they are really ****bags).
I second this...sometimes reservists have a reputation at being fat and lazy...and that's because they can get away with it more than AD guys. You don't get free access to a gym and your hand isn't held to ensure you PT three times a week. Plus, if you're like me and live seven hours from your unit, taking care of uniform and pre-deployment training/medical can be a real big pain.
Oh, minor thing. I&I guys are always AD, the reservists on AD at a reserve unit are called AR (Active Reservists). In my experience, the AR program has been used to help out guys who are having financial trouble and can't find a job (like if you live in Detroit or something)...so those guys get preference for AR slots. I'm pretty sure the downside of AR is that it has a completely different promotion system..I think it's much harder to get promoted in AR.
jonesy7
03-19-10, 09:44 PM
I've been told the same thing by another reservist that it is a challenge to stay on track compared to being in the Fleet. I am pretty confident that I would be able to stay fit outside of drill, I am good about sticking to an excersise routine here in the civilan world. But besides that, what ways are there for a Marine Reservist to further their training outside of drill? you mentioned MOS training outside, like would someone be able to go up to the unit and train even if they are not on drill, or is it like book reading?
josephd
03-19-10, 10:34 PM
I've been told the same thing by another reservist that it is a challenge to stay on track compared to being in the Fleet. I am pretty confident that I would be able to stay fit outside of drill, I am good about sticking to an excersise routine here in the civilan world. But besides that, what ways are there for a Marine Reservist to further their training outside of drill? you mentioned MOS training outside, like would someone be able to go up to the unit and train even if they are not on drill, or is it like book reading?
This would be up to your unit itself, the MOS, and your chain of command. Most reserve units have the need for Marines that are certified in other things other than that specific MOS of the unit. My unit for example has motor-T and driver certified Marines, Armory certified, Admin., and NBC. The opportunity is out there to get other training with reserve units but it is up to you to let them know to get the ball rolling a lot of times. Most of this extra training would be done on your AT (annual training/2-weeks) time that year in the summer.
jonesy7
03-19-10, 10:42 PM
Ahh that clears it up a little for me. So if my MOS was infantry for example, which I am looking at doing, would it be completely changed for me if I went to armorer school or another? Like I would no longer be an infantryman?
And alsp, in terms of MOS, if I singed the contract and chose my job during this summer, which MOS's are most available for choosing? Like would I be guaranteed an infantry job or would i most likely have to be given a job with more need?
josephd
03-19-10, 10:56 PM
Ahh that clears it up a little for me. So if my MOS was infantry for example, which I am looking at doing, would it be completely changed for me if I went to armorer school or another? Like I would no longer be an infantryman?
And alsp, in terms of MOS, if I singed the contract and chose my job during this summer, which MOS's are most available for choosing? Like would I be guaranteed an infantry job or would i most likely have to be given a job with more need?
you would given the MOS for the unit that is closest to where you live or you would choose an MOS from a unit around your area that you could drive to.
From there once you check into your unit and you find out they have the need for an NBC certified Marine or maybe a driver certified Marine then you would say something that you wanted to do it. At that point your if they were to allow to do it the I&I staff would set you with whatever training necessary to get you certified.
You really don't get to pick from any MOS when you join the reserves you have to pick from whatever unit is in your area
usmcrro
03-20-10, 01:37 AM
I second this...sometimes reservists have a reputation at being fat and lazy...and that's because they can get away with it more than AD guys. You don't get free access to a gym and your hand isn't held to ensure you PT three times a week. Plus, if you're like me and live seven hours from your unit, taking care of uniform and pre-deployment training/medical can be a real big pain.
Oh, minor thing. I&I guys are always AD, the reservists on AD at a reserve unit are called AR (Active Reservists). In my experience, the AR program has been used to help out guys who are having financial trouble and can't find a job (like if you live in Detroit or something)...so those guys get preference for AR slots. I'm pretty sure the downside of AR is that it has a completely different promotion system..I think it's much harder to get promoted in AR.
Ah. Thanks for the heads up. For some reason I use those terms interchangeably. I'll keep that in mind for future reference.
Ahh that clears it up a little for me. So if my MOS was infantry for example, which I am looking at doing, would it be completely changed for me if I went to armorer school or another? Like I would no longer be an infantryman?
And alsp, in terms of MOS, if I singed the contract and chose my job during this summer, which MOS's are most available for choosing? Like would I be guaranteed an infantry job or would i most likely have to be given a job with more need?
Ok, so you could be an armorer at an infantry unit...non-0300 MOS's are attached to grunt units for support. This is a little different in the AD side where you got GPAC, or whatever-PAC its called now, SIF (CIF?) etc. But AD units still have organic supporting entities.
My MOS was changed on basis of Marine Crops needs. I enlisted as an 0351 and found out after the first day of SOI, when I realized I was at MCT and not ITB, that it got switched to something completely different. The MOS it got switched to was at a unit just under 2.5 hours from my house. Whereas the infantry unit I thought I was going to (and CAT-P'd at) was about 40 minutes from my house. Later on, if you want to do a lat-move to a specialized MOS you can get a waiver for distance (my current unit is 6-7 hour drive)...but to get that done, the Marine Corps will have to want a body in that MOS more than they want the headache of going through the formalities and paperwork of getting you there.
Oh ya besides all that when you activate you get payed more then most active duty marines at your grade. You make BAH for your county back home, per diem even if your at a base with a chow hall.
jonesy7
03-20-10, 10:46 PM
Oh ya besides all that when you activate you get payed more then most active duty marines at your grade. You make BAH for your county back home, per diem even if your at a base with a chow hall.
What do you mean by making BAH for country back home ,perdiem even if...
Im confused
Sgt Leprechaun
03-20-10, 11:27 PM
"BAH": "Basic Allowance for Housing". Per Diem is what you get paid to travel (on orders). The BAH rate is based on zip code you live in.
polizei
03-21-10, 08:26 AM
Basically you get paid a LOT more being active, especially if you're married. I'll just use me as an example, as a PFC I made $1,400/month while AD (single). In the reserves, I make between $100-200/month. Now, there are other opportunities such as funerals, etc. but you basically HAVE to have a civilian job, which I currently do not...the economy is garbage, which is something I didn't realize until I got back! LOL
I won't stray you from going reserves, I just know if I did it all over again, I would have gone active. I could be living in Cali, doing the job I want with a ton of money and benefits...nope, I'm in Ohio as a reservist. :p
Actually i would go reserve and just keep going on deployments or get assigned to an active duty command if there is a slot for you. For a reserve to activate outside his unit he just has to find an open slot and he can go. We had a guy deploy with us who is a reservist but has been to only 3 drills otherwise he was deploying to africa iraq or afgan
jonesy7
03-21-10, 03:26 PM
I was told that as a reservist you make more money if you go to school as well. I am juggling the decision of active duty or reserve status, i'm usually up every night looking at things online about the reserves and seeing what grabs my attention. But to those who are reservist on this thread, besides the things that you say aren't so appealing, what about the Marine Reserves is good or appealing? I'm just curious lol
IT all depends on your MOS and unit.
jonesy7
03-21-10, 04:56 PM
Ok. One last thing, what MOS's are in most need right now? I want to go into infantry, would I def get that MOS or would I be given a different one?
Ok. One last thing, what MOS's are in most need right now? I want to go into infantry, would I def get that MOS or would I be given a different one?
Man, that is a pretty dynamic question. I think that changes from quarter to quarter. There's prob. a website to lookup what the current needs are. If not, recruiters definitely should know what they are, although they typically are less concerned with reserve contracts than with AD ones.
jonesy7
03-21-10, 09:10 PM
Ok I was kinda thinking that. My recruiter told me that once i get back on track with my school grades, him and i will finally get things rollin. Should i just persist and push to get the MOS i want? Idk if that is something that will help.
Lisa 23
03-21-10, 09:38 PM
Idk if that is something that will help
Just so you know, we don't use chat room or text slang around here. :thumbup:
jonesy7
03-21-10, 09:39 PM
My apologies
DevilDogTexan
03-21-10, 10:15 PM
As far as choosing your MOS goes as a reservist, your recruiter will bring up a list of what jobs are avaliable at units near where you live, and you pick from those. An advantage to that is that you have a MOS in your contract, not a field. So if there arent any Infantry jobs for example at a unit close enough to you...i think you would be **** out of luck. If you see a job you want, and your recruiter is telling you that you better enlist before somone else grabs them all up...he is actually telling you the truth with these, so cowboy up and enlist or you can chance that MOS filling up for a while.
smokediver3
04-02-10, 01:22 AM
"Never apologize. it's a sign of weakness"
Definitely talk to your recruiter to find out the needs of the Corps and local units. They'll be able to hook you up with more info than anybody on here. Take enough time to make an informed decision. Infantry is a good gig. It's what the Corps is all about. But there are POG's that are still essential to the functions. As has been stated on here already, you can be non-infantry and still be attached to a grunt unit. There's always Wpns. Co.'s to consider also. Still an 03xx MOS, just not a rifleman. No matter what MOS you end up in, you go thru boot the same as everbody else, then off to SOI to go thru MCT. If you have an 03xx MOS, then you stay there for your training otherwise you ship off somewhere else.
With the vast expanse the interwebs can provide you, there shouldn't be any reason you can't find out all the info you want about local units. If you get it narrowed down, take a drive and give the units a visit. During weekday business hours you should be able to find AD Marines manning the desks or working. You might get lucky enough to catch someone to talk to and answer ?'s about that particular unit.
BTW, unless a moderator cracks you for something, ask all the questions you want in the form that you can best get your point across. The only stupid question is the one you don't ask!
Sgt Leprechaun
04-02-10, 10:41 PM
Let me add...."As long as the site rules are followed". Otherwise, good advice.