Conflicted About Enlisted or OCS

[JP702]

Hello Marines,

I'm currently in a conflicted situation about when I should join the Marines.
For a great portion of my life, I have wanted to become a Marine and go through the enlisted route right out of high school, but others disagree.
My father, and my girlfriend's father, both suggest that I go to college first and then get commissioned as an officer. My parents have a pre-paid tuition for our local university, but I do not want to stay in Vegas or to go to UNLV. I'd rather go enlisted and go to college else where after my active contract.

I understand that I would be putting off an opportunity to go to college, but I feel really strong about going the enlisted route.

What are your opinions?

[WalkingMan]

Hello Marines,

I'm currently in a conflicted situation about when I should join the Marines.
For a great portion of my life, I have wanted to become a Marine and go through the enlisted route right out of high school, but others disagree.
My father, and my girlfriend's father, both suggest that I go to college first and then get commissioned as an officer. My parents have a pre-paid tuition for our local university, but I do not want to stay in Vegas or to go to UNLV. I'd rather go enlisted and go to college else where after my active contract.

I understand that I would be putting off an opportunity to go to college, but I feel really strong about going the enlisted route.

What are your opinions?

You have opened two lines of thought: college, or not, and officer or enlisted.

You might want to consider the two lines of thought separately.

Are you suited to university or not? Do you have what it takes, intellectually, to achieve a useful four year degree? Do you have a specific major you would want to pursue? Would you be attending college only to please your parents?

Do you want to be an officer? Are you the kind of person who is suited to lead men into battle, or would you rather be a shooter?

Officers generally have university degrees, and actively pursue independent studies related to their work in the Corps.

I understand that today's enlisted Marines (I'm an Old Salt, so it was less so back in the 1960's) also acquire university degrees and are more involved in independent study than was previously the case, because today's warfare involves a lot more stuff than was the case 40-50 years ago, technologically, and in the kinds of warfare strategies that are employed, and also, where learning second and even third languages are concerned.

If you are the kind of individual who can excel in a university environment, then having a degree will greatly benefit both you and the Marine Corps, whether you choose to be an Enlisted Marine or an Officer.

You should consider both 'what is best for you', and also, 'what is best for the Corps', and then make a decision that will both benefit and pay respect to both you as an individual, and the Corps.

Remember, 'Once a Marine, always a Marine'.

Choose wisely.

[Rocky C]

You have opened two lines of thought: college, or not, and officer or enlisted.

You might want to consider the two lines of thought separately.

Are you suited to university or not? Do you have what it takes, intellectually, to achieve a useful four year degree? Do you have a specific major you would want to pursue? Would you be attending college only to please your parents?

Do you want to be an officer? Are you the kind of person who is suited to lead men into battle, or would you rather be a shooter?

Officers generally have university degrees, and actively pursue independent studies related to their work in the Corps.

I understand that today's enlisted Marines (I'm an Old Salt, so it was less so back in the 1960's) also acquire university degrees and are more involved in independent study than was previously the case, because today's warfare involves a lot more stuff than was the case 40-50 years ago, technologically, and in the kinds of warfare strategies that are employed, and also, where learning second and even third languages are concerned.

If you are the kind of individual who can excel in a university environment, then having a degree will greatly benefit both you and the Marine Corps, whether you choose to be an Enlisted Marine or an Officer.

You should consider both 'what is best for you', and also, 'what is best for the Corps', and then make a decision that will both benefit and pay respect to both you as an individual, and the Corps.

Remember, 'Once a Marine, always a Marine'.

Choose wisely.

That was well said My Brother .
Semper Fi,
Rocky

[JP702]

Thanks for the response Walkingman.
I'm leaning more towards the enlisted route. I don't want to be miserable at a university that I don't want to go to. Plus I think I'd only be going to college to please my girlfriend and parents.

[JP702]

Hey Marines, I have another question and I'm just gonna post it in this thread instead of make a new one.

While in DEP, is it possible to switch from Reserves to Active and vice versa?

[codeman92190]

Obviously, no one can make this decision for you, but what I can do is tell you my story, and let you give it some thought: Prior to enlisting in the United States Marines Corps, I was in very good academic standing. I did very well in high school and was given a near full ride scholarship to my first choice university. I chose to enlist, against the suggestions of everyone close to me (including, for a while, my recruiter), without any logical defense. By enlisting I make less money, have (I would assume) less freedom, and I will be less competitive when (if) I get out of the Corps.

BUT, I am much happier right now than I would be if I had tried to please the people around me by going to college. And that, I think, is the most important thing. Will I go to school in the future? Absolutely, and I may even consider the Mustang route. Right now though, I just want to blow some **** up, and that's what I'm doing.


As for your second question, yes, you can switch anything while you're in the DEP program. Recruiters don't generally like to admit it, but you are under no contractual obligation to do ANYTHING until you sign the final papers the day you leave for bootcamp. If you want to switch to active or reserves, change your MOS, or just back out altogether and join the army fags down the hall (I can say it, I'm on an Army base...) there's nothing stopping you.

Good luck. Don't be a ****bag.

[JP702]

Wow, thank you very much Codeman. Makes me feel a lot better. Deep down I feel that I need to what will make me the happiest. As my friend's mom said, "You're a grown ass man now and you have to start carving your own path."
Woo, I go to MEPS on Wednesday! One more day until I become a poolee. Time to start PT'ing like hell!
And thank you for answering the DEP question.

[codeman92190]

I'm glad I could help. One parting piece of advice you need to remember, whether it be as a poolee, a recruit, or (hopefully) a Marine: A good attitude is infectious, but so is a bad one. Make sure at all times that you're doing your part to spread positive motivation, because I can assure you there will be plenty of people trying to bring others down - and that is when people start to lose track of why they joined.

Good luck.

[SaloSV]

Wow, this thread is rock hard.

Having been enlisted and also attended OCS, I'd say if you're more excited about being enlisted then do that. OCS is an intense screening that if you do not absolutely want to be there, your life will suck rectum. The expectations are high, and the PT is from another planet. My Platoon Sergeant once ran us 3 miles in 19 minutes, in formation. I was (i say was intentionally) a reasonably athletic person: high school B-ball, college swimmer, and I've played competitive ultimate frisbee with the most elite players in the world, and I am amazed that I made it through OCS Juniors. There were candidates much more athletic than me getting injured.

The career pressures are quite high as well, but it all depends on your attitude. In bootcamp, if you fall out of a run, you'll be pushed to continue and you get remediation. In OCS, you might get remediation, it won't be as much, but you'll be charged with not following orders to hydrate properly (or something to that effect).

Looking back, bootcamp was a party compared to OCS. Bootcamp was certainly challenging in all the common respects, but I had my brother recruits doing it with me, and that seemed to make it easier. At OCS, the attitudes were just selfish enough that I could only trust my prior enlisted brothers to know that we were without a doubt working as a team.

That was my experience anyways. But it really is all about your attitude and what you want to do with your military career. If you want to know both sides of the fence, do what I did and join the reserves, go to school and get into an officer program. You still have the option of accepting your commission when you get your degree. You can stay enlisted and go active duty then if you want.

[WalkingMan]

Wow, this thread is rock hard.

Having been enlisted and also attended OCS, I'd say if you're more excited about being enlisted then do that. OCS is an intense screening that if you do not absolutely want to be there, your life will suck rectum. The expectations are high, and the PT is from another planet. My Platoon Sergeant once ran us 3 miles in 19 minutes, in formation. I was (i say was intentionally) a reasonably athletic person: high school B-ball, college swimmer, and I've played competitive ultimate frisbee with the most elite players in the world, and I am amazed that I made it through OCS Juniors. There were candidates much more athletic than me getting injured.

The career pressures are quite high as well, but it all depends on your attitude. In bootcamp, if you fall out of a run, you'll be pushed to continue and you get remediation. In OCS, you might get remediation, it won't be as much, but you'll be charged with not following orders to hydrate properly (or something to that effect).

Looking back, bootcamp was a party compared to OCS. Bootcamp was certainly challenging in all the common respects, but I had my brother recruits doing it with me, and that seemed to make it easier. At OCS, the attitudes were just selfish enough that I could only trust my prior enlisted brothers to know that we were without a doubt working as a team.

That was my experience anyways. But it really is all about your attitude and what you want to do with your military career. If you want to know both sides of the fence, do what I did and join the reserves, go to school and get into an officer program. You still have the option of accepting your commission when you get your degree. You can stay enlisted and go active duty then if you want.

When I returned from Vietnam, my first job was as an Officer's Candidate Instructor at Quantico VA. We instructors were all bush bunnies... grunts, Recon and other various flavours of ground-pounders. The 'walks', runs, and field exercises we put the Candidates through were pretty merciless, but not deliberately cruel, or abusive.

We wanted them to 'grow up' to be like the officers we had respect for out in the bush... the ones who moved towards the fight (but not stupidly) and not away from it, and who did not senselessly order their men into situations that would cost lives, to no benefit.

After my tour at Quantico, I returned to WestPac, and served under some of the officers I had instructed at Quantico. I think that their having been trained by combat veterans made a significant and positive impact on their attitudes and ability to lead.

They were much better prepared for combat than the Officers I served under who had gone through peacetime OCS.

[Zulu 36]

I enjoyed being enlisted, particularly as an NCO. I had ample opportunities to go officer, but chose to stay enlisted. I just flat out enjoyed being an NCO.

My father was a Marine grunt in WWII and an Army Reserve officer during Korea. His take on the enlisted v. officer was this: During peacetime, being an officer is great. More money, more free time, better living conditions, etc. In combat being an officer is more dangerous, more demanding, more stressful.

He said given the choice, he would be a peacetime officer, but a combat enlisted man.

For what it's worth.

[JP702]

Thanks for all the replys Marines. Here's a little update for you all:

So I told my recruiter I wanted to go enlisted, and in return I got scheduled to go to MEPS this past Wednesday and Thursday. Got through all the paper work and drove for 6 hours to San Diego with two other wannabe's.
The first day at MEPS was solely for ASVAB, and I got an outstanding 89. The next day, I went through the medicall screening. Unfortunately, this is where it all temporarily stops. In my interview with the doctor, I found out that my allergic reaction to Amoxicillin was anaphylactic, which requires a B-med waiver. The doctor recommended me a waiver, thankfully.
Then during the physical, I found out that I have scoliosis, but luckily I was within margin to pass. After a lot of waiting, I could not swear in and would come home without a poolee T-shirt.
Now, this Monday, I'm taking another visit to my recruiter's office and he's going to try to pull some strings to get my waiver passed ASAP.
I talked to some other Marines and recruiters, and they said that the waiver could take anywhere from a week, to several months. Is this true?

[Zulu 36]

Thanks for all the replys Marines. Here's a little update for you all:

So I told my recruiter I wanted to go enlisted, and in return I got scheduled to go to MEPS this past Wednesday and Thursday. Got through all the paper work and drove for 6 hours to San Diego with two other wannabe's.
The first day at MEPS was solely for ASVAB, and I got an outstanding 89. The next day, I went through the medicall screening. Unfortunately, this is where it all temporarily stops. In my interview with the doctor, I found out that my allergic reaction to Amoxicillin was anaphylactic, which requires a B-med waiver. The doctor recommended me a waiver, thankfully.
Then during the physical, I found out that I have scoliosis, but luckily I was within margin to pass. After a lot of waiting, I could not swear in and would come home without a poolee T-shirt.
Now, this Monday, I'm taking another visit to my recruiter's office and he's going to try to pull some strings to get my waiver passed ASAP.
I talked to some other Marines and recruiters, and they said that the waiver could take anywhere from a week, to several months. Is this true?

Yes, this is completely true. Expect more than one week though.

[JP702]

/sigh The wait will be worth it in the end. I just want to be in boot camp by November. A couple of buddies that were with me at MEPS tried getting into MCRD for October, but it was already full. Ahh, I want to be a Marine so bad.

[Lisa 23]

Medical Waivers
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joini...icalwaiver.htm