Derringer
New Member
Hi everyone, I have read several threads here over the last year or so. I just today set up an account to ask for some input from you all. It would be really great to hear from those with particularly recent experience with becoming a USMC NFO. Of course, any advice and info would help though.. Please feel free to share anything you may find relevant and remotely related. I apologize, as I am sure there have been countless threads similar, but I want advice a little more specific to my personal background. As follows:
I have wanted to be a USMC officer for quite some time. I talked with a USMC officer recruiter a couple years ago (spring 2014). Because of a couple law issues that happened in fall of 2012 (at the time I also had an extremely low GPA around 2.3) the recruiter told me I wouldn't be granted a security clearance and wouldn't likely even get my waiver approved. I am now 24 years old, and have been switching between community college and university since I was 18 and struggled with some personal stuff as well as financing university. I am now on track and only 2 semesters from a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering. I am sitting on a 2.9 GPA, but I expect to bump this to 3.1 or maybe 3.2 before I graduate. I enlisted in the Army National Guard January of 2017, and I scored rather well on the ASVAB with a score of 97.
I recently contacted a USMC Officer recruiter again to try a second time to have them consider doing the paperwork required. Now, I am being given a chance and a recruiter has agreed to help me look into it. I also have quite a few leadership and extra curricular activities that will help my application. I will need to leave for Army Basic Training August 1st, and after that I will be working with a recruiter to file a request to be released from the Guard contract and apply to OCS. The current plan is to attend OCS over the summer of 2018, while I will finish my last 2 semesters of college in Spring and Fall of 2018. Additionally, I have been recently focused on Army PFT training, but fully intend to hit a USMC training regimen upon returning from Army training in December - I know I could hit a 280 score before applying for the waiver and OCS and eventually maybe bump it up to 290 if the process is delayed a little.
With my ASVAB score and leadership experience, along with the STEM degree, is it possible to be accepted? I have 3 amazing letters of recommendation as well (these are great letters that speak very highly of the turn around I have had and come from a CEO, my academic advisor, and my current manager at work). I realize it's crazy competitive to get selected as an NFO. I am fine taking on a different role as a USMC Officer if I don't get the NFO selection, as long as there is a realistic possibility of it. I can't accept not going for it. I want to be a USMC Officer first. A very close second is an NFO. I am incredibly passionate about the electrical engineering topics I have learned in school. I want to use that knowledge but have the opportunity to get out of the typical desk job environment once in a while that I would be confined to as a civilian engineer.
I am also curious to learn more about the process. E.g. at what point during the process do you know whether or not you are able to be an NFO? Is it after accepting a commission, or before? (Yes, I realize it's not easy to get into OCS. I will earn it, but I want to know more about the late process)
Thanks for reading all of this. I would love to hear any opinions.
I have wanted to be a USMC officer for quite some time. I talked with a USMC officer recruiter a couple years ago (spring 2014). Because of a couple law issues that happened in fall of 2012 (at the time I also had an extremely low GPA around 2.3) the recruiter told me I wouldn't be granted a security clearance and wouldn't likely even get my waiver approved. I am now 24 years old, and have been switching between community college and university since I was 18 and struggled with some personal stuff as well as financing university. I am now on track and only 2 semesters from a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering. I am sitting on a 2.9 GPA, but I expect to bump this to 3.1 or maybe 3.2 before I graduate. I enlisted in the Army National Guard January of 2017, and I scored rather well on the ASVAB with a score of 97.
I recently contacted a USMC Officer recruiter again to try a second time to have them consider doing the paperwork required. Now, I am being given a chance and a recruiter has agreed to help me look into it. I also have quite a few leadership and extra curricular activities that will help my application. I will need to leave for Army Basic Training August 1st, and after that I will be working with a recruiter to file a request to be released from the Guard contract and apply to OCS. The current plan is to attend OCS over the summer of 2018, while I will finish my last 2 semesters of college in Spring and Fall of 2018. Additionally, I have been recently focused on Army PFT training, but fully intend to hit a USMC training regimen upon returning from Army training in December - I know I could hit a 280 score before applying for the waiver and OCS and eventually maybe bump it up to 290 if the process is delayed a little.
With my ASVAB score and leadership experience, along with the STEM degree, is it possible to be accepted? I have 3 amazing letters of recommendation as well (these are great letters that speak very highly of the turn around I have had and come from a CEO, my academic advisor, and my current manager at work). I realize it's crazy competitive to get selected as an NFO. I am fine taking on a different role as a USMC Officer if I don't get the NFO selection, as long as there is a realistic possibility of it. I can't accept not going for it. I want to be a USMC Officer first. A very close second is an NFO. I am incredibly passionate about the electrical engineering topics I have learned in school. I want to use that knowledge but have the opportunity to get out of the typical desk job environment once in a while that I would be confined to as a civilian engineer.
I am also curious to learn more about the process. E.g. at what point during the process do you know whether or not you are able to be an NFO? Is it after accepting a commission, or before? (Yes, I realize it's not easy to get into OCS. I will earn it, but I want to know more about the late process)
Thanks for reading all of this. I would love to hear any opinions.
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