Reserves to PLC

[Kaitlin Ellenburg]

I've recently been working with an OSO to apply to OCS through the PLC program. Unfortunately, the timing was a little off and I only made it to the last selection board this year and was not selected. I plan on reapplying for PLC Sophomores next summer, but until then I'm unsure of what to do. Here's my situation:

An enlisted reserve slot is open for the reserve unit in my area and with the option I'm doing I wouldn't miss any school or anything for boot camp. After I got back from boot camp I would obviously drill one weekend a month and two weeks out of the year like everyone else, but like I said earlier I want to apply for OCS. I guess what I'm asking is would I be better off to go to boot camp this summer, come back and be a reservist and apply for PLC as a prior enlisted Marine, or would I be better off to just stay around here at school this summer and apply to PLC. Would being a prior enlisted reservist give me an advantage or would that actually make it more difficult for me to be selected because I would be going up against all the other priors?

Also, I want to be an active duty officers. Would being enlisted reserve require me to be a reserve officer?

I know I've kind of asked a lot, but anyone with any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[CumminsPilot]

General consensus here is if you want to be an officer, be an officer. While being enlisted may give you a leg-up on the competition for selection, it won't guarantee anything. And, just because you think you'll only being doing 1 weekend/month and 2 weeks/year, that doesn't mean that will end up being the case. An OCS/TBS roommate of mine thought the same thing; Two Iraq deployments later and 6 years and he finally had his degree and then got selected for OCS.

Being an enlisted reservist does not mean you have to be a reserve officer. You also can't go straight into the reserves as a pilot, you have to be active first and serve your commitment prior to trying to go the reserve route. 6 years after wings for rotary pilots, 8 years after wings for fixed-wing/tilt.

 

[Sapper!]

I am assuming that you have lots and lots of time to reapply. My story is from a different perspective but much like the story CumminsPilot gave. Bottom line is, don't do a stinking thing until you have finished your degree. You can't be an officer regardless until you have that and you can always enlist if you really want it bad enough. By then who knows a whole different set of life opportunities may await you, maybe even a different branch of service.

To review: college first, everything else later. If you are reserves it isn't a matter of "if" you deploy, just "when". The BN commander at Ft. Leonard Wood who said that could not have been more correct.

 

[Rocketman]

My youngest son tried the enlisted reserve then apply for PLC thing and it didn't fly for him either. Deployment starting in the middle of a semester ended his first attempt at college. He came home and later hurt his knee prepping for another deployment during his second college try. Had to drop out again. He's out of the Corps now and has a great IT job but still doesn't have his degree finished yet. No commission and no degree.

Stay in school if you can.

 

[Kaitlin Ellenburg]

I don't mind deployment, in my opinion you join knowing that's a possibility. My enlistment though would be a 92 day college reservist so I would go to boot camp this summer, come back to school and drill after that, go to MCT (I believe that would be it) the next summer, and then MOS school the next summer so I would not even be deployable until then. If this is the case and from the research I have done if I understand correctly, if I applied for OCS through PLC Sophomores I would go there instead of MCT school because OCS orders superceed my reserve orders.

Thank you everyone for all the advice and I apologize if my questions get repetitive.

 

[Swanee]

I don't mind deployment, in my opinion you join knowing that's a possibility. My enlistment though would be a 92 day college reservist so I would go to boot camp this summer, come back to school and drill after that, go to MCT (I believe that would be it) the next summer, and then MOS school the next summer so I would not even be deployable until then. If this is the case and from the research I have done if I understand correctly, if I applied for OCS through PLC Sophomores I would go there instead of MCT school because OCS orders superceed my reserve orders.

Thank you everyone for all the advice and I apologize if my questions get repetitive.

It's been said a million times already. If you want to be an officer don't enlist.

 

[Flash]

I don't mind deployment, in my opinion you join knowing that's a possibility. My enlistment though would be a 92 day college reservist so I would go to boot camp this summer, come back to school and drill after that, go to MCT (I believe that would be it) the next summer, and then MOS school the next summer so I would not even be deployable until then. If this is the case and from the research I have done if I understand correctly, if I applied for OCS through PLC Sophomores I would go there instead of MCT school because OCS orders superceed my reserve orders.

Thank you everyone for all the advice and I apologize if my questions get repetitive.

That all sounds well and good but Uncle Sam often has a way of changing plans on you and when you sign the dotted line, Uncle Sam wins out every time when it comes between his plans and yours.

As Rocketman and CumminsPilot have already pointed out the path you have laid out can be a bit of a rocky and uncertain one at times and doesn't always end up in you being an officer. There are plenty of folks who have succeeded becoming an officer after enlisting including some on this forum but there are a lot that didn't for a variety of reasons.

So I would heed the advice of those who say if your goal is to become an officer in the Marines keep trying for the the officer programs before you go down the enlisted path.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I don't mind deployment, in my opinion you join knowing that's a possibility. My enlistment though would be a 92 day college reservist so I would go to boot camp this summer, come back to school and drill after that, go to MCT (I believe that would be it) the next summer, and then MOS school the next summer so I would not even be deployable until then. If this is the case and from the research I have done if I understand correctly, if I applied for OCS through PLC Sophomores I would go there instead of MCT school because OCS orders superceed my reserve orders.

Thank you everyone for all the advice and I apologize if my questions get repetitive.

Is this in writing that you will acknowledge and can show them later? or is this what they have verbally told you? many recruiters are great with words but not with giving you something in writing. You know what a verbal guarantee will get you in the military don't you?

 

[phrogpilot73]

That all sounds well and good but Uncle Sam often has a way of changing plans on you and when you sign the dotted line, Uncle Sam wins out every time when it comes between his plans and yours.

There are plenty of folks who have succeeded becoming an officer after enlisting including some on this forum but there are a lot that didn't for a variety of reasons.

So I would heed the advice of those who say if your goal is to become an officer in the Marines keep trying for the the officer programs before you go down the enlisted path.

Flash and others have some excellent points. I know 92 day reservists who deployed/mobilized with their units, before completing MOS school. I'd be willing to bet that during the height of OIF/OEF, 92 day reservists deployed/mobilized before MCT.

I'm one of the ones that succeeded in becoming an officer after enlisting. I didn't do it to make my application look better. I had a 1.96 GPA in high school and kept failing out of community college. I wanted to serve in the military, didn't have the discipline/desire to go to school and become an officer. I wanted to serve, and planned on serving a career as an enlisted Marine. I kept applying to officer programs, but was perfectly happy where I was. If you're already in college, and want to be an officer - then keep applying for PLC/OCC. Once you exhaust those routes, and you still want to serve? Then you could enlist (with your degree).

 

[Reconjoe]

Only thing to add here: I too made it work going enlisted to officer, but looking back on it I can clearly see I got real lucky and didn't have many of the showstoppers happening to me that alot of my other enlisted buddies did. I don't regret the time I spent enlisted, but it's definitely like playing Russian roulette. Bottom line, don't do it thinking it'll increase your odds. Do it if you really feel a burning desire to serve as enlisted, and be prepared for things to not go as planned.

 

[MonkUSMC]

I don't think 13 weeks of bootcamp is going to sway the board that much more. A deployment, maybe. I went enlisted reserves right out of highschool, even intending to become an officer and a pilot in the Marines. I wish I knew about Air Warriors or MarineOCS.com back then. I have had a lot of fun (and still do) and experiences as an enlisted Marine, but the 3 year delay of college is what is setting me back. If I could go back, I probably would have just went straight into college. I do not regret any minute of being a reserve though, it is better than the choice I wanted at the time as active duty Aviation Mechanic. My plans would have been much different. As said before, if you want to become an officer, go in as one. Choosing enlisted to try and sway a board would not be the best route, many factors can play into that and just delay you.

 

[Kaitlin Ellenburg]

Thank you everyone for all the great information. I've decided to stay home over the summer and work toward my private pilot's license (not because it will make me look better, but because I just want to fly) and play softball next year in college, so looks like I'll be applying to the earliest board for next summer as a civilian.

Thanks again!

 

[SpankenStein]

LOLZ...That Summer seems much better than one at Parris Island.

 

[sodajones]

Wise decision. I had the fantastic idea of going reserves and then PLC. 5 years and few government sponsored field trips later and I have some greater military experience but have yet to finish my degree or become an officer. I'm not sure I regret my decision but I certainly wouldn't be in mourning if I already had college knocked out and was currently serving as an officer.

 

[Sapper!]

Wise decision. I had the fantastic idea of going reserves and then PLC. 5 years and few government sponsored field trips later and I have some greater military experience but have yet to finish my degree or become an officer. I'm not sure I regret my decision but I certainly wouldn't be in mourning if I already had college knocked out and was currently serving as an officer.

Amen to that. Just getting to college senior status at 27 and man it feels sweet, something I wish I'd have done in lieu of enlistment, however would not trade. Good times abound, I'm sure you'll be wearing some bars soon brother!