How do I become an Marine Officer after I enlist?

[njimkolp00]

I enlisted in the Marines and am a High School Senior. I want to be a Marine Officer but don't know how to get there. My plan is to get my BA degree in the Marines first, then go through an officer program. Does that sound like a good plan? My recruiter tells me I should go through BOOST first then MECEP. So should i go through BOOST and MECEP on my way to a degree or after I get my degree? After MECEP do you get commissioned a 2nd LT?

 

[VarmintShooter]

BOOST, then MECEP (while getting your degree), then 2lt.

Keep applying for the programs, and for more info do a search on this site or look through the old posts in the Paths to a Commission section.

 

[handjive]

First take a breather... Worry about boot camp, MCT/SOI, and your MOS training first. You need to serve for a bit before you start applying for MECEP.

The whole idea behind MECEP is that you have proven yourself as a leader (or at least show potential as a leader) and the Marine Corps will now pay you to go to school, get your degree, and become an officer.

MECEP is about a sweet a deal as it gets, and I highly encourage it. I was accepted right at the end of my first enlistment, but I know some guys who got in after about 2 years. Having some college under your belt will make you look better to the selection board, but I went in with nothing. You are basically "stationed" at a college and get paid your full salary to get your degree. You go to OCS your first summer and get your comission upon graduation from college.

My advice: keep it in the back of your head and about halfway through your first duty station in the fleet, start putting in applications. Be smart during your enlistment, and excell in everything you do. You should do this regardless of your plans, but the better your jacket looks, the better chance you have being selected. Enjoy your time as an enlisted Marine. You will learn a lot and have the time of your life (if you're smart). When the time comes, find an officer (ideally a mustang) who can help you out with your package. I never would have made it without the help of my operations officer. Lastly, do well this last year of school!!! High school grades play a huge part with MECEP, especially when it comes to getting accepted to a school.

Semper Fi

 

[samadma]

Why not just go to college and do the Platoon Leaders Course (PLC) program while in college? Then you don't have to go through BOOST/ECP or any of those other programs. With PLC at least you wouldn't have to worry about deploying and things like that, unless that's what you want to do. I can see going maybe reserves and doing PLC, but doing full time duty with the hopes of being an Officer is not the best way to go. Go to the www.marineofficer.com website to find out more.

 

[njimkolp00]

I didn't apply for college because i really didn't feel like applying. I just wanted to rest a little before going back to school. Plus I want to be able to relate to the enlisted before becoming an officer. So they wont treat me like some guy who's never lived their life. Like I've never gone through what they've gone through. I would have more experience and service in the Marine Corps too. I would have more knowledge about the structure and how the Marine Corps works than some officer straight out of college.

 

[njimkolp00]

Handjive, how long did it take you to be a Marine Officer after you graduated from High School? I take it you were active. My MOS is Jet Mechanic. My recruiter said I'll get college credits when i get my Jet Mechanic training. So should I wait about a year before applying to BOOST because it says BOOST requires Lance Corporal and a year of service, and then apply to MECEP? I have a question about MECEP. Do you get discharged to finish college or do they send you to a college while you're in the Marines?


Does anyone think it's possible for me to become an officer in 4-5 years if i follow through with my plan from ENLISTING to BOOST to MECEP to OCS and finally to OFFICERSHIP? Or do you think it'll take longer?

 

[E5B]

I didn't apply for college because i really didn't feel like applying. I just wanted to rest a little before going back to school.

This is exactly why I joined the USMC right after high school. At the time I had no idea I'd ever go to college, much less become an officer and a pilot. I had an awesome time as an enlisted Marine, deploying twice, seeing 14 different countries, getting some great training...etc Meanwhile, my highchool buds were still cruising the streets listening to loud music and doing nothing. While on deployment my fascination with helicopters grew to an obsession. I was always bugging crew chiefs or pilots with questions or asking to sit in the bird. When it came time to think about re-enlistment I knew I wanted to fly, but didn't know enough about MECEP or any other officer program for that matter. So I got out and went to college thinking I was done with the Marine Corps and had plans to get my civilian ratings. One time at a career fair at the university I saw a SSgt doing some recruiting so I headed that way to give him a hard time and introduce myself and what do you know, he was an officer recruiter (AOSO) that was trying to fill some flight slots. After pricing civilian aviation I realized I was high on crack to think I could ever afford that, so I said "what the heck, where do I sign". Next thing I know, I find myself at OCS standing at the POA.

If I would had been a little more open minded and proactive about my options at the end of my enlistment I probably would have applied to MECEP. I'm not unhappy with the decisions I've made so far. Another thing, the MGI Bill really helped me through college, so make sure you take the option, you'll thank yourself later for it, tell everyone else who is considering the USMC to definitely take the MGI Bill option.

 

[handjive]

Those are some of the same reasons I enlisted out of high school too. It is a longer route, but the experience is well worth it.

For me it was right around 9 years from my feet on the yellow footprints to pinning on the butter bars.

Theoreticaly it is possible for you to do it all in 5 years, but it will be a crunch the whole time. You will get college credit for your MOS school, but don't expect it to count for much more than elective credits. Most things don't convert over to the specific requirements that most degrees require. So theoretically, if you get some credits for your USMC training and take night/correspondence courses in all of your free time once you are in the fleet, you may be able to knock out close to a year of college. Then once you go to MECEP, you pick a cheezeball degree, take a heavy courseload and finish what you have left in 2-3 years (you're required to take summer courses on MECEP so it's possible). That's if all your timing works out perfectly and you have zero life outside work & school.

But why would you want to? If you want the bars so bad, go to college now via ROTC or reserves/PLC. If you do what I mentioned here, you will suffer through the two best times of your life: college and being a young enlisted Marine! There is no reason to be in such a rush (as far as I can see). A more realistic (but fast) goal would be 6 or 7 years to pin on your bars.

I wouldn't change a thing with the way I did it. I traveled the world as a young single guy with zero responsibilities and went to college when I was far more mature and disciplined (and got paid to do it). Now I'm in flight training. By the time I finish my obligated service I will have over 16 years in. I'll stick it out for 4 more and then I can retire at 38!

FYI: As far as I know BOOST is a gateway into MECEP for those with poorer academic records, it won't really speed anything up for you.

 

[handjive]

Hey E5B, you beat me to the punch...

I never got to say congrats in person on your selection. Great news though!

Texas is great so far, I see why you Texas-nuts love it so much. We miss the old neighborhood terribly though!

(sorry for the sidebar folks)

 

[USMCBebop]

If you want the bars so bad, go to college now via ROTC or reserves/PLC.

The only problem is he said he's not ready for college:

I didn't apply for college because i really didn't feel like applying. I just wanted to rest a little before going back to school

I think he'll findout how bad he wants it or not during his time as an enlisted Marine

 

[Crowbar]

I have a question about MECEP. Do you get discharged to finish college or do they send you to a college while you're in the Marines?

For MECEP you stay on active duty, so your time in college counts towards pay, promotions, retirement, etc....
Also, like handjive said, don't count on getting credits for your MOS school. Sure, recruiters use that as a selling point because there are some diploma mills out there that will throw b.s. credits at you. Southern Illinois gave me over 40 hours for being an avionics tech. Eventually I saw the light and went to a real (SEC) school. Anyway, if you do eventually make it into MECEP you might get some real generic, basic classes out of the way (like your PE classes) for having military service, but the MOS stuff will probably just get thrown out the window.

Does anyone think it's possible for me to become an officer in 4-5 years if i follow through with my plan from ENLISTING to BOOST to MECEP to OCS and finally to OFFICERSHIP? Or do you think it'll take longer?

I'll agree with what's been said before, understand that enlistment is not a stepping stone to commissioning. Some people just want to be a Marine bad enough that if they can't get commissioned they enlist. Of those, some decide they don't want to be officers anymore while others still want to do it. That time frame seems really unrealistic unless you have ~2 years of college finished before you enlist. As a jet mech, you will spend over a year in entry level training. Then based on how promotions are going and when you finish training and the selection board meets and a host of other factors, it may be a minimum of two years before you even get accepted into the program. And you don't start right away. It's almost a year wait from when the results are released until you start college. So we're up to 4 years. Even assuming 2 years of college done, you still have about 2 more years to go. And like I said, that's all assuming best case scenario and you're halfway done with college.
Don't get discouraged. If you really want it just keep going until you get what you want. From the time I went to boot camp until the day I got commissioned was 10 years, 4.5 months. I think I'm bringing up the average on that, though. If you have any questions, keep asking. Good luck.

 

[perchul]

Still not posting what freaking school your going to crow, sly dog. What some of these guys are leaving out is that you really need to keep your goals in sight, obviously the guys who have posted are go getters; however there are plenty of military people who lose sight of what they originally wanted during their enlistment. The good thing is that every prior service person who I met and attended the premier SEC school with me did really excellent...lowest gpa's were around 3.5's on those guys. However I'd like to think that they also missed out on some of the fun in attending college in those immediate years right after high school

 

[perchul]

oh, crow is right about not expecting credit from tier 1 and some tier 2 schools. But it really doesn't matter what schools you go to anyway other then to yourself.

 

[HueyCobra8151]

And you don't start right away. It's almost a year wait from when the results are released until you start college.

I can second that. This waiting seems so ridiculously long. I am going ape-shiat. Five months down, four months to go!

My MOS is Jet Mechanic

Is this what your recruiter told you? Unless things have changed, I believe you enlist under the "AF" contract to be a mech; which includes all the airframes. My recruiter also told me I would be a jet mech, and I wound up wrenching skids. Boy, am I happy I wound up wrenching skids, Helos rule. Plus it is fun flying NOE in the back (or even co-pilot seat!!) of a Huey; it is hard if not impossible for enlisted Marines to see any flying time in jets. (I have heard of it happening; but it is pretty rare I guess)

Anyway, cross your fingers and hope you end up as a line mech and not an airframer. Being a plane captain is an awesome job with a lot of responsibility.

Good Luck!

Oh yeah, you said BOOST > MECEP > Commission. Boost is a prep school that prepares you for college, MECEP just sends you right to college; I believe you can apply for both, and if you get accepted for Boost and not MECEP, take the Boost, but if you get accepted for MECEP, there is no reason for you to go to a year long prep school.

Better to do it this way: Outstanding Marine > MECEP > Commission

And remember, just because you are qualified on paper, doesn't mean you will even be given a shot at it. Focus on being the best Marine you can be and let everything else fall into place.

 

[Crowbar]

PLus, there's no guaranteed av contract in MECEP, you gotta go out of your way to convince your MLO you want one half way through the program.

Not true. I'm a MECEP grad with a SNFO guarantee. Didn't have to wait until halfway either. And what in the world is an MLO?