Long-Time Lurker Seeking Advice

[Christopher323]

AirWarriors,

I've been a member of this site for a long time and have pretty much just lurked and tried to absorb the advice of the members here. I was hoping I could ask for some advice regarding specific circumstances about becoming a Marine Officer, but before I do that, I'll type out what I perceive to be the most important points for all of this:

1) PT, and the PT again. PFT>285 is not only desirable, but almost the bare minimum.
2) Study. Keep GPA>3.5.
3) Keep an extremely clean record.
4) Study for and score well on ASTB.
5) Go PLC, and aim for the first board of the FY (more slots for summer than the final few boards).
6) Most importantly, know that you're a Marine first, Aviator second.

I'm confident in 3 of those (2, 3, and 6.) I have no idea about 4, am reasonably content with #1, and have concerns about #5.

To give my background, I'm a more or less current university student on track to a BA in French. I went to a community college and transferred to a school across the country and did a semester there, after which I returned, half because of a family emergency and half because of homesickness/emotional immaturity (girlfriend-back-home-syndrome). This sounds really immature and it was. Prior to that, I had strong academics, motivation, and pretty much everything but PT ability. Being motivated about being in the military has helped me fix that last part, and recusing myself of the girlfriend and spending time in dead-end jobs has helped with the "motivated to get back to school and into a better future" aspect.

After some long talks with my then-infirmed Grandfather, I decided that I want to serve in the Marines and as an officer. I am most interested in Aviation but I would also happily pursue a Ground position (0203 and 0310, especially); I'd rather not be in Logistics but if that is all the Corps has to offer me when the time comes, I'll take it. I think this is the correct attitude to have regarding Marine Aviation, but please correct me if I'm out of my lane.

I'm most concerned about PT standards and my college situation, so (finally) here are my questions. Sorry for the lengthy preamble.

1) My run time is around 24:30. I know that's mediocre at best. Is sub-21min. a reasonably good time, or do I need to be a <18:00 stud to be competitive? If so, how do you train to that while remaining robust enough to ruck 12 miles and take the beating that is OCS?

2) My college situation is a little weird. Because I took leave for an emergency, and not for academic or disciplinary reasons, the school's doors are wide-open as long as I submit Fin.Aid. info and so on for the next entry period (Fall 2014). I have a lot of lower-division credit but no upper-division credit because of the language major, so I am basically a mid-year sophomore and I think I can get the school to declare me as such.

This is pretty much necessary for PLC these days, right, being that PLC-Combined is gone? Regarding this and commissioning, I can email and contact the Boston OSO in that way, but won't be able to interview in person until about 2 months before the Oct2014 Board (unless I fly out to Boston just for an interview, which is an expensive proposition), and I can't work with the OSO here on the West Coast for a contract over there. If I show up with my GPA, ultra-clean record, strong and improved PFT scores, and pretty much everything else I can square-away (getting my packet started, LORs, résumé stuff, appearance, USMC knowledge, etc.), do you think an OSO would be willing to push my packet to a board with that short of a notice?

What would you all recommend I do under the circumstances?

Thanks for reading this and for input you may have. I truly appreciate it.

-Chris

 

[Steve Wilkins]

Have you spoken with the OSO yet?

 

[Christopher323]

Hi Steve, thanks for responding. I've interviewed in person with the OSO from my home region in the past, and sent out an email to the OSO in Boston earlier today, in fact. It's from the former that I got some of the info about PLC-Sophomore and the first board of the FY being better. As long as it's not overly personal, I'll report back any info that the OSO(s) may give me, both for my own benefit and to help possibly another in a similar situation.

-Chris

 

[SLH350]

1. Sub 21 minute should be your goal. I run a 290 (19:30 3 mile) and am 6'1 190, Bench/Squat/DL all over 300, don't let anyone tell you you have to be a twig to run fast, it's BS. Can you get selected with a higher run time? Yes. Will you hate your life at OCS? YES. Go in over prepared physically and it's one less thing to worry about.

2. PLC-Combined was brought back this past summer, and I believe it's going to be done next summer as well, but I don't have current gouge on that. Talk with your OSO about your options as he/she is the only one that can give you up to date info on all of this.

I'm a bit pressed for time at the moment but I did PLC-Combined in 2011, if you have any further questions or want to just talk about OCS in general or the process feel free to shoot me a PM and I can send you my phone number. Best of luck.

 

[Christopher323]

Hey SLH, this stuff is spectacular, thank you.

1. Sub 21 minute should be your goal. I run a 290 (19:30 3 mile) and am 6'1 190, Bench/Squat/DL all over 300, don't let anyone tell you you have to be a twig to run fast, it's BS. Can you get selected with a higher run time? Yes. Will you hate your life at OCS? YES. Go in over prepared physically and it's one less thing to worry about.

That's pretty similar to my approach to fitness, though I haven't been lifting quite that long; 6', 195, 200/260/300, plenty of weighted pull-ups and so on. I was definitely convinced that you don't need to be a sparrow to do a great PFT after a powerlifting WR from my college team destroyed a pure-LSD run sparrow type on an IST/PFT, after not running more than a mile for like a year (He got a 9:15 1.5mi, and said "man I'm kinda slow, I haven't done distance in a while.)

Regarding OCS prep, would you recommend speeding up the 3-mile, or getting used to many more miles per week as a more valuable time expenditure? Honestly, I should be able to do both extensively with the timeframe I have. Running is one of those areas easy to paralyze via over-analysis... Pose, Chi, barefoot, etc.; just getting out there and doing it seems the best approach for OCS.

2. PLC-Combined was brought back this past summer, and I believe it's going to be done next summer as well, but I don't have current gouge on that. Talk with your OSO about your options as he/she is the only one that can give you up to date info on all of this.

I'll definitely do that, and I'm sticking with the one in Boston since that's where school is and whom I'll be doing the paperwork with.

I'm a bit pressed for time at the moment but I did PLC-Combined in 2011, if you have any further questions or want to just talk about OCS in general or the process feel free to shoot me a PM and I can send you my phone number. Best of luck.

Hey I'd appreciate that, I'll get on that right away. Thanks again for the good info.