Prior Marine, about to graduate college, questions!

[kidday03]

*EDIT* I dont think I posted this in the right spot. SORRY! If the moderator needs to delete or move it let me know, thanks!

Hey everyone! I am basically going to give a little rundown of what I have going for me now and also ask some questions and see if I can get some advice. Would appreciate the help.

I am a 25 y/o female Marine. I was in the Corps for 4 years, got out as a Cpl. Got recalled to deploy to Afghanistan, picked up Sgt, did my deployment and got back out. I graduate in August with my BS with a concentration in Government.

I love being in the military, but I got out because my main focus was getting my degree. I realized that I want to go back in the military and become an officer. I want to be a Navy Officer, but am confused and unsure what program to do and how to go about it.

Is it easier to go from enlisted to Officer?

Is it better for me to stay a civilian, once I graduate and apply then?

Can I apply for Supply even though my degree is not in business?

Do I have to have my vision corrected to 20/20 even for supply or SWO? I was able to get in the Marines with my eyesight, is it different for Officers?

I know thats a lot of questions, so I'll ask more at a later time. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Cordespc]

Is it easier to go from enlisted to Officer?

Is it better for me to stay a civilian, once I graduate and apply then?

Can I apply for Supply even though my degree is not in business?

Do I have to have my vision corrected to 20/20 even for supply or SWO? I was able to get in the Marines with my eyesight, is it different for Officers?

I know thats a lot of questions, so I'll ask more at a later time. Thanks in advance for your help.

Sounds like you're off to a good start. Your prior enlisted experience should help. I suspect you can apply for supply with any degree and I've heard they are sometimes not terribly picky. Provided you are not legally blind, I think you'd have little difficulty qualifying for most designators, contact your friendly local OSO/Officer Recruiter for better gouge. Keep your options open for jobs other than Supply and SWO...maybe even the Marines.

 

[buscemi53e]

Me toooo

Hey kidday Im kinda in the same boat. Im still enlisted as a staff sergeant. And looking to go to ocs as a sna as early as june. Do you know any prior enlisted Marines that have been in the Navy for a little bit now? I wanted to get their take on how it compares.

 

[kidday03]

Yes, my husband was in the Marine Corps also, enlisted and he is now a Naval Supply Officer. He is about to graduate supply corps school so I dont think he has a great idea of what it is like yet, until he gets in the fleet. His ultimate goal was to be an officer so I think he is glad to have finally gotten there. I was in the Marine Corps for 5 years and just joined the Navy Reserves to get my foor in the door. Finally got my bachelor's, I take the ASTB next month, soooooooo nervous!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[skim]

answers below

Is it easier to go from enlisted to Officer? From what I hear, no. More hurdles to jump through

Is it better for me to stay a civilian, once I graduate and apply then? From what I hear, yes.

Can I apply for Supply even though my degree is not in business? I did, but wasn't accepted. Doesn't mean my degree had anything to do with it though.

Do I have to have my vision corrected to 20/20 even for supply or SWO? I was able to get in the Marines with my eyesight, is it different for Officers? I have horrible vision and I got picked up for SWO. I wear contacts and have glasses if need be. You will have BCG's for OCS until Candio phase.

 

[kidday03]

I am so relieved to have been approved by MEPS for my eyesight. That was the only thing that I was nervous about, besides the ASTB. My recruiter said that I will not have to go to MEPS since I just went to MEPS in June when I joined the Reserves (hope that is true). The vision requirements for SWO and Staff Corps Officers are obviously different than the requirements for other officer programs. I was just worried that not having vision correctible to 20/20 in one of my eyes would be an automatic disqualifer.

 

[jtmedli]

Yes, my husband was in the Marine Corps also, enlisted and he is now a Naval Supply Officer. He is about to graduate supply corps school so I dont think he has a great idea of what it is like yet, until he gets in the fleet. His ultimate goal was to be an officer so I think he is glad to have finally gotten there. I was in the Marine Corps for 5 years and just joined the Navy Reserves to get my foor in the door. Finally got my bachelor's, I take the ASTB next month, soooooooo nervous!!!!!!!!!!!

Dont stress too much about the ASTB. If you use the study guides (ARCO, Barrons) you'll find it relatively simplistic. Just burn through those things and make sure you understand all the problems and their solutions. Taking tests is kind of like shooting...relax, take a deep breath, ready yourself, and pull the trigger.

 

[Mos]

Is it easier to go from enlisted to Officer?

In my opinion, no. I say 'my opinion' because I'm not prior enlisted, so take this for what it's worth. I did, however, go through OCS with many priors, witnessed the challenges they faced, and as batallion adjutant I became aware of the priors that rolled or DOR'd during the week when I was doing muster. The priors had the advantage of having a knowledge base and skills (e.g., ability to shine shoes, crease uniforms, etc) that could be useful and make them "go-to" people in the class. On the other hand, they had mental and emotional disadvantages of going from being a respectable mid to senior enlisted person to being a lowly OC, and also someone of whom the DI's and chiefs often expected more. Even if you've been out for a while, you're still a prior, you'll still probably face some of the same challenges. That being said, I look up to my prior enlisted classmates - the vast majority of them had what it takes to suck up the unique challenges.

Is it better for me to stay a civilian, once I graduate and apply then?

I believe it is. Enlisting would probably make the process longer for you, since you might have to commit to a certain duration of enlistment before you can be accepted into OCS.

Do I have to have my vision corrected to 20/20 even for supply or SWO? I was able to get in the Marines with my eyesight, is it different for Officers?

Latest version of the MANMED CH.15 that I found states that for both URL and RL (including Staff Corps) your vision must be correctable to 20/20 (it's different for enlisted, who can have variations of correction between eyes within certain limits). Maybe a waiver is possible?

 

[kidday03]

A waiver is what I am hoping for. I would hate for that to be the reason that I am not accepted. I'm just going to go through with the process and do everything I can to get accepted. Thanks for the info everyone!

 

[FlyBoyd]

Do I have to have my vision corrected to 20/20 even for supply or SWO?

Latest version of the MANMED CH.15 that I found states that for both URL and RL (including Staff Corps) your vision must be correctable to 20/20 (it's different for enlisted, who can have variations of correction between eyes within certain limits). Maybe a waiver is possible?

Corrected to 20/20 = surgery

Correctable to 20/20 = wearing glasses/contacts that allow you to see 20/20

I just want to make sure everyone is on the same page.

kidday03, are you asking if you need surgery or are your eyes bad enough they can't be corrected (via glasses) to 20/20?

 

[kidday03]

One of my eyes cannot be corrected to 20/20 with contacts/glasses. I am thinking that I will be granted a waiver for this since I am applying for supply. I know that it is different for E's and O's, but I am not blind by any means and have already done 5 years in the military, but just finished my degree so I am finally able to apply. I have already went to see a doc about possible eye surgeries, but I am not a candidate for either of the surgeries. It is not my actual eye that has vision problems, it is the nerves that connect to my eye that wont allow me to have 20/20 vision. I had a lazy eye when I was a small child and had the surgery to correct it. They straightened my eye, but there was nothing they could do about the vision. I just went through MEPS in June for the Reserves Enlisted and got approved by them and whoever they send the med docs too. Now I am hoping that it wont be a problem for the Officer side.