prior Marine enlisted

[Brandon VanBuskirk]

Just wondering if any of you that are going to ocs were prior Marine and how ocs compares to it. i am a prior infantry platoon Sergeant and wondered how flying compares to humping a pack. i am reporting for ocs Sep.29 and i have a pilot slot so if there is anymore good gouge out there let me know. Semper Fi.

b

 

[DBLang]

Are you going to Marine or Navy OCS? Being prior enlisted should definitely help you but from what I understand OCS is not like Bootcamp. They are screening you to see if you are a leader (which by now I am sure you are) not a follower.

Im a senior in highschool and right now I am applying to colleges and all that. I would like to go to Cal Poly San Luis Obisbo. Maybe you can help me out. I went in and talked to a recruiter about the Platoon Leaders Class program. He told me I would benefit greatly if I joined a reserve unit and be almost guaranteed a PLC slot. I would go through boot this summer after graduation, then serve once a month with my unit. The following summer I would go to the School of Infantry. Once I am accepted into the PLC program I would be relieved of my enlisted duties(but i can continue to serve with the unit if i so choose) and attend PLC over the next two summers . Do you think the reserves would be a wise choice, or should I focus completely on school? I would greatly appreciate your opinion sir.

Edited by - DBLang on 09/13/2002 15:33:24

 

[Goliath112]

quote"Being prior enlisted should definitely help you but from what I understand OCS is not like Bootcamp. They are screening you to see if you are a leader (which by now I am sure you are) not a follower."

are you implying that enlisted guys don't lead? anyway everybody in the service from the bottom up is a leader and a follower. you will learn this whether you go enlisted or officer. don't ever think that you're somehow better because you're not enlisted

man the wait is killing me

Edited by - Goliath112 on 09/13/2002 23:18:57

 

[Brandon VanBuskirk]

I am going to Navy ocs. I chose Navy over Marine simply because I had a couple of college football injuries and I know that if I go Navy I can swim my PRT instead of run it. My leg is now healed but because of my age I don't need to be running and humping packs like I did in my old infantry unit. To answer your question I really think you should search your motivations before going reserve or PLC. I personally think it is a great opportunity and I am so glad that I chose going in as an enlisted Marine, it will do nothing but help you in any future endeavors. No military man is better than another but it's how it is going to help you that counts. Keep your head up and your chin down and keep me informed. Semper Fi.quote:
Are you going to Marine or Navy OCS? Being prior enlisted should definitely help you but from what I understand OCS is not like Bootcamp. They are screening you to see if you are a leader (which by now I am sure you are) not a follower.

Im a senior in highschool and right now I am applying to colleges and all that. I would like to go to Cal Poly San Luis Obisbo. Maybe you can help me out. I went in and talked to a recruiter about the Platoon Leaders Class program. He told me I would benefit greatly if I joined a reserve unit and be almost guaranteed a PLC slot. I would go through boot this summer after graduation, then serve once a month with my unit. The following summer I would go to the School of Infantry. Once I am accepted into the PLC program I would be relieved of my enlisted duties(but i can continue to serve with the unit if i so choose) and attend PLC over the next two summers . Do you think the reserves would be a wise choice, or should I focus completely on school? I would greatly appreciate your opinion sir.

Edited by - DBLang on 09/13/2002 15:33:24


b

 

[mpratt]

DBLang,

I applaud you on wanting to go into the Marine Corps...but I also caution you. Two guys I knew thought that they were doing the same thing. However they did not get all the information that they should have. Two of them found out that they had to finish all of their training before they could go to their reserve units, subsequently they missed their first year of college.
I am not trying to deter you from joining, just trying to help you learn from other guys' misunderstandings.

MPratt

 

[E5B]

DBLang,

I don't regret for a second that I went enlisted first. Although I was on active duty for 4 years, being reserve isn't the same experience. I'm not saying that going reserves is bad or anything, its just not the FLEET. I have a few buds who took the same route you did. Freshman summer went to boot. Soph summer went to MOS school. Jr....PLC Jr's..,..Sr....PLC Sr's. When you said you talked to a recruiter first, did you mean OSO or a "recruiter"? Because of course a recruiter will tell you that you need to go to boot first, thats their job. Find your local OSO (officer selection office), he'll have most, if not all, of your answers. Good luck and keep us all posted. You'll never regret you chose to join the military, epecially the USMC!!

Semper Fidelis

2nd Lt Bailey



Edited by - E5B on 09/15/2002 09:52:42

 

[DBLang]

It was a recruiter, not an OSO but i know what their intentions are. However I must say, these were without a doubt the best recruiters I have ever talked to. The airforce guys tried almost everything to get me to enlist. The marines I spoke to were to the point, knew what I wanted, and while they were pushing the enlistment they dont pressure you like the recruiters from other services. He knows I want to be an officer, and he showed me how I could get there. They made it clear the marines dont just want warm bodies, and that is why I started leaning more towards the marines instead of the navy.

BTW, the program I was refering too was the '92 day program.' It stipulates that I go to boot after i graduate, then after my sophmore year of college I go to marine combat training. I can apply to OCS after my first semester of college and if I am accepted (he said it was a sure thing which is the one thing that worried me) I go to OCS instead of marine combat training the following summer and am relieved from duty in my reserve unit.

Thanks again for everything guys. You've always been a huge help.

 

[Frumby]

DB,
Where in the country are you located and what Reserve unit are you considering joining? Frumby

Attack Pilot
Major USMC

 

[DBLang]

I am in Santa Barbara, California. I am planning on going to Cal Poly San Luis Obisbo.
I was considering:
Co G 2ndBN 23rdMar 4thMARDIV - 0351 Rifleman

3d ANGLICO 4thMARDIV TERMINAL - 0621 Field Radio Operator

WPNSCO 2dBN 23dMAR 4thMARDIV - 0331 Machine Gunner

WPNSCO 2dBN 23dMAR 4thMARDIV - 0341 Mortarman

These are the only units with slots for the 92 day program that I was interested in. There are also logistics, bulk fuel, food service, and artillery slots.

Any info on those units would be great guys.

Edit: The bootcamp date for all of them is June 18. About 3 days after I would graduate. Assuming I make it through in a timely manner I would have a few weeks before school started up again.


Edited by - DBLang on 09/16/2002 00:29:17

 

[Goliath112]

quote"They made it clear the marines dont just want warm bodies, and that is why I started leaning more towards the marines instead of the navy"

I won't fault you too much Lang, because you're young and inexperienced but, that comment is just plain offensive. I mean seriously this forum is run by NAVY Officers. go to bootcamp become a Marine and then and only then will you be allowed to participate in inter-service rivalry.

man the wait is killing me

Edited by - Goliath112 on 09/16/2002 02:38:56