How will getting into the Marine Reserves help/harm me into going to OCS within 2 years?

Question

I am a Junior in College. I am submitted my application for the United States Marine Officer PLC program in a month. I am debating to get in the Reserves until I graduate...

Answer 1

The best officers are almost always prior enlisted, if you spend some time enlisted first your troops will also have more respect for you.

Answer 2

Well you are technically a reservist when you're an officer candidate...

Answer 3

At boot camp you will learn drill and become accustomed to the military environment.  That will be a great help to you at OCS.  Out of my platoon of 50 all the priors were ranked within the top 20.  Things as minor as not having your sleeves rolled up correctly can get you in trouble at OCS, going through boot camp will prevent most of those problems.  If I had a second chance I would have gone reserve before going to OCS

Answer 4

Why don't you go to ROTC in a college.  Smart Idea.

Answer 5

Listen - stay in the PLC program.  You don't need to join the reserves and delay your becoming an officer.  Just worry about OCS and finishing up college.  You learn everything you need to know while at OCS.  Things like rolling your sleeves and drill are VERY minor parts of your future profession that no one really cares about after OCS.  You will have much more important things to learn.  At this point you probably wouldn't deploy and recruit training will just be overkill.  I understand individuals who join the reserves - but they actually had something to take from it such as nco leadership experience (meaning they were in for longer then two years).  After OCS, you will QUICKLY become on a level playing field with prior enlisted PFC's/ lance coolies.  Stay the course and get into OCS.  Also, get in as soon as possible.  Your Pay Entry Base Date starts the day you go to OCS.  This dictates how much time in service you have for pay purposes.  So theoretically, if you start OCS after your Junior year, you will have one year time in service by the time you get commissioned.

Answer 6

Depends. Do you have your degree yet? If not, I would think it would help. This way, you can learn more about the Corps and attend school. The Reserves will help pay for college, and you only have to work with them one weekend a month, two weeks a year.

Unless you get deployed.  

Answer 7

first you have to become a united states marine ,

then worry about the rest,remember their looking for a FEW good men