Interested in joining the Marine Corp: What would make the most sense for me, OCS or enlisting and apply later

Question

I'm a 22 year old college student from New York who is planning on joining the Marine Corp. after I finish my bachelor's at James Madison University next June. I plan on going to Law School, but I want to take some time off in between my undergrad and getting my law degree...so I thought, what better way to improve myself, see a different country, and serve mine at the same time? I went into a recruiting office in White Plains, NY today for about 3 hours...I talked with the recruiter who was very honest and helpful...but I want to ask Officers as well as Infantry...am I going to be looked down on as an officer if I didn't go through basic training bootcamp with the men of my future platoon? My recruiter was trying hard for me to enlist, telling me that you can apply for OCS once enlisted, and if that's the case, you're known to the men as a "Mustang," someone who has been through **** and won't put up with any. The feeling I got from him was that I should enlist, then apply for OCS. But the thing is, I only want to do active duty for the required 4 years, and I'd like to spend those 4 years doing what I'm capable of. They set me up in a room and gave me a practice asvab...when they saw my score, my recruiter kind of changed his tune, telling me my 95 out of 99 was one of the most impressive scores he's seen in a while, and that maybe I should go straight into OCS because i struck him as an officer. Also, I don't think it makes a difference, but they kept asking me for my highschool gpa, sat scores, and college gpa. 3.8 in high school. 1260 on the SAT's, 3.0 and working towards a bachelor's degree in history. Thanks for your help everyone!!!

Answer 1

Take this from an Ex Marine, you would do better in the Air Force with the amount of education you already have.

And then I would do the OCS thing there, forget all the wanting to go through boot like my future charges did, thats why you are getting the education you are, so you don't have to do the grunt work. Use your head, not your back. And do not trust the recruiter, they will say whatever they think you want to hear just to get you to sign up. He just wants you to sign on the dotted line. I am not ashamed of being in the Corps by any means, but with all the Air Force bases I got to see, I learned real quick, I got the raw end of the deal compared to the Corps, in educational opportunities as well as duty stations, Just my 2 cents worth, Semper Fidelis~

Answer 2

OCS is certainly the wisest course in the long run, and would certainly be advisable right away.

However, you need to take into account the enlisted attitude. If you enlist first and do a few years as an enlisted grunt, and then go to OCS...you'll end up getting a lot more respect from the enlisted people serving under you. Furthermore, you'll understand how the enlisted work and be able to function better as their superior - as well as understanding both sides of the brass.

Personally, as a former enlisted Navy FC, I'd recommend going enlisted first and then going into OCS after a couple years. Having served under both officers who went directly into OCS and officers who were enlisted first, I've found it easier (and better) to serve under those with an intimate understanding of the enlisted side of the military.

Answer 3

I appreciate your desire to serve in the finest fighting force in the world today.

I want to tell you a story about a young man that came into my office one day when I was a canvassing recruiter.  This young man came into my office with a degree from Florida St (political science) and a Juris Doctorate from Wake Forest.  He wanted to enlist.  When I spoke to him about OCS, he advised me that he had tried that route but had been unsuccessful.  The local OSO criteria was extremely high and with him not possessing any intangibles (minority candidate, female gender, political clout) his chances were not as good as you might think.

Anyway, he wanted serve on the ground level and I was happy to oblidge him.  He took the ASVAB with an AFQT of 99, with line scores plus 120 across the board.  No physical issues; the man was cut out of rock.  He wanted to be your basic 0311 but we convinced him to at least up the ante to Security Forces.  They got a hold of his record while he was in bootcamp and "convinced" him that he would be better served (along with the needs of the Corps) in Intelligence.

Let me make this short.  He did extremely well as an enlisted man for about a little more than a year before he was eligible for OCS.  All it took was couple of letters of endorsement by his command because he already had all of the prerequisite education.  Last I spoke to him he was Captain serving with the JAG at Camp Smith in Hawaii.

Don't buy that c**p about enlisted Marines having more respect for Mustangs.  Not true at all.  Marines will either respect you for the leader that you are from jumpstreet or they will treat you like chump change if they sense weakness.  You determine that by how you handle yourself and being "one of them" doesn't necessarily make you accepted as a leader.  Personally, I'd be inclined to think many would see you as a potential sucker since a recruiter was able to sell you a line of c**p to get your name on the dotted line.

Nothing wrong with a college man enlisting.  I did that and went on to serve over 20 yrs in our illustrious Corps.  Just make sure that you sign up for the right reason with the correct understanding.

Answer 4

OCS

Answer 5

Please don't listen to Moby. He's a junior high school student who only pretends to be whatever he fancies. Last week he was in the astrology section, pretending to be an alien from Centauri 4.

I happen to be an expert, and I can only tell you that, once you enlist, you will be fighting for the rich elite who rules the country and the wealth of the corporations. You're not fighting for your country. Those recruiters and military people are the very people who are behind the restriction of the rights of US citizens.

Please don't sacrifice those years or even your life to them. They're not worth it. Talk to some veterans who were poisoned with DU, not knowing they've been fighting in a nuclear war in Iraq. Talk to the soldiers who were wounded in Iraq, came home disabled and don't get a penny from their government, who doesn't give a ****. Talk to the wives and parents of soldiers who were sacrificed for Exxon Mobile and Halliburton. Listen to the songs of David Rovics, on www.davidrovics.com. Read about the atrocities and the torture policy of your government and ask yourself if you want to be a part of it. If you are Christian, I don't think you can.

God bless you and I pray that you stay out of the US military. You're life is too precious.