Hey i have a few questions mabe you guys can help me out....i am a senior in highschool and am going to college next year for aviation. do i have to enlist first to get into the PLC program or can i sign up for it right in college....i talked to a recruiter and he told me i need to enlist first, but ive heard you cans ign up while actualy in college....if anyone can please give me basic information on how to get in to it and the eligabilty for it that would be great...Thank You
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Monster Marine OCS thread: stupid questions answered here!
- Thread starter NavyOCS
- Start date
One of two things happened with your conversation with a recruiter. Either A) you misunderstood him somehow and think that you need to enlist or
B) he is blowing sunshine up your ass and just looking to get his numbers for the fiscal year.
Do Not Enlist! That is an entirely differnt way to get a commission and its intirely unneccesary. Go to College, take out loans if need be but do not enlist. Once your in College contact an Officer Selection Office (OSO) not a recruiter. Recruiters and OSO's are entirely differnt things.
If its the guy that comes out and hangs out in the High School cafeteria handing out water bottles and getting email/phone numbers from students then yeah Id steer clear of him. There are lots of good Marine recruiters out there that genuinely care about the kids they sign up problem is they look just like the ones that will smile at you and promise you anything till your on the bus realizing you done F'd up.
invertedflyer
500 ft. from said obstacle
I've never heard of underarmour being allowed at OCS. I've never seen another company using them either, not in Jrs. or Srs. Safe bet, save it for TBS, some companies allow their use there. You don't wanna be "that one" that decided to wear it. My 2c.
The bike shorts are a good item though, stops the chafing... however the standard issue "silky" PT shorts did the trick for me, and we had record high temps. that summer.
The bike shorts are a good item though, stops the chafing... however the standard issue "silky" PT shorts did the trick for me, and we had record high temps. that summer.
"Do Not Enlist! That is an entirely differnt way to get a commission and its intirely unneccesary. Go to College, take out loans if need be but do not enlist"
WTF are you talking about? Its true you dont have to enlist to be an officer, but if the guy wants to be a marine while he goes to college, why is that such a bad idea? Whats wrong with going enlisted first?
WTF are you talking about? Its true you dont have to enlist to be an officer, but if the guy wants to be a marine while he goes to college, why is that such a bad idea? Whats wrong with going enlisted first?
invertedflyer
500 ft. from said obstacle
Thats what I did, wouldn't trade the experience for anything. However, I think hes primarily interested in a commission.
So if somebody were to tell you "I want to be an officer" would enlisting and going through MECEP be the way your recommend them to do it. Seriously Im not knocking the guys that went in enlisted and found out being a Marine Officer was exactly what they wanted to do but if you wanted to do that from the start what possible service would enlisting do you first especially if he wants an Air MOS, then not only is he putting himself in a less competative position to get a slot but hes also burning time up before he hits the age limit because he enlisted instead of going to college direct.
A four year degree might take a reservist eight years to complete....food for thought.
Originally Posted by Cavrone
Why not enlist in the reserves for 4 or 5 years while you are in college and go to OCS (OCC) once you graduate. You wouldn't have to do MECEP and you could better prepare yourself or just find out if it is really what you want to do.
Thanks for you help, especialy Lawman for steering me in the direction of my best intrest. I see the point made of being enlisted, but the Marine Corps is not going anywhere, it will stil be here when i graduate school, and being an officer and haveing the opportunity to fly is really what im after.In my situation the PLC program while doing college suits me best. Thank you guys for your help.
Why not enlist in the reserves for 4 or 5 years while you are in college and go to OCS (OCC) once you graduate. You wouldn't have to do MECEP and you could better prepare yourself or just find out if it is really what you want to do.
Thanks for you help, especialy Lawman for steering me in the direction of my best intrest. I see the point made of being enlisted, but the Marine Corps is not going anywhere, it will stil be here when i graduate school, and being an officer and haveing the opportunity to fly is really what im after.In my situation the PLC program while doing college suits me best. Thank you guys for your help.
invertedflyer
500 ft. from said obstacle
Thats what I ended up doing... I'll get my degree haven taken about 4 years. However it all depends on what you are looking for. If your motive is solely to be an officer I'd say the PLC/OCS track (exclusively) is probably best with regards to your objectives. However, if you value having enlisted experience, need the money for college, or time isn't an issue.... then go enlisted. If you're looking for the quickest route to the cockpit, don't enlist. If you want to gain perspective and experience early on, go reserves.
And risk spending a deployment or maybe more jacking up your college time and delaying you from your ultimate goal of being an Officer? Why would you want to do that to yourself.
Honestly this reminds me of one of the dumbest things I heard while I was at OCS and that was from a prior that said if you didnt enlist first you were being "handed" your commission and you hadnt really earned it. What a load of crap because there were plenty of priors who didnt make it and/or DOR'd because they didnt want to do it. If your goal is to be a leader of Marines then that should be the path you follow as best you can. A Marine is a Marine, be he a brand new just across the parade deck private or the Commandant himself. Dont waste time just so you can feel like you did a little more then the candidate in the rack next to you. Fact of the matter is we were all equal at OCS, all the priors had going for them was that they were typically a little ahead of the game on things like uniforms and weapons and even that was very dependent on what kind of priors they had been.
invertedflyer
500 ft. from said obstacle
Whoever said this was entirely incorrect. OCS/TBS gives you all that you need to be a successful LT in the Marine Corps. Some priors have the wrong attitude, thinking that they've seen it all... the good ones (most of them in my experience at OCS) adapt and realize that they must take on a different leadership style/mindset. Like I said before, the enlisted side only works if its specifically something that you want to do, bragging rights can't be your motive. Myself, I wanted to see what the ground side "infantry-type" stuff was all about... the money for college didn't hurt. I hear you on the deployments though... that could be a serious set-back. Most reserve units have deployed more than once, mine included.
Case and point... yes we are definitely all equals and anyone that says you don't rate is dead wrong. Enlisted experience is something that should be given respect, however I don't think that its appropriate for said prior Marines to hold this above other LTs. We all endured OCS together.
/rant