I'll give it to ya straight - there are lord only knows how many enlisted people with college degrees in the armed forces. You go in as an enlisted first, and you have just made it TWICE as difficult to become commisioned!

Aside from the fact that if you deploy, you'd be trying to finish your degree by correspondance - you would then also have to be sponsored into one of the enlisted to officer programs.

GET THAT DEGREE!!! It will make the difference between being commisioned in a year or two (when school is finished), or many years down the line if AT ALL.

"MAVERICKS" tend to be the best officers, but there is a lot less money in it. You also want to consider that as a prior enlisted you might not be able to become a Flight Officer at all...

 

I spent ten years as a U.S. Marine Infantryman and I had no time to take college classes. I now have a Doctorate in Pharmacy. FINISH COLLEGE!!! before entering the Marine Corps. Choose a Degree that will make you competitive in both the work force as well as being accepted for flight school, Engineering comes to mind.
Your Recruiter has a job to do, get bodies for the Corps. You also have a job to do and that is to do whatever you have to do now, no matter how much it "hurts", to realize your dreams.
Now get get back to your studies, exercise like an animal, get your wings, and go drop some cluster bombs, FAE, and JDAMS on those slimey little cowards.

Semper Fi,
EJD

 

Enlisted in U S Army May 5, 1971. Nothing has changed since then. Never, never, never ever trust anything a recruiter tell's you or promises you. Get your education first.

 

First, most of your military career will be in peacetime conditions even when we are at war.
I suggest looking into the AF Guard or Reserve in your state so you have a chance to get the tasty benefits without the hassle. Unlike Active duty, Guard and Reserve folks can get to use their benefits without the interruption of PCSing between bases and a shifting work schedule.
If you can go into any Medical field, consider it. Lots of babes, easy working conditions, real civilian opportunities.
There are differences between services. The Air Force is almost totally corporate, the pilots are at the top of the food chain, but everyone else generally has an easy life. I like being a maintainer (having been Avionics, Engines, and a Crew Chief) and recommend it to gearheads. Do NOT join Transportation or Civil Engineering-related fields. The motor pools are outsourcing stateside work, and the few G.I.s are vulnerable to deployment. Trans folks are getting tapped for driving supply trucks in Iraq. Can you say "gallery target"?
From what I've observed of the Army and Marines. I would not prefer their peacetime lifestyle (which is the vast majority of any career) and I'll leave it at that.
The military is going into a deep, dark, financial hole for quite a few years. There is bitter senior civilian leadership resistance to expanding the Army and USMC, the AF is cutting people (but there are still openings for recruits), and what you come to know as the procurement death spiral is hammering the budgets for all services. If I were enlisting now I'd avoid Active duty and get my degree, then go Active (unless my ANG/AFR slot was especially good) so I could retire at 20. The AF is the place to ride these periodic cycles out, and the ANG and AF Reserve are stellar deals.
Finally, go to a base and meet junior airmen to get a mix of their opinions, and meet some pilots to ask how they got their commissions. They are a social bunch and like to help others make good choices. They are not recruiters and want to serve with good, motivated people.

 

Check out www.military.com and then go to the Marine's forum(you have to sign up). Then ask away.

P.S.(think before you type, they'll jump on you like a bunch of wolves on a dead cow)

 

I just finished 20 years in the US Navy, and have had no regrets. I finished my BS and attained a myrid of other qualifications making me eager and ready for my second career in the civilian sector. I got to live abroad and see many places I will never forget.

Enlisting in the Marines is a very noble honor. I don't see you having much time for school while rotating in and out of Iraq. Marine grunts with degrees aren't in high demand, so don't expect your education to hold much importance with your superiors. Air Force or Navy might be better options if you want to attend while on active duty.

Also think about the very real chance of going to Iraq if you are a reservist, you will be spending time in the desert so be prepared to make that sacrifice. I'm not saying that this is good or bad, just a reality.

Unless you need the money for school right now give a ROTC program a look and give college a shot.

DD

 

(?)

Dead cows are great - they're made out of MEAT!!!

 

I come from a long line of servicemen. All on my moms side.

Its always been my dream to enlist int he marines. I dont know if ill make it. Im a bit chubby.

But anyways. I say enlist aftercollege/trade school if your going to fly planes.

For me, im going for infantry.... so im going to enlist a couple days after my 18th........i dont wanna pycho...but i like guns....pistols...riflles...so infantry would be my deal.

 

Exactly right. I've been in the USAF for 14 years and have had a bachelors degree for 13. MUCH, MUCH, MUCH harder to get commissioned once you are in. My wife at 32, with no military experience, walked into the recruiter and asked about being an officer and was accepted within 60 days. There are officers with 2.1 GPA's who did ROTC. If your enlisted you better be almost perfect in everything to get a chance.

 

i have a buddy in the navy (im navy also) go from being an e-6 with little college only a few credits... to getting accepted for the "ECP" program... got paid e-6 pay, bah, and bas to go to nebraska state for 3 years, do rotc thingy a few times a week and pt, but was still in this whole time enlisted.... graduated college, now going through the whole f-18 thing,,, first was pensacola for civilian pilot license paid for by navy... then oklahoma for some more flight stuff... it now flying t-45's(trainer jet) in texas....will make his first carrier landing in march... then shortly after go to an f-18 rag squadron....

it can be done... but very hard...
i am pretty sure there is a program that will pay for the rest of your school but you have to commit to 6 years upon graduating.....i would go that route..


i wish i could follow in my buddies foot steps but i dont have the smarts for it...
oh well i made e-6 in 6 years been in 7.5 now and got 12.5 more until i retire... i'm 26 now..

good luck whatever """""you""""" decide..its your future..

oh and i am sure the competition for a marine pilot is 10x more than a navy pilot...

not too many "VMFA" squadrons out there... you may wanna consider the navy also... seeing how if you were a marine 18 or harrier pilot you will be on a navy ship anyways........

 

Were the heck is stu37d? Get the skinney and talk to stu.He's a navy recruiter.1997f-350 ill be seeing you on the tarmack at fighter weapons school n.a.s fallon nv.Or more commonly known as top gun.Im exmc at this base.And since taking this job ive talked with every pilot and crewman here.

I will agree with the others that youl get a better chance to fly in the navy.Ive been in the navy for 18 plus years and spent most of that time on helo's.Now im showing others how to do that job in a combat enviroment.
Some of the toll booth attendants........ah i mean air force guys(j/k )on here may dis agree with me on this but the U.S NAVY has the larjest airwing of the sevices.Trust me when you step on a carrier for the first time just think that there are up to 5400 sailors on that vessel and 3/4 of them are there to support the air craft.

Carry on.

 

When I first stepped onto an aircraft carrier my first thought was there are 5000 people who wished they had scored better on the ASVAB.

Currently the USAF is overmanned in junior officers. The Navy is a better chance of flying.

 

FRIG STU!

Don't you get it? A recruiter is a recruiter.

HELLO! *BANGS YOUR HEAD*

We don't need a salesman here...

We need experienced people who have been down the road.

FRAG a recruiter....

They will suck you in any way they can, because their performance EVALS require them to bring in the numbers every month, and they will sell you short just like a used car transaction!

Recruiters don't know crap about anything except LOOKING GOOD.

If they were good for anything else, they would not be on recruiter duty.

THERE!!!!

I HAVE F-ING SAID IT!!!!

You go make yourself worth something first, and then talk to that rat B*****D.

-If you still want to go down that road.

Let me ask you this...
Since when have you ever seen an Officer in a Recruiting Station?

Eh?

You don't want to be enlisted. Get out of there.

You can do much better

One of my students in the NAVY was a prior recruiter, and I knew my teaching was going to waste. He can kiss my behind. He became a CHIEF - and never used what I taught him...

 

Is this your experience as a Marine?
I'm an active duty Marine who's just returned from my 3RD deployment to Iraq, and I was a recruiter in the late 90's. soooo, before you start typing about recruiters and Marines, you need to adjust yourself or post up your justification for your comments.
As for recruiting in the Marines, we put our BEST out there to not only "look good" but to find highly qualified applicants to join our ranks (which is tough). If you have any questions about joining the Corps, PM me. If you have any questions about the War in Iraq, PM me.

Edit: Marine policies differ from Navy, Army and AF, you want to know about Marines, ask a Marine, anyone else will give second hand information, usually bum scoop. But hey it's just my .02

 

It is what I saw in the NAVY

The USMC is an entirely different world. I would be the first to admit that.

You guys are TOUGH *******s! God bless you...