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Marine Corps MOS and Training Questions

What are the Marine Corps MOS?

Try these links:
Enlisted MOS
Officer MOS

How do I become a Recon Marine?

Try these links:
http://www.forcerecon.com/reconfaq.htm
http://www.forcerecon.com/strongmenarmed.htm

What’s Infantry Training Like?

These are various answers we found on the web from other Marines:

“Line Company schedules vary at certain times. When your doing a work-up, Monday is the beginning with being trucked to the field, spending four days training, then being trucked (or heloed if your lucky) back to the barracks where you spend two hours cleaning gear and weapons. Then Friday is reserved for more weapons cleaning, as well as administration work, or classes on tactics. The weekends are usually free unless you pull duty.

Every so often you spend a month at 29 Palms(for Cali Marines) for a Combined Arms Excercise. Or perhaps Cold Weather Training at Bridgeport, California.

Deployments, at least with the 31st MEU, were two to two and a half months on ship traveling to different training areas…Korea, Thailand, Guam. Then you spend around 3 to 4 months on Okinawa training doing the same schedule as a work up, with timelines being broken up by rifle range or schools.”
-Sundaysinner77

“Can be organized in many ways. Grunt life can vary from day to day. Heres how it is in 1/6 when we are not in the field:
0530 reveille Clean-ups Chow
0615 Police call
0700 Co. Formation
0730 PT
Weapons cleaning
1100 Chow
1300 Accountablility Formation
Classes on land nav, patrolling, etc…
IA drills (Immidiate action)
1630 Co. Formation to get off

But………….like i said, it varies….every week there is a duty platoon and they have to do ALL of the working parties like clean the company office, supply, nbc, moter-t to clean hummvees, etc….

Then every thursday u have Field day—Up all night cleaning your room and the barracks, because the next morning you will be inspected by either your co. gunny, first sgt, or even the bn commander.

The Field is much different…..

0300 reveille
0400 armory
stage gear
0500 load up on 7 tons (if you have them, lol) or just hump out there.
From there, anything goes, like ranges, movement to contact, patrols, mout town with sim rounds (FUN) so on, so on…I hope this helps.”
-GruntGrunt0311

Officer Accession ProgramsWhat’s a “well qualified Marine”?

Answer by dnelson

There are several officer accession programs;

– Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program, i.e., MECEP. The Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) is designed to provide outstanding enlisted Marines the opportunity to become Marine Corps Officers. MECEP is open to all active duty Marines and Marines in the Active Reserve (AR) program who meet the eligibility requirements. Marines successfully completing the program receive a Baccalaureate Degree and a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Selection is based on an individual’s potential for commissioned service as demonstrated by their service record, previous academic record, and evidence of career and academic self-improvement.

The basic eligibility requirements for the program are as follows: Corporal or Above
At least 20 years of age but less than 26
Ranked in the Top 50% of high school class or GED score of 75
SAT score of 1000 or ACT of 45 or EL score of 115

– Meritorious Commissioning Program. MCP. If you are recommended by your chain of command, and have a little bit of college (75 credits), you can apply for commissioning. If selected, you attend OCS, get commissioned, and then have to complete your degree on your own within a certain time period. Board meets several times a year.

The Meritorious Commissioning Program allows commanding officers to nominate qualified enlisted Marines in the Regular Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Active Reserve (AR) Program, who have demonstrated exceptional leadership potential, for assignment to Officer Candidates School (OCS) and subsequent commissioning in the Marine Corps Reserve. The policy, eligibility criteria, and application process is contained in MCO 1040.43A.

MARADMIN 278/02Highlights major changes to the MCP.
MCO 1040.43A

  • MARINES WITH AT LEAST 75 SEMESTER HOURS OF ACTUAL COURSEWORK
  • A LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE FROM AN NROTC AFFILLIATED COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY
  • U.S. CITIZEN
  • BE OF OFFICER CALIBER
  • GOOD MORAL CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY
  • NOT PREVIOUSLY FAILED ANY OFFICER PROGRAMS
  • AT LEAST 21 BUT NOT OLDER THAN 30
  • AFQT => 74 OR SAT=>1000 OR ACT=>45
    NO WAIVERS OF TEST SCORES WILL BE CONSIDERED.

Enlisted Commisioning Program. ECP. You’ve already acquired a degree, and earned the recommendation of your chain of command. You’re allowed to apply. If selected, you attend OCS and get a degree. Board meets in conjunction with MCP.

The Enlisted Commissioning Program allows qualified enlisted Marines in the Regular Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Active Reserve (AR) Program to apply for assignment to Officer Candidates School (OCS) and subsequent appointment to unrestricted commissioned officer grade in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. The policy, eligibility criteria, and application process are contained in MCO 1040.43A.
MCO 1040.43A

  • MARINES WITH A FOUR YEAR BACCALAUREATE DEGREE
  • U.S. CITIZEN
  • BE OF OFFICER CALIBER
  • GOOD MORAL CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY
  • NOT PREVIOUSLY FAILED ANY OFFICER PROGRAMS
  • AFQT =>74 OR SAT=> 1000 OR ACT=>45
  • AT LEAST 21 BUT NOT OLDER THAN 30

– Naval Academy.Get appointed through political connections. – Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection Training. BOOST is a prepatory school designed to make you more competitive for the above mentioned programs. – Several Warrant Officer/Gunner programs. I won’t cover these, since you need at least 8 yrs (for regular W.O. and 16 yrs for the Gunner program) of service just to think about applying.

See anything common above? You’ve got to be qualified, and recommended by your chain of command.

Now, for the meat of it.

You ask how long it would take a “well qualified Marine” to get into an officer program. Well, how do you know you’ll be a well qualified Marine? Just because you’ve got some college (and presumably you’ll have a degree later) doesn’t mean you’ll be well qualified. There’s hundreds of thousands of people out there with degrees, who couldn’t make it as a Marineofficer or enlisted.

There’s a lot more to being a Marine (officer or enlisted) than education. I know enlisted Marines with Masters degrees, and I know a fellow warrant officer who just obtained his doctorate. But I know a whole lot of great Marine leaders who don’t have any college at all.

Being an officer is more than having a degree and wanting to be in charge. You’ve got to be willing to see the mission through, at all costs. And you’ve got to be dedicated to your Marines.

Their problems are your problems. Their tears are your tears. Their sacrifices are shared, or exceeded by you. They eat before you, and go to sleep before you. If there’s no more food left, you’re the one who goes without. One of the young Marines has problems at 0200 in the morning. Guess who gets the call? Not only the SNCOIC, but the OIC as well. And then it’s YOUR problem.

A Marine leader sets the example, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. In some ways, sometimes NCOs and SNCOs may have it easierbecause they have a couple of years as a young private, PFC, and Lance Corporal to obtain role models, and observe/develop rudimentary leadership techniques. They then go on to be Marine leaders in their own right, and many of them are great leaders.

A Lieutenant is expected to be a leader from the very beginning. But he usually has no experience, so he’s got to walk a fine line between being a leader, and learning from his NCOs and SNCOs. Some can do it, some can’t.

Are you ready to give 110% of yourself, all the time? Without regard for your own comfort, or circumstances? It’s not easy, some can do it, most can’t.

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