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lil_moani · Nov 27, 2009, 07:47 PM

hello ill try to make this short and simple but for anyone that can give me some type of advice would be helpful... I'm a 25 yr old female been wanting to join the marines since I was 21 but due to family not wanting me to I tried to them but enough is enough... is there any way a 25 yr old with no rotc or college degree can go in as a lcpl? Or the fact that I'm a correctional officer can they give some type of credits due to your civi job? And also one more thing I'm also in great shape I'm 5'0 120 but I had one caturact in my left eye but does not affect my vision what so ever even with being a correctional officer I know I would need a medical waiver even if the cateract won't grow at all. Or what would I have to do to become an officer in the marines if I can go to school and still go active that's if the age of going in active is still 29... anyone help I'm lost any advice would help.

Fr_Chuck · Nov 27, 2009, 08:06 PM

You will need to go to school if you want to move up in rank going in.

I would have to wonder what correctional department you work for, that requires a waviior for a minor eye issue, The ones I have worked for, basically if you can breath you will get hired.

But why the need for rank early, rank comes pretty good if you stay in.

excon · Nov 27, 2009, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by lil_moani

Or what would i have to do to become an officer in the marines if i can go to school and still go active that's if the age of going in active is still 29.....anyone help i'm lost any advice would help.

Hello lil:

There are all sorts of college programs for enlisted people once you're in.

excon

Fr_Chuck · Nov 27, 2009, 09:14 PM

Yes, my son took a lot of classes while he was in the military,

You can keep making reasons not to join, but if you want to join, go talk to a recruiter and do it

lil_moani · Nov 27, 2009, 11:41 PM

My job as a correctional officer doesn't. Have the problem or needs a waiver I was say I know the marines would need one which would be fine and okay by me... but I made my choice I want to go through with signing up for the marine corps

lil_moani · Nov 27, 2009, 11:43 PM

I was just saying also is there anyway I can go in or has anyone ever heard of anyone going in as a lcpl without no rotc?

excon · Nov 28, 2009, 06:24 AM

Hello again, lil:

I don't know what paygrade a lance corporal is - E2 maybe E3 would be my guess... No, I don't think you'll go in as that. Why would you?

But, if you're a good marine, you'll get rank FAST.

excon

jaime90 · Dec 3, 2009, 02:22 PM

A lance corporal is an E3, and you cannot go into the Marines as a lcpl automatically, you have to earn rank.

My fiance's departure to bootcamp was hindered by a bruised finger. They will pay attention to every nook and cranny and your eyes will be included.

I'm not sure how well being an active duty Marine and going to college at the same time will work. Active duty generally takes up 8+ hours of your day at a duty station (that's your job), and 8-15 month deployments. School might not work well with your schedule.

You gain rank in the USMC by doing school work, and simply staying in the military. Doing a 'good job' does not necessarily mean you will gain rank. It will take a lot of time and a lot of work to rank as an officer.

My suggestion to you is- if you want a more laid-back atmosphere that will give you schooling, and is flexible you should go into the Army or the National Guard. The Marine Corps is extremely intense- especially active duty. The Corps will demand your full attention, and all of your effort. Also, you will want to commit to something that will be something you enjoy, and your job in the Marine corps may not be one you expect- as only about 20% of the USMC's jobs are open to women, as oppose to the 80% open in the Army or National Guard.

excon · Dec 3, 2009, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by jaime90

The Marine Corps is extremely intense- especially active duty. The Corps will demand your full attention, and all of your effort.

Hello again, l:

The above is the BEST description of the Marines I've EVER heard. If you aren't ready to FULLY commit the Corp, try the Air Force.

excon

jaime90 · Dec 3, 2009, 02:41 PM

The commitment will last years- it's like you're in a relationship or married to the corps- the corps will be your husband for many years. You need to be sure what you're getting yourself into and that it's what you want before you invest the next several years of your life in it just because you want free school. I agree with the above. Try the air force or another branch if you just want the schooling or a less-structured lifestyle.

lil_moani · Dec 5, 2009, 02:06 AM

Thank you so much with the advice even you jamie I thank u... but as for the schooling and everything that's great but I been thinking this through since I was 20 years old I know what I want to do and I'm commented to going through with it... I know the marines check everything and even though the air force is the best branch its never for me. I figured the schooling would help a little and I know it would be hard due to all the deployments but I was asking questions because I seen some people work around it. But that's not the case none of the other branches feel right to me I always wanted the marines.

jaime90 · Dec 5, 2009, 08:31 PM

This was just told to me by 2 Marines, I have posed your questions to Marines and they have replied, through me... (one of them is my fiancé.)

AS FAR AS YOU GOING TO SCHOOL AS AN ACTIVE DUTY MARINE: This is really only possible with online schooling. The military will expect you to put them first and they hardly ever guarantee anything. (I can second this, my fiancé has been trying to augment into active duty for over a year now when it was only supposed to take 3 months.)

AS FAR AS YOUR PAST JOB AS A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER: you have the correctional officer job and the military reversed... Having a past career in the military would help you get a job as a correctional officer, but being a correctional officer will not help you in the military. Your schooling or job as a correctional officer will not help you in the Marines.

ON JOINING THE MILITARY AT A HIGHER RANK THAN PFC:
The military WILL NOT, for the life of them, rank you higher than a pfc or lower when you first join the USMC.

ON YOUR HAVING A CATERACT:
They will not 'let you in' the USMC with a cateract.

It's as simple as that. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but these guys have answered your questions. It seems as though you are committed to going through with something that you really don't know much about. Have you spoken to a recruiter?

Strength89 · Jul 18, 2010, 11:58 PM

I hate how these people are answering your questions. I hope you'll read my response.

When you join the military, ANY service, you'll have to go through MEPS and when you go through MEPS, they examine you mentally, emotionally, and physically for your specific chosen branch to ensure that you are mentally, emotionally and physically fit. IF THE DOCTORS AT MEPS GIVE YOU THE GREEN LIGHT, YOU ARE GOOD TO GO unless you mess up your own chance of joining after they examine you. Medically, ONLY the doctor who examines you can deny you of entry into the marines. I'm pretty damn sure that if a recruiter wants you, he will work to get you to MEPS and only MEPS can stop you from fully joining.

The best thing to do is to be as honest as you can because you DO NOT want to lie about any type of medical issues and get hurt once you're.

As for going in as a higher rank than E1. If the Marines is different from the Navy, I don't know but if the Marines is similar to the Navy in that sense, if you have enough college credits, you can go in as an E3 but never higher. E4+, you must make rank.

I joined the Navy as an E2 because of college credits prior to joining (could have came in as an E3 but I didn't have enough time to get my last few credits in since I left for boot camp on my last day of class after my calculus final!) However, I got meritoriously promoted in boot camp and finished boot camp as an E3. So pretty much, I went from an E2 to an E3 in 2 months when it normally take others 9 months. Good behavior does help!

Anything is possible in the military despite the strict regulations. You won't know unless you drill the living hell out of your recruiters and play the same game they play.

Also, you will and can have time for school if you make it. Not everyone have an extremely demanding job. It all depends on your MOS, your duty station and your command's current missions. I work Mon-Fri from 8 to 5 PM and I'm on call 24/7 yet I am able to take 4 classes per semester.

When you are deployed, school is out of the question but when you are home at your home duty station, life is a bit easier.

Why the Marines, anyway?

Strength89 · Jul 19, 2010, 12:01 AM

Also, as for your job as a correctional officer. I don't think you can choose your MOS in the Marines but in the Navy, you can choose your own job based on your test scores and what's available.

We have a rate called MA (Masters at Arms aka military police).

It'd fit you perfectly.

donf · Jul 28, 2010, 09:00 AM

My wife was a US Marine back when she was 18. Back in 1965.

The only real source for your answers would be a Marine Corps Recruiter. They are the only ones that can answer or get answers to your questions.

They have the current recruitment polices at hand.

This not to say you can trust the recruiter implicitly. Their only job is to get bodies to fill the needs of the Corps.

Regardless of the MOS, you will be required to go to Boot Camp as an E1. Neither prior military or service job experience will change that. The Marine Corps. Makes no exception on this. Unless of course you go in via Officers Candidate School. In which case you still go into a full boot camp environment.

OCS is very difficult to get into without a college degree. In fact I would say impossible.