Join the Corps now, or finish my degree first?

armydude

I entered the Army as an officer after college. The myth that officers are not respected is exactly that, a myth. You are respected for your ability to do your job and your leadership style. I would certainly finish your degree as you still have the momentum of finishing it now. I have seen too many of my friends stop and lose thier momentum never returning to finish. Entering as an officer will open many other doors later. The amount of responsibility and leadership experience is not found in any other private sector jobs that soon in their careers. You are given responsibility of 30-40 marines and up to 10s of millions of dollars of equipment. Staggering amounts that even 20 year managers in other companies dont have. Now with the current conflicts you will have lots of experience in other countries in dealing with thier traditions and cultures. Contrary to popular belief, the wars are not all about "running and gunning" Most of what we do is deal with mayors, governers, police chiefs, engineers, etc. To get some initiave in them to rebuild and manage themselves. Not to mention that Officers obviously draw more income. The new GI Bill covers officers now whereas it didnt before, so once you have some time in you could even return using the GI Bill to complete your Masters Degree. Typical contract time for an officer is 4-8 years. You will be a more mature, experienced, wordly person for your experience as an ofricer, skills that will boost you way above your peers in the civilian world once you return should you choose. This all sounds like one huge recruiting pitch, I am not selling one of those "false recruiter pitches" I am just informing you based on my own personal experiences. I hope this helps you in your decision and journey,

Sincerely,

Mark Brogan
Captain, U.S. Army

bosshawg

finish your degree first

Homeowner, Married, 2.5 kids

Definitely get your degree first - and if you want to still join but the prospect of being an officer isn't appealing, you could always enlist - even if you have a degree (although I wouldn't recommend it).

Definitely finish your education.

liberal italienne goddessâ„¢ v1.02

Finish your degree first.

deanc1963

Having served for six years, I can say from personal experience - get your degree! Far better pay and living conditions, better civilian opportunities, much more opportunity to make a greater contribution.

Debra Erics

That just isn't true about not being respected, and trust me struggling and trying to make it as an enlisted female Marine is no piece of cake, in addition to that, going from enlisted to officer is no gaurantee. The other marines you heard this from were they enlisted? Whether someone complains about an officer and says whatever, you better believe they still follow orders, salute and speak to them respectfully and the whole nine yards. the pay and perks are tremendously different for officers, lady don't be fooled.

I suggest you get your degree and maybe by the time you finish you may not even want to join the military. As far as travel goes you do the most traveling in the Navy.
I don't think you are getting a fair shake from your friendly Marines, or recruiter. While you say you understand the main job of the marines I don 't think you really do.
Have you ever wondered why they send in the Marines as soon as there is a conflict? Yeah yeah the law and order and yada yada, that's because they are trained to kill you if you don't do as directed.
The Marines primary mission is to be ready to kill people whenever ordered to do so. They don't even waste a man or woman to be trained as a corpsman (medic) they use Sailors. If you find out what they do in basic training you'll have an understanding why they do. It is a very serious commitment, and you should do more research (real time) before joining. Best of luck in whatever decision you make.

John Mansfield

Finish your degree first. This will be best for you in the long run.

When you graduate enlist in the Marines and go through basic training and, maybe, do a deployment to Iraq. After that go to OCS and become an officer.

That way you won't be disrespected by enlisted marines for never having served in the ranks - only for being a woman.

P.S. As an officer your job is to make decisions and make sure the job gets done. If the enlisteds respect you - great! If not, remember that you are getting paid to get results - not win popularity constests.

analyst1303

Get your degree. You can't be an officer without it. You can always decide not to be an officer, your choice. A dumb one, but hey, your choice. Without a degree you have no choice. They would send you back to school and its much easier to get it done now.

Since you want to join the Corps, get into ROTC. You can get a lot of stuff taken out of the way in the summer. And you can find out if the Marines are what you want to do.

Forget all the rah, rah BS about being roughest, toughest, getting the job done and all that. Its way different being in the Corps. Especially now with a war on.

What is you degree and what do you want to do? If its elementary education, there ain't a lot in the Corps for you. OK, lets cue all the Marine jokes..

Don't forget, the basic job of a Marine is a rifleman. They are not kidding about that.

But, if that's what you want to do, get the degree. If nothing else it will show that you can finish something once you start it. That is a big deal.

TheChad

I am going in the Corps in January and I had the same concern as you as far as education goes. Basically I went from wanting to get a B.A. to just wanting to get a Associates. The Marine Corps is going to take a lot of your time. I have been told by my recruiter that I will have time to get education but it will be up to me and how fast I get done will depend on how hard I am willing to work. So same goes for you. It also depends on the job you want too. A job like supplier will give a lot more time than a job as Infantry. (Also if you do go in make sure before you sign your contract that you have the job you want on it. Don't go open contract.)
If you are really serious about getting your schooling done I would say try Army. I have heard they are not as demanding and that they have more jobs to chose from. Plus you get enlistment bonuses in the Army and you gain rank quicker which means more pay.

Ramblin Rose

If you are needing money that bad, why not enlist in the Reserves, so you can have the best of both worlds! If you are able to survive financially, STAY IN SCHOOL, of course, but there are other options beside completely dropping out.

If you go reserves, you willl have extra money, but a schedule that will be flexible enough to attend school. If you decide to join the military after college, you will already have military service. If you decide against enlisting after graduation, you wil have job experience in a Federal agency--that's excellent work experience!

Once people take time off school, it is REALLY hard to go back! I went straight to the University of Washington out of high school, but dropped out my junior year. I finally went back to school and received my degree 15 YEARS LATER! It was better late than never, but when you start making money, buying things, extending credit, it becomes almost impossible to return to school and survive without having that extra income. I also was a biology major, so by my junior year, I had a **** ton of science and math credits. Of course because those disciplines change so rapidly, most schools wont accept sci/math credits after 5 yrs (some schools will take them up until 7 years), so when I returned to school, I had lost A LOT of time, money, energy, and hard work--what a waste!

ShadowCat

You can Do both and let them pay for your education by Joining the Marine Reserve and also be able to take Military correspondence Courses that are College level. Your pay will be greater than those who wait and then join. You can then convert and become a full time Marine and Be Respected. They have to respect the Uniform if Not the person!

***Prior Service Army

Mogollon Dude

If you must look into ROTC . Get the degree . A officer is always treated better . An the pay is better .

ScotsAirForceCopper

get your degree done so you join with more potential and oppertunity

GunnyC

Not all mustang/prior enlisted officers are respected either; having your enlisted Marines respect you has more to do with you and how you handle yourself and them then it does whether or not you were prior enlisted. If you can do it I would recommend that you finish your college first and then go in as an officer if that is what you wish to do but if financial or time to complete really is a major stumbling block then look into enlisting and getting into a fiend that is related to what you are interested in doing. While the specific job is not guaranteed in the Marine Corps you you look at Aviation Support fields which would include Aviation Supply and Operations (Aviation Supply handle the financial side of the aviation funding) or a ground support/admin field which would include disbursing or Marine Corps accounting). If you go that way tell the recruiter you are interested in the 3072 MOS (Aviation Supply) or something in the 3400 field (which is disbursing and accounting) then see what the programs included in those guaruntees offer.

butterknife25

Definitely finish your degree first. You'll come in as a higher rank --either enlisted or officer-- and you'll make a lot more money. They will respect your rank regardless of how you got your commission.

Captain J

finish the degree, join the military

warriorsofosea

finish your degree then try to go to ocs and be and officer

tazz

The best choice you can make for your future is to finish your degree first and then join the military if you want to. Serving in the military is very rewarding but I think getting your degree first will better suite your future. The military will help pay for school but it may take awhile for you to be able to finish it. Best solution is to finish school and go from there.

Shooter

Here's what i would suggest. Officers that were initially enlisted definately do get a different kind of respect than those who became officers right out of college, because they know what it is like to walk in the shoes of the enlisted. Because you already have two years completed I would say that you should go ahead and enlist, get the experience of being enlisted, use the free tuition assistance to get what ever you can while you are enlisted ( even if it is only one class a week ) and then after 3 or 4 years start applying for some of the officer programs. I have a buddy of mine that is currently at college to become an officer, he got picked up for the Marine Enlisted Commisioning Education Program and upon earning his degree will recieve his commision. With already having 6 years on active duty and becoming a Sgt before doing this, he has alot better idea what it is like to be enlisted and without a doubt will receive alot deeper respect from guys like me. Do what you want, but make sure you are asking the right people about all this, half the people that answer questions on this answers thing have no idea what the heck they are talking about, most of them have never even been in the military, they are just a bunch of opinionated experts. Remember more than anything, joining the USMC is a way of life, you have to want to do this, get the most out of it so you can say that you have no regrets later on down the road. I know several officers that were prior enlisted (mustangs) and not a single one of them regret their decision. Also, talk to your recruiter about the possibilities of the reserves for right now while you are in college, and then apply for the Platoon Leaders Course, approximately 60% of Marine Officers are selected from within the Marine Corps in one way or another. It would be another good way or possibility for you.

jeeper_peeper321

Well first, most enlisted, have no idea if thier commanders were prior enlisted or not.

They might know about thier platoon leader.

But after that, they don't know.

Plus, your statement, basicly says, 80% of all officers are not respected.

Since 80% + were never enlisted first.

.........................................

You duty assignment, after you completed your degree, won't be guarenteed either.

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If you have the ability to complete your degree now, then do so.

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The only time it makes since, to interupt college for the military,

is if your not mature enough yet
Or you don't have the funds to pay for it.

Keerayzee

I had the same dilemma. I chose to postpone my degree and jon up. I was Army, but the same questions still apply. It's refreshing to see that another female wants to jump in there and work her way up. However, it is a fact that, depending on your command, you may not have time to finish your degree when you get in. I had a sergeant major that took ten years to finish his degree in service. I myself elected to take a distance learning course from Troy State and had to withdraw because of frequent field exercises. You simply have no time to do what you need to do sometimes. I would suggest finishing that degree. Forget about the "lack of respect" in coming in as an Lt. By virtue of rank, you command it. The military needs some good female lieutenants. I'm sure, as well, that you don't want to be forty and still going to class. Too much stress.

Jason F

do Not join before you get your degree. To me an enlisted guy the question seems crazy. getting your degree is the diffrence between getting a honda or a lexus. If you get your degree and become an officer. you will be the one people salute. You will make so Much more money and we all know that anyone named sir doesnt work for a living

Laughing Libra

Finish your degree first. The three years will zoom by, so enjoy the process not the end result.

The only reason you should join the military is if you are into defending the country. Do not do it for economic reasons, which so many people do.

This is a wartime military and it will take you longer than 3 years to get your degree if you join the military. You may be in training for your military speciality for one year or more years.

However, there is a new GI Bill which pays for a good proportion of the costs of college, but you have to be in the military for at least 3 years.

National Guard units are sent to the war fronts.

Joe American usn ret.

Allot of good info in some of the postings - ROTC would be a good choice to finish your degree and be part of the USMC, however if you need to go in to finish it I would look at going into the Navy or USAF like Ray said below, you'd have more opportunities to finish it - but do yourself a favor if you do enlist get a school that will give your practical experience in your desired degree path and the school may also reward you with some extra college credits towards your degree.
Either way the military is what you make of it and like Ray said it brings out the good in some and the bad in others - so is life. Another good thing about enlisting is that each service makes more money available to you while you're on active duty for training along with the $$'s you can put towards your GI Bill for education beyond your B.S/B.A
Also keep in mind that if you are forward deployed at a non combat base or on an underway ship alot of times they have college professors or some sort of college courses from various colleges available to you...
If the school has an ROTC or NRTOC program talk to the coordinator - it's his/her job to help you. Last bit of advice - GET IT IN WRITING ...Hope this helps...

darkwolfgirl240

Finish your degree and go in with a Higher ranking and you will get a higher pay rate. My Husband right now Is a E-5 GSM2 in the Us Navy and it is not till you really hit E-5 that the pay gets good he will be an E-6 by March if not sooner the way that he is going he has not even been in five years yet just worked really hard to advance as soon as he could it is a lot of hard work too... there are a lot of Benifits to is BH is great..so is Military housing though. They basicly give you a house for free utilities and everything paid for you just buy food..makes life really easy if you ask me.
Commissary is great as well as the Bases and you get a lot of discounts at placves ( at least here in Hawaii) but there is a lot that you give up in all the time I have known my husband before when we were simply friends to now I have yet to spend seven days with him. He has DUTY every six days and has to stay on the Ship for 24 hours to do that...those days and nights I do not see him..they are in and out or port all the time. When he is deployed I don't see him for three to six months some times longer. Right now they are on RIMPAC 2008 and have been gone for Three weeks he gets back the 22nd to leave again on the 26th for five days to fly back to the states for some type of Schooling. He will come home for I think it is two days just to get underway again and be out to sea..for I am not even to sure how long I think five days. Alot of times they are in port two days out two days... at least lately it changes every month.my point is YES the military give a lot and does really take care of you but there is a lot that you give up...Most of it time and choice. There is a lot that he has to do that he does not want to do or some times thinks is right. THen there are a lot of Polotics involved too...and things are not always fair join and you will see what I mean.
James is Lucky he is well favored amoung his command and he is very good at what he does and get promoted and qualifed fast and often times easy..he works very hard though and is well respected.
He also though about finishing school before joining and joined forthe same reasons that you are going to. He decided for the same reason to work his way up in ranking and he has not regreted it. Nor joining with everything that he gives up or does even though he does not want to or think it is right...he always tells me if he did one thing right it was marrying me and it was joining the Navy had he not we never would have met. So there is a lot you could get out of it and yeah you will get to see the world..just really think about if it is the life for you or not and then if you do join I would only if you plan on staying in 20 years or more. If not I would say it is not even worth it.
I mean if you are going to give up any time in the military at least retire from it.
Oh the health insurrance and Dental is amazing.
You will also learn a lot and meet some awesome people along the way.
Respect wise I think either way you can earn their respect James just wants to se both side that way he really knows what it is like and can make better choices and help people more. While still getting the job done.
Good luck and may you find your answers.

NiCzKho

The best answer is....

Your Choice........

It`s up to you Dude..... hahahahahahaha

scott o

Degree First

Baby #1 on 12/10/08

You're 62 units into the degree, at this point it'd be better to finish it first. If you're out of school long enough, those credits won't transfer, leaving your hard work of the last two years (and the money) wasted. Also, the college degree doesn't require that you go for a commission, you can decide to just be enlisted. It's best that you finish what you've started at school before you start a new commitment.

Alex B

Do NROTC become an officer Marines don't care if your an officer or enlisted, as long as you serve your country you definently be respected, the pay is way better as an 2nd Lietenant (O1) than a private (E1). And believe me no Marine has an idea of where he or she is going to be stationed, they move around like stray dogs.

Seth

I would earn my degree then enlist. That way, later on I could become an officer, or if I had no desire to be an officer, then i'd still have a degree for after the military.

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