im currently in the marine corps reserve and after i finish my degree I wanted to go to OCS and become a officer, can I be a reserve officer at my unit or do you have to do active duty?
Originally posted by mikl768: im currently in the marine corps reserve and after i finish my degree I wanted to go to OCS and become a officer, can I be a reserve officer at my unit or do you have to do active duty?
I am not sure about the Marine Corps, but in the Army you can go straight into the Army Reserve or Army National Guard as an officer from OCS.
Yes, this is correct. I was an enlisted soldier in the Army Natl Guard. Got into OCS after becoming a Sergeant. Got my commission and went from being a Medical Sergeant to an MP Platoon Leader. A buddy Platoon Leader of mine was in the same MP unit as an enlisted, but I wouldn't recommend that.
The Marine Corps' OCS program for the Reserves is actually pretty good. Basically (my latest info is roughly 2 years old) you can sign a contract as a reserve Officer, and after completion of the schools, you'll report directly to a unit. You will go through the same OCS program out in Quantico...and then on to TBS for 6 months. There is not a "Reserve Program" for that. You'd be with your active duty counterparts.
Whether or not you get assigned to your existing unit, I honestly don't know. When you sign your contract, you actually pick a job based on the existing needs of the Corp in the region you're looking to be in.
The first thing you may want to do is contact your local OSO. Since you're already in a unit, they may tell you differently, but tough to go wrong calling the OSO.
