I am 23, currently undergoing enlistment into the USMCR. I have always wanted to join the Marines as Infantry (A reserve infantry battalion is close to my home) but have been working hard to get through school while working full time. I am joining either way, but still have some questions regarding reserves vs AD. My recruiter seems to simply tell me what I want to hear. I am looking to deploy and want to serve my country (while still having a chance to finish school while not deployed). I have spent many hours searching, but decided to make this post to answer some more specific questions. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

1. While on deployment, do the reservists "stand out" quite a bit? (ie. different insignia on uniforms).

2. Do Infantry reservists do many of the same things as AD infantry (working with them side by side), or will I be stuck wishing I had gone AD?

3. Are qualified reservists able to attend any specialized training? (recon, scout sniper)

4. Finally, I am prepared to take some heat for being, just a reservist, but I just want to make sure that my ambition and dedication will not go to waste. I will be thankful for any comments, good or bad, about infantry reservists and how they operate while deployed.

It is not that I am trying to take the "easy way out" as I have many friends and some family serving AD in the Marine Corps. I just want to make the best decision, as I am fairly close to completing my bachelors (after which I would like to eventually end up in law enforcement.)

Thanks again, and my respect goes out to all of you who serve.

The only Advise I have for you is this, Unless you truely have Either Educational Plans or Career Plans, Like you are going to the Police academy or you are in the school you want to be in. Go active.

In all Honesty Deployments are the Luck of the Draw, both on active and reserve. One of my recruters was Active Duty Infantry, A Staff Sargeant Select, 10 years on active duty and his first deployment was in 2007. There is a Recon Marine that's on these Boards that has been active almost 4 years and he still has not seen Combat. Yet a couple of Food Service and Bulk Fuel Marines I know got deployed to Iraq 3 months after checking in with their units.

While in Boot Camp and MOS school you might get some Teasing about Being reservist but in the end of the Day we are all Marines.

In reguards to advance training, you S-3 Shop will deal with that. Yes Reservist get to go to the Same Schools as Active Duty, in My unit the Special Schools Mostly Attented are Jumps School, SERE and JTAC(if you are a Staff NCO). In order of you to go RECON you either have to Join a Recon Reserve Unit or you have to get a conditional Release for your Reserve contract and than Join the Active Duty Recon Either way you have to go through the exact same Training.
If you have any questions in reguards to Scout sniper or Recon Please use the Search funtion.

Oh one more thing, If you have a year or Less to get your BA or BS Finish School Before you enlist.