How to Join the Marine Corps Reserve
The Marine Forces Reserve, also known as the United States Marine Corps Reserve, is the U.S. Marine Force's largest command. Comprised of both the Selected Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR), those who drill one weekend a month and two weeks a year, and the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), those who have finished active duty or SMCR obligations, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve is divided at any given time by current active-duty soldiers and those not currently on active duty. The Marine Corps Reserve's stated mission is "to augment and reinforce active Marine force in times of war, national emergency or contingency operations, provide personnel and operational tempo relief for the active forces in peacetime, and provide service to the community." If you'd like to be a part of this mission, take the following steps to become a Reservist.
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Instructions
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Be a qualified candidate. This means being between the ages of 18 and 28 (17 with parental consent), being a citizen of the United States or a Permanent Resident Alien, having a high school diploma (or, in some cases, alternatively a high Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test score), and being physically able.
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Visit your local Marine recruiter. You can find the relevant number to call in your local phone directory or via a quick web search. You may also visit Marines.com and fill out a form to request a recruiter to contact you. When you are meeting with your recruiter, ask the important questions. Gain an appropriate perspective. Consider the time commitment required and cross-check this with your work and family obligations.
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Gather more information. Talk to other Marines who are in the Reserves. Read literature, both official and editorial, of what to expect and the different career paths available to you. Read job descriptions. Determine your likely place in the Marines. Recognize that the minimum commitment is one weekend a month and two weeks a year for eight years, but the actual commitment varies and can be quite a bit greater. Understand the potentialities involved and whether you and your lifestyle fit the bill.
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Talk to your family and loved ones. Joining the Marine Corps Reserves comes with responsibilities and dangers that could affect your closest relationships. When you join the Marines, in some sense your loved ones join with you. Bring them into the conversation.
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If, after careful consideration, you decide to join, meet with your recruiter again and work with him to devise a career path. Upon enlistment, you must determine a service option. You can either fulfill your eight years of service with six years of active drills and two years of IRR, five years of active drills and three years of IRR, or four years of active drills and four years of IRR. It is worth noting that only the first option qualifies you for the benefits of the Montgomery GI Bill.
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Review the enlistment contract with your recruiter. Sign only after you have read and understood the contract and are absolute in your conviction to serve.
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Take the ASVAB exam. Many jobs within the Reserves are contingent upon your ASVAB score. In the preliminary stages, you will also be required to pass a physical, a medical and mental exam, an eye exam, a background check, and a drug test.
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Prepare yourself mentally and physically for 12 grueling weeks of Marine basic training at either Parris Island, South Carolina, or San Diego, California. This is the same training that Reservists' Active Duty counterparts must pass. The U.S. Marine Corps is an elite force, and you will need to perform consistently and faithfully at a high standard to earn the uniform.
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