How hard is it to go from USMC NCO to US Army Officer?

I didn't move over from NCO to officer, but I did move over from active duty USMC Officer to active duty Army Officer in order to serve in SOCOM (MARSOC did not exist at the time). If the career opportunity was available for me in the Marines at the time, I would have stayed in. However, many Marines switch over to the Army for broader career opportunities.

Switching over was a significant culture shock for sure, but I adjusted. The Army is much larger, and there is a lot more variety within it. In the Marines, people associate with the Marines. In the Army, people associate more often with their unit or specialty. The Army is just so large, it can't have the same bond that Marines do. However, if you go into a career field that you enjoy, you can can benefit from some of that camaraderie within your field (though it will probably never match the Marines).

The Marines tend to pride themselves more on discipline, customs, camaraderie, and being combat focused (every Marine a rifleman). The Army is much more diverse... a much bigger tent if you will. You have a lot more kinds of people in the Army. There are plenty of great officers, NCOs, and Soldiers in the Army. If you have an opportunity to transfer into a career field or career track that you are excited about, and cannot otherwise do so in the Marines, you will probably not regret it. Just be ready for some cultural changes.

As a Joint Officer, I work extensively with all the services. From my perspective, as a Marine Joint Officer, you will experience a cultural adjustment, but nothing too onerous. Just be certain to maintain a flexibility of mind. As has been stated by others, many Marines opt for the Army and the other services to broaden their opportunities. It's not a good thing or a bad thing, it's just a thing. The Army, overall, as a culture is quite doctrinaire, while the Marine Corps is more "entrepreneurial". There's an old joke that lays this out pretty well. Two LtCols were talking at the Army War College, one was an Army 0-5, the Other a Marine 0-5. After listening to the Army 0-5 pontificate for an hour about the Army's doctrine, the Marine was asked what the Marine Corps' doctrine was. The Marine LtCol responded "we don't have any doctrine, we make it up when we get there":) No matter which branch you serve with, you'll always be a Marine. Good luck and smooth sailing.

SGT,
I changed from SGT active duty USMC (2BN 3D MAR, 3DMARDIV) to SGT National Guard reservist. The culture shock was quite big but I think most of it was because I worked with reservists. I did this for four years before doing the National Guard traditional OCS program (18 months, one weekend a month). You will learn to lose some of the discipline and language you learn in the USMC, but the general military "feeling" is the same. You will have the same pride and bond with Soldier's as you had with your Devil Dogs.

Also, to be quite honest, being an Officer is much different than being an NCO. Your adjustment will not be determined by if you were prior enlisted Marine, but your ability to become a leader. Don't let your pride hinder you. Keep an open mind and you will be fine.

I did it...went from 0311 Sgt (3/2 at Camp LeJeune) to commissioning as an Army 2LT in 2004. From my experience, there were both tangible and intangible obstacles in the move. Tangible obstacles were getting released from Stop Loss (in late 03), getting into an officer producing program and finding a place to live. If it weren't for an involved chain of command at 3/2 who helped me (and who even as an Army Major I seek out for mentorship), I would not have been able to move forward. (To answer an obvious question, I pursued being a Marine officer and wasn't picked up into MCP, I then decided I wanted to be an officer more than I wanted to be a Marine, and people helped me make that happen).

The intangibles were moving from one culture to another one; I actually made multiple transitions in the 18 month between leaving active duty and returning to it (I needed 3 semesters to finish my degree). Leaving a position of respect and turning into a Cadet was rough...being 30 years old and having 22 year old Army E4's lock my heels was tough to swallow, but I was focused on my goal. Also dealing with college "kids" was hard for me...I was amazed that people were as undisciplined and caring about the gift of education as they were. The final transition for me was adopting the identity of "Army Officer", which was distinct from "Marine NCO" or even "leader". It took me a while to realize I wasn't just an overpaid sergeant that people had to salute, but that I was supposed to be doing something different.

I don't want to go on too long here; if you want to talk offline, shoot me a note.

I was an Active Duty Marine Sergeant that switched to the Army. I worked hard and got promoted to Sergeant First Class just as a byproduct, that and EOD promoted rapidly. Then I became a Warrant Officer because I wanted to change my slice of the Army for the better, raise my level of responsibility and increase my sphere of influence for future leaders. Also, the retirement stands to be a bit better. I think that's enough qualifiers to join the conversation. It's been my experience that it will all be in the way you approach things. Former Marine or no, if you come in with an "I'm better than you attitude," you will meet with quite a bit of resistance. Your own support system will shut you out and you will fail. However, if you come at everything with an open mind and willingness to learn, and yes there will be a lot to learn, you will be quite successful. The one piece of advice I can give you is this. Turn on that tenacity that made you a successful Marine and you will be a successful Soldier. And one more thing, if you haven't yet, learn to listen more than you speak. You're going to do just fine. If I can do it anyone can.

Both easy and hard, at the same time, for different reasons. The hard part: adjusting to not being a sergeant anymore, and being a "boot" again. As an officer candidate, I was suddenly a boot, whose tiniest infraction was noted immediately. This was tough to get over. I went to active duty federal Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Fort Benning, and it took me the first two weeks to adjust my mindset into being a candidate.

The easy part: I found that my experience going from the Marines to the Army was easy. I went to Army Primary Leadership Development Course (PLDC) and excelled there. I went to Army Basic Non-Commissioned Officer's Course (BNCOC), and excelled there as well. At OCS, after getting over the first two weeks and adjusting my mindset, I had no trouble.

So I leave you with this: go into it knowing that you are NOT a non-commissioned officer anymore. That is in the past. Just treat it like when you put your feet on those yellow footprints at MCRD, a restart. When you succeed and earn your commission, then you can reach back to the toolkit of all you learned as a Marine Non-Commissioned Officer and you will excel.

I am also a Marine Sgt who retired as a Navy Cmdr.

Why do you want to take a step backwards?

I'm in a similar boat - I would like to pursue this avenue as well, as my area is very limited in what I can do with USMC-R. Did you do anything in this regard Sgt Martin?

It shouldnt be hard at all. These are two different sets of ranks versus branches. The NCO mindset and work ethic, assuming you are a good NCO, will prove to be great assets to the officers ranks. USMC has a great history of great enlisted, warrants and officers and it should translate seemslessly into a sister branch.

As far as culture it will be like going from one high school to another but make no difference that expectations will be as hard or as easy as if you were to be Army NCO to Army Officer and I assume that would have been the same from Marine NCO to Devildog Officer.

Please be open minded and be receptive. Like with any change from one unit to any other, dont start sentences with: "when I was in the Marines we used to do this and that and I think is better than Army blah blah". Be ok with being corrected and ask... ask if you dont know the acronym or the implied message. Do not play along as you know. I found that asking to peers and been ignorant about something in the Army you are unfamiliar with would not play against you. In fact you will have other highspeed individuals facilitating the knowledge energetically.

I think that through the branches we welcome anybody from a sister branch or prior service, and we respect and make fun of each other equally great and equally bad, LOL!

I have the distinct pleasure and honor that I served in the Navy as enlisted and made was an NCO. I switched to Army and I was enlisted, warrant and now I am a commissioned officer. I served along with Marines and funny enough when I was in the Army attending my enlisted MOS I hanged with prior service Marines during our reclassing, LOL!

I think that serving in different branches is a great experience. In factif I could I would finish my career with the AF just because I think it would be interesting.

Anyways just be open to learn and ask, be humble and you be nothing but great as you been in the Marines Corps.

PS: Just make sure you dont say HOORAH... the Army says HOOAH so drop the R!