What will the prior service process be like for a Marine heading into the Army?

2018-11-13T01:45:49-05:00

Hi, just asking due to lack of clarifications to some answers. I'm a prior service Marine, been out for three years and just got dropped from the IRR in May 2018. Already did my MEPS hassle and scheduled to ship out in January. Lat moving into infantry and just wanted to know what the prior service process will be like. Not too sure if I'll head to ft Leonard wood first, then Benning or straight to Benning.. eventually trying to commission so
Any and all tips will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you, gents.

Response by SGT Christopher Hayden made Nov 13 at 2018 1:55 AM

2018-11-13T01:55:08-05:00

Pretty sure you just go straight to Benning for OSUT, at which point you'll be treated like just another Grunt in training.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 13 at 2018 8:08 AM

2018-11-13T08:08:57-05:00

Elaborate on our assocs and Bach efforts, major, GPA, grades, STEM coursework, also, I'm assuming you might want Army, which svcs have you looked at? Which would you try for? Any flight interests? I just have an interest in such career/educ topics, I'd be eager to hear more, also, hobbies, reading, interests, which branches, MOS types, maybe AFSCs if USAF, did you want ROTC, maybe USMC platoon leaders course (PLC), or an OCS or direct commission indoc OIS, possibly warrant, maybe Navy WO1 cyber, Army direct commission cyber, what grad school interests, I can tell you, irrespective of svc, if you go warrant and/or commissioned, you're gonna be expected from day one to get masters part time minimum, trust me, been there, done that (BTDT), I'd be interested to hear more, as I'd said, no rush, whenever convenient, obviously....

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 13 at 2018 11:45 PM

2018-11-13T23:45:19-05:00

You shouldn't be going to Leonard Wood if you're going Infantry. You might not even need to go to Benning for Infantry AIT since all Marines qualify as Infantry first. Infantry in the Army isn't any different. Battle drills look the same everywhere.
For commissioning, finish your bachelor and apply to OCS. The prereqs are released annually so the requirements change a bit from year to year. Start early, there are maximum time in service restrictions working against you.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 14 at 2018 4:46 AM

2018-11-14T04:46:59-05:00

Also, I can't gauge your age from your description, I'm assuming early to mid 20s, given you'd said you were a junior, so, if you'd want to finish your Bach externally, I can suggest some viable accepted options for that as well, I'm assuming since you were USMC, you were in at least 3-4 yrs there as well, by my estimate, maybe early 30s, from your description, I'm just guesstimating that to try to know what might be suitable to suggest....

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 14 at 2018 4:48 AM

2018-11-14T04:48:42-05:00

http://www.excelsior.edu

I got a 2nd Bach in math through them, they used to be NYS government, then privatized, very well known to all svcs, a good friend got his Bach in math through them while they were NYS, then went Navy OCS using it....

www.excelsior.edu

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 14 at 2018 4:49 AM

2018-11-14T04:49:11-05:00

http://www.tesu.edu

They're NJ state government, equally reputable....

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Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 14 at 2018 4:49 AM

2018-11-14T04:49:57-05:00

http://www.charteroak.edu

They're CT state government, also quite reputable as well....

www.charteroak.edu

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 14 at 2018 4:52 AM

2018-11-14T04:52:35-05:00

https://dantes.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/ [login to see] -how-do-i-get-my-exam-score-reports-transcripts-

If you haven't gotten a DANTES transcript or used their involvement with CLEP, call them and ask, OK?

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Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 14 at 2018 4:55 AM

2018-11-14T04:55:13-05:00

Also, since you were junior level undergrad, did you at least get your assocs awarded at all? Could you go back to the school and see if it could be awarded at all? Just a thought, of course...and, being machinist, I'm assuming you went to a tech school, I'd assume it'd be suitable for undergrad credit, it might be assocs level only, not Bach level, still, if you haven't asked about that possibility, just.another thought....

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 14 at 2018 4:59 AM

2018-11-14T04:59:01-05:00

https://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Pages/Transcripts-for-Military-Personnel.aspx

Call them also about a mil transcript, ask also about their credit registry, ask also about any involvement with DANTES....

Transcripts-for-Military-Personnel.aspx

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 14 at 2018 5:00 AM

2018-11-14T05:00:44-05:00

https://clep.collegeboard.org/

I'm sure you know of them of course....

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Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 14 at 2018 5:05 AM

2018-11-14T05:05:19-05:00

https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/faq/

I was able to get blocks of 30 pass fail credits for the engrg, physics, and math exams, engrg is gone, physics also, I think, and some places gave 24, I'm unsure if its still done it was based on raw score, not percentile, also, they're not easy, I'm quite good, well trained yet the physics exam took me three tries to pass, half the credits were assocs level, half Bach level, Excelsior used to accept them, I'd been told that was stopped, I'd used them there, that was largely how I used the second degree rule through Excelsior back when it was part of NYS govt to get the 2nd Bach in math....

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Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 14 at 2018 5:07 AM

2018-11-14T05:07:18-05:00

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/united-states-marine-corps-platoon-leaders-course-3332801

I know you'd said you want Army, and having been USMC you likely know of this, it's just less well known than ROTC, OCS, or OOS programs, I figured I'd include it here....

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Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 14 at 2018 5:10 AM

2018-11-14T05:10:30-05:00

https://www.goarmy.com/rotc/ways-to-attend.html

I'd read sevl sites, incl !mentioned on here, that ROTCs are open for grad school now, USMC PLC I don't know, ROTC I've def seen !mentioned, I only mention it as, if you go warrant or commissioned, trust me, from day one, you're expected to get minimum a masters part time, trust !e, been there, done that (BTDT)....

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Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 14 at 2018 5:12 AM

2018-11-14T05:12:35-05:00

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_Institute_of_Technology

Learn about this, you'd need to do at least a couple of tours to had a chance, all warrants and commissioned from all svcs are eligible, I tried, I couldn't get it, however, trust me, learn about it, if you go Army, you can def apply....

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Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 14 at 2018 5:15 AM

2018-11-14T05:15:59-05:00

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Postgraduate_School

Same here, I had an O-6 recommend, I still couldn't get it, however, once again, learn about it, the have an online PhD in systems science I found of real interest I learned of awhile back as well, I'd stumbled across it at one point....

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Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 14 at 2018 6:03 AM

2018-11-14T06:03:57-05:00

Oorah brother. I'm a prior service Marine as well. I completed my 4 years active anand 4 years IRR. I was with 1/12 on MCBH. I got out and joined the Army 7 years after. I only have 2 years in the Army so far. I kept my Cpl rank when I joined the Army. I got promoted from Cpl to Sgt within a year and a half. But when I signed up, I was told that I would have to take whatever was given to me, since I was prior service. I wasn't able to put down 3 choices, like when I enlisted in the Marines. So when I got to MEPS, I said yes to the 92W MOS and I got stationed in my home town. I signed my contract and took the oath on a Saturday and then reported in on Monday. Yes, within that same weekend!...There was no class that gave me a quick run down of the Army Ways. I've been learning as I go. It took my unit about 4 or 5 months to get my service uniforms and TA50. I still dont have a dress uniform..lmao... Either way, because we are Marines, we dont have to worry about doing anyone else Boot Camp. And when it came to my MOS school, I did a 4 week crash course (re-class) instead of a 13 week course like a new Soldier would for 92W. At that time, because I wasn't prior Special Operstions and/or because my GT score wasn't a 110 or higher, my only option was the Army Reserves. I was told there was no waving my GT score even though it was a 107 (3 points of a difference!!). So I'm currently in the Army Reserves, but currently awaiting my orders to go Active Guard Reserves (kind of like active duty). Active duty is what I wanted from the beginning. In a way I feel like my recruiter fu#$ed me over. He never told me of the criteria in order for prior service to be accepted into active duty. Being Infantry may be a little different, but because every Marine is a rifleman, they may send you to a crash course infantry school and then you'll return to your unit. I cant think of anything else to inform you on. I hope this helps. Good luck!

Response by SGT Benjamin Foster made Nov 15 at 2018 6:57 AM

2018-11-15T06:57:36-05:00

I have known a lot of prior service marines. The only time they’ve been sent to Lost in the Woods was because the went from infantry to combat engineer or construction engineer. If they are sending you there then your recruiter has pulled some shady shit. You should read your contract carefully and if it’s not what you want, raise hell with your recruiter! However, being a combat engineer is the shit, in my biased opinion!

Response by Cpl Jay Vojta made Feb 23 at 2019 7:51 PM

2019-02-23T19:51:25-05:00

I'm in the same proverbial boat for the most part, prior service Marine looking to go AD Army 11B. Did you ever get the answers to your questions? If so, any feedback and advice would be very much appreciated. Best of luck brother.