I created this page for the simple reason that I get so many emails that ask much of the same questions. I hope that this will answer some of the questions you have about the Marine Corps, or what I believe the Marine Corps should be. I will post some emails that I get and some answers I give. I hesitate to call this a FAQ page because for one, it is more than that. Secondly, the answers are not FAQs per se; they are my opinions and advice gathered from the years I have blissfully spent as a Marine.

Joining The Marine Corps

• Should I Join the Marine Corps Because I Come From a Long Line of Marines?
• Can I Get in the Marine Corps if I Don't Tell Them About a Medical Condition?
• If Your Son or Daughter Wants to Join the Marine Corps, How Would You Respond?
• What If They Find Out I Lied to Get In?
• Can I Join Even If I'm a Conscientious Objector?
• Do I Have To Be A Ruthless Killer?
• Should I Become a Marine?
• Should I Join the Air Force or the Marine Corps?
• Is The Marine Corps a Good Diet Plan?
• What are the Officer Requirements and Physical Fitness Standards?
• What Should I Say To My Kid If He Wants To Join The Marines?
• Does Being A Marine Really Make A Difference in the World?
• What Kind of People Are Responsible for My Son or Daughter When They Join the Marine Corps?
• Must I Be A Leader to Go Into the Marine Corps?
• Am I Too Old To Be A Marine?
• Can I Join The Marine Corps If I Have Asthma?
• Should I Give Up a High-Paying Job to Become a Marine?
• Should I Plan to Serve as Enlisted Before Becoming An Officer?
• What Makes Marines So Special?
• Why Doesn't the Marine Corps Want Individualistic Thinkers?
• What is the difference between Marines, sailors, soldiers, and airmen?

Bootcamp

• What Should I Think About When It Gets Rough in Bootcamp?
• Is Bootcamp a Good Place For Little Kids?
• Will My Son or Daughter Be Brainwashed at Bootcamp?
• What are the Differences Between the Two Recruit Depots?
• Will I Change By Going To Bootcamp?
• Should I Shoot For Honorman in Bootcamp?
• Do You Need To Train Marines Like We Saw In Full Metal Jacket?
• What is the Obstacle Course?
• What is the Confidence Course?

After Bootcamp

• What happens after bootcamp?
• What Would You Say To a Newly Graduated Marine?
• What If I Don't Get the Job I Want in the Marine Corps?
• How Can I Use My Natural Talents in the Marine Corps?
• Can I Take College Classes After I Enlist?
• How Does Marriage and Being a Marine Affect Each Other?
• Do qualified guys get the promotions they deserve?
• Who are those Marines at the White house and saluting the President as he exits Marine 1?
• What should I buy my new Marine as a gift? (Here are some cool woodworkings by a former Sergeant.)

Your First Assignment

• Can I Get a Guaranteed Field as an Officer?
• What if the Needs of the Corps Do Not Align With My Preferences?
• Will I Have A Choice Of Assignment When I Get Commissioned?

Enlisted Versus Officer Issues

• What is the Difference Between the Life Of an Enlisted and an Officer?
• Which Is Better, Officer or Enlisted?
• What are the Differences Between Bootcamp and OCS?
• What's Your Opinion On Stories About Junior Troops Assaulting Officers?
• How Does Your Enlisted Time Affect Your Officer Leadership?
• Should All Outstanding Enlisted Marines Become Officers?
• What's the Difference Between OCS and Bootcamp?

Officer Training

• Should My Spouse Join Me at The Basic School?
• Are Enlisted Involved in Training Officers?
• How does your Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) determined from TBS?
• Aviation Training (Go here to read about the Naval Aviator program. It's a journal and discussion board by real aviators going through the program.).

Life As An Officer

• Why Did You Become An Officer?
• Can You Explain the Officer Promotion and Frocking System?
• Have You Ever Had a Major Episode with A Staff NCO?
• What Is The Unique Relationship Between Marines?

Adjutant Work

• What it is like to be the Adjutant?
• How Can I Maintain My Combat Skills as an Adjutant?
• What Is an Adjutant Actually Responsible For?
• As an Adjutant, How Do I Track Training?
• As A New Adjutant, What Can I Expect?

General Marine Corps FAQs

• What are the differences between Master Sergeants, First Sergeants, Master Gunnery Sergeants, and Sergeants Major? And what about Warrant Officers?
• Is the Marine Corps Being Absorbed into the Army?
• What is the Value of an Honorable Discharge?
• Should Anyone Be Called "Marine" before Completing Bootcamp or OCS?
• Can Anyone Use the Eagle Globe And Anchor?
• How Do Marines Address Each Other?
• Do You Have a Quick Lesson on Rank Structure?
• What are the Commandments of Operational Security
• What Does It Mean To "Be Marine?"

The Hard Issues

• What Do You Think Of Women In The Marine Corps?
• How Many Asian Officers Are There and Why Are Minorities not Equally Represented in the Officer Corps?
• Have You Noticed any Significant Differences in Quality Between Officers Commissioned Through the Different Programs?
• What do you think about conscientious objectors?

Military Pay

• Is It Tough To Live On Military Pay?
• Is the Pay for Enlisted Bad?
• What is Your View On Moonlighting While Enlisted?

College and MECEP

• What should I Study in College?
• What Is The Best Area To Study If I Want To Be A Marine Officer?
• Why Should I Study Hard In College When I'm Going To Be A Marine Officer?
• What Has The Marine Corps Taught You About Knowledge?
• Does the Marine Corps Have an ROTC?
• How Much Weight Will My SAT Score Have on my MECEP Application?
• How Do I Pay For College While in the MECEP?
• Can I Use Tuition Assistance For The MECEP?

My Marine Corps Career Path

• What Were The Events That Led Up To You Enlisting in the Marine Corps?
• Did you Enlist with the Intention of going through the MECEP?
• How Do You Feel About Being Assigned Out of Your Main MOS As a Result of the SEP?

My Webpage

• How Did Your Webpage Come To Be?
• How Do I Make a Homepage?

Other Random Questions

• Would You Ever Consider Working For Boeing?
• How do I tie a tie the Marine Corps way?

Email -- jason@grose.us
Web -- http://www.grose.us/

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