In the midst of budget cuts and a war that is winding down, it should come as no surprise that the Department of Defense is continuing to reduce manpower. With the Marine Corps having the smallest budget of all the services, it is even less surprising that we are getting hit hard. What does this mean for new officers, the number of NROTC scholarships, and OCS applicants? You won't find a definitive answer here, in fact much of this information [...]
So you graduated college and got commissioned as a United States Marine Corps Officer, but what do you do if the Corps has decided to throw you into the individual ready reserve. If you were fortunate to get an assignment to The Basic School with only a few months to relax then you probably don't have any worries. Move back home with the parents, or stay around school and keep working your day job. Sadly, that will not be the [...]
One of the first things you should be concerned with upon commissioning is understanding the benefits that you will receive while waiting for The Basic School. There are definitely a few small details that I was not aware of prior to commissioning that I would like to share. If you have questions about these types of things make sure you make an inquiry with the staff at your unit and get answers. Medical Coverage Yes, while in the Individual Ready [...]
If you are reading this ahead of your commissioning, I would first like to congratulate you on your accomplishments. It is not an easy endeavor making it through all of the hurdles that precede becoming a Marine Corps Officer. If you are not yet at that point, the information I am going to give will still be helpful in helping you prepare for the many week, or possibly months, of IRR time to come. Official Definition "The Marine Corps IRR [...]
