

Advice and Info About Enlisting Into the Marine
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MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE
HAVE A BACK-UP PLAN
You
must plan for after the USMC and you must always plan for your future
just in case you are not allowed to enlist, or you change your mind.
Remember, most Marines will only serve one enlistment, and those who
make a career of it will be around 38-40 years old when done. Also
remember that many of you who wish to serve, for one reason or another
will never bother enlisting or will be denied enlistment. This is why
you need to have a plan for your future. If you are in high school and
wish to enlist one day it is in your best interest to live your life
now as if you will not be allowed to enlist. This means always do good
in school and treat your future as if you will go to college or enter
the job market. Just because you may serve in the Corps, this doesn't
mean that your life after the Marines will be any easier, so plan for
it. And just because you wish to serve, this doesn't mean you will be
allowed to. One of the biggest mistakes made by young Marines is that
they often fail to think about their lives once they exit the USMC. Even
if you plan to make a career out of the military, you still should have
a back-up plan. Trust me; your future can go much smoother if you put
some thought into it prior to enlisting. Don’t make the common mistake
of getting fixated on serving that you forget to look at the bigger
picture. You can read more about life after the Marine Corps at the following link: Life After The USMCACCEPTANCE
You
must admit to yourself right now before you enlist that you will hate
many days in the USMC and that you may often regret enlisting, and this
is not open to debate. No matter who you are, serving in the Corps will
eventually get to you and accepting these facts now will allow for you
to better enjoy your enlistment. If you refuse to accept these facts
now, then when those days come, you may be very miserable and filled
with anger. Do not enlist thinking the USMC is this awesome place where
everything runs smoothly and where life is always fair, because it is
not. Many Marines are often disappointed once they arrive in their units
because they begin to see a very different Marine Corps than what was
sold to them and by this time, you are stuck to serve out your contract. You have been warned!DO NOT FORGET TO LOOK PAST BOOT CAMP
If
you enlist and ship out to boot camp, you most likely will pass it.
Boot camp is only 90 days of your entire multi-year enlistment and it is
structured to be passed and not failed. It is your entire enlistment
that defines you as a Marine and not a 90 day boot camp. Save some of
that Ooh Rah Gung-Ho motivation for when after you graduate, because
this is when you will need it the most. Boot camp is the easy part of
being a Marine, so when preparing for the USMC, it is in your best
interest to also prepare for after boot camp and to not focus on boot
camp so much. I understand that passing boot camp is a huge first step
and therefore you will give it all of your attention, but you have to
prepare yourself for what comes after boot camp also since boot camp is
practically a given to be passed barring injury and only lasts three
months. So you earn the title of Marine. Big deal. After that comes the
hard part and just because you may graduate boot camp, it doesn't mean
your road will now be easier.
HAVE FAITH AND TRUST IN YOURSELF AND IN YOUR DECISIONS
BE REALISTIC IN WHAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH
Do
not set unrealistic goals for yourself. Be very honest in who you are
and in what you are actually capable of. There is no shame in admitting
you are not Rambo, or cut out to be an officer. Learn to separate
fantasy from reality. Wanting to earn your college degree while wanting
to serve in the infantry when you know you hate to study and love to
party is not a good realistic plan, as an example. Understand that it is
best to serve a few years before deciding to make a career out of the
USMC. For most who serve, one enlistment will be enough. When planning
your military future, never forget that as a civilian your ideas will
often seem very easy to accomplish, but once in, you very often see that
things don't always go as planned for one reason or another.
ENLIST INTO THE MARINE CORPS BECAUSE YOU TRULY WANT TO
WHEN YOU SHIP OUT TO BOOT CAMP, LEAVE YOUR PAST LIFE BEHIND
In order for the USMC to make you into a better person, you must allow for
change to occur. This can’t happen if you refuse to change and if you
are hard headed. Leave all your bad habits at home, leave all your drama
at home, leave all your racial issues at home, and leave all of your
personal grudges at home. Basically what you want to do and what the
Marine Corps wants is for you to come in with a blank slate. Let them
build you into that person you asked to be. Keep in mind that very often
who you were prior to enlisting often carries over while you serve. So
don't expect to emerge as a totally new person. On the outside you may
be a fresh new person, but on the inside 9 out of 10 times you are still
going to be the exact same person you were before you enlisted. You can read more about how boot camp and the USMC might change you at the following link: How The USMC Might Change YouDO NOT EXPECT TO LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER JUST BECAUSE YOU SERVE
Serving
in the Corps does not mean your life is now set. When you are done with
the USMC, you basically are shown the door and you must move on with
your life with very little help if any from the USMC. They will not hand
you any money or a job and they are no longer responsible for you at this point. Just being a Marine veteran does not mean the world
owes you anything, so don't expect free handouts. You have to get out
there and get your job just like anyone else and you have to get out
there and enroll into a college, if you so desire. Life is not always
easier after the USMC, so prepare for that. Since most of you will only
serve one enlistment, it is very important you understand that once you
exit the Corps, life can very often be tough. The Life After The USMC page will explain this topic more in depth.THE USMC IS NOT LARGER THAN LIFE ITSELF
Do
not act as if serving in the USMC is a matter of life and death. There
is more to life than the Marines. Do not make the Marine Corps out to be
something it is not. If you become a Marine, then be very proud, but do
not cross that line where you become an arrogant and an immature
asshole, because when you do you give others the fuel they desire to
poke fun at the Marine Corps. If you must talk crap, then at least have
correct facts and first-hand knowledge to back up any claims you make in
regards to the USMC. It is very important you remain as grounded as
possible when serving. You do not always have to announce that you are a
Marine. Many years after you have served, the Marine Corps will just be
one chapter in your book of life, so don't make serving out to be
something it is not and try your best to never forget where you came
from.UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE GETTING YOURSELF INTO
Don’t
expect the Marine Corps to adapt to you, you must adapt to them. Know
what your job will be, and know what the real USMC is like as best as
possible. Do not judge the USMC by any video, movie, or video game you
may of seen. Do not think the Marine Corps is like boot camp or like
what a recruiter may say it is like. There is a lot about the Marine
Corps that you may not know about, and this is what Future Jarheads is
all about. This website will talk about many issues that most Marines
and the Marine Corps itself refuse to speak about and it is important
that you have this knowledge prior to enlisting.