I've Decided to Join the Marine Corps. What Next?

So, you've decided you want to become a Marine and you've contacted a recruiter - what happens next? First off, you are going to do a whole stack of paperwork with your recruiter. This is all to get you ready to go to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) and get qualified to join the military. While you're at MEPS, you will take the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) and get a full medical screening. The ASVAB is basically a test that determines if you are smart enough to join the military and if so, what kind of jobs you'll be qualified for. Part of the ASVAB that is extrapolated from your overall score is called the AFQT (Armed Forces Qualification Test). Your AFQT is the score that is used to determine if you are smart enough to join the military. To join the Marine Corps, you must score at least a 32 if you have a high school diploma, and a 50 if you have a GED. The medical screening will consist of a full physical (yes, you will be naked for part of it), a urinalysis (a pee test), and a mental evaluation.

If you make it through the rigorous screening process during your visit to MEPS, you are ready to take the next step in your journey. This next step consists of filling out another stack of paperwork (you'll be doing a lot of that in your Marine Corps career) and taking another visit to MEPS. On your second visit to MEPS, you will get another, much smaller, medical screening and actually enlist into the Marine Corps. If you have decided to go active duty, you will probably sign a 4x4 contract. This means that you will spend four years on active duty and four years in the IRR (Inactive Ready Reserves). While in the IRR, you are essentially a civilian, but you have to do yearly musters at the closest Marine Corps reserve station to your home. If you have decided to go the reserve route, you will probably sign a 6x2 contract. This means you will spend six years in the active reserves and two years in the IRR. On this journey to MEPS, you will also pick your MOS (Military Occupational Specialty). This is the specific job you will be doing in the Marine Corps. If you are a reservist, you will be able to pick your specific MOS. For example, my MOS is 1142 - Engineer Equipment Electrical Systems Technician. If you are active duty, you will more than likely pick an MOS field, as opposed to a specific MOS. For example, my MOS field is 1100 - Utilities. If you are active duty and you pick your MOS field at MEPS, you will find out your specific MOS when you get your orders while at MCT (Marine Combat Training).

Congrats! You've successfully enlisted into the Marine Corps! The next step is to get in shape, both physically and mentally, for boot camp...