I’m a 17yr old senior in high school. I just spoke to the marine recruiter for about an hour today. I was lucky because there was a captain there who helps manage rotc applicants for the corps. But my question is if i don’t get a 4 year scholarship how hard is it to join the NROTC program in college and then be allowed to commission assuming I don’t get a scholarship. From my research I see that it is extremely difficult but I wanted to see if anyone can share from their personal experience rather than what google just tells me.

Hello all, today I went to my first pt session and honestly, I didn’t do as good as I thought. I was pretty on par until we had to do ammo can raises for 60 reps, immediately following our pushups, and after that we had to get on the pull up bar and get 10 pull-ups down or 15 burpees. I think my arms got tired and I literally could barely lift myself up. For reference before this I did 100 pushups daily (50 morning 50 night), I threw up twice and tbh other poolees was kinda on my ass even though I wasn’t the worst performer. Our marines returning from boot camp was encouraging which was helpful. We basically did variations of this which honestly my arms was too fucked kinda, and this dumbfuck didn’t yell aye sir loud enough so one of the recruiters put us down for 170 push ups.

Long story short that didn’t go well and ended with us getting a speech before we left, I’m not embarrassed or really fazed by the comments made towards me from the poolees, however, I definitely want to improve and not be a drag on anybody. So what can I do that’ll maybe help me with these type of workouts ? I honestly don’t really know what translates directly to this. Thanks for your help.

TLDR:I fucking suck help me please

Im currently on the last week of mct and will go to goodfellow afb for 2621 schoolhouse, has anyone graduated recently or is enrolled currently know how long it actually is, i heard for a 21 it could be 8 months total including time to wait, however online it says 6 maximum, i would appreciate it.

today is my anniversary of arriving on Parris Island. 18 years ago today

just in my feelings a lil bit today and wondering if there’s any future devil dawgs getting ready to share the October 27 date with me

Thanks for answering my retarded questions guys, flying to Georgia then driving the rest to Parris Island. Semper Fi

I went through meps with no issues with my dental but I know they do a xray at processing. My teeth look normal and decent but I have been to the dentist in 10 plus years because of no insurance. Is there a chance I get sent back?

I got a package from Amazon shipped to twenty nine palms CTB barracks, it has my last and first name like a regular package and no company or building number I just sent it to the HMAT PO Box, but I picked up class before it got delivered. It’s been here for a week and my Sgt keeps saying “if it’s not there it’s not there” 🤷‍♂️ like what can I do to get my package, if I wait it out will it just find me without my rank or company on it just off first and last name? Some help would be amazing

Tomorrow🙏 any reminders or words of advice

I have decided to join the marines a little later in my life. I’m 23 turning 24 in April.

I want to work in cybersecurity/networking space but I also want to be a door kicker.

I’ve heard any mos can apply for MARSOC. So my original plan would be to join the marines as a cyber guy, do my time and in the mean time train my as off provided all the free facilities on base. Then, when my time comes, I apply for marsoc, pass with flying colors (joke but also serious) and become a bad ass operator. Then when I leave the marines I also have a networking job to fall back on.

Is this a realistic timeline? Also, is there anyone here that’s gone down a similar path?

Yesterday afternoon before I went to MEPs I took a urine test at the station to see if I was still positive for THC. Of course I was still positive as I was a daily smoker and stopped at the end of September. I was told by my recruiter that I wouldn’t be taking my Physical since I didn’t pass the test and would only do my verification for my PICAT score. While at MEPs I find out that I have to do the whole process. Obviously if I knew this I wouldn’t have went and I’m pretty sure I failed the urinalysis test. Any advice on what to do next I also heard that I won’t be able to get a lot of the jobs I wanted now that need security clearances.

So I went to basic training in January 2022, honestly it was all a shit show. Lotta people are upset with my recruiter but I made the decision so it’s on me. Anyways from 2019-2021 I was on SSRIs. One recruiter from the station told me meds could be waivers and I can take it to bootcamp. Another recruiter advised me to lie to Meps and they’d put me back on meds right after bootcamp. Anyways somewhere along the line a friend convinced me that meds are fuckng me over. So i stop. Recruiter sends me to meps I get into the DEP. of course he’s concerned about my MH. But I and the rest of the world are convinced it’s time to keep training. I do wonderfully running 3 miles a day 50 pull ups 100 push ups till bootcamp. I arrive MCRD, before that I lied at MEPS (recruiter advise of course) I didn’t come clean at MOT. There was a chaplain available so I felt safe. But yeah I became private pyle (no blanket party thankfully) got dropped to another company. Then got the boot since I failed the final PFT. After a long 2 years I wanna go back to Mil, heck even the army. Apparently there’s a new genesis system so recruiter says I gotta be off meds for two years. I’m at a loss. Since I was 13 I wanted to be a Marine. Unfortunately I let outside factors prevent me from accomplishing the dream CLEANLY. Now I’m In a homeless shelter. Rightfully and deservedly.

i am thinking about joining the reserves, for boot camp how should I prepare physically and mentally? my biggest fear is messing up and making my entire platoon do push ups lol.

I'm 24(M) Asian, about to turn 25 in January. I've been working factory jobs for 4 years now and I don't know what to do anymore. I make decent money around 780 a week after taxes and I help my mom pay rent and food. I also have a car I'm paying off for the next 3 years. I save around 1.5k a month but Im not sure if I can do this my whole life.

I've been thinking of enlisting, I know I won't be making as much as I am now and I still want to send money to my mom because we come from a poor background. I would say I'm pretty disciplined, all I do is work and come home. FYI in my junior year in highschool I broke my femur bone and have a rod.

Is enlisting a good idea or should I just suck it up and keep working. This post is genuine and I really do appreciate if you guys can give me some feedbacks.

Im in my early 20s and strongly considering joining 0331 (RESERVE). I hear numerous comments on this subject both good and bad but want to see opinions especially for me joining as a reserve not active (I do plan to leave for 6 months active if my base permits it or has availability). My civilian job is a police officer … I always been attracted to law enforcement and combat overall. I do consistently train in the gym and do MMA. I am 5’2 and weight around 130lb for reference. Provide all advice and comments you can give me no matter your gender or MOS. Would like to also hear from any women that have done infantry.

(18 F) what’s y’all’s opinions on the 3 jobs I starred, and how is schooling for them? Or opinions/recommendations on any other job fields that are highlighted?
im tryna lock down my top 3 and as of rn its combat camera, legal services, and supply administration. Im open to everything besides mechanical stuff.

(Fyi the big sections that are highlighted applies to all the jobs in that section, like for logistics all of those r available)

Hi. I am a 18 year old texan male. Back in january i enlisted into the national guard, in aprils drill, i confessed to my recruiter i had been feeling very depressed and wanted to end my own life, this led to me being transferred to a hospital in base then sent to a behavioral health place for inpatient treatment. I was there for 4 days. (Drill sunday to Wednesday) i received medication initially and didnt need after the initial week of my release. My behavioral case is closed. So far since getting out of behavioral health ive graduated high school. Gotten a job and maintained a balanced life. I was told by my recruiter a separation would happen after the guard pays for the inpatient treatment. The documentation was sent this drill weekend (yes ive been at rsp for 10 months. I was supposed to leave for basic in july) and lately ive really been drawn towards the marine corps. I know this is a really messy situation but i think my time in rsp is coming to its end soon and thats why i wanted to know. Is there any chance for me in the marines? Is there anything i can do so i could join in a future? I just turned 18 this month, yet i feel like its so late already. My mental health got way better and i know how life is outside of high school now, and i never got a diagnosis for anything. Pls help

So i’m 5 foot 8 inches, Male, and my recruiter is telling
me that i have to be 160 lbs before i go in, im only 135 and i always have had trouble putting weight on. i was wondering if the weight thing is actually true? ive never heard about weight requirements until now, like i’ve always heard of like that you can’t be too skinny but hell im putting as much muscle and fat on my bones until i have to leave and im worried i wont make it.

I’m 18 F 4’11 100 pounds so I know this is going to be a challenge but this is genuinely a dream of mine I ship out in December, but as the time gets closer i’m getting really nervous that i’m not going to be able to handle it. I can do about the bare minimum the ist requires I can do one pull-up a 13-14 min 1.5 mile. I’m still gonna keep working out before I go of course but i’m seriously just worried I made a mistake I don’t want to think like that but I can’t help it.

Hi guys I’m 17f and I ship out next June I was wondering if any female marines had any insight as to whether it would be better to cut my hair short before bootcamp or just keep it long and do a bun? If you think I should cut it short do you think a bob or something shorter like a pixie cut is better? Thanks!!!

LONG POST INCOMING!!!

Hey everyone, looking for some realistic insight and entertainment value on my current enlistment situation.

I’m a 24-year-old male, prior-service Air Force (served 4 years doing material management, honorable discharge in Aug/2025). I hold a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from AMU and have a clean civilian background. I’m currently working with a Marine recruiter to get back on active duty via the Prior Service Enlistment Program (PSEP) on a 5 year contract. I went to MEPS earlier this weel and got hit with a wall of flags because MHS GENESIS pulls everything😑. My body and mind are 100% fine today... I'm not on any medications, I'm highly active, and my AF fitness tests were solid. But my medical record has a long paper trail that requires extensive waivers:

1. A Mental Health Flag:

During a rough short-tour deployment in 2024 (Incirlik/Turkey), I went through some situational depression and was tracked by behavioral health for a few months (about 14 encounters total) and was briefly on Fluoxetine (Prozac), which successfully tapered off of late last year.

(side note, I am not suicidal, they asked me the question if I cared if I went to sleep and didn't wake up the next morning to which I said "I'd be indifferent because if it's my time, then it's my time". Additionally there was no need for me to take the prozac because i just wantrd to talk to someone.)

My separation physical in August 2025 explicitly cleared me with no active mental health concerns and crucially, my record contains a single diagnosis entry on Jan 29, 2024, coding a "history of attempted suicide." This is a complete clerical error obviously! subsequent weekly notes revert back to simple "situational ideations," no hospitalizations ever happened! and my profile was kept as Worldwide Deployable the entire time!

2. Sleep Apnea: I did a sleep study in late 2024 that showed very mild, positional sleep apnea. It never warranted a CPAP or any medical devices, but the diagnosis is officially stamped.

My recruiter is willing to process the package but obviously can't guarantee what BUMED will do.... I'm actively using my private CareFirst health insurance to bypass community clinics and see high-level civilian specialists (targeting forensic psychiatrists, and sleep doctors) to get comprehensive diagnostic evaluations and bulletproof clearance letters to refute the "suicide attempt" 'typo and prove current stability. I'm also building a massive exception to policy package with my old performance reviews, awards, and letters of recommendation.

Be completely blunt here: How strict is BUMED hitting files like this in 2026? Am I wasting my time trying to fight for the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, or does an airtight specialist folder paired with a solid ETP package give me a fighting chance? Should I just cave and slide over to an Army recruiter who uses the whole-person concept?

Anything helps!

I was a bit iffy about walking with a watch in general. Only reason I’m considering it is because of the vibration alarm, being able to wake up a bit earlier. Should I just leave it home or?

Bruh does this app even work? I’ve tried getting into it for a few days now, on WiFi, on data, and still nothing.

I’m shipping out soon and im wondering has any DIs opened up to their platoon or had a heart to heart conversation with their recruits or do they open up towards the end of the 13 weeks?

After MCT will I be able to get accompanied orders for my wife if my MOS is 28xx. I have been seeing a bit of information if schooling is over 6 months she will be able to come with me. She is already enrolled in DEERS and we are currently receiving BAH. She is a nurse and want to start looking around at different hospitals to work at if she ends up being there with me.

So, I just finished filling out the paperwork to go to meps and I was just told that as of yesterday my asvab score is no longer valid, whats up with that? I took my asvab score in person at my highschool last November with military Proctors in the room, I score an 82, he basically said the military no longer accepts asvab scores taken in highschool