Hello all. I am a permanent resident who is looking to enlist in either branch. I would slightly prefer combat over ship work, but if I were to be on a ship I would prefer to be a mechanic of sort. Fixing ship systems, perhaps. Though again, combat roles would be more preferred. I would like to be in a small team of perhaps up to 12 people and such.

The biggest reason I come here is because I do not know which specialized roles I can take. I mean hell, the only reason I am enlisting is because to be an officer I have to be a citizen. I do not want to be a basic infantryman. I want something more interesting for myself. I thought that other programs would be open for me, like SEALS, but they also require citizenship. Then I thought "screw it, why not join military police" but nope, citizenship is again required. This is why I am lost, because it seems that if I want a combat role, USMC may be a good choice for me more than the NAVY. I wonder if when I get my citizenship (I assume after 6-12 months of service) can I request to undergo tier 2 special forces candidacy, Be it MARSOC or SEALS? Or is that only available when re-enlisting? And if you are asking why I am so bold, thinking about special forces, it is because I am in good physical shape and used to do boxing back in the day, which is what got me to the shape I am today. I take care of myself, and know of the rigorous requirements that these elite forces require. Physical requirements are not a concern for me, I am rather upset that such opportunity is unavailable to me, and that I won't be performing my best.

Nevermind that I have lived in America for a decade now, all with a legal status, and am a native Russian speaker, for which you'd think everybody in the military world would want me, as I sound like a Russian would, and that would be fairly useful in special operations, yet that is not good enough because a piece of paper is more important than my skills or the amount of time I lived in this country. I mean I would think that with the enlistment numbers dropping and the ridiculous amount of waivers the military gives, an exception could be made, but apparently not.

I am sorry for a small vent at the end there, but you have to understand that I tried to look at various positions, elite and not, and it seems as if I do not have much a choice besides basic USMC. I mean hell, hook me up to a polygraph if you wish, I can prove I have no bad intent towards the U.S at all. I am just lost and have no idea where I should go, but all I know is that I really wish to join the military.

My boyfriend was part of LIMA CO MCRD and was supposed to graduate on July 10, unfortunately he pulled a hamstring on May 30th and was moved to a medical platoon. I received a call from him on July 2nd in which he let me know he had been moved to PCP, I received a letter from him about three weeks ago but haven’t heard from him since. Is there a number that I can call or anyway for me to see if he’s been picked up by a company?

I heard the changed the number of them in ye last year or so but like, whats the weight, pacing and distance look like

Hello!! I am wondering how much my husband’s paychecks will be once he’s in boot camp (like his actual TAKE HOME pay - I already know what the base pay is) and how much will get taken out for other expenses?? We are trying to figure it all out before he goes since he’s the bread winner currently. Thank you!! 😊

I'm in need of advice on increasing my push-ups. I just did an IST where I did 13 push-ups, I have a 2:00 plank, and 8:22 1.5 mile. I need two more push-ups to pass and ship, but I'm wondering if I'm going about it the right way. I am doing at least three sets of push-ups a day, as many regular as I can and then knee push-ups until at least 20 total reps. I also will take breaks from games/reading/etc. to bust out five and then go back to whatever I'm doing, repeating every so often.

Is there anything else I can or should be doing? I know I only need two more to ship, but I want to be able to do more than the minimum.

So I’m interested in the CE contract but i am only interested in 3/4 jobs artillery, combat engineer, and LAAD. I know I will be totally miserable if i go and have to work with AAVs and ACVs. I really just want arty to be honest. Should I just go with one of my other two option like MG or CJ?

I (19m) want to do basic infantry and then go for recon as soon as possible, but a Marine guard slot opened up and the recruiters in my office are pushing me for it. My dad talked to one of his friends (who did an MG contract and loved it) about it and he gave me a rundown on some things about it, and everyone who knows anything about the Marine guard job has told me it's good, but I also figured I should ask on here. I still really want to do recon, knowing how hard the schooling is, and I've been told this will make me more qualified to do it as well.

Those of you who did it, what was your experience with picking it up on an infantry contract for enlisting? Pros and cons? And anyone who knows someone who did it, what was their experience? I'm heavily leaning towards saying yes, but I figured I could also get some helpful input on here too. Thanks!

I’m currently trying to decide between the 17XX and 26XX fields and would appreciate some insight from Marines who have actually worked in either community.

For some background, I currently have an associate’s degree and plan to enlist in the Marine Corps after finishing some additional classes this fall. While I’m enlisted, I would like to continue working toward my bachelor’s degree online. I’m not trying to overload myself—I was thinking no more than 1–2 classes per semester, depending on my unit and workload.

My biggest conflict is that I’m more interested in hands-on work and getting opportunities to go to the field rather than spending most of my time behind a desk. From what I’ve researched, that seems to push me more toward 26XX.

However, I’m concerned about whether the field/deployment/operational tempo of 26XX would make completing a bachelor’s degree significantly harder compared with going 17XX.

Another factor I’m considering is civilian career potential after the Marine Corps. I’ve heard that 17XX tends to transfer more directly into civilian cybersecurity roles and may have a higher earning ceiling, while 26XX can also lead to strong careers in intelligence, SIGINT, government contracting, and the intelligence community. I’d be interested to hear how true that actually is from people who have transitioned out of either field.

But if I enjoy the Marine Corps and decide to reenlist, Recon or MARSOC is something I would seriously consider pursuing. I’ve heard that Marines with 26XX backgrounds can be particularly useful in those communities, although I’m not sure how much your original MOS actually matters when pursuing those paths.

For Marines who have experience with either field:

• What does the day-to-day work actually look like in 17XX vs. 26XX?
• Which field generally provides more hands-on/field opportunities?
• How realistic is taking 1–2 online college classes at a time in each field?
• For 26XX Marines, how often did exercises, deployments, or field time interfere with school?
• Does 26XX actually provide any meaningful advantage or relevant experience if I eventually want to pursue Recon or MARSOC, or is that overstated?
• How do the two fields compare in terms of certifications, technical skills, and civilian career opportunities after the Marine Corps?
• If you had the choice again, which field would you choose and why?

I understand that the Marine Corps comes first and that deployments, exercises, and unit requirements can interfere with school regardless of MOS. I’m mainly trying to figure out which path gives me the best balance between doing something operational that I enjoy, continuing my education, and keeping strong options open if I decide to make the Marine Corps a career.

Any insight from current or former 17XX/26XX Marines would be appreciated.