Frequently
Asked Questions From Applicants:
I was reading
some information about the PLC program and there were two different rates of
pay given for a 2nd lieutenant and one paper said base pay was 38,000, and the
other was 28,000. I was wondering which one it was. For the 2007 pay scale, the salary is
$29,631.60 taxable. In addition you will rate housing allowance.
The housing allowance for a single 2nd Lt at Camp Pendleton California is
$1,400.00 per month non-taxed. Quantico, Virginia is $1,083.00.
The rate will vary depending on where you are stationed. http://141.116.74.201/bah/acrobat/2006/2006-BAH-WITHOUT-DEP.pdf
Your allowance for subsidies is $187.49 per month non-taxed. So, if you
were stationed in Camp Pendleton your first duty station you would make
$50,080.88 before taxes. $http://www.dod.mil/dfas/militarypay/newinformation/WebPayTableVersion2006updated.pdf
What are some of the
other training things you can do? I saw the Amphibious Warfare School,
Industrial College of the Armed Forces and Marine Corps Command and Staff
College. What are the requirements to attend these, and what would some
other options be? This link is to the
Marine Corps University. http://www.mcu.usmc.mil/ This link shows
what the education requirements are per rank. http://www.mcu.usmc.mil/pme/officer/02.htm a lot of the
classes you can take are dependent on what your rank is. Usually only a
senior 1st Lt or Capt can attend EWS residentil program. As a 2nd
Lt you can attned the seminar program like I did. It meets 1 night a
week for 6 months and you get credit for the course. Here is a link to the Montgomery GI
Bill rates. http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/rates/CH30/ch30rates100106.htm
The army also
offered for anyone to be airborne qualified. Is that possible in the
Marines?
Can anyone go to jump school? No. You have to
have certain billets at certain commands. If you were to become a Logistics
Officer and were assigned to the Air Delivery Platoon as the Platoon Commander
you would go to jump school. There are also opportunities if you are an
Infantry Officer, Intelligence or Recon officer. There are always quotas available, it just depends on the command
you are assigned to and the position you hold.
When I go to
OCC, do you get the clothes when you get there, and the Marines pay for them? Initially you need to
bring $300 to OCS. Candidates must bring basic toiletry items,
including a towel, a disposable razor, and soap, to sustain them through the
first few days. In addition, each candidate will arrive at OCS with at least
$300 cash. This money will purchase the Small and Large Bag items. http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/New_Web_Format/Candidate_Information/BagIssue.htm
Prior
to being paid while at OCS, each candidate will also be required to purchase
other items that they will need throughout the training cycle. Some items are
different depending on the time of year you attend OCS. Although prior service
Marines may already possess some of these items, each candidate will be
required to purchase both the small and large bag issues. The links above contains
an inclusive list of those items in each bag to assist you in managing your
needs prior to reporting for training. The cost of your uniforms
will come out of your pay when you get commissioned. You will get a small
clothing allowance of apx $1.500.00 initially. Or do I
need to buy them and have them ahead of time? Here is a link for FAQ
at OCS. http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/New_Web_Format/Command_Info/FAQ.htm
What are the
time requirements for doing the reserves? After all your training is complete,
you will report into your reserve unit and will do 4 years. 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks in the summer,
unless you are called to active duty. What part of the process would be different? When you complete training you report to the reserves
while they report to the Fleet Marine Forces. The training is identical.
Would you still do OCS, straight into TBS, then go to
more training, and then you would be set for your one weekend a month, 2 weeks
a year? Yes. Right now the program is working where you can either pick 1 MOS
or you can pick geographic preference. Do you know the percentage of marine reservists that are
being called up right now? I have no idea.
What is The Basic School (TBS) like? This is
where you will learn the warfighting skills required to lead a rifle
platoon. It is 2 weeks long. 40% of the time will be in a field
environment and 60% will be spent in a classroom. You will complete 1565 hours of instruction. This is roughly equivalent to (2) years of
civilian education. Your grades will be
based on the following: Leadership=36%, Academics=32% and Military Skills=32%.
How are MOS’s
chosen at TBS? Males will make their list from 1-22 and females will list 1-16
jobs. This link will explain the
process. https://www.tbs.usmc.mil/Pages/MyMOS/All_MOS_Assignment_Process.asp
Roughly 27.5% will be Aviators or NFO’s.
44.5% Combat Support, 15.5% Infantry and 28% Combat Arms.