How to Become a Marine

If you are considering a career in the U.S. Armed Forces, you may be interested in becoming a Marine. The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) is an amphibious military unit that operates on land and in the water. They operate under the Department of the U.S. Navy, sending highly trained military professionals on missions by both sea and land. Becoming a Marine takes dedication and very hard work, and the training is intense. This guide explains the qualifications, application process, and training involved for how to become a Marine.

• In order to enlist in the Marines, you must:

1. Be a male or female between the ages of 17 and 28http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/enlage.htm
2. Have a high school diploma or be working toward a diplomahttp://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/enleducation.htm
3. Be a U.S. citizenhttp://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/enlcitizen.htm

• If you wish to applying for the officer commissioning program, you must:

1. Be a college graduate or working toward a degree
2. You may become an officer through your college's NROTC program

• A Marine recruiter will be able to give you more specific information about eligibility requirements to join the Marines.

If you have received your high school diploma or equivalent or are working toward a diploma, the next step is to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. You will first want to meet with a Marine recruiter to learn the specifics of what is expected. You can fill out an application for more information and locate your nearest Marine recruiter on the USMC's official website.

Once you have completed the application and agreed to proceed with the enlistment and screening process, you will be scheduled to report to a military entrance processing station (MEPS) where several other tests will be administered.http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/mepsglance.htm

These tests include a medical screening and the ASVAB. The ASVAB or Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is a competency examine that all military applicants must take and pass. This is sometimes offered through high school military prep courses but often taken at the MEPS. http://www.military.com/ASVAB

After completion of the MEPS process, military recruits are sworn in an scheduled to report to basic training.

• Once you enlist, you will be required to attend a rigorous 13-week Recruit Training program, or boot camp. You will undergo your training at facilities in either Parris Island, South Carolina, or San Diego, California. All female Marine recruits train in Parris Island. During training, you will learn the basics of marksmanship and weapons handling, among other things.http://www.usmchangout.com/usmc/recruit/bootcamp/bootcampbasics.htm

• Once you graduate from Recruit Training, you are officially a U.S. Marine. The training does not end, however.

1. If you are infantry, you be assigned to the Infantry Training Battalion, School of Infantry. This training can last more than 50 days.
2. Non-infantry Marines are assigned to Marine Combat Training (MCT) Battalion, School of Infantry.

• Marines will then attend their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) schools. MOS's may include:

A. Aviation

B. Combat service support

C. Combat arms and technical specialties, including: Computers, Communications, Intelligence, and Electronics.