Officer Path/Role in Recon/Special Operations

[IronHawk08]

I am looking at the Naval Academy as an option for college and am trying to figure out some of the roles and paths for an officer in the Marine Corps that would come upon graduation. I have received a Letter of Assurance but want to gather all of my information before I choose to go to the Academy or a normal college. I have a couple questions and would appreciate any help or links you can provide me with. I have read many different things on these but I am still not very clear on it.

1. a) What is the path from the Academy to becoming an officer in a Recon Battalion? b)and what role would an officer fill while there?

2. a) What is the path from the Academy to becoming an officer in the Marine Special Operations units? b) and what role would an officer fill while there?

3. I have read some different information is this a correct interpretation of what has happened to force Recon, they have been integrated in to Marine Special Operations and regular Recon Battalions?

Thanks.

[redman1982]

It is five year commitment after USNA.

Google is you friend, from the USNA catalog:

"Up to one-sixth of each graduating class may be chosen for commissioning as second
lieutenants in the Marine Corps. After graduation from the Academy, you attend the Basic
School, a 26-week course for officers at Quantico, Va. This school gives all Marine officers
a common background in the tactical study of land warfare. Then you go on to advanced
training in a particular occupational specialty based on your qualifications and preferences.
Marine Corps career fields include those in the two basic categories of ground and air.
Ground career choices include infantry, armor, artillery, logistics, engineering,
communications-information systems, financial management and military police. Aviation
choices include pilot, naval flight officer, air command and control, anti-air warfare, aviation
maintenance and aviation supply.
In their first assignments, Marine Corps second lieutenants are generally assigned as platoon
commanders with leadership responsibilities for 35 to 43 enlisted Marines. You often have a
role in a Marine air/ground task force, with Marine light infantry capable of opposing much
more heavily equipped forces. Meshing of air and ground officers in these task forces and
individual units gives officers the opportunity later to command combined units, not just
within career specialties. Marine officers are assigned all over the world."

[Crue]

Recon wont even be an option for you as an officer untill b-billet time, around the time you would be looking to pick up Captain. That is so far the down the road for you... You are a high school senior right? walk into your local recruiting office and say you want to go UZ and the day after you graduate high school you can go to boot camp and then afterwords get a shot at recon..

[Silverbullet]

Select Infantry as your MOS. Do your best while leading a Plt. Learn.

The options to get into Recon will be there once you get some time in and are a senior 1st Lt or jr Capt. Other options will open up after that.

Officers can not get into Recon and/or MarSoc right out of the school.

[IronHawk08]

Redman thanks I had read that a while back but was trying to find something more specific to Recon or MarSoc

Silverbullet, Thanks I thought that might be the case you have to spend some time in infantry before you can get a shot at Recon or MarSoc.

Crue, what is b billet time? And what is UZ? I am not that familiar with all of the military terms. On the enlisting straight out of high school i have thought about it but my parents are against it, plus i have a shot to wrestle division 1 and want to give that a shot before joining the service. Thanks for the info.

[Silverbullet]

B billet time hits about the same time you will be the Sr 1stLt or jr Capt I mentioned. A B billet is a non FMF billet, hence the use of B since it is not within your primary MOS. Examples are, Recruiting, Recruit Training Series Cmdr, etc...

What you want to do is to do your best as I mentioned. The chances to get a slot at Recon will become known to you. You must pass the screening to be assigned there. If you wait to long to try out and end up with orders to a B billet your chances of getting out of them fall somewhere btwn slim and none. Don't worry about stuff like this now. You need to make it through college, become an infantry officer, do well, survive combat and then you get to think about the Recon bit.

Until you have a few yrs under your belt in the FMF, you shouldn't be too concerned with these other issues.

A UZ contract is a contract that an enlisted guy can get when joining that allows him to get into the Recon pipeline if he can pass the screening and aren't a bottom feeder.