Expert: Jason Grabill - 10/20/2009

Question
QUESTION: my recruiter told me the marines are not enlisting high school grads right now. so he told me he was ging to enlist me in the reserves. then i could transfer to active duty. he said to transfer to active duty it would take like 2 months. is this true? can i transfer from reserves to active duty? how long would it take?

ANSWER: Antonio:

 It's certainly possible, but I don't think you'll be able to go from 'reserve' to 'active' in that short of a time period.  You might consider waiting until after 1 October to enlist, it's a new fiscal year and the slots should open up then.

Jason

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QUESTION: i turned in to my recruiter everything he needed and i took the asvab about a month and a half ago. i am trying to enlist into the marines but the recruiter just keeps putting me off. he tells me to wait. now he is telling me he can only enlist me into the reserves or to wait into august to enlist active. he told me to score atleast a 50, and i scored a 44 on the asvab. is it because of that? if i retake the asvab and score over a fifty will he enlist me right away? i want to enlist as an 0311. but i dont want to go open contract. do you think this mos will open soon?

ANSWER: Antonio:

 Once again, likely things will open up further in October which is when the new fiscal year begins and everything is a 'free for all'.  Yes, re-taking the ASVAB will def. improve your overall chances to enlist at this time, anything above a 50 will be good. Likely that is the current reason why you can't get in.

Jason

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: My name is antonio and i want to join the marines. The marines are not accepting high school graduates right for the remainder of this year and the following year. I retook the ASVAB and got a 57. So my recruiter wants to enlist me in the reserves. he says i can switch to active duty quickly if i do good in boot camp. or he says he can get me an active reserve job meanwhile i wait to go active duty. or i can volunteer to go to afghanistan and i would get send since i will be in infantry.
I also talked to an army recruiter. i was wondering if i could sign a 2 year active army contract and after serving the 2 years switch to marines?
Or if i join the marines reserve and have to wait a while to go to active duty, could i switch to army active duty?

Answer
Not accepting high school graduates at this time?  

Then, how can you enlist into the reserves?

Unless things have changed once you are in the reserves usually they don't let you switch in recruit training.  However, active reserve jobs are available once you graduate.  It depends on location and MOS.

If you do the army thing, yes, you can switch but you'll still have to do Marine Corps recruit training.

Jason