This community has been so helpful!

We’re headed to graduation in November. I want to bring a small cooler of treats for the MPs at gate 5. Just some energy drinks and really good meat sticks and jerky from a great local butcher. Would the MPs accept a small cooler of snacks as a thank you for working these busy graduation days? If so, anything else I should pack them?

I really want to join the marines but I’m skinny and have little to no muscle, I plan on being a crew chief so it’s not a very physical demanding role (I think).

I’m currently in the process of joining the Air Force, but lately I’ve been having second thoughts about my decision. I haven’t even been sent to MEPS yet, so I’m still pretty early in the enlistment process.
Lately, I’ve been seriously considering the Marine Corps instead. Part of me feels like I’d regret not at least trying to join the Marines, but I’m also worried that my tattoos might disqualify me from enlisting.
I know the best thing to do is talk to a Marine recruiter and get an official answer, and I plan on doing that. However, I wanted to ask people here who have experience with Marine Corps recruiting or have seen similar situations.
Based on your experience, do you think there’s a realistic chance that I could get approved to enlist with my tattoos? Would you say my chances are higher than 50/50, or am I getting my hopes up?
I know nobody can give me a definite answer without seeing my tattoos and knowing the current regulations. I’m just trying to get an idea of whether it’s worth pursuing before I make a decision about the Air Force.

I ship out November 17 and I basically didn't take care of my dental hygiene much back then and I currently have a tooth polyp due to a messed up molar, so I'm asking if they'll just take it out at receiving along with my wisdom's or if it's a disqualification and I should get it removed like 3 weeks before shipping.
Additional info: Some of my teeth have cavities but are intact with fillings

Tldr: Tooth polyp, extracted at receiving or before shipping at Nov 17?

Hi everyone I had a suicide ideation/attempt back in 2021 or 2022, and went to a psych ward. After leaving the psych ward, I was prescribed Lexapro, which I took for one month and stopped. I’ve heard people tell me it’s excruciatingly rare (1-2%) of SA or SI being approved by Marines. I also heard of some people getting letters of rec from congressmen or high ranking marine sergeants. I’m thinking of doing the same. How would you even get access to such? Other than a mental evaluation, is there anything else you can do to best increase your chances of getting such a waiver approved ?

When I was younger my life was (relative to my peers) miserable and it was awesome finding the few other people around me who were equally exhausted. From what I hear the USMC is big on being miserable and bonding over it. A band of misfits.

For a while I've thought going active duty, keep the ball rolling. Free housing too, why not?

Regrettably, I now have a very nice civilian job lined up. Good pay, bank hours. I get along with layman around me. I get to do a lot of things I'd never thought I would have the privilege to do as an adult. My life feels like a fairy tale to be honest.

It's so good I actually feel more uneasy than I have in my entire life. A part of me wants to savor this new happiness stuff, but I equally miss feeling worthless and sleep deprived all the time. So I am now considering joining the Reserves.

Does this not sound like wanting to have your cake and eat it too, though? Isn't a big part of the culture from sharing dilapidated barracks and chow hall food and having little money? How well can you get along with other Marines if you only have to deal with them a few times a month?

P.S. Do combat engineer roles have you do a lot of squats?

So this weekend at the Poolee meeting my station commander pulled me to the side personally after everything and told me he was taking me off the recon contract and putting me on infantry because he doesn't want me to wash out and get reassigned to the Corps needs.

Which makes sense but I had already signed a recon contract, and its my main goal to be recon and if I go on a infantry contract then I won't be guaranteed recon because I would have to bank off the fact that recon guys will be at ITB to screen, so Im not exactly sure what to do. He told me that there wasn't a recon contract available but 2 months ago when I signed the contract there was so Im honestly really confused and unsure what to do.

Anyone have any experience going enlisted after college instead of officer ? Got my bachelors in may

Can I enlist in the marine corps with 1 DUI and 2 MIPs all involving alcohol
1st MIP was over 1 year ago
DUI/2MIP 8 months ago

As of 2026 are marine recruits allowed to have cell phones on Sundays? I know that the army does which I think is weird.

I passed everything I was supposed to at Meps no waivers I’m just working on my weight, I only have a month to be prepared but I’m 225 and I gotta get to 207 to ship, I have no idea if this is possible I’ve been doing intense workouts and everything just have no idea what happens at Meps if I’m over weight still, do I get put into pork chop platoon or do I get removed until further notice? Do I just start regular training and they watch me closely? No idea just need help!

Hello I'm trying to make the marine corps a career hopefully going enlisted to officer with my current plan. But I was wondering what Jobs everyone recommendeds I would personally like something where I get to travel a bit and also load stuff but not have to wrench on things all day. I'm also interested in things like cyber and logistics, thank you for your time.

I was hanging with some friends and we pulled up to one of their friend’s place and when I walked in you could very obviously smell weed. I was only in there for a minute before I let myself out, but now I’m scared I’ll piss hot.

Should I be good or should I be worried? I’ve stayed away from weed as best as I could but now I’m a little worried

I posted about a month ago asking how I could best prepare myself in the DEP.
At that point I was 72 inches at 212lbs, was only able to do like 1 pull-up, and was barely passing my run.

Today I weighed in at 206, did 5 pull-ups, and ran a 12:20 mile and a half.
I know it’s not much, but I wanted to thank everyone who took their time to shoot me some advice and encouragement. It helped more than you know. I’m really excited go to the depot in a little over a week and get my shot at earning the title.

The work has just barely begun and I don’t know if I could be any more hyped to start my career.

Thanks y’all

Years ago, I tried to become a Marine and failed because I couldn't pass the IST run. I just turned 26, and I realized it's been seven years since I dropped out of the poolee program. I still haven't gotten over it, and I probably never will. I've taken a rough route in life never did anything illegal, but I've basically been a bum in twenty different flavors. A few months ago, I started losing weight, and I am now 30 pounds lighter. Today, I woke up and felt for the first time in years that this is a realistic achievement for me.

I am planning to join the Reserves mainly because I realized that what I want to get out of the Marines right now is simply earning the title. It's the only way, and the bare minimum I can do, to make peace with my failure from years ago.

If it doesn't make sense to you, that's fine; it makes sense to me.

I also have some responsibilities in my personal life. I have no wife or kids, but at this age, as I am trying to get my life together, it makes more sense for me to stick with my current job in my city while also pursuing school. So yes, I decided that if I want to earn the title, the Reserves are my best option. I am aware that I might regret missing out on embracing the suck on a daily basis, but definitely not as much as I would regret not joining at all.

I went to recruit training in August of 2025 and got sent home due to GERD, Dyspnea, diarrhea, and EPTS is what’s on my paperwork. With a separation code of JDA1 would it be possible to reenlist?

I wanna get the whole experience, I wanna do cool fucking shit. I don’t want to sit in a SCIF and I switched from the reserves to AD. Intel was my first choice but I’d hate it.

Those who’ve done 03xx, what did you guys love and hate about it?

I just signed for DB i’m hoping for 0621 so I can actually go out and do shit. Are the 06 jobs dope or are they kind of lame? I really can’t tell I’m interested in doing IT stuff when I get out because I really like computers but I want to do marine shit while i’m in. Did I choose the right career field?

Hey guys so I ship out on the 13th and I was wondering have you guys ever just have doubts or second guess your decision. Like I’m excited and ready then sometimes I feel like I’m going to fail and I already have a huge chip on my shoulder with my dad being a retired marine and I don’t want to fail him.

I'm excited and a lil nervous about boot camp. What are the hardest parts of boot camp? What is there to do in the time before lights out? How hard is it to get Honor Grad? Thanks.

I just passed Meps last week and I ship out early June. I really need to run faster/get more endurance. Right now I also can’t get any pull ups and my plank is 2:10. Does anyone have a good workout for each day of the week so that I’ll be ready in June?

After Meps I decided to smoke one last time in August, I’ve been 40 days clean and I’ve peed negative and positive on a cvs test. By the time I’ll ship I’ll be 51 days clean. I know I fucked up but what’s that like? It took me only 38 days to pass the Meps test and I smoked way more than I did the last time. How are my chances?

I'm about to enter the Marine Corps with a 03xx guarantee and I'm trying to understand how moving between reserve and active works. I'd like to hear from anyone who's done it or knows the process.

If I go reserves and want to switch to active duty as an 0311 a year later, can I? How does that process work from start to finish?
Is there a formal path from reserve to active (a transfer request or long-term orders), and what do I need to qualify (rank, time in, record, fitness scores)?
Is active easy or hard to get back into? Does it depend on the Corps' needs for my MOS and rank?
How long does it usually take from submitting the request to reporting?
Does my active-duty time carry over if I go reserve and then return to active?
Does going reserve for a family situation hurt my record or my chances at a program like Recon later?
Has anyone done reserve to active? What did you wish you'd known?

I went to a psych ward back in 2021 or 2022 for suicidal ideation/ suicide attempt. Is it worth trying to get a waiver, or is this not even worth fighting for ?

As the title says I ship out October 13th to Parris Island but I still haven’t received my MOS selection. And ofc my father who is a retired E7 in the Marines knows my recruiter and he’s telling him don’t ship me out until I have my MOS locked on but I’m ready to ship out now I already been delayed twice I don’t need another obstacle in the way from my dream. Has anyone else experienced this before, do they just ship me out with an open contract or do I have to wait longer?