Joining the United States Marine Corps. A Handbook

237 Pages·2012·8.41 MB·English

by  Snow Wildsmith

JOINING
The United States Marine Corps
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J M
OINING THE ILITARY
A MCFARLAND HANDBOOK SERIES
BY SNOW WILDSMITH
1. Joining the United States Air Force. 2012
2. Joining the United States Army. 2012
3. Joining the United States Coast Guard. 2012
4. Joining the United States Marine Corps. 2012
5. Joining the United States Navy. 2012
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Joining the
United States
Marine Corps
A Handbook
S W
NOW ILDSMITH
JOINING THE MILITARY, 4
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA
Wildsmith, Snow, ¡973–
Joining the United States Marine Corps : a handbook / Snow Wildsmith.
p. cm. — (Joining the military ; 4)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7864-4761-9
softcover : acid free paper
¡. United States. Marine Corps—Vocational guidance. I. Title.
VE23.W46 2012 359.9'602373—dc23 2012008435
BRITISHLIBRARYCATALOGUINGDATAAREAVAILABLE
© 2012 Snow Wildsmith. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, i ncluding photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without p ermission in writing from the publisher.
On the cover: insetseal of the United States Marine Corps; photograph
United States Marine Corps Recruit guides march at the front of the formation
(United States Marine Corps photograph by Lance Cpl. Jose Nava)
Manufactured in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 6¡¡, Je›erson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
For my father,
HMCM Donald P. Wildsmith, USN (Ret.),
with love and respect for all he has given
for me and for his country.
Acknowledgments
This book could not have been written without the sup-
port of the United States Marine Corps. Thank you to all of
the Marines who took the time out of their busy days to
answer my questions, supply me with needed information,
tour me around recruit training, and generally help me out
with whatever I needed.
Thank you also to librarian and friend Emily Leachman
for proofreading my rough drafts and making suggestions
for improvement. I owe a debt of gratitude to all of my
friends and family who supported me during the writing
process, especially to my ever-patient and ever-loving hus-
band Barry.
viii
Table of Contents
Read This First 1
One: Thinking About Joining the Military 3
1. Things to Consider for Potential Enlistees 5
2. Things to Consider for Parents of Potential Enlistees 24
3. Things to Consider for Spouses of Potential Enlistees 29
4. Military Benefits 33
5. The Branches of the Military 41
Two: General Information About the Marine Corps 47
6. The History of the Marine Corps 49
7. Career Opportunities in the Marine Corps 60
Three: The Enlistment Process 67
8. What Is the Enlistment Process? 69
9. Eligibility Requirements 71
10. Talking to Military Recruiters 77
11. The Qualification Process 90
12. Visiting the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) 94
13. Taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery 103
14. Joining the Delayed Entry Program 117
15. Preparing for Basic Training 122
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