Hillary Clinton - Killary Benghazi

[Howard]

M60 machine gun, 50 cal, and Mark 19.  Did you like the reserves better or worse than active duty?

Sounds like you fired some real bad ass rifles!

Hard to say which was better/worse.
On active duty, I had a stable pay check and routine, etc.
Plus, I really liked being identified as marine and the basic "esprit de corps" bonding in the corps.
Ya know, everyone is in the same marine boat and pulls together , etc.

Being active duty felt more like a life style then a job.

Like you I was a college student during most of my time in the reserves .
My 1st reserve unit was an armored ( tank/infantry) Bn.  I enjoyed doing that and felt like a real marine.

However, after a couple months I was suddenly transferred  to an air wing reserve unit.
It was a bit more distance , so I got extra per-diam, but worked doing admin and cpu stuff.
In all modesty, my ASVAB score was in the top 1%, so I  ended up being "volunteered " to do "office work, cpu data* entry" etc

35-40 years ago, the USMC was  transferring  personnel data to a DOD computer based system.
I was part of a group that was trained in Kansas City on basic DOS to input data and write basic programs to assist.
I'd like to brag and say it was some top secret, high speed stuff, but it was pretty tedious and mundane.

To fully answer your question, I found it awkward going back and forth between college life and working as a part time marine.

I almost joined the US Coast Guard, the spring ( April 2002) after 9/11.
I was running in this big 10k race in New Orleans and they have a mega fitness expo.
The Coast Guard reserve was recruiting and using my prior service time , I was under the age to get a commission .

I was pumped to be an XO ( exec officer) on a Coast Guard  rapid deployment gun boat. 
But, since I already had plans to move to N. Ga , I opted out and always had some regret.

I worked out in the same (La) gym with another ex-marine who had become an active duty coast guard officer in the 90's.
I enjoyed hearing about his work and thought it sounded like a great career .
Alas, I never followed thru and ended up staying  with a decent career of teaching physics. I recently retired after 30 years of it.

[Humble Narcissist]

I also had a high ASVAB score (as I'm sure all Getbiggers would  ) but only had one choice of MOS because I was reserve and there were only infantry units available.  I spent 6 months doing active duty assignments on a special program that allowed us to do that and did feel more like a Marine than when I was doing the weekend warrior routine.  I seriously considered going to OCS after college and becoming either a Marine or Naval officer but just didn't like the lack of freedom that comes with a government job.

[Howard]

I also had a high ASVAB score (as I'm sure all Getbiggers would  ) but only had one choice of MOS because I was reserve and there were only infantry units available.  I spent 6 months doing active duty assignments on a special program that allowed us to do that and did feel more like a Marine than when I was doing the weekend warrior routine.  I seriously considered going to OCS after college and becoming either a Marine or Naval officer but just didn't like the lack of freedom that comes with a government job.

LOL    " I'm sure all getbiggers would have a high ASVAB score.  Good zinger!

Sounds like you had some real marine experiences! 100% serious .

Things look good until you get into the day to day life style details.
I trust you made out fine with your final career path?

[Humble Narcissist]

LOL    " I'm sure all getbiggers would have a high ASVAB score.  Good zinger!

Sounds like you had some real marine experiences! 100% serious .

Things look good until you get into the day to day life style details.
I trust you made out fine with your final career path?

Yes, I made out well.  If you stayed in 20 years you could have long since retired.  Have you ever regretted that?  Having an office job wouldn't have beat you up physically unless of course you got stuck in a combat unit which happens to a lot of Marines regardless of MOS.  There is no way I would try 20-30 years in infantry as it will destroy your body.  Most of those lifers have bad backs, bad knees, if they aren't dead from combat.

[Howard]

Yes, I made out well.  If you stayed in 20 years you could have long since retired.  Have you ever regretted that?  Having an office job wouldn't have beat you up physically unless of course you got stuck in a combat unit which happens to a lot of Marines regardless of MOS.  There is no way I would try 20-30 years in infantry as it will destroy your body.  Most of those lifers have bad backs, bad knees, if they aren't dead from combat.

I retired from teaching physics after 30 years and got a pension , health Ins , etc
My dad was in WWII on board the USN Coral Sea as  Gunners Mate and was also in Korea.
He served 8 years active duty and then worked 28 more civil service years on a nuclear sub base as a structural engineer .
He went to school on the old GI bill after Korea. My grandpa ( his dad) also worked on that sub base  and was in WWI at age 18.
Grandpa was a naval welder  and retired as a supervisor in charge of sub hull integrity during his yrs in civil service work

Amazing how my dad and grandpa had a real influence on the careers of my sis and I .
Ya know I taught physics and my sister was an MD, but her specialty was RADIATION therapy/treatments on cancer tumors.
Crazy how "the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree" 'eh.

PS/ I know you'll vote Trump and I'll vote Biden, but I sincerely respect guys like you as my fellow Americans .
    Stay safe and healthy.