July 20, 2016 -- Earning the title United States Marine is a remarkable accomplishment in itself. But for some, it is just the beginning. Becoming a leader is what Marines strive to do, and for those who possess exemplary leadership skills, transitioning from enlisted to officer (E to O) can be the next leadership opportunity in their career.
There are Marine Corps programs that allow enlisted Marines to transition into the officer ranks, whether active duty or reserve, which enables Marines to take their leadership skills to the next level.
“These programs provide enlisted Marines who possess officer qualities the opportunity to achieve their goals of obtaining a higher level of leadership,” said Camille Lomax, supervisor of military human resource specialist.
There are four E to O programs in the Marine Corps. They are the Enlisted Commissioning Program (ECP), Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Educational Program (MECEP), Meritorious Commissioning Program Reserve (MCP-R), and Reserve Enlisted Commissioning Program (RECP).
In order to analyze and select the best qualified enlisted Marines, the Marine Corps Recruiting Command hosts three boards a year for each program.
MECEP is the most common program used to transition from enlisted to officer.
"This program gives Marines the opportunity to fill an institutional need while simultaneously pursuing a personal and professional goal,” said Major Steve Reamy, a product of MECEP who now serves as the Market Research and Analysis Officer, Marine Corps Recruiting Command. “It also gives Marines in the program the unique opportunity to mentor NROTC midshipmen: students who will be their peers upon graduation and commissioning. I encourage any qualified Marine who may be interested in the program to give it a long look.”
MECEP provides active duty Marines a chance to go to a four-year college full-time. The Marine will maintain his or her active duty status and pay, along with all benefits, while attending college. Prior to attending college, the selected Marines must attend and complete Officer Candidate School (OCS). After MECEP Marines graduate from college, they are commissioned a Second Lieutenant and proceed to the The Basic School (TBS) to continue their required Marine officer training.
“I chose to do MECEP because it was a means for me to get my education, and to be able to lead Marines in a greater capacity than a non-commissioned officer or staff non-commissioned officer,” said Captain Michael Cooley, plans officer with Marine Corps Recruiting Command.
ECP is similar to MECEP, except this program is for enlisted Marines who already have their four-year degree. Once selected for ECP, the Marines go to the next OCS class after their board, and then attend TBS.
MCP-R and RECP are both programs for reserve Marines. RECP requires an enlisted Marine to be enrolled in the Selected Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR) Program with a four-year baccalaureate degree. If approved for the program, they will attend OCS and become appointed a commissioned officer in the Marine Corps Reserve. MCP-R is a program in which commanding officers nominate qualified enlisted SMCR Marines or Marines in the Active Reserve Program for assignment to OCS and commissioning in the Marine Corps Reserve. To be eligible for MCP-R, the Marine must have an Associate level degree or 75 credit hours toward a Bachelor level degree complete.
The first board for Fiscal Year 2017 released the results on 18 July. 31 Marines were selected for MECEP and 23 were selected for ECP. For more information on these programs, and to find out if you have what it takes to become a United States Marine Corps Officer, visit https://mcrc.usmc.afpims.mil/Unit-Home/Officer-Programs/