1 00:00:00,450 --> 00:00:02,040 - Sure, my name is Captain Charlie Dowling 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:04,870 and I am MCRC's Head Of Officer Naval and Enlisted Programs. 3 00:00:04,870 --> 00:00:05,780 Where am I from originally? 4 00:00:05,780 --> 00:00:08,370 I'm from, I was born in Rochester, New York. 5 00:00:08,370 --> 00:00:11,510 There's a lot of tangible and intangible benefits, 6 00:00:11,510 --> 00:00:13,160 for Marines seeking a commission. 7 00:00:14,580 --> 00:00:17,610 Marine officers serve in billets of increased 8 00:00:17,610 --> 00:00:19,810 scope and responsibility across the Marine Corps, 9 00:00:19,810 --> 00:00:21,023 across the whole MAGTF. 10 00:00:22,230 --> 00:00:24,950 But really, the successful prior enlisted Marines 11 00:00:24,950 --> 00:00:26,430 that we see come through the program 12 00:00:26,430 --> 00:00:28,820 are kind of less interested in how the program 13 00:00:28,820 --> 00:00:30,070 can tangibly benefit them, 14 00:00:30,070 --> 00:00:31,850 and more interested in how they can benefit 15 00:00:31,850 --> 00:00:34,250 the Marine Corps and better serve Marines. 16 00:00:34,250 --> 00:00:37,770 I think, overall, even before I knew really what MCRC was, 17 00:00:37,770 --> 00:00:40,680 I think making high caliber enlisted Marines 18 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:42,500 and giving them the opportunity to become officers 19 00:00:42,500 --> 00:00:44,400 is one of the coolest things we do as a service. 20 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:45,393 So I think that, 21 00:00:47,030 --> 00:00:48,600 I think that prior enlisted officers 22 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:49,980 bring such a unique perspective 23 00:00:49,980 --> 00:00:51,170 to our overall officers corps. 24 00:00:51,170 --> 00:00:53,210 Obviously they're experienced 25 00:00:53,210 --> 00:00:54,700 not just in their particular Op Field 26 00:00:54,700 --> 00:00:55,700 but their experiences prior, 27 00:00:55,700 --> 00:00:58,350 non-commissioned officer, staff non-commissioned officer, 28 00:00:58,350 --> 00:01:00,050 is invaluable not just relating to the Marines 29 00:01:00,050 --> 00:01:02,470 but also, with their, with their officer peers 30 00:01:02,470 --> 00:01:04,020 who don't have that experience. 31 00:01:04,020 --> 00:01:06,110 So overall, we're looking for enlisted Marines 32 00:01:06,110 --> 00:01:09,510 who not just meet the minimum qualifications, 33 00:01:09,510 --> 00:01:11,594 but who can demonstrate that they exceed it. 34 00:01:11,594 --> 00:01:14,620 And seek to, seek to push past their own limits 35 00:01:14,620 --> 00:01:17,120 and push past minimum standards. 36 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,560 We tend to see Marines, successful prior 37 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:21,710 enlisted Marines, run a high class, 38 00:01:21,710 --> 00:01:23,403 high first class PFT's and CFT's, 39 00:01:23,403 --> 00:01:25,340 they have high standardized test scores, 40 00:01:25,340 --> 00:01:26,743 competitive GPA's. 41 00:01:28,010 --> 00:01:30,140 But even beyond that, not just looking good on paper. 42 00:01:30,140 --> 00:01:33,210 We're looking for enlisted Marines who can, 43 00:01:33,210 --> 00:01:35,280 you know we do a good job of reading between the lines. 44 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,900 We look for enlisted Marines who can take a punch. 45 00:01:37,900 --> 00:01:38,733 Frankly. 46 00:01:38,733 --> 00:01:40,210 And you don't just look good on paper but you can 47 00:01:40,210 --> 00:01:42,660 demonstrate that they can strive through 48 00:01:42,660 --> 00:01:44,810 adversity and hardship and ultimately accomplish 49 00:01:44,810 --> 00:01:45,680 the mission. 50 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:48,280 So there's a variety of programs available 51 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:50,600 to enlisted Marines if they want a commission. 52 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:51,610 If they want to seek a commission, 53 00:01:51,610 --> 00:01:54,110 the most common ones are MECEP and ECP, 54 00:01:54,110 --> 00:01:55,380 that we typically see. 55 00:01:55,380 --> 00:01:57,380 We also have a couple programs specifically for 56 00:01:57,380 --> 00:01:59,360 reservists, MCP-R and RECP 57 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:01,330 which pretty much mirror the first two, 58 00:02:01,330 --> 00:02:03,920 but are specifically designed for reservists. 59 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:04,770 But in addition to that, 60 00:02:04,770 --> 00:02:06,450 enlisted Marines can also apply to the 61 00:02:06,450 --> 00:02:08,990 Naval Academy and also for the NROTC Scholarship, 62 00:02:08,990 --> 00:02:12,103 both of which turn them into midshipmen, essentially. 63 00:02:13,764 --> 00:02:16,330 So what MECEP is, is a program designed 64 00:02:16,330 --> 00:02:18,930 for enlisted Marines, sergeants or above, 65 00:02:18,930 --> 00:02:21,690 with three years Time-In-Service or above, 66 00:02:21,690 --> 00:02:23,480 who have a little bit of college credit. 67 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,210 So what they're going to do is, 68 00:02:25,210 --> 00:02:27,170 once they submit their application 69 00:02:27,170 --> 00:02:28,373 it gets approved and we send them to OCS, 70 00:02:28,373 --> 00:02:31,280 and the upon successful completion of OCS, 71 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,300 they actually go to a college or university 72 00:02:33,300 --> 00:02:35,030 for however long it takes, up to four years 73 00:02:35,030 --> 00:02:36,540 to finish their degree. 74 00:02:36,540 --> 00:02:37,760 And then once they finish their degree 75 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:39,700 they're going to commission as a second lieutenant. 76 00:02:39,700 --> 00:02:41,630 While they're there in college, 77 00:02:41,630 --> 00:02:43,280 they're not just a full-time college student, 78 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:45,990 although that is their primary responsibility, 79 00:02:45,990 --> 00:02:49,214 but they also belong to the NROTC unit 80 00:02:49,214 --> 00:02:50,710 that's there at the school, 81 00:02:50,710 --> 00:02:51,837 which has a Marine officer instructor 82 00:02:51,837 --> 00:02:53,610 and an assistant Marine officer instructor 83 00:02:53,610 --> 00:02:55,253 and a large Naval cadre. 84 00:02:55,253 --> 00:02:58,070 And they train with their, with their 85 00:02:58,070 --> 00:02:59,620 brothers and sisters who are midshipmen, 86 00:02:59,620 --> 00:03:02,997 Navy and Marine option, and also the STA-21 87 00:03:02,997 --> 00:03:05,170 officer candidates which are 88 00:03:05,170 --> 00:03:08,060 Navy prior enlisted officer candidates. 89 00:03:08,060 --> 00:03:10,140 They participate in military training, physical fitness, 90 00:03:10,140 --> 00:03:12,497 leadership classes and that sort of thing as well. 91 00:03:12,497 --> 00:03:16,640 And then ECP right, is for enlisted Marines 92 00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:18,832 who already have a four year college degree, 93 00:03:18,832 --> 00:03:20,890 who already have a bachelor's degree. 94 00:03:20,890 --> 00:03:22,470 So it's similar in that they go to OCS 95 00:03:22,470 --> 00:03:24,550 with the MECEPers, they go to the same OCS 96 00:03:24,550 --> 00:03:26,820 but upon successful completion of OCS, 97 00:03:26,820 --> 00:03:29,020 they commission to second lieutenants immediately, 98 00:03:29,020 --> 00:03:30,220 and then go right to the basic school, 99 00:03:30,220 --> 00:03:31,720 go right to the follow on MOS training 100 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:33,140 and that sort of thing. 101 00:03:33,140 --> 00:03:34,890 Absolutely, so the very first thing you should do 102 00:03:34,890 --> 00:03:36,453 is familiarize yourself with the resources 103 00:03:36,453 --> 00:03:38,270 that are out there. 104 00:03:38,270 --> 00:03:41,580 So right now that's Marine Corps order 1040.43 Bravo, 105 00:03:41,580 --> 00:03:44,300 which is the Enlisted To Officer Commissioning Order. 106 00:03:44,300 --> 00:03:46,350 And, whatever the most recent MARADMIN was, 107 00:03:46,350 --> 00:03:48,410 the most recent convening MARADMIN. 108 00:03:48,410 --> 00:03:50,300 That's going to be your source for the most 109 00:03:50,300 --> 00:03:51,760 up to date information. 110 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,890 Once you do that, actually one more is you go to the 111 00:03:54,890 --> 00:03:57,350 MCRC Officers Naval and Enlisted Programs website. 112 00:03:57,350 --> 00:03:59,180 The MCRC-ONE website as well. 113 00:03:59,180 --> 00:04:01,580 So really those three sources, you familiarize yourself 114 00:04:01,580 --> 00:04:03,710 with all the source documents. 115 00:04:03,710 --> 00:04:05,970 You determine how close you are to meeting 116 00:04:05,970 --> 00:04:07,720 the minimum qualifications, you kinda figure out 117 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:09,930 your general time-line and your way ahead. 118 00:04:09,930 --> 00:04:11,410 Then if you have any additional questions 119 00:04:11,410 --> 00:04:12,991 you can reach out to the points of contact 120 00:04:12,991 --> 00:04:14,330 here at MCRC. 121 00:04:14,330 --> 00:04:18,190 Absolutely, so I mean just like anything else that a Marine 122 00:04:18,190 --> 00:04:19,610 wants to do in the Marine Corps, the first person 123 00:04:19,610 --> 00:04:21,900 they should reach out to is their section leader, 124 00:04:21,900 --> 00:04:24,500 their squad leader, whoever their staffing CO IC is. 125 00:04:25,860 --> 00:04:27,500 Socialize their desires with that leader, 126 00:04:27,500 --> 00:04:29,200 with their first immediate leader. 127 00:04:30,290 --> 00:04:33,270 And then after that, ultimately their application 128 00:04:33,270 --> 00:04:35,100 is going to go all the way up through the chain of command, 129 00:04:35,100 --> 00:04:37,410 to the first general officer in the chain of command. 130 00:04:37,410 --> 00:04:39,210 So they can reach out to their immediate leadership, 131 00:04:39,210 --> 00:04:41,613 their platoon commander, their OIC, 132 00:04:42,910 --> 00:04:45,480 who can kind of give them the officer perspective, 133 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:47,430 and their gonna to help that Marine 134 00:04:49,050 --> 00:04:50,100 walk their package all the way up 135 00:04:50,100 --> 00:04:51,240 through the chain of command, make sure they meet 136 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,790 all the qualifications and everything. 137 00:04:53,790 --> 00:04:55,720 Absolutely, So ... 138 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:57,370 So short answer is, it varies. 139 00:04:57,370 --> 00:05:00,320 So, it can take anywhere from on the short end, 140 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,040 like about a month, anywhere to upwards of 141 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:02,873 three or four months. 142 00:05:02,873 --> 00:05:04,950 And it really depends on a couple things. 143 00:05:04,950 --> 00:05:06,970 First is where the Marine is 144 00:05:06,970 --> 00:05:08,180 in that Marine's chain of command. 145 00:05:08,180 --> 00:05:10,100 So if that Marine is a member of a platoon, 146 00:05:10,100 --> 00:05:12,430 that application's gonna have to get screened 147 00:05:12,430 --> 00:05:15,830 and validated at every level from the platoon, 148 00:05:15,830 --> 00:05:18,314 company, battalion, regiment, all the way up to 149 00:05:18,314 --> 00:05:20,910 the division level, the general officer level. 150 00:05:20,910 --> 00:05:23,210 Whereas if a Marine already works 151 00:05:23,210 --> 00:05:24,300 at the general officer Level, 152 00:05:24,300 --> 00:05:26,400 then really it's gonna have to leave that Marine's section 153 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:27,530 and go right to that G.O. 154 00:05:27,530 --> 00:05:29,130 So it can take a little bit of time. 155 00:05:29,130 --> 00:05:30,120 The other thing that we see is 156 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:33,660 Marines, you know, for better or worse, 157 00:05:33,660 --> 00:05:34,580 not necessarily taking 158 00:05:34,580 --> 00:05:36,580 personal ownership of their application. 159 00:05:37,790 --> 00:05:39,440 So often times when we are approaching an 160 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:41,100 application deadline, you know, every now and then 161 00:05:41,100 --> 00:05:43,647 we'll get a phone call from a Marine who says, 162 00:05:43,647 --> 00:05:46,647 "Hey Sir, Hey Ma'am, I submitted my application 163 00:05:46,647 --> 00:05:50,137 "to the Corporal and the S1 and he said "I was good to go", 164 00:05:50,137 --> 00:05:52,167 "and now the application deadline is here, 165 00:05:52,167 --> 00:05:54,030 "and I don't know where my package is." 166 00:05:54,030 --> 00:05:55,250 For a Marine who wants to become an officer, 167 00:05:55,250 --> 00:05:57,270 that answer is not acceptable. 168 00:05:57,270 --> 00:05:59,210 So a Marine has to take personal ownership 169 00:05:59,210 --> 00:06:02,420 of that application through every step of the process. 170 00:06:02,420 --> 00:06:04,160 Short answer is, it can vary. 171 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,380 Sure, so selectees are notified 172 00:06:06,380 --> 00:06:08,230 primarily via MARADMIN. 173 00:06:08,230 --> 00:06:11,060 So we have three enlisted to officer boards a year, 174 00:06:11,060 --> 00:06:15,270 which cover MECEP ECP, RECP and MCP-R. 175 00:06:15,270 --> 00:06:17,220 And all those results are released 176 00:06:17,220 --> 00:06:21,070 after the board convenes via MARADMIN. 177 00:06:21,070 --> 00:06:23,620 So, that can take anywhere from one, 178 00:06:23,620 --> 00:06:25,210 to two, to three months, we're pretty timely 179 00:06:25,210 --> 00:06:26,870 with it now though. 180 00:06:26,870 --> 00:06:28,700 Sure, absolutely . 181 00:06:28,700 --> 00:06:32,300 So competitiveness for MECEP and ECP right, 182 00:06:32,300 --> 00:06:33,890 varies year to year, just like everything else 183 00:06:33,890 --> 00:06:35,820 when you talk about Marine Corps manpower, 184 00:06:35,820 --> 00:06:37,010 it depends on the needs of the Marine Corps 185 00:06:37,010 --> 00:06:37,843 at the time. 186 00:06:37,843 --> 00:06:40,676 And it's one of many commissioning sources 187 00:06:40,676 --> 00:06:43,810 for the Marine Corps officer mission. 188 00:06:43,810 --> 00:06:46,030 That being said, it typically hovers around 189 00:06:46,030 --> 00:06:48,670 85% for MECEP and ECP selection rate. 190 00:06:48,670 --> 00:06:49,850 Again that goes up and down 191 00:06:49,850 --> 00:06:53,000 but it typically hovers about 85%. 192 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,480 But the, the most successful of the Marines, 193 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:57,480 the Marines with the most successful applications 194 00:06:57,480 --> 00:06:59,450 tend to be the ones who can demonstrate, 195 00:06:59,450 --> 00:07:00,743 via their application, 196 00:07:01,970 --> 00:07:03,803 that they, are looking to, 197 00:07:05,300 --> 00:07:09,490 exceed limitations, push past minimum qualifications, 198 00:07:09,490 --> 00:07:11,490 they're able to demonstrate to the board 199 00:07:12,490 --> 00:07:16,130 their capacity to serve, ultimately serve 200 00:07:16,130 --> 00:07:17,890 in billets increased scope and responsibility. 201 00:07:17,890 --> 00:07:19,254 They're able to communicate that. 202 00:07:19,254 --> 00:07:21,290 They're typically not the ones 203 00:07:21,290 --> 00:07:23,870 who have low GPA's, low PFT's, 204 00:07:23,870 --> 00:07:26,810 low CFT's, who are barely scraping by minimum requirements. 205 00:07:26,810 --> 00:07:28,760 They're the ones who are exceeding it. 206 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:32,350 So those, you know PFT's CFT's they're not even 207 00:07:32,350 --> 00:07:34,060 dwelling on that, they're looking just at 208 00:07:34,060 --> 00:07:35,700 leadership potential at that point. 209 00:07:35,700 --> 00:07:37,660 I'd say first and foremost, Marines not being 210 00:07:37,660 --> 00:07:39,820 qualified, or Marines who don't meet 211 00:07:39,820 --> 00:07:41,193 the minimum qualifications. 212 00:07:42,310 --> 00:07:44,410 So, I understand that the MARADMIN, 213 00:07:44,410 --> 00:07:46,250 for somebody who's not used to you know, 214 00:07:46,250 --> 00:07:47,740 maybe reading MARADMINS all the time, 215 00:07:47,740 --> 00:07:49,850 it can be pretty tedious and pretty verbose 216 00:07:49,850 --> 00:07:51,630 and kind of hard to dig through. 217 00:07:51,630 --> 00:07:53,210 But it spells out in detail 218 00:07:53,210 --> 00:07:54,660 what the minimum requirements are. 219 00:07:54,660 --> 00:07:56,980 So we say for example, there's a minimum 220 00:07:56,980 --> 00:07:59,660 credit requirement that we have, which is twelve. 221 00:07:59,660 --> 00:08:01,843 And we don't accept CLEP or smart credits, 222 00:08:03,070 --> 00:08:04,630 but every now and then we'll get an application 223 00:08:04,630 --> 00:08:06,520 where a Marine is trying to float 224 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:07,823 CLEP or smart credits. 225 00:08:10,340 --> 00:08:13,580 But I mean, sometimes we'll also see Marines 226 00:08:13,580 --> 00:08:15,550 with a marginal Time-In-Service, 227 00:08:15,550 --> 00:08:17,020 or Time-In-Grade requirements as well 228 00:08:17,020 --> 00:08:18,620 who are kinda right at the cusp. 229 00:08:20,140 --> 00:08:21,880 But as far as not being qualified for the program 230 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:22,713 ultimately, 231 00:08:23,710 --> 00:08:25,970 ultimately, MECEP is owned by 232 00:08:25,970 --> 00:08:28,660 CG MCRC right, it's a MCRC program. 233 00:08:28,660 --> 00:08:31,710 It's a non-statutory program that CG MCRC owns, 234 00:08:31,710 --> 00:08:33,490 in order to feed into the overall officer mission, 235 00:08:33,490 --> 00:08:36,113 because it's such a valuable program. 236 00:08:38,090 --> 00:08:40,620 That being said, we see a variety of waivers. 237 00:08:40,620 --> 00:08:42,130 So, take tattoos for example. 238 00:08:42,130 --> 00:08:43,610 Every body likes to talk about tattoos, 239 00:08:43,610 --> 00:08:46,007 and a common question we get is, 240 00:08:46,007 --> 00:08:48,457 "Hey Sir, Hey Ma'am, I have these tattoos 241 00:08:48,457 --> 00:08:50,827 "they are grandfathered in a previous, 242 00:08:50,827 --> 00:08:51,660 "in a previous you know, 243 00:08:51,660 --> 00:08:52,797 "I got them before the order changed, 244 00:08:52,797 --> 00:08:54,460 "these tattoos are grandfathered." 245 00:08:54,460 --> 00:08:56,150 And that's true, and that grandfathering 246 00:08:56,150 --> 00:08:58,660 guarantees them, retention and promotion 247 00:08:58,660 --> 00:09:00,420 opportunities as an enlisted Marine. 248 00:09:00,420 --> 00:09:02,410 It doesn't automatically translate to an officer program 249 00:09:02,410 --> 00:09:05,230 or any other special program for that matter. 250 00:09:05,230 --> 00:09:07,270 So if a Marine has questionable tattoos, 251 00:09:07,270 --> 00:09:09,890 that's gonna be looked at by the Commanding General 252 00:09:09,890 --> 00:09:11,300 of Marine Corps Recruiting Command. 253 00:09:11,300 --> 00:09:14,780 And he's gonna make an ultimate determination at that point. 254 00:09:14,780 --> 00:09:17,366 Other things that require waivers that we see are age. 255 00:09:17,366 --> 00:09:19,560 Right? It makes sense that MCEPS and ECPS, 256 00:09:19,560 --> 00:09:21,460 prior enlisted Marines tend to be a little bit older 257 00:09:21,460 --> 00:09:23,350 than their peers who just went straight from 258 00:09:23,350 --> 00:09:26,300 high school to college, to OCS for example, 259 00:09:26,300 --> 00:09:28,120 they tend to be a little bit older. 260 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,220 So we have maximum age requirements, 261 00:09:30,220 --> 00:09:33,170 or minimum age requirements for that matter. 262 00:09:33,170 --> 00:09:34,524 You know dependents, so there's all sorts of things 263 00:09:34,524 --> 00:09:36,130 all sorts of things that require a waiver. 264 00:09:36,130 --> 00:09:37,490 Yeah, no that's a great question. 265 00:09:37,490 --> 00:09:38,323 I'd say... 266 00:09:41,270 --> 00:09:44,390 Sure I'd say maybe one of them is that, 267 00:09:44,390 --> 00:09:45,443 you know particularly for MCEPS 268 00:09:45,443 --> 00:09:47,320 when they're out there at a college campus, 269 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:49,630 that they are alone and unafraid, 270 00:09:49,630 --> 00:09:50,690 that they're out there by themselves. 271 00:09:50,690 --> 00:09:52,460 All they have to do is get through OCS, 272 00:09:52,460 --> 00:09:54,940 and then they are free to roam at whatever 273 00:09:54,940 --> 00:09:56,890 college campus they end up finding themselves at. 274 00:09:56,890 --> 00:09:59,950 And like I mentioned previously, this is just not true. 275 00:09:59,950 --> 00:10:02,240 They are assigned to an NROTC unit while they're there, 276 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:05,100 under the direct supervision of a Marine officer instructor, 277 00:10:05,100 --> 00:10:06,850 and an assistant Marine officer instructor, 278 00:10:06,850 --> 00:10:08,500 an officer and staff NCO, 279 00:10:08,500 --> 00:10:11,430 in addition to the Navy cadre that's there. 280 00:10:11,430 --> 00:10:13,230 And they are required to participate in training. 281 00:10:13,230 --> 00:10:15,607 They fall into the midshipman chain of command, 282 00:10:15,607 --> 00:10:17,384 they're required to participate in military training, 283 00:10:17,384 --> 00:10:20,410 PT, they have to take leadership classes, 284 00:10:20,410 --> 00:10:21,910 they have to involve themselves in the 285 00:10:21,910 --> 00:10:24,770 in the unit's operations. 286 00:10:24,770 --> 00:10:26,480 Another one might be... 287 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,880 I guess a source of not necessarily a myth, 288 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:31,430 but a source of misinformation, 289 00:10:32,510 --> 00:10:33,343 is that, 290 00:10:34,220 --> 00:10:36,030 particularly if Marines talk to current 291 00:10:36,030 --> 00:10:38,213 prior enlisted officers, which is a great resource 292 00:10:38,213 --> 00:10:39,803 for information. 293 00:10:39,803 --> 00:10:43,100 Some of those officers who came in before 2011 294 00:10:43,100 --> 00:10:45,470 when the requirements where different, 295 00:10:45,470 --> 00:10:46,463 will give them different information 296 00:10:46,463 --> 00:10:49,177 because the requirements were different. 297 00:10:49,177 --> 00:10:51,610 There was a definitive time in 2011 298 00:10:51,610 --> 00:10:54,290 when for a variety of reasons MCRC changed the 299 00:10:54,290 --> 00:10:55,990 basic requirements we instituted, 300 00:10:55,990 --> 00:10:58,320 the minimum credit requirement we instituted, 301 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,090 the rank requirement, and the Time-In-Service requirement, 302 00:11:01,090 --> 00:11:01,940 that weren't there before. 303 00:11:01,940 --> 00:11:05,840 So before, Marines selected for MECEP, 304 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:07,020 as soon as they were selected they would go 305 00:11:07,020 --> 00:11:09,510 right to their college or university. 306 00:11:09,510 --> 00:11:11,230 They would train with the midshipmen for three years, 307 00:11:11,230 --> 00:11:12,700 you know, their Marine option brothers and sisters, 308 00:11:12,700 --> 00:11:13,533 for three years. 309 00:11:13,533 --> 00:11:15,400 And then they would go to OCS with them 310 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:17,830 the summer between their junior and senior year. 311 00:11:17,830 --> 00:11:19,733 They would also go to a short MECEP prep course 312 00:11:19,733 --> 00:11:21,343 as soon as they were selected. 313 00:11:22,560 --> 00:11:24,470 So Marine officers who had that experience, 314 00:11:24,470 --> 00:11:26,600 might not be aware that it's changed. 315 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:28,020 So that might be a source of misinformation. 316 00:11:28,020 --> 00:11:30,397 Like I said, it is a little bit different now. 317 00:11:30,397 --> 00:11:34,300 So we tend to align boards, or we try to align boards 318 00:11:34,300 --> 00:11:36,960 with specific OCC classes. 319 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:38,870 Understand it doesn't always happen 320 00:11:38,870 --> 00:11:40,720 as cleanly as we intend it to happen, 321 00:11:41,690 --> 00:11:43,410 but typically when a Marine is selected, 322 00:11:43,410 --> 00:11:45,500 he or she still needs to be found 323 00:11:45,500 --> 00:11:47,700 medically qualified in order to ship to OCS, 324 00:11:47,700 --> 00:11:49,920 and then once that happens we'll assign that Marine 325 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:51,056 to an OCC class. 326 00:11:51,056 --> 00:11:54,530 Typically it's between one to three months. 327 00:11:54,530 --> 00:11:56,810 We try and get them to the first available OCC Class. 328 00:11:56,810 --> 00:11:59,230 We don't want them waiting for a long period of time. 329 00:11:59,230 --> 00:12:00,810 Yeah this is a great question because, 330 00:12:00,810 --> 00:12:05,333 besides naval aviators and now cyber officers, 331 00:12:06,955 --> 00:12:09,040 every brand new second lieutenant 332 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:11,540 competes for their MOS, at the basics school. 333 00:12:11,540 --> 00:12:13,010 So it can be very likely that a Marine 334 00:12:13,010 --> 00:12:15,180 gets their desired MOS if they perform well. 335 00:12:15,180 --> 00:12:17,210 We say sometimes over at TBS that 336 00:12:17,210 --> 00:12:18,970 there's only one lieutenant in each company 337 00:12:18,970 --> 00:12:20,610 who's guaranteed their number one choice of MOS, 338 00:12:20,610 --> 00:12:22,233 and that's the Honor Grad. 339 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:25,010 Other than that, it's performance based. 340 00:12:25,010 --> 00:12:28,040 So if a Marine wants a particular MOS, 341 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:29,040 they need to be honest with themselves 342 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:30,880 and with their leadership, communicate it 343 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:32,680 consistently, that that's what they want. 344 00:12:32,680 --> 00:12:34,530 And then at the end of the day they need to perform, 345 00:12:34,530 --> 00:12:36,863 they need to perform well at the basics school. 346 00:12:37,900 --> 00:12:39,743 That doesn't just apply to TBS, 347 00:12:40,740 --> 00:12:41,720 follow-on MOS training, 348 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:43,390 that's going to stay with them their entire life. 349 00:12:43,390 --> 00:12:45,510 The rest of their life as a Marine officer. 350 00:12:45,510 --> 00:12:48,080 There are rare cases, very rare cases, 351 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:49,210 I almost don't want to bring it up. 352 00:12:49,210 --> 00:12:51,600 Where prior enlisted Marines will be found 353 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:53,850 exceptionally qualified for a particular MOS, 354 00:12:54,725 --> 00:12:56,453 while their at the basics school. 355 00:12:57,440 --> 00:12:59,570 So say for example you have a senior guy 356 00:12:59,570 --> 00:13:02,120 who was a senior gunny or Master Sergeant, 357 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:04,750 who was an instructor at a some particular school house, 358 00:13:04,750 --> 00:13:07,395 and that individual wants that MOS. 359 00:13:07,395 --> 00:13:08,960 They may or may not be found exceptionally 360 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:09,793 qualified for that. 361 00:13:09,793 --> 00:13:10,773 But like I said, it's hardly worth mentioning, 362 00:13:10,773 --> 00:13:12,923 it's very, very, rare, when it does happen.