Early Enlistment

[Marine_wannabe]

As ya'll know I'm 16 and will turn 17 on Aug 1st, I'm in 10th grade. If I can get my parents to sign for me, would I be able to join on my birthday or would I have to wait until next year?

Can you give me some info on early enlistment?

[rb143]

I'm in the same position as you...
and from what I've been told.

When your 17, you can enlist, but you'll be in the DEP until you graduate.

I'm prettty sure that's how it works.

[Marine_wannabe]

how long can I stay in DEP

and I heard somewhere that if I enlist early it takes off actual service time is this true?

[Sgthawk0612]

**CORRECTION**

If you are eligible for early enlistment, and the recruiter will be able to fill you in, you may go to boot camp during the summer...come back graduate high school and proceed to MCT/SOI either way you go.... A buddy of mine did it in 2003, times might have changed but you can enlist early with your parents signature with out being in the DEP program for ever and a day.
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Sgt Kulowiec

[intreker05]

**CORRECTION**

If you are eligible for early enlistment, and the recruiter will be able to fill you in, you may go to boot camp during the summer...come back graduate high school and proceed to MCT/SOI either way you go.... A buddy of mine did it in 2003, times might have changed but you can enlist early with your parents signature with out being in the DEP program for ever and a day.
_______________
Sgt Kulowiec


My school's planning to go year round sometime soon, which would negate the chance of this being possible because the summer wouldn't be long enough. That makes me sad because for a lot of kids, they really need the money Boot gives them for their senior year, and the steady job it gives them after school. Anyway, the Corps has the same split entry program that the Army has. Boot over the summer, senior year, then your advanced training. But, make sure your summer is long enough before you sign up. Also, I do think you can go on and enlist at 17, drop out of high school, and join the marines, but I'd suggest waiting until you graduate. I have a friend in the Marines who dropped out of high school and then joined later and he's having to take classes to get his GED because the Corps wants him to have it. Stay in school, do the DEP if you want to, but wait. You only have one year, it's not as long as you think it is.

[Mgoody2009]

I have to get in the middle of this. Haha this is one of my first posts. You can sign up for the Marines at age 17, but you can not go to boot camp unless you get your high school diploma. I have already tried it and thats what my recruiter told me. So instead of going my whole senior year, I have enough credits to graduate a semester early.

[KerberJ]

You have to be 17, a senior in highschool, and parents have to sign. So your in the DEP program your entire senior year. Thats what I had to do. But thats the qual, I tried EVERYTHING to go my junior summer to goto boot camp. Hope this helps.

[PooleeRogers08]

**CORRECTION**

If you are eligible for early enlistment, and the recruiter will be able to fill you in, you may go to boot camp during the summer...come back graduate high school and proceed to MCT/SOI either way you go.... A buddy of mine did it in 2003, times might have changed but you can enlist early with your parents signature with out being in the DEP program for ever and a day.
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Sgt Kulowiec

Sorry to correct you Sgt, but the Marine Corps does not offer a "split entry program" like the Army... I talked to every recruiter in the metroplex last summer, and the only way you can go to bootcamp during the summer before you graduate is for OCS. And that's only offered to college graduates. It used to be offered to enlisted personnel as well, but not anymore.

Once again, Sorry Sgt.

[DearMilSpouse]

About the GED issue, the Marine Corps no longer accepts people with just GED's. If you have a GED you must also have I think like 20 college credit hours as well. So you either have to have a HS Diploma or a GED with college credit hours, unless they have changed it over the past couple of years.

[KerberJ]

No, they haven't changed it, I was thinking about getting my GED until I heared you had to have college credits or your a no go.

[AaronRiley]

Dep takes off from you reserve time dosent it?