are u still allowed? will i still be able to finish highschool? im just trying to join as early as i can

another question: when in the reserves(while im take 2-4 years of college) do u stay at the rank u are at or can u rise while in the reserves. and what do u do in the reserves

At 17 you need your parents permission, they have to sign paperwork allowing you to join. The Reserves works just like active duty promotion-wise. You can raise through the ranks just as well as active duty. I met at least one guy who served over 24 years, all reserve time and was a MSgt (E-8). Problem is if you go active duty, then you lose something-- maybe a stripe (one rank). They offered me a deal to lose my seniority (time in grade) vice a stripe. Which meant the next promotion took a little longer than most.
In the Reserves you typically do "drill weekends" once a month and two weeks active duty during the summer. The normal routine is to practice whatever profession (MOS) you signed up for. In my case I was infantry (Reserves) and fairly close (four hour drive) to Camp Pendleton, so we "drilled" one weekend a month "playing war" on Camp Pendleton. Two weeks during the summer was spent one year in Puerto Rico and another in Hawaii. Tropical island duty is tough, but you do adjust.
But, it will on depnd on what reserve unti you go to and how they do business. I'd talk to the local recruiter and find out what units are near your home and where you'd most likely by stationed as a reservist-- there could be several reserve units in your area, but nothing that has your profession (MOS). For example, we had a Tanker (drove a tank) join my infantry reserve unit because it was the only unit near his home. We didn't have tanks for him to drive. He had to train in infantry skills with us. He got so fed up he moved within the year to San Diego where he could be assigned to a tank unit.
Clear as mud? Great! Glad I could help.

is there another way to join while going to school. because i dont want to go down a rank once i finish college

If you are going to college you can go to OCS once you finish then you dont have to worry about losing your enlisted rank because you will be commissioned as a 2lt. Do the OCS program through the reserves and the OCS program will be shorter in duration and you will still get federally recognized (fed rec package). Just be aware that you can still be deployed while you are in college.

Here is a national guard option,
http://www.1800goguard.com/education/edu_collegefirst.php

This will allow you to be non deployable for 2 years (supposedly, if there is no catch attached) then bush will be out of office and you most likely wont have to worry about the deployment rates of today.

OCS looks like a good idea. is it just like taking four years of ROTC? i checked a OCS site and it didnt give me enough info. how long does it last? do u get a rank while in OCS or once your done u become a 2lt.

Yes, with OCS you "re-apply" to the USMC (no loss of rank or anything- because you'd be entering the officer corps).
I think this link will answer all the questions:

http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/

Go to "Scheduled Classes"- that gives you an idea of the length of the course. Go to "Preparation" and that gives you some more info.

it lasts only a couple of months and then your a 2ndlt? im probably getting this wrong. Would u perfer ROTC or OCS

They will be a long 2 months, much longer than the 2-3 months of basic. The military has a way of stretching time. That 2 monthss will feel like forever, and the sgts will get theres before they have to call you sir. The time will vary from service to service, the army is 2 months for national guard but the marines could well be 4 or more months, check it out before you do anything.

Be very careful because things can get sticky when you go to officer basic course. Additional hidden contracts that you have to sign (and you will probably be sitting at your duty station and they will hand you a paper and say oh by the way you have to sign on for X more number of years to do that OBC.

All you really need before entering OCS is that four year degree-- ROTC will help, but it's just a preparatory program during college before entering into OCS.

Anyone else got some ROTC scoop? I really don't know much more about it.

If you're already enlisted in the USMCR during college, there are programs available to "transition" into the officer corps. I think a recruiter can tell you more about those programs.

ROTC is an alternative to OCS if you go through the ROTC program you are commissioned the day you graduate. For Air Force there is a 4 week summer course between you sophmore and junior year that is your OCS but is much less time and much milder than regular OCS. But with OCS you dont have to worry about the balancing act between your classes and the pulls on your time from ROTC because your going to want all the time you can get and not drug away from your studies for a road march or whatever.

Personally I dont know why they make you have a 4 year degree to be an officer.

Gosh, you don't get something about the military? I am flabbergasted!

If you know I would be interested in knowing why you have to have a 4 years degree to be an officer? Just because you know differential calculus and how to build rockets, etc does not mean you are capable of crawling in mud and laying in foxholes for days.

have u seen anyone crawling in the mud and laying in foxholes for days nowadays? i think college would give u better thinking skills so u will be able to think faster while in the military.

hmmmm, so now zero's ain't supposed to know and experience basics and fundementals required to serve this country? Never heard of SERE school that pilots have to attend, to stay pilots? All military pilots have to attend SERE school to keep flying.

What? they didn't tell me that when I signed up! Damned recruiters lied to me again...

That is a lie though, the fact that you are sarcastic about it doesnt make any sense. SERE school is like basic so that would make 3 basic trainings to fly a helicopter plus an extra 6 year commitment, I would say thats a pretty big ommission which constitues as a lie.

So if I dident sign the 6 year extention I would just be sitting around drinking coffee as a 2lt until my contract expired wasting the militarys money. So it probably would have been in the recruiters best interest to disclose all of that extra stuff. And if you think not signing up for the extra 6 years is dishonorable then anyone not carrer military forced into retirement is dishonorable.

HI JACK!

Putz.

SERE takes place after one becomes a pilot. It's not part of becoming a pilot.

SERE is to train a pilot to survive in hostile environment without an aircraft strapped to yer ass.

as I mentioned before..a whole new brand of stupid, this kid.

As a search and rescue unit the SERE training would probably not be rushed unless I were to do it as carrer (of course an extra 6 year commitment would have made it over half way to 20). So if you dont take the SERE training or fail it do they just revoke your flight status and discharge you or would you sit around and drink coffee and write op orders. You are calling me a kid but im only one year younger than you cav. As far as exposing a sniper or taking off my mask I would simply refuse and you could either shoot me or write me up and shooting me would probably be bad mojo. I am feeling the hate now though.