JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Major Matthew C. Weber, commanding officer of Marine Corps Recruiting Station Jacksonville, joined In Depth with Kristine Bellino to talk about the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, or NROTC, scholarship program and some of the other options available for young people interested in joining the Marines.

A scholarship worth up to $180,000

The NROTC scholarship gives students a way to go to college while also preparing to become a Marine Corps officer.

Weber said students who receive the scholarship can attend one of about 171 participating universities across the country.

The scholarship is valued at up to $180,000 and covers full tuition. Students also get money for books at the beginning of each semester, plus some monthly pay to help them get through college.

During college, students also train and learn what they’ll need to eventually lead other Marines.

Between their junior and senior years, they attend Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. After graduating from college and completing the program, they become second lieutenants and continue their training before heading into the Marine Corps.

What do you owe after college?

Of course, there is a commitment that comes with the scholarship.

Weber said graduates serve four years on active duty, followed by another four years in the Individual Ready Reserve.

And that second part doesn’t mean showing up one weekend a month and two weeks a year like many people may think when they hear the word “reserve.”

Weber explained that the Individual Ready Reserve is more of a standby status. You could be called back to active service if needed, but he said at most, it normally involves showing up for an annual muster once a year.

Students can start the process while still in high school

For students who aren’t necessarily looking at the college route, Weber also talked about the option of enlisting.

Students can join the Marine Corps’ delayed entry program while they’re still in high school. That gives them time to prepare before leaving for recruit training after graduation.

Weber said the majority of the young people they work with actually enlist during their high school year.

And not everyone grows up knowing they want to become a Marine.

Weber said many of the young Marines he meets after boot camp had no idea just a year earlier that they would end up joining.

Sometimes, he said, it starts with a recruiter simply asking someone if they’ve ever thought about the Marine Corps.

So, what does it take to enlist?

There are some minimum requirements.

Weber said someone looking to enlist needs to score at least a 31 on the ASVAB and pass an initial strength test.

That includes:

A 1.5-mile run
Three pull-ups
A plank

For the 1.5-mile run, Weber said the minimum time is 13 minutes and 30 seconds, and the minimum plank is 40 seconds.

The requirements are a little different for men and women, and Weber said they’ve also changed over the years. For example, the Marine Corps used to do crunches before switching to planks.

But being physically fit is only part of what they’re looking for.

Weber said character is a big part of it, too.

“We’re looking for folks with that foundational character that has what it takes to earn the title of United States Marine,” Weber said.

There are a lot more Marine Corps jobs than you may think

When you picture a Marine, your first thought may be someone in combat.

Weber said that’s only one part of the Marine Corps.

There are actually more than 300 different career fields, and many have similar jobs in the civilian world.

Weber, for example, works in aviation logistics.

“If there’s a job in the civilian sector, there’s probably that same job or something very, very similar in the Marine Corps,” he said.

That also means Marines can leave the military with skills and experience they may be able to use in a civilian career later.

For anyone in Northeast Florida interested in learning more, Weber said Marine Corps Recruiting Station Jacksonville covers much of northern Florida and southern Georgia, from around Daytona Beach to Tallahassee and north to Albany, Georgia.

More information about joining the Marine Corps is available through Marines.com. Weber also said students interested in the NROTC scholarship can search for the Navy’s NETFOCUS system to find information about applying.

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