Joining the United States Marine Corps

This book is for the teenager or young adult who is interested in enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. It will walk him or her through the enlistment and recruit training process: making the decision to join, talking to recruiters, getting qualified, preparing for basic training, and learning what to expect at basic recruit training.
The goal of the McFarland Joining the Military book series is to help young people who might be curious about serving in the military decide whether military service is right for them, which branch is the best fit, and whether they are qualified for and prepared for military service. Features include lists of books, web links, and videos; a glossary; and an index.

Snow Wildsmith is a former teen librarian now working as a book reviewer and writer. She specializes in comics for teens and children, reviewing for Booklist, Good Comics for Kids, No Flying No Tights, and more. Co-author of The Parent’s Guide to the Best Kids’ Comics, Snow grew up in a military family and now lives in North Carolina.

Snow Wildsmith
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 235
Bibliographic Info: 38 photos, glossary, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4761-9
eISBN: 978-0-7864-9122-3
Imprint: McFarland
Series: Joining the Military

Read This First      1

One: Thinking About Joining the Military      3

1. Things to Consider for Potential Enlistees      5

2. Things to Consider for Parents of Potential Enlistees      24

3. Things to Consider for Spouses of Potential Enlistees      29

4. Military Benefits      33

5. The Branches of the Military      41

Two: General Information About the Marine Corps      47

6. The History of the Marine Corps      49

7. Career Opportunities in the Marine Corps      60

Three: The Enlistment Process      67

8. What Is the Enlistment Process?      69

9. Eligibility Requirements      71

10. Talking to Military Recruiters      77

11. The Qualification Process      90

12. Visiting the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS)      94

13. Taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery      103

14. Joining the Delayed Entry Program      117

15. Preparing for Basic Training      122

Four: Marine Corps Basic Training      151

16. Overview      153

17. Basic Training Tips      158

18. Leaving for Basic Training      163

19. Receiving and Forming      169

20. Life During Basic Training      178

21. Basic Training—Seventy Days of Hard Work      189

22. Graduation and Beyond      202

Glossary of Military Terms      207

For More Information      211

Resources      217

Index      223

Booklist Starred Review.
“A wealth of military nonfiction exists for middle-grade readers, most of it geared toward kids with parents in the service. Fewer are the titles aimed at teens considering wearing the stripes themselves, and rarer still are those that are equal to books in the essential new Joining the Military series…the whole set is recommended…there’s little flash to be seen here, just page after page of insight. Authoritative, exhaustive, sober and indispensable”—Booklist; “a good addition”—ARBA.