ground officer vs jag officer

[urbansheriff]

OK, so you can join the Corps as an officer after a college degree. But should I go in before or after I get my JD (law degree)? What are the benefits? Do jag officers move through the ranks faster, or have better perks?

[Grimmy]

Judge Advocate General officers are the lawyers of the service branch in question. Not general service officers but lawyers only, I do believe.

Also, I'm not sure you're accurate on the ... can go in as officer because of college degree... exactly. You might want to check to ensure your degree qualifies as is. You might need some ROTC or some such, but that's just guessing on my part.

[urbansheriff]

Thanks, but that's not what I was asking. I know what a Jag officer is, and you can become an officer through either rotc or ots. I was asking about the benefits or differences in the lifestyle of a jag officer vs a ground officer.

[USMCRET6391]

If you are worried about the difference in the life style of a JAG officcer or any other Officer MOS in the Corps........Join the Air Force

[SpongeJuan]

I hear that no matter what you do as an officer you will also spend time on the ground side

[Grimmy]

What I was sayin is, if you go in as a lawyer you will be a lawyer and do lawyer work for the entirity of your career. That's not necessarily a bad thing, unless you dont like lawyers.

If you go in as a regular officer you may to Armor things, Grunt things, Artillery things, Supply and Logistics things and so on and so forth as the USMC has need.

[SpongeJuan]

I wonder who gets

[SpongeJuan]

I wonder who gets promoted faster

[Vulture6]

But should I go in before or after I get my JD (law degree)?

You can sign up under the PLC (LAW) option. You would go through OCS (OTS is for the Air Force, BTW) and receive your commission. You could then go through law school as a reserve officer. That means that you would be a 1st Lieutenant when you received your JD and went through TBS. Yes, lawyers go through TBS with every other officer of Marines.

What are the benefits?

The benefits will be the same, with the exception that you will already have rank at TBS, and will be generally "ahead" of those that would normally be considered your "year group".

Do jag officers move through the ranks faster, or have better perks?

No - you are generally promoted by year group (time in service & time in grade). Officer promotions are done off of a lineal list by year group up to a point. Of course, a lousy fitness report will most likely get you passed over. If you are passed over twice, you're involuntarily separated.

Better perks? Depends on what you are looking for... some would say yes (you generally don't sleep on the ground, work from an office, don't go on many hikes, generally don't carry an 80 pound pack, don't have to work in the rain or mud, rarely see a flak jacket or M-16, and rarely eat an MRE). Others would say no (you generally don't get to sleep on the ground, work have to from an office, you don't get to go on many hikes, you generally don't get to carry an 80 pound pack, you don't get to work in the rain or mud, you rarely see a flak jacket or an M-16, and only rarely get eat a MREs).

Compare it to being a lawyer in the civilian world -- you'll still work long hours, though probably not as long as if you were a new hire at a major law firm, but then again, you won't reap the financial rewards of becoming a partner.

Guess it depends on what you are looking for in life.

[urbansheriff]

Thanks, Vulture. That's exactly what I wanted to know.