MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP BUTLER, OKINAWA, Japan -- The III Marine Expeditionary Force Reserve Liaison Office held seminars at Marine Corps installations throughout Okinawa June 23-27 on the benefits the Marine Corps Forces Reserve has to offer and how to transition from active duty to the reserves.
“A lot of Marines know nothing of the reserves,” said Staff Sgt. Brian T. Joseph, a Miami, Florida, native and reserve transition coordinator with III MEF. “They know there is an active duty, and they know there is a reserve, but not much more than that. My goal is to get the basic information out there and let these Marines know the opportunities available to them.”
The seminar not only informed Marines about the reserve forces, but also invited them to visit the III MEF liaison office based out of Camp Courtney for one-to-one talks.
“The main benefit that Marines can get from gathering this information is weighing their options,” said Maj. Frankie Farmakis, the reserve liaison officer for III MEF. “Many Marines have paths or goals that they may not have been able to take as an active (duty) Marine, and the reserves may better suit those paths while allowing them to still wear the uniform.”
The seminar educates Marines on the broad spectrum of the reserve forces and the different routes each individual can take, including the Selected Marine Corps Reserve, Individual Mobilization Augmentee, Active Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve.
“The main goal is to educate active-duty Marines, regardless of what time they have left in the Marine Corps, on what opportunities exist in the reserves as they go through the latter years of their career,” said Farmakis, a Parker, Colorado, native.
Reservists can lead normal civilian lifestyles while maintaining readiness to supplement active-duty forces when needed, according to the Marine Corps Forces Reserve website, found at www.marforres.marines.mil. The same basic standards and responsibilities apply to all Marines, whether active-duty or reserve forces.
For more information on transitioning to the reserve forces, contact the Marine Reserve Liaison Office for III MEF on Camp Courtney at DSN 315-622-6004, or visit their website at www.iiimef.marines.mil/ReserveMarines.