It’s a time of change for the Duggar family.
Most of those changes are bad, such as Joseph Duggar’s arrest on child molestation charges.
But some of those changes are just downright unexpected — including the news that Derick Dillard has joined the Marine Corps.
Yes, it’s not the most common career move for 37-year-old husbands and fathers, but Derick took the pledge, and he will soon be shipping off to basic training.
News of this surprising development comes courtesy of his Jill Duggar’s blog:
“Derick has joined the Marine Corps!” Jill wrote, adding:
“He has been selected for Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS)!” Jill wrote this week along with a photo (above) of Derick pledging in as his three sons looked on.
“He ships out for active duty to Quantico, VA in a few weeks! Lord willing he will commission as an officer at the end of OCS and then go on to a couple of other trainings before getting his assignment as a Marine Corps JAG officer!
Longtime Duggar fans will recall that Derick worked as a lawyer for several years before leaving his job as a prosecuting attorney/assistant district attorney in Oklahoma.
Now he hopes to become a Marine Corps JAG>
“Becoming a military JAG officer has been something Derick has wanted to do for a long time and he even received a recruiting letter last year from the Marine Corps, but the timing just wasn’t right for our family, and then by the time we were ready, we weren’t sure the opportunity would still be available,”
Judge Advocate General– is “a commissioned officer and qualified attorney who provides legal services, advice, and counsel to Marine Corps commands and personnel.”
He’ll spend 10 weeks at Quantico, Virginia, to attend Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OSC), after which, Jill and the kids will move to VA to be with him.
At some point, the family will relocate to Rhode Island for additional training.
“After starting the process in early March, we have been surprised how quickly things have come together and the doors that have continued to open, so much so that we can’t deny God is leading us in this direction,” Jill wrote, adding:
“Lord willing, after Derick’s 10 weeks of intense training at OCS, Jill and the kids will move to join him in Virginia, and then Rhode Island for the remainder of his training.
“We’d appreciate your prayers for health and strength for Derick as he prepares for and trains at OCS, and for the rest of us as we survive without him for a bit and prepare for new family transitions!”
For all the Duggars’ patriotism, Derick is the first member of the family to join the military.
Interestingly, as The Ashley’s Reality Roundup reports, none of the Duggars has commented on Jill’s posts announcing Derick’s new gig.
But to be fair, they have other things on their minds these days.