All you have to do is go to a Real Estate Investment Club and find out what you want to do and learn from someone in that field. 

I'm an active duty Marine and not in the states right now, but would like to accomplish all I can towards a goal of purchasing and renting out my first property by Feb/Mar 2016.I live in Fallbrook, CA with a friend of mine who was medically retired and would like to find a four-plex/quad-plex in which I could live in and rent out the other units.

Awesome, its very cool to have a fellow engineer in the same field in the same area on here. 

Education is the first thing you should accumulate in this field.

Having multiple LLCs with different entity structures with your current investing goals made absolutely no sense and it seemed that you were looking to avoid paying taxes on some money made on a deal so you can focus on your medical bills.

I have an ex-wife of many years who is trying to use a large debt of medical expenses for my son and is about to force me to sell this rental.

@Chris Field  See Chris' post above mine to clarify the amount of leverage vs # of houses.

I have read many books on real estate investing but I am always told by others in the field (and in the books I read!)

We both come from the medical field and have come to realize that we won't reach our financial goals continuing our current path.

Although my particular field is in land investment, I'm sure house flipping is very advantageous there as well.