Questions about life

[Tinch81]

Good morning Marines, how are we today? My name is PVT Tinch I'm currently at Ft. Sill Oklahoma for the field artillery cannoner's course. I just have a few questions if anyone could answer that would be out standing. Well first of all I any of you are 0811's what is life like in the fleet as a 11 also I want to be stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC but I heard the Artillery unit is deploying in May and I graduate class in April now that being said I'm not really scared of deploying I'm just afraid to leave my girl friend and family for a long while because I'm afraid if I do choose NC that I won't get to go home at all from now untill after my 1st deployment is that true or will I be able to take my 20 days of leave once I graduate and get to the fleet before we deploy? Any help would be greatly appreciated I just want to be able to go home and spend a few days with family before I deploy for 7-8 months, thank you Marines.

[advanced]

When you're ready for the real meaning of life, let me know my son.

[KevinR]

Maybe things have changed since I've been in, but when we graduated MOS school, we were given our orders which told us where we were going to be stationed. You can choose now?

2nd thing. I know you want to go home on leave and see your family, which is great, but as far as your girlfriend goes....It's really hard trying to keep that relationship going with you not there (ask me how I know). I'm sure you will be able to take leave either way. Good luck with your career, and be careful.

[Reddog48]

The same thing happened to my 0811 son at Camp Pendleton early last year. He was not deployed because he was too late to go to pre-deployment training at 29 Palms. He was put in a Battery that stayed back. I would bet the same will happen with you. Good Luck.

[Tinch81]

Oorah sergeant, and yes the first day of class you get to list your choices, east, west or overseas and from the Ssgt's and Sgt's ive talked to they said that as artillery you usually get you're first choice, but yes I know it's going to be hard with the girl friend but I hope it works out, but thank you Sergeant.

[KevinR]

Oh yeah, that's right. We did that when we first got to our MOS school. I forgot about that. I didn't get what I wanted though. Hopefully you will. And hopefully it does work out for you.

[Zulu 36]

Hell, I don't ever remembering having ANY choice. The schoolhouse told us that most would be going somewhere in WestPac - and most of us did.

[Phantom Blooper]

Grasshopper....

When life knocks you down, try to land on your back.

Because if you can look up, you can get up.

Let your reason get you back up.

[Mongoose]

The only choice we had was if we wanted to go to V.N. or go to V.N. They kept it simple for us. Didnt have to scratch our heads and wonder with was the best duty. S/F

[Marine84]

I had the same 3 choices and I got what I signed up for.........went to school on the East coast, hit the fleet on the West coast and got Iwakuni for Overseas. Luckily, I knew somebody that knew somebody that knew something and got sent back to the West coast when I got back from Iwakuni.

I loved the West coast! Until then I had never lived in a place where the temp was over 100 degrees sometimes and you could see a mountain (when the smog wasn't so bad), in the view from your kitchen window, with snow on top of it.

[0351 Corporal]

Damn..We didn't get any choices, they assigned us our duty station; if you didn't like it you were S.O.L.