Recruiter issues

[marineapplicant]

Hello, I don't have a specific question necessarily I would really just like some honest advice. Over the last year I had been working with the Navy to become a cryptologic linguist. It never really felt right, and I didn't feel excited about joining. For some reason I felt a stronger pull to the Marine Corps. So two weeks ago I went to a Marine recruiter and respectfully told my Navy recruiter I had decided to go with the Marine Corps. With that being said my new recruiter told me I was in luck because he just had a female drop of of DEP and her ship date was the 21st of March. He asked if I had any issues with leaving that soon and I said no sir, as long as I can sign for one of the jobs I am interested in. The jobs I was/am interested in are cryptologic linguist, intelligence specialist, and electronic intelligence intercept operator/analyst. I have my GED and have taken the ASVAB with a score of 82. My recruiter said that I would need a waiver because of the GED but with my ASVAB score he said it would be no problem. I went to MEPS yesterday under the impression that I was going to be taking the DLAB before my physical. I got to MEPS and was told that my recruiter didn't tell them I wanted to take the DLAB and by the time I made it to the Operations Chief he told me because I have my GED and do not have 15 college credits,(I have 12), I wasn't eligible for any of the jobs I had picked. I told him that I did not want to enlist, I would rather go to school to get those 3 credits and come back in a few months. My recruiter was angry that I told them he promised me I would be taking the DLAB and he was angry I didn't just pick another job and he told me that I would not only never be able to join the Marine Corps, but I would probably not be able to join any other branch. He told me that everyone was excited about me joining the day before but now they just realized I was a waste of time. And he said that I would NEVER be a Marine. Now I have an uncle who is a Lieutenant Colonel, so I know I can still join. But I guess what I want to know is should I keep trying to join the Marine Corps? I have such a high opinion on the Corps and what Marines stand for(Honor, Courage, Commitment, Semper Fidelis.. etc) But my recruiter made me question if that's really what Marines believe in. Was my recruiter maybe not a good recruiter who was just trying to fill his open spot for a female to ship in March? Or should I really not become a Marine if I'm not willing to accept any job and just be happy to be a Marine? Please keep in mind while answering that if I wasn't eligible at all for the jobs I picked I would have picked something else, I want to work for the job I want. Also, if you have any other advice to share I would appreciate it. Thank you!

[03Mike]

Somehow it slipped through the cracks that you were not eligible to enlist and ship. GED + 15 college credits is the minimum. Whether he missed it or you missed it, who knows.

Did you inform him that you only had 12 credits on top of your GED?

A lot of otherwise qualified people are being turned away - and currently, you don't meet the minimum standards that the Corps has set. End of story.

Get the required credits and try again.

[marineapplicant]

My recruiter was completely aware that I only have 12 college credits. He informed me on this past Monday that I was getting a waiver due to my ASVAB score. However, he didn't bother to find out if you had to be a Tier 1 for the jobs I wanted. My waiver just qualified me to enlist as a Tier 2. It isn't that I'm not interested in other jobs, I'd just rather work for the one I want. Currently my plan is to get the college credits I need and try again. I've never been so mad at myself for not graduating High School, but you know what they say about hindsight. I understand that I personally don't qualify, but I feel as though my recruiter should have checked into that before he sent me off to MEPS, as he knew which jobs I was specifically interested in. If I went into all of the details of the things he said to me and lied to me about I would have to write a short story book, however, I am more bothered about him giving recruiters a bad name than I am about how he treated me. Recruiters don't need guys like him giving them a bad reputation. Should I report him lying to me and the things he said to me, or should I let it go? I feel torn because even though he did lie, tried to convince me to lie at MEPS, and put me down for not taking a job I didn't want just to boost his numbers I still have a lot of respect for him as a Sergeant in the Marine Corps.

[Marine1011]

If you feel it's your place to teach him a lesson, then do so by not even joining up. That'll show him.

[Silentwarrior17]

Recruiters don't need guys like him giving them a bad reputation. Should I report him lying to me and the things he said to me, or should I let it go? I feel torn because even though he did lie, tried to convince me to lie at MEPS, and put me down for not taking a job I didn't want just to boost his numbers I still have a lot of respect for him as a Sergeant in the Marine Corps.

And the Corps doesn't need guys like you giving us a bad rep. You say you have respect for him, but you show anything but that here. You should've been happy that he worked with as he did to even get you a job. Most people are killing for a chance just to join the ranks. Just because YOU didn't have the qualifications doesn't mean it is HIS fault. Good luck getting him, or anyone else in that office to work with you now. You burned a bridge on that one. If being a Marine is what you wanted, you would've gone after the title regardless of the MOS.

[marineapplicant]

I do have respect for him. My uncle, a Lt. Colonel is the one who suggested that I report him. And he only suggested that because I wouldn't give him my recruiters name. When my cousin, his son, joined a year ago he had issues with his recruiter and my uncle got them in so much trouble they are no longer recruiting. I don't want to do that to this Marine, however you are supposed to be able to trust your recruiter. My recruiter also, after my MEPS trip, told me that he had signed me up for the DLAB and that MEPS screwed it up. However, the Operations Chief told me that I would have to sign up for the DLAB through him after DEPing in. So it's not about not respecting him as a Marine, it's about him blaming things that he did wrong on other Marines. I am glad the he worked with me, and I am glad he told me I would never be a Marine because he just made me that much more dedicated to proving myself. I don't think there's anything wrong with me having a specific job in mind, though I do respect what you say about joining the Marine Corps to be a Marine not for your MOS. And part of why I am stuck on the job of Crypto-Linguist is because I have a friend who is currently serving as a Staff Sergeant and he told me if I didn't fight for that job he would kick my ass, because he knows how badly I want it.

[Silentwarrior17]

Well, if that is what you want then back to school you go. I'm not trying to tell you just to go in and not get the job you wanted. It it's what you want, go for it. But in order to do so that means that you will have to go back to school, get those credits and then join. IMO I would go to another recruiting station next time.

[Devil1087]

If your recruiter actually told you to LIE to the MEPS personnel he's a total sh*tbag just looking for another body to make mission. These next months are slow for recruiters and he knows it. The recruiters are supposed to ask you to disclose everything to them to document because you're not supposed to "remember" anything that happened to you while down there. They brief applicants to not disclose anything not in their file, not to lie. They expect that you were honest with them when you first met them.

Now from what I understand he told you that you'd be good to go for a DC or DD contract even though you'd need 3 more credits? If he knew what job you wanted he shouldn't have done that, he was trying to pressure you to pick something that you didn't want.

You shouldn't have been deceived so easily though, didn't you know that you can only take the DLAB after you're sworn in and you sign an intel or linguist SOU? Everyone who enlists into the DEP goes into the reserves with an open contract. Don't be afraid of that, your job is determined later with your recruiter.

[TunTvrnWarrior]

Get the credits you need. Get the job you want. Find another recruiter. My hope is that it was a misunderstanding by your recruiter. I have no reason to disbelieve your side of the story, and if it is true, stay away from that recruiter. You are the one signing on the dotted line and commiting yourself, so ultimately you should go for the job that you want.