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View Full Version : MOS/Ship Date Confusion, Options?



PooleeMichael
03-14-11, 07:06 PM
I went to MEPS about a month and a half ago and enlisted, and was given a ship date in November. It turned out that my recruiter had a poolee that got cold feet, so he offered to switch my ship date with this guy's. I had my heart set on infantry, although I offered Field Artillery and Tank and Assault Amphibious Vehicle as my other two choices. We sat down to look at the open slots for the supposed time slot, which was something like May 28th - July 1st, or a time block roughly equivalent (starting at the end of May, anyway). I was good to go for that time slot, and psyched to find out that there was an open infantry slot in my recruiter's district.

It's been a month since then, and my recruiter called me back to say that my ship date was in fact May 2nd, in the time slot preceding the one we talked about, and that the only job that was open was Field Artillery. I am naturally disappointed because I expected no problems in getting the open slot for infantry, and because this seems to have happened because there was confusion about the time slot.

My recruiter didn't exactly sound sympathetic when I asked if there were any options available to me to maintain my new ship date and still pursue an infantry contract, and I wasn't sure if he was giving me the full story. I know he told me a while ago that it is theoretically possible for his office to swap for open slots from another district, but he didn't sound like he was keen on doing that.

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to leverage an infantry slot in the given circumstances? My recruiter says I either take this job with this ship date or I go back to my November ship date and wait for an infantry slot to open. I'm not sure I can wait till November, but then this is 4 years of my life.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

Lisa 23
03-14-11, 07:16 PM
How about a bit more of a profile, so the Marines who are going to answer your questions, know who they are talking to.

Don't settle for an MOS that you may not be happy with. If infantry is what YOU want, then wait. Like you said, it's 4 years of YOUR life.

PooleeMichael
03-14-11, 07:48 PM
Sorry, filled out my profile a bit more.

Tennessee Top
03-14-11, 08:05 PM
If it's what you really want you'll wait for it. When the time comes, you'll look back and say it was worth it.

Good things come to those who wait.

Browny35
03-15-11, 10:38 AM
Just wait.. If you really want to be a grunt then wait.

OR

Try asking your recruiter if any of the Reserve Units around have any 0300 slots open. If they do sign up for reserve 4x4 and after your done with all your training you can use your chain of command and switch to Active duty. (The time it takes for you to finally get active it would be about the same time as if you waited)