02/26xx questions

[manoffewwords]

Hello Marines,

My name is David Ahn, and I'm interested in becoming a Marine. My grandfather was a translator during the Korean War, and the Marines saved my family multiple times during the conflict. 60 years later, I feel like I have a large debt not only to my country, but specifically to the Corps. Therefore, I've decided to enlist in the Marines.

A few things about myself:

I'd be entering the Marines after my sophomore year of college, so I'd be going into boot camp as an E2. I've taken a practice ASVAB and I think I'll get a 97-99 on the actual test. I'm also fluent in a Category 4 language (Korean), so I'm fairly confident of a good DLAB score. Due to these factors, my recruiter wants me to sign an intelligence contract. After reading the extremely informative sticky regarding the life of an 0231 Marine, I'd like to agree. My particular strengths seem to correspond to what an 0231 Marine needs.

However, I do understand that my contract does not guarantee me placement into the 0231 MOS and I'll be placed where the Corps needs me within the 02xx and 26xx fields. Since I'd like to be prepared for anything, I'd be honored if you could give me any information comparing the two fields. What's it like in Signals Intelligence or Electronic Warfare? Should I learn programming to get a head start? If so, which language should I learn? Do you have any words of advice for a young poolee?

Thanks in advance,

David Ahn

[haebyungdae]

Unless you don't want to be a linguist, talk to your recruiter and see if you can be guaranteed a linguist MOS, 267X. If the Marine Corps has a need for Korean linguists right now, there might also be a (slim) chance that you could skip language school and go straight to our following schooling in Texas. Your recruiter might not know about this option, but I've seen it happen. If all of this is possible, then in addition to your DLAB you'll have to take the Korean proficiency test, but this is only if the whole skipping language school deal is possible. If not, you will take it during bootcamp. Let us know how things go.

Don't worry about learning programming. And, by fluent I assume you mean reading, writing, listening, and speaking? Like you can listen to the Korean news or read a Korean newspaper and understand at least 70% of it? I've seen a lot of kyopos that were "fluent," but they couldn't read or write well and had much difficult with higher level vocabulary and grammar in all forms.