03xx going to S.E.R.E.

[SHall519]

I was reading a article about a lance cpl. riflemen who went to S.E.R.E. training in japan and i was wandering how common is this. I thought only air crew go to S.E.R.E. if anyone could give me any insight on this that would be great as well as additional training 03xx's get after soi

[Sgt Leprechaun]

It's not common at all. No idea why he went.

Nor why ANYone would WANT to go. Trust me...unless you have to, it's not a fun experience.

[Regulatori]

Lot of Marines go to SERE.

02/Intel (all HUMINT/0211s), Recon (Battalion), MARSOC, sniper platoons (depending on availability of slots), etc.. and just a lot of other random MOS's.

I knew of other 03/infantry guys from a regular line company that were able to attend because they asked for it and the CO hooked them up. It's all about the unit's training tempo and if SERE has open slots.

Everyone I know that went do the full course where you evade capture, get caught, and then detained for a week or so.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Interesting. Back in the days of yore, it was only Aircrew, Intel, and Counter Intel.

Still a 2 week course?

[Rooger]

I was a 1371 on the rock in late 81 on a WestPac float as a L/cpl with Bco 3rd combat 2nd plt. and our whole Platoon did the whole course, in the Phillipines(subic bay), also did the Jungle Survival training course as well. It's not as uncommon as one would have thought for grunts to go through it......I remember Fox 2/4 (which i was attached to did both courses as well) Maybe it's different nowadays But after having Talked to My Nephew, who is a 1st LT Tanker.....He's on the Schedule as well to do the course in Nov.

[SHall519]

the article was right on marines.com. also I was wondering what other traing does infantry go to I know of mountain warfare school and jungle warfare but thats the end of my knowledge on that matter.

[Regulatori]

Infantry training totally depends on the unit and their deployment tempo. If they're doing pumps every 7 months without a lot of down time, they won't have a lot of opportunities for special training. Again, I'm just speaking from experience from one infantry battalion (3/1). In an infantry battalion you have 4 infantry companies. 3 infantry platoons and 1 weapons platoon. I was in a sniper platoon but still talked to many of my SOI buddies that went into normal line/grunt companies. Some went to SERE, some went to "Combat tracker" courses, some did specialized mountain warfare courses, some did foreign weapon courses, etc..

Guess what I'm trying to say is there is no "one-size-fits-all" answer. If you sign up for an 03XX contract you're guaranteed infantry school...from then on, it's totally up to your unit.

Another thing is actual school "slots." When I was in snipers the slots were always closed because MARSOC/Recon BTL tend to get first dibs. You pretty much were on waiting list and fighting with the other grunt sniper units to get a spot (I believe there is 24 grunt units in the Marines....8 in Pendleton, 4 in Hawaii, 4 in stumps, and 8 in Lejeune and each has a sniper platoon). When I was about to get out the slots started opening up and more of our guys were going. All I'm trying to say is that going to specialized schools as an 03/grunt mainly depends on what's available and if your command has the time to send you.

Don't be worried about asking your Captain/CO about schools. I would wait a bit like after your first pump and then see what's out there. Lot of times you just have to be vocal and your LT/Captain will work with you.

If you're in a grunt unit, make sure to stop by your S3/OPS and ask to speak to the training Marine. It's usually a prior grunt (most S3 Marines are prior grunts) and ask them about upcoming training. If you make friends they'll tell you about upcoming schools/open slots and that could help if you go back to your CO....it shows you're actually being proactive when you say "There is an open SERE school slot for November...would you be willing to put my name in there, sir? After coming back I would be willing to give a few basic classes of what I learned to other Marines in the company." Stuff like that will go a long away and show you're trying to benefit the unit as a whole and not just yourself.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Well said. Closed as that about sums it up rather nicely.

[Ice Man]

The above posts are basically correct, however not completely. The CO of the company really doesn't have much say in who gets seated and who does not. Lets say, for example I'm in 2/8 Golf Company. If I wanted to go to a school, Infantry Squad Leader's Course for example, I'd go and talk to my Company Training NCO. Upon him checking qualifications against the course prerequisites and me meeting them, a nomination would get sent to 8th Marine Regiment, where it'd once again checked. The Company Training NCO prioritizes their potential candidates against other Marines in their Company, and Regiment prioritizes between the Battallions and so forth up the chain, sending a mix of their most qualified applicants and the ones who most need to attend the school. An example would be if I was trying to get into ISLC as a Lance Corporal, and 2/8 Fox Company had a Sergeant nearing zone, they'd more than liekly give the seat to the Sergeant since it's a required PME for Sgts and he needs it for promotion.

From the Regiment, it would then be sent up to 2nd Marine Division, where it would once again go through another screening and prioritized between the Regiments, and then it would be sent up to II MEF. That's where the real scrutinization takes place. It's the job of the MEF to divide the allocations between Division, MAW, and MLG. If MLG sends up a bunch of cooks for SERE for example, and MEF sends them up and they get registered, they lose those slots for Marines who actually need them. The final approving authority is the respective MARFOR (MARFORLANT on the East Coast; MARFORPAC on the West Coast). They then prioritize the nomination between the MEF and Base and the other units who want them. In a perfect world, they go to deploying units first, to Marines whose MOS requires them. A Captain at the Company Level really doesn't have much influence on a Colonel at the MARFOR level. IN fact, they're not even supposed to make direct liasion...everything is supposed to flow up and down the chain of command.

As far as 03xx's going to SERE...they don't get a lot of priority, but they're usually admitted on a space available basis. Let's be honest, what are the odds of a line company 0311 being captured. Priority goes to 0321, 0317, 0211 (and certain other intel MOS's), 2336 serving certain missions, pilots, air crew, and other such "higher risk" personnel (definitely not an all inclusive list). If the class is almost ready to start, and there's open seats available, 03's definitely have a shot to get in, but generally speaking MOS's aside from the more specialty ones listed above are only enrolled with justification from the unit as to why the training is necessary (some cooks go on Advisor Teams and so forth from time to time). Really depends on who's sitting in the upper echelon. If it's an 0321, they're usually more apt to be strict on schools like SERE and BRC. If it's an 0369, they're more apt to let Grunts in. Just form my personal experience working in higher headquarters (every infantryman's dream).

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Ice Man, that was one very well thought out and informative post. Thank you very much!

[SWRIGHT0321]

It's not common at all. No idea why he went.

Nor why ANYone would WANT to go. Trust me...unless you have to, it's not a fun experience.


It kinda was fun actually in a sick twisted way. if i had to do sere or airborne again... i would choose sere in a heart beat.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

LOL. I had the choice all those years ago of Airborne or Ranger. I picked Airborne for the cheeziest reason possible....I could WEAR the wings LOL.

And it was a way to get to Recon Bn.

[SWRIGHT0321]

lol... when you get to the top of the tower sound off with what yooooouuu what to be... AIRBORNE!

[Huntley2336]

I went to SERE back in '08 when I was an 0431. Ah memories... :cry:

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