View Full Version : 03xx opportunities after SOI
Bowhunter92
12-21-11, 08:25 PM
Marines I have a question about the schools i can attend after Infantry Training Battallion. Ive seen things at the recruiting station on places you can go after School Of Infantry. Courses like Land Navigation, Survival School and S.E.R.E. , i was wondering if there is a place i can find a list of all the schools an 03xx can attend, and if any of you Marines had any suggestions from personal experience what to attend.
Thank you for your time
thewookie
12-22-11, 07:28 AM
what to attend.
The list of schools out there is long, and it changes.
And the "list" isn't exclusive to 03's. A lot of schools are only available to 03's -- but a lot of that can be waiver-able (to an extent.)
Are you looking for only USMC schools? What about civilian schools?
Can you see where I am going with this?
As far as "what to attend" -- you ain't really gonna have much say in that matter. Not until you have some rank, and even then your input will be minimal.
Good luck.
devilbones2
12-23-11, 08:32 AM
I am so glad the internet wasnt popular before I got in. I would be on here asking so many questions. Back then we had to just find out for ourselves and experience things on our own.
One school that is exclusively an opportunity for 03XX Marines is Infantry Squad Leader Course (and Machinegun/Mortar/Anti-Tank Section Leader Course, depending on the flavor of your MOS). You can go as early as LCpl, I believe, as long as you're in a Squad Ldr billet on paper. Otherwise, I believe you need to wait until Cpl to sign up.
Your S-3 should be able to tell you what schools and training opportunities are available at the time.
Also - don't expect that as a boot grunt your chain is going to send you to some high-speed low-drag school like Airborne or something. Slots for a lot of the "cool stuff" are extremely limited, and stuff like airborne is generally seems to be only given out as re-enlistment incentives these days.
If you want the additional education, do MCI's. It may not be hands on, but you'll learn a lot and it will make you more competitive in the long run. There's an MCI for just about everything, so no shortage of learning to be had.
TheReservist
12-27-11, 07:05 PM
One school that is exclusively an opportunity for 03XX Marines is Infantry Squad Leader Course (and Machinegun/Mortar/Anti-Tank Section Leader Course, depending on the flavor of your MOS). You can go as early as LCpl, I believe, as long as you're in a Squad Ldr billet on paper. Otherwise, I believe you need to wait until Cpl to sign up.
I went to ISLC as a lance in 08 but I heard rumors that they were going to make it for sergeants only because it does count as towards PME for sergeants because, I believe, it can be used in lieu of sergeants course.
It used to be that ISLC could replace Corporal's Course for required PME. However as of a year or two ago there was a MARADMIN that said that ISLC now does not satisfy the requirement to attend in-residence Corporal's Course. You can attend ISLC as an optional PME, but you'll still need to go to Cpl's Course at some point if you want to make Sgt.
TheReservist
12-27-11, 07:29 PM
That sounds weird, as ISLC is a 10 week course like Sgts. Course while the billet of Squad leader is made for a sergeant. Also, it's kind of circumstantial but a friend who was a sergeant got selected for staff sergeant while he went to ISLC but not sergeants course.
Also, I thought that corporals course was still unnecessary for promotion to sergeant.
You might be thinking of your friend attending IULC (Infantry Unit Leader's Course)?
The in-residence Cpl's Course as mandatory to make Sgt is also new: http://www.yuma.usmc.mil/desertwarrior/2010/07/29/feature1.html
TheReservist
12-27-11, 07:43 PM
IULC is for 0369s aka Staff Sergeants
Roger that. Well I can say that there were indeed LCpl's at ISLC while I was at Geiger recently; saw them with my own eyes. One CI said that about 40% of the recent classes have been LCpl's in Squad Leader billets, but that part of it I can't confirm.