lat move question and advice

[J96]

Good morning Marines. I have a question about a future lat move. I initially signed a reserve 0321 Recon contract, under the impression that if I did not make the cut I would go back to the reserve Recon unit as an 0311 and would be transferred to a regular 03 reserve unit from there. Long story short, I did not make the cut and got reclassed to 2111 small arms repairer. I'm currently in a holding platoon and pick up class March 23. My question is would it be at all possible to lat move to the active duty side into the infantry later on? I don't know if it helps but here is additional information on training that I've conducted thus far:
Boot camp MCRD PI hotel co PLT 2064
ITB B Co 2nd platoon camp pendleton (I was moved to RTC at the split)
MART/BRPC 2-15 (dropped around TD-9 or so)

Most of my pfts' s have been at 285+ and cft's at 290+ if that helps at all as well.

I've always wanted to be apart of the Marine Corps infantry and was needless to say disappointed when I got reclassed. I understand that I am a Marine first and will serve to the needs of the Corps willingly. However, it is still a huge goal of mine to earn the 03 title and I have a strong desire to serve among their ranks. Any help, guidance, information, advice, criticism, etc. is greatly appreciated.

[Tennessee Top]

Don't know if anyone here can answer your question. Maybe USMCARivera can since he is a recruiter and deals with the reserve component.

My initial reaction (guess) would be to say "no". Going from the reserves to active duty involves a completely new contract - what happens to your reserve contract? And, the active duty force is being drawn down. The USMC is not going to pay to train you as a 2111 just to turn right around and make you an 0311. They are going to expect a return on their investment.

Don't know how well your recruiter explained things to you as far as what would happen if you were dropped from MART/BRPC (or you just heard what you wanted to hear). The bottom line in all cases, and young Marines have a difficult time accepting this fact of life, everything always boils down to the needs of the Marine Corps (just as you acknowledge). They reclassified you as a 2111 reservist because that's what they need. Good luck getting them to change their minds or letting you do something different. Never hurts to ask though; all they can say is "no". Don't know how you would go about requesting such a thing or who to.

[J96]

Thank you Tennessee Top. Those were the same points that I'd thought would come into play as well. I don't really know who to ask either, but do you think it'd be a better possibility of lat moving to the infantry if I stayed on the reserve side? I know there's an 03 reserve unit in Montgomery that is just within the 100 mile radius of me.

[USMCARivera]

The easiest way for me to put this, without having to go into a long winded diatribe, is that it is highly unlikely that you will be able to ever switch from reserves to AD. The only way you could is to wait for your contract to expire then try and enlist as prior service, and as weird as this sounds, someone from another branch has a better chance in getting into the Marine Corps with prior service than some one who is a prior service Marine. I have no clue why but that's how things are going.

[J96]

Wow that is weird. Do u think I'd have a chance at all of lat moving in to the infantry if I stay on the reserve side? If so would it be more than likely if I were to reenlist or would it be possible to do it at some point during my first enlistment?

[USMCARivera]

You have to reenlist, to do a lat move even then you're a reservist so it won't be simple. If there is a reserve center near you that needs an infantryman then you can but if there isn't then you're stuck. Did your recruiter not go over what would happen to you if you washed out of MART/BRC?

[J96]

Both my recruiter and a sergeant that i interviewed with at my reserve unit before I shipped out to boot said that if I didn't make the cut at Recon then I would just come back to that recon reserve unit as an 0311 and would be transfered to a montgomery unit later on. I don't know if maybe the policy on that changed while I was in training or whatever but bottom line that ended up not being the case for me and had I known that I wouldn't have signed that contract but at the time it seemed like I had nothing to lose bc i was under the impression that I'd still be infantry either way.

[Tennessee Top]

Your understandable innocent mistake in that case was, you never got anything in writing (heard what you were wanting to hear and believed it). It's a tough lesson to learn.

[J96]

Yeah it is! I'm content with what they gave me tho, considering what a lot of my buddies who got washed out of mart ended up with. So I'll just make the most of it for now and will keep asking around throughout my career. Thank you for your time.

[USMC 2571]

J96's attitude is very very very very refreshing.....

[USMCARivera]

Yeah it is! I'm content with what they gave me tho, considering what a lot of my buddies who got washed out of mart ended up with. So I'll just make the most of it for now and will keep asking around throughout my career. Thank you for your time.
Good to hear you plan on making the most of it. Always remember you're a Marine. That title will long outlast your MOS.

[J96]

Rah Staff Sgt

[SGT7477]

Good to hear you plan on making the most of it. Always remember you're a Marine. That title will long outlast your MOS.

You got that right, been a Marine since 13 Sept. 74, Semper Fidelis Forever.