If RCT is dropped in Boot, do they lose their MOS selection?

[gduncanson]

My Rct son started MCRD-PI on 5/23, set to graduate on 8/19 with E Co. He came down with pneumonia and didn't say anything until he was puking after meals and his squad leader told him he had to go to medical. Medical checked his 02 levels and sent him to Beaufort Hospital. SDI visited him on Day1 and said only that the PMI worked out a schedule where he wouldn't get dropped. It's been four days now though and his third hat showed up and inventoried all his belongings. Rct now fears he's being dropped and is concerned that he will lose his MOS 13-- contract. Is this a possibility?

If this is the wrong forum for this question, please move it to the proper forum. Thank You.

[Tennessee Top]

Don't panic yet. Most likely just being dropped to the Medical Rehabilitation Platoon (MRP) to heal/rehab and will return to training sometime later.

You will receive a phone call either from your son, his SDI, or an officer at PI if this happens. Anytime a recruit is dropped from training, the parents are notified of the change in training status. If you do get a call from your son, it will be in the presence of a DI and will be a short conversation (won't be able to say much).

Good luck to him.

[TigersGirl]

This is a long time ago, but in 2009 my husband was dropped to the MRP (Medical Rehabilitation Platoon) for 7 weeks and then the BMP (Basic Marine Platoon, platoon for boot camp graduates who aren't well enough to go to SOI) for another 7 months. He kept his 03XX contract.

[Zulu 36]

From personal experience, a recruit is allowed to only miss X-amount of training. In my day (1971), that was a maximum of three days. I got very ill during snapping-in week at the range. At the encouragement of my SDI, I managed to drag myself to the firing range on Thursday to get initial dope on my rifle, and that was it. I was on bed rest for the next three days.

The series commander was all for dropping me back, but my SDI stuck up for me and talked the lieutenant into letting me carry-on since I had gotten my dope and would be ready to shoot on Monday of firing week.

Had I missed a fourth day, or had not gotten my dope, I would have been re-cycled and my SDI could have done nothing to help.

As far as your son losing his MOS contract, I can't say. As a wild guess, I would say he would not as his illness was not his fault.

[gduncanson]

Agreed, I don't know what the cutoff is for days missed, but 3 to 4 seems to be the limit. This is all unknown territory for me, I'm guessing/hoping he doesn't actually get his assignment to MOS school until after MCT.

Thanks for the replies, he has expressed that boot is misery nearly every minute, but he misses his platoon, it's where he belongs right now. And he knows he'll get "thrashed" the minute he leaves light duty, the extra IT doesn't bother him, but leaving his Platoon and not having enough training time to qualify expert are his secondary concerns. We should hear today.

[Tennessee Top]

Pneumonia, red eye, and cellulitis are the most common ailments in bootcamp (in that order) . The Navy docs there are experts at treating these because they are so routine. My opinion is, this temporary situation will not affect his infantry MOS in any way.

The rule in bootcamp is "no news is good news". If you don't get a phone call, your son is still with his training platoon and will graduate on time.

[Tennessee Top]

Infantry Marines don't go to MCT after bootcamp. They go to Infantry Training Battalion (ITB). ITB is their MOS school. After ITB, they go to their first Permanent Duty Station (PDS), unless they have Security Forces in their contract. In that case, after ITB, they'll go for further training for the Security Forces.

[gduncanson]

Thank You Tennesse, Good Info/advice for us.

[Tennessee Top]

Did you get a phone call when he was dropped from training?

[gduncanson]

Rct was discharged from Beaufort Hospital at 10:30am this morning. Rct was expecting to go to Medical Platoon and get recycled into India Co. next week. We have not received a call from MCRD-PI as of...

[MunkyVsRobot]

It all depends on when the schools dates are. He could be ahead of schedule as to when his MOS school actually starts and he might be good, but he could be too close to cut off and there not be a class for another while and he gets re-classed. It all depends unfortunately getting dropped you could get re-classed you could keep your designation.

[Big Boz]

That will all change by the time he gets to the Fleet. It's just the way it is. But in all seriousness, I'm glad he got recycled rather quickly. Not that I would want to spend an extra month...

[gduncanson]

An eventful day. I waited 25 hrs and then called and spoke with Recruiter today noon. He told me he had gotten an alert that Rct was sent to Hospital for Pneumonia. He felt "no news is good news", but that he would check up on Rct's status. An hour after I hung up, we got the call from PI that Rct was in Medical Platoon recuperating from Pneumonia and would pickup next or following platoon. The Co. Commander who called reassured us that Rct was not at fault, and Rct told us by phone that his E Co. third hat (who "hated Rct the most"), made a gesture that could be construed as encouraging. Silver lining is that he'll have plenty of time to get better and to practice on the range.