NBC Defense Specialist

[mississippiboy]

Can anyone give me some insight as to the daily jobs of the NBC Marines? I am actually wanting to work as a MP in the Corps, but I have not found out from my recruiter as of yet whether or not I will be able to get into that MOS. I made a high enough score on the ASVAB to do pretty much whatever I want to, but if I decide on the Military Police and Corrections field I want to be with the MPs instead of corrections. I am also considering NBC though. Just don't know a whole lot about the day to day life of the job. Any input would be much appreciated.

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

Mississippiboy, first you have to realize that if you get that field you DO NOT pick what MOS you will have. The Corps will assign you as needed. On the plus side for you, there are many more MPs in the world than Corrections Marines, so you have a decent chance at it.

As for the daily life of an NBC Marine... I never met one that thought it was much fun. Most of the time you are acting like a supply clerk issuing gas masks and MOPP suits to Marines. From time to time you will conduct the gas chamber training, and will be a "jack of all trades" for the command if assigned to a combat area.

[mississippiboy]

Thanks for the reply on this. I am still considering a few other MOS but NBC DS is one I didn't really know much about MP is still my preference. Hopefully since I am going later this year there will be some openings for it.

[HardJedi]

HEY! GET WHAT YOU WANT! A recruiter will LIE to you and tell you that there are no openings for what you want at the time you are shipping. that is USUALLY BS! I had the SAME thing happen to me. I wanted to be an MP but was told there were no openings when I shipped, So I went 0300 instead( Best choice I EVER made) anyway, 15 guy's with OPEN contracts got MP.


it's not really that they lie, they just have certain slots at certain times to fill

[jdfairman]

MP's are obviously staying around, but I was under the impression that the actual Corrections MOS was being phased out, and Marine MP's were taking over that mission.

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

Sir, I have heard the same thing. Of course the first time I heard it was when I was sitting in my recruiter's office in 1995. Who knows when, or if, it will actually happen. I know it took them three years to change my occupational field from 25XX to 06XX, and that was just a number change.

[mississippiboy]

Right now I am assigned to Marine Security Forces as my MOS. It is along the lines of what I want to be doing, but I also understand this is not a primary MOS. I know if I am in this field I will be in infantry, not anything at all against infantry I feel that I would like it as well, but it is not the MOS that I feel would more suit my interests. When I finish my time whether it be 4 or 24 years I would like to put myself in a better posistion to get into the civil service field as a police officer or sheriff deputy. What better posistion to be in than military police. Right now though my main goal is becoming a Marine. I have waited 8 years for the opportunity since my junior year in high school. All else is secondary, but I still need to let it be known what I want to do in the Corps when I get there. Thanks for the replies.

[lurchenstein]

Originally posted by mississippiboy
Can anyone give me some insight as to the daily jobs of the NBC Marines?

Check out these links.
Marines also attend these Army Chem School courses. Probably learn quite a bit about NBC detection & protective equipment, reporting NBC attacks, decontamination (Marines & vehicles), and NBC reconnaissance. Not sure how much the "Fox" vehicle is in use now, but knew several Gulf War I Marines that were familiar with it.http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m93a1.htm
http://www.wood.army.mil/usacmls/ (http://www.wood.army.mil/usacmls/)
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/marineenjobs/bl5711.htm

[HardJedi]

um Marine Security Forces is what you want to do? along the lines of standing in ONE spot for four-6 hours at a time? At least, if you go to Bangor or Kings Bay, that is EXACTLY what you will be doing. At least for 18 months. THEN, when you get done, you ARE line infantry. just in case you didn'tknow. Not running down security forces at ALL. but it is NOTHING like being an MP, if that's what your recruiter told you.

[mississippiboy]

MP is where I really want to be because of the work involved in the MOS. I have been told it is a tough MOS to get into by my recruiter. He didn't tell me a whole lot about Security Forces I was just told that I would be pulling guard duty. Wasn't told the whole thing about it just being a temporary assignment.

[HardJedi]

yep. security forces is 18 months. and THEN you go to a regular Infantry unit.

[snipowsky]

I'm with HardJedi...

0300 is the only MOS for me!

Especially 0331!

SEMPER FI

[cjwright90]

I was 0311 by design. I also did Barrack's Duty, or Security Forces, like Jedi. Same place actually. But I was definately line company Marine first. SF was a secondary MOS.

[enviro]

I think you and your recruiter are rushing you off to boot camp. If there are no MP jobs "open" right now, tell your recruiter to give you a call when there is one "open". You'd be surprised how he can pull some jobs out of his ass if he needed to.

It may not be the month that you two would like for you to go, but hey, I'd rather be happy in my job than just happy having a job.

This is your life and your career - not your recruiter's. My advice, hold out for what you want - if you can.

If you choose to not follow this advice, you stand a good chance of looking back in a couple of years from now when you are hanging up your EAS calendar and start "countin' the days until I'm a free man"

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

Clasic case of a poolee not getting the whole scoop when it is right here on the board archives for all to see.
Mississippi boy, by being a Marine you are putting yourself into a great position to become a police officer or deputy in later life. More and more agencies are requiring college degress, but for those that do not, Marines right off of active duty are common place. In fact, as a communications MOS Marine, I was getting letters daily from departments across the nation were sending me recruiting letters. Don't think being an MP is the only way to become a police officer, because it is not. If anything, it will hinder your prospects since military police and civillian police are very different, and you will have to be broken of old habits before new ones can be taught.
As for security forces, it has been discussed here MANY times. You will not be acting like a police officer, you will be a security guard (hence the name). Further, when you get to your infantry unit (where you WILL go, no way out of it) many of the Marines will be suspicious of you since you were not with them during their first deployment. You will have to earn their respect just like a boot would, but you will be on the same level, maybe even senior to some of them.

[mississippiboy]

Thanks for the advice. I didn't know about the site until about 2 months after I enlisted. I am glad that I found it because there has been a lot of light shined on different MOS for me. I will hold out as long as I can for MP because it is what I want. I'll keep everything updated.

[HardJedi]

did ya get my Pm Mississippiboy? Told ya in there alot of what has been said, didn't i? so see? I may have been a dumb ole 0311, but i know of what I speak!


( I was ALWAY'S the best barracks Lawyer in my company :) )

[mississippiboy]

Just now checked my messages Jedi. I appreciate the information and will definately go by that thanks.