An open contract at MEPS?

[Tobes50]

I've talked with my recuriter and have decided to join. Right now I'am attempting to arrange a time where I can go to MEPS, but one thing that my recruiter said caught my attention. He says that I can enter DEP with an open contract and then sign my enlistment contract later with an MOS. Is this accurate? I will most likely end up going infantry and I definitly don't wanna go in with an open contract and end up sweeping floors, etc. How did you poolees/Marines go through the process when you joined?

Thanks alot, Dan

[dbwhite]

Dan,

My son entered DEP with an infantry MOS. He really wanted to be a Marine Infantryman. But on the day he shipped he was told that the infantry was full and that he should go in under an Open contract. Everyone assured him that upon graduation he would have an opportunity to get into the school of infantry, that infantry jobs would surely open up by then, or at worst, he would have an opportunity to request the MOS of his choice. He was told this by his recruiter, the MEPS Staff Sarg. and Gunny Sarg.

Well, that is not quite accurate. The fact of the matter is, if you sign an Open contract the day you ship.....you are at the mercy of the Marine Corps. They will put you where they need you. You will not be asked where you want to go and you may not like what they choose for you. My son has been miserable since graduating from boot camp.

My advise would be to choose a MOS you are qualified for and do not ship unless that MOS is on your contract. You do not have a binding contract until you sign the one on the day you ship (no matter what anyone else tells you).

Good luck,

Proud Father of a United States Marine

[Phantom Blooper]

Tobes50, I certainly am not up on DEP & MEP & open contracts so you will have to get advice from somebody in that MOS that is on this board. But I will tell you one thing,I definitly don't wanna go in with an open contract and end up sweeping floors, etc.

Since 1775 Marines have been doing the above and you will do it thru bootcamp and throughout your'e entire Marine Corps career.As long as you are living in a goverment BEQ and you don't have a mama san to do it for you.

You will know your rifle and you will know a broom and swab. Also,if you are one of the elite you will come to know the nomenclature of a $hitter scrubbing brush by heart!

Good luck in your career!


Semper-Fi! "Never Forget" Chuck Hall :marine:

[GySgtRet]

Tobes50,

You say that you want to be a Marine. Then don't worry about what you become in the Marine Corps. Just be proud to be a Marine. ONE OF THE WORLDS FINEST....!!!!

[Tobes50]

ou will know your rifle and you will know a broom and swab. Also,if you are one of the elite you will come to know the nomenclature of a $hitter scrubbing brush by heart!

Sorry I Should have worded that better. I understand Marines are handy with a broom. What I meant to convey was that I don't wanna be sent to an MOS other than infantry without me knowing, accepting, and agreeing to it.

[CrazyBrave83]

The Marines that posted are correct, regardless of MOS it'll be the needs of the Marine Corps first and foremost. But my reccomendation to you is to choose an MOS that interests you and hang tight until the oppurtunity arises. Think about it this way...often times if you go Open Contract that means you're running the risk of getting the job that not many other people want.

So definitely enjoy being a Marine, no matter the MOS, but enjoying your MOS while being a Marine is very important also!

[Tegan]

What happened to Tobes50 is what happened to me. The papers I signed at the MEPS said that I was an open contract.. and after my recruiter picked me up from the MEPS, I had to pick 3 MOS categories. SO I did, and he said that they will get 'submitted' and that I will know if I get one of my picked jobs before I enlist.. does that sound about right to you guys? Im not too worried about it at all though, I just want to be a Marine!
Tegan

[JimmyK]

Ok heres the deal. When I went to MEPS a little over a month ago everyone going into the Marines had to sign an open contract to get into the DEP becasue the only job slot they had at that time were 03's, so if you didnt want Infantry but you wanted into the DEP you had to do the open thing. My recruiter assured me that we would find an acceptable job before I shipped out, even if it meant haveing to push my ship date back. I sucked it up and signed the open contract and not even a week later he said they had an aviation maintenance position if I wanted it, I took it. So dont worry about the Open Contract, especially at times like these where recruiting numbers are low. If you want a certain job just wait for it, most likely it will open up.

[GySgtRet]

Tegan,

That's what I am talking about...All though as I recall you will not be able to be an 03XX...

JimmyK,

A word of caution on your "especially at times like these where recruiting numbers are low. If you want a certain job just wait for it, most likely it will open up." This not always the case. IT IS THE NEEDS OF THE MARINE CORPS...!!!! I know that that information has been posted before. Just do not give out information like that. Different areas of the country have differnt ways of conveying the numbers and MOSs.

[micah24]

I may be wrong, but it is my understanding that everyone joining the Marines at MEPS signs an open contract, and they then pick their job with their recruiter. I think the Army & Air Force are the only ones that pick their job at MEPS. I kinda liked it like that. The Army counselor room had a line going from inside the doors where the counselors sit, to way back at the end of the room where applicants from all the services sit. No joke--it was taking that long for everyone to pick their job. There were about 4 or 5 of us that day wanting to join the Marines. They just called us in one at a time, and basically asked: you want to be a Marine? Sign right here.

I don't see how you could have a problem getting infantry. When I picked out my job with the recuiter, he gave me a list of all available jobs. Most jobs had one or two available slots for the entire recruiting area, including ours. Infantry 03 had the most available with 19. Anyway, it wasn't a big deal. I picked the job I wanted; the recuiter faxed it out. The next day I got confirmation in writing about my job, and the recuiter and I signed it.

[Jarhead1775]

Gunny Said it best the needs of the Corps come first

[8th&I Marine]

The way I look at it Every Marine is a rifleman first there primary mos is secondary.


Cantrell

[HardJedi]

all I can tell you about open contracts is from over ten years ago, and at that time, people with open contracts got assigned to thier MOS schools at the end of MCT. most og the guy's I know who had open contracts ended up either MP'S or cooks.


but like I said, that was over ten years ago.

[dbwhite]

Quote: My son has been miserable since graduating boot camp.


I should not have said that. He is very proud to be a Marine and is very dedicated to the Corps.

He was, however, disappointed when he didn't get into the infantry. He wanted to be a grunt, he wanted to be in Iraq and he had spent 8 months of Pool meetings thinking he was going to be in the infantry. So, he was a little disappointed when he was assigned MOS 1171 (hygiene equipment operator).

But he knows that every job is improtant and that every job is essential.

[GySgtRet]

dbwhite,

Your son holds a very important part in what he does. He can always, if qualified take what is called a lateral move and he probably knows that by now. And thank you sir for clearing up your original post. That is very respectful.

GySgtRet

[Tegan]

OH my, Im sorry Dan. I didnt answer your question about the process of it all. I was in Oregon visiting my half bro and I decided to sign there. (im from Wisconsin) Funny thing is, is that most of the Marines at my recruiters office and at the MEPS, came from Wisconsin! They even knew the recruiters from my town! I went to the MEPS to take my ASVAB on a thursday, then they put me up in a hotel with a bunch of other enlistees and ate dinner. They gave us meal tickets, so we didnt have to pay for our food. We had to be at the MEPS by 0500 on Friday and get briefed. They sat everyone in a room, all the branches, and you got a sticker with a barcode on it that you had to keep on at all times. Anyways... everyone gets briefed on the days 'activities' you take breathalyzers, pee test, you fill out lots of medical papers when your getting briefed, things that if you check yes too, you should have a waiver from your Doctor. Umm.. what else.... lots of waiting in lines, the MEPS isnt as bad as most people think. It is early, and people kept falling asleep, but once they got hollered at, they were awake. You get lunch, if your still there.. more testing, draw blood... duck walks... You consult with the USMC liason there also.. they tell you about the UCMJ. Then you get to take the Oath!! I was so anxious and nervous that I almost passed out when I took the Oath!! I was almost relieved that I had done it!! SO, that was my MEPS experience in a nutshell. I took the Oath with only 2 other Marine poolees and the next day my recruiter told me that there were going to be 25 taking the Oath!!
The only bad thing about signing in Oregon, is that I have to fly from WI to Oregon, check in, go to MEPS again and THEN fly to Parris Island. SO, its a lot of back and forth, but Im going to utilize that time to hopefully sleep!!
Sorry for the delay on this respose!
Tegan MOTIVATED DEDICATED OORAH!

[SLU_fly_girl]

Originally posted by Tegan
The only bad thing about signing in Oregon, is that I have to fly from WI to Oregon, check in, go to MEPS again and THEN fly to Parris Island. SO, its a lot of back and forth, but Im going to utilize that time to hopefully sleep!!

Can't you be "courtesy shipped" from WI?? i.e. Can't your recruiter in Oregon contact the local recruiter in Wisconsin and ask him/her to ship you from the WI MEPS? It would save you LOTS of traveling.

Oh and just a heads up, you will be to dang MOTIVATED and nervous about what you are about to embark on to sleep on the plane. TRUST ME!! The best thing to do would be to sleep, but it's much easier said than done.

GET SOME!!

[GunnyL]

Good information SLU_fly_girl,
Tegan, talk to your Recruiter, there is no reason you can't Courtesy ship out of Wisconsin. They just have to forward all of your contracts and paperwork to the Wisconsin MEPS. I courtesy shipped several Poolees while I was on Recruiting Duty.

GunnyL

[Tobes50]

Thanks for all the replies, especially Tegan for the detailed description of MEPS. I' am anxious to get it over with and hopefully I'm able to set up a time soon.



to sleep on the plane. TRUST ME!! The best thing to do would be to sleep

Plane rides are FAR too fun to sleep on. ;)

[Tegan]

OK, I asked the Gunny and my recruiter already if I could do a courtesy ship, the whole idea was mine to begin with. They told me though before I left that I wouldnt be able to. Im going to go into the local office here, where my bro and everyone else i know signed, and see what they can do. I am working on getting a courtesy ship out of here, but its a little hard, seeing my recruiters in Oregon and its a hard to get ahold of him.
BUT I AM TRYING!!

Oh yea, one more thing- IF I couldnt get a Courtesy Ship, at least I wouldnt have to pay for my transportation there and the hotels either. I was told that the Marines will be paying for it. I do have a brother, sister in law and a niece in Portland, Oregon, SO it wouldnt be the end of the world If I shipped out of there. BUT- IM going to try to ship out of central Wisconsin because that is where my friends and my brother shipped out of, and Id like to keep it that way, you know... My ma and dad really want me to ship out of here too, so ill keep you all posted!

As for the sleep thing- I agree with SLU, the whole way from WI to CA to see my brother graduate, I couldnt sleep at all! I was to excited. It was my first time flying, and I really cant wait to go again

HEY TOBES- Go for it if this is what you want to do!! I waited 2 years after I graduated High School to sign and my friends already have 2 almost 3 years in!!! I regret waiting, but I WILL NEVER REGRET SIGNING.

SEMPER FI ALL,
TEGAN