Son is opting out of DEP

[CynthiaRH]

Well..almost a month ago I was posting about my son signing up for the Delayed Entry Program in the Marines.
I have received alot of informing emails and post from Marines, Marine Moms, Marine wifes, and even some Marine Veterans.
I have also researched everything that was told to him by his recruiter extensively! I'm really glad I did...
I found out that my son was 100% deployable. (from our local OSO Gunny Sargent) His recruiter told him different. I explained everything to my son, and let him read all the emails and post so he would see the truth. I told him it boils down to 3 statements: 1. if you're joining to get money for college, room and board, don't. There are many different financial aids available. 2. If you're joining to make alot of money, don't. Go to college and get a degree and a career. 3. If you are fulfilling a lifelong dream of defending our great country in the military, JOIN!!!!!
The final desicion was his...I was proud either way. I backed off and stayed quite. He came to me and told me he wants to go to college and get a degree. His dream for the military can wait until after college if he still wants it then.
It is strange. I had read and studied, talked to Marines, and Marine Moms for almost a month. I felt a bit saddened?! I couldn't believe I was feeling that...especially after so many tears in the beginning! Ultimitely I'm relieved to know he is not going to end up in Iraq or somewhere else in the Middle East anytime soon. But, I have earned alot of respect for the Marines, their parents, wifes and families! They are a great bunch of people!

[outlaw3179]

[QUOTE=Shaffer] commitment.QUOTE]


exactly!

[thedrifter]

:(

Commitment: Total dedication to Corps and Country. Gung-ho Marine teamwork. All for one, one for all. By whatever name or cliche, commitment is a combination of (1) selfless determination and (2) a relentless dedication to excellence. Marines never give up, never give in, never willingly accept second best. Excellence is always the goal. And, when their active duty days are over, Marines remain reserve Marines, retired Marines, or Marine veterans. There is no such thing as an ex-Marine or former-Marine. Once a Marine, always a Marine. Commitment never dies.

Ellie

[Achped]

I thought about getting out of DEP and going to a college PLC course or whatever....but about five minutes later I realized I made a commitment to not only my recruiter but the Corps, and if I have to wait 4 years to go to college, I will do just that.

[CynthiaRH]

My son would not have made the commitment if he was told the truth from the beginning!
He still might join after college, but that is his decision!
There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a college education first!

[fiasco1371]

Why on earth would a Marine recruiter spend time with some one who wasn't 100% willing to deploy? Thank you for not joining, son, you just saved my brother's life. Nothing wrong with college, ma'am. It's a safe environment. If he wanted danger he would have signed and shipped.

[thedrifter]

Some folks don't like to hear the truth...:(

Ellie

[jinelson]

Thank God that we have young men and women that will make and honor their commitment to their country and Corps to the last full measure of their devotion. It disgusts me that we have folks that enjoy freedom at the expense of others and fail to understand service above ones self. Have fun son as many others will pay your way!

:mad:

[003XXMarineDAD]

My son would not have made the commitment if he was told the truth from the beginning!
He still might join after college, but that is his decision!
There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a college education first!


The one thing I will never understand is why you had to do the reasearch for your son. A up and coming young man should be able to make a choice on his own.
Any young future Poolee knows that in a time of war everyone can get depolyed. If they do'nt they have no business joining any service.
My son knew he was depolyable and still made his own good choice, and we stand behind his choice everyday and know he is in the best place to be with his Marine Corp Brother's.
As a famliy we knew he was going to be depolyed when he joined and are proud of what he is doing .:)

[Accord]

My son would not have made the commitment if he was told the truth from the beginning!
He still might join after college, but that is his decision!
There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a college education first!
He was joining the MARINE CORPS during a time of WAR, what did he expect? Not the Air Force, not the Navy, not the Coast Guard, but the MARINE CORPS and he honestly didn't expect to deploy? Come on now, he's not fooling anybody. He just got cold feet and obviously didn't have what it takes to become a Marine, so he tried to find any excuse in the book like "oh I didn't think I was actually going to deploy!" You don't join the Marine Corps and not expect to deploy, unless you're in the band.

If he was so dead set on college, then he would have stayed in DEP, he would have shipped off, and he would have earned the title and then enrolled in the SOCMAR program where he could take online college courses at his own pace and at his own discretion whenever he had free time, but instead he took the easy way out. The year is 2006, not 1956 - the choice is no longer the Marine Corps or college, with so much technology available and education advisors on every base there's no reason why you can't be a Marine and take online classes. Sure it may take longer than in a traditional college setting to earn a degree, but you deal with it.

Anyone can go to college and get a degree in this day and age, there are millions of college students. Not everyone can become a United States Marine.

[rktect3j]

I personally know a Marine who has not deployed in 4 years and he is not in the band. I don't know what his MOS is but he is stationed right here in Chicago. He goes to college and has since he enlisted active duty 4 years ago. It's very odd though. I have never seen such a thing before.

As to your son. Honestly he should have known before signing any contract or making a committment what it was about. After that he should honor the committment come what may. I'm not going to dog him or you but I think maybe you should all use this as a lesson. Look before you leap.

Also, I joined the Corps for 4 years active duty as 0352. I got deployed several times. Went to war. Did my time. Got out. Went to college. Etc. etc. Lets face it, in the end I have exactly what he and or you apparently want. The order in which I or he gets it is irrelevent.

Let's remember fellow members, this is the poolee section.

[thedrifter]

Locking Post, since it was requested by CynthiaRH

her message
I don't appreciate the responses that are being left.
First and most important...if he had been told the truth from the
beginning he would not have made the commitment yet.
He wants college first, and there is nothing wrong with that!