FooDawg
09-07-06, 09:43 PM
I couldn't think of much of a title, but hey we'll try this. This thread is more for everyone to tell their tough stories of getting into DEP and the hardships they went through in order to get to the point all us wannabes are at now. I hope people are willing to share their stories because it might help motivate a few people who need a little motivation.
Thanks to Echo_Four_Bravo and Jinelson for recommending I start this thread. Hopefully it boosts someones morale.
Anyways, my journey to get into the Marine Corps started in late 2003. I had started speaking to a recruiter when I was nearing my first college ending. I went to a technical school in FL called Full Sail to attain a degree in Software Development with a focus in 3d development towards simulators and video games. I was always interested in joining up, just never had the balls. So I went and talked to the recruiter and he ended up sending me to a METs station to get me tested in the ASVABs. I got a 99 score on the ASVABs with all my line scores maxxing out the max required for any enlisted job. So that felt good. But I started getting nervous and questioning whether it was for me.
I moved away from FL back to CT a few months later and decided it was for me, but wanted to check out other branches just in case. Only thing that appealed to me was the Army's WOFT flight program. I wouldn't mind flying helicopters as I grew up with my dad working in Sikorsky Aircraft all my life and had quite a few jobs there in the past myself. So helo's are definately ingrained in me. The recruiter for the Army was a douchebag and was intent on getting me to enlist and never wanted to help me get into WOFT. This just went to prove his agenda and turned me off. Never did anythign to help me get medical records or anything. So I said screw that and went back to the Marine Corps recruiter I spoke to in CT since I knew it was a no BS situation. The recruiters are cool and honest and dont BS you and actually made the effort to help me get to where I wanted to be. I just wanted to make sure it was actually what I wanted and I have never been happier with the decision to enlist with the Marine Corps. I ultimately plan on trying to get into a flight program after my initial enlistment since I want the military experience first, but again, thats in the distant future and am not planning my present based on that. Hopefully it'll pan out, but im excited to be 03XX.
Anyways, after getting DQed about 5 times, the recruiters and MEPs were beginning to give up on my medical background. First, I had Hodgkin's Disease stage 1A when I was 14 years old. Its a type of lymphatic cancer. I had chemotherapy and radiation, lost all my hair, almost died, all that crap. But I stuck it out and in a year I was fully healed. Thankfully after scouring the documentation I could find online, I found a provision that said specifically that that type of cancer was allowed to be put through unwaiverable as long as I had been "cured" for at least 5 years. Good Stuff.
Then I find out I have Right Bundle Branch Block (RBBB) which can be disqualifying in the Service.
The MEPs dr helped me get through all that and really pushed his credentials for me after talking to me and seeing my motivation.
I was born with my tounge split in half also. Nowaays there are rules against that if its self inflicted. All these douchebags that I guess do this for fun gave me a bad name and I had to go scrounge up medical docs from like 20 years ago and find my pediatrician who was like 100 years old and have him vouche for it. Pain in the a$$ to say the least. But we got that taken care of.
I had a few other things as well not so necessary to go into depth, but we all know we are supposed to report every surgery adn such, so like surgeries I had in the past and crap.
Anyways, moral of the story, after like almost 2 years of pushing forth and researching provisions and all that stuff, I finally got DEPed in a few months ago. Like 3 weeks before my ASVAB scores ran past their 2 year expiration. HAHA, i'd have been real pi$$ed if I had to take them again.
I am now slotted to ship sometime in Dec/Jan timeframe. Hopefully Dec.
I am now currently taking 20 credits in college in NJ this semester and working.
I know exactly what it feels like to lose motivation, but if you recognize it and take it and use it to help you push yourself forward, you can accomplish anything. I also had the oppurtunity to work with a company writing simulation software and attend a conference in Orlando, FL in 2004 that is called IITSEC. Anyone interested in the technological side of the military would be recommended 100% to go there and check it out. All flight simulators and tank sims. Humvee sims, scout/sniper sims, range sims, all sorts of stuff. They have one day open to the public. I got to fly an F/A22 that day at the Boeing booth and another booth had these Apache sims with the real flight mechanics of the Apache.
Anyways, I hope this helps motivate some. I've been personally trying for over 2 years now to get in the Marine Corps and am almost at my goal. I have NO support structure behind me. My family hates the idea. They are just afraid of me getting killed obviously, but they are now at a point of acceptance and are kinda beginning to support me. Other then that, everyones always bashed the idea, so it was always just personal motivation. So for me, it worked and I got to this point. A few more hurdles and i'm there. For others, it might just be too much. But I hope my story can somewhat be helpful and help prove that you can do it if you put your mind too it.
Id love to hear all the other tough stories of getting to this point.
Thanks to Echo_Four_Bravo and Jinelson for recommending I start this thread. Hopefully it boosts someones morale.
Anyways, my journey to get into the Marine Corps started in late 2003. I had started speaking to a recruiter when I was nearing my first college ending. I went to a technical school in FL called Full Sail to attain a degree in Software Development with a focus in 3d development towards simulators and video games. I was always interested in joining up, just never had the balls. So I went and talked to the recruiter and he ended up sending me to a METs station to get me tested in the ASVABs. I got a 99 score on the ASVABs with all my line scores maxxing out the max required for any enlisted job. So that felt good. But I started getting nervous and questioning whether it was for me.
I moved away from FL back to CT a few months later and decided it was for me, but wanted to check out other branches just in case. Only thing that appealed to me was the Army's WOFT flight program. I wouldn't mind flying helicopters as I grew up with my dad working in Sikorsky Aircraft all my life and had quite a few jobs there in the past myself. So helo's are definately ingrained in me. The recruiter for the Army was a douchebag and was intent on getting me to enlist and never wanted to help me get into WOFT. This just went to prove his agenda and turned me off. Never did anythign to help me get medical records or anything. So I said screw that and went back to the Marine Corps recruiter I spoke to in CT since I knew it was a no BS situation. The recruiters are cool and honest and dont BS you and actually made the effort to help me get to where I wanted to be. I just wanted to make sure it was actually what I wanted and I have never been happier with the decision to enlist with the Marine Corps. I ultimately plan on trying to get into a flight program after my initial enlistment since I want the military experience first, but again, thats in the distant future and am not planning my present based on that. Hopefully it'll pan out, but im excited to be 03XX.
Anyways, after getting DQed about 5 times, the recruiters and MEPs were beginning to give up on my medical background. First, I had Hodgkin's Disease stage 1A when I was 14 years old. Its a type of lymphatic cancer. I had chemotherapy and radiation, lost all my hair, almost died, all that crap. But I stuck it out and in a year I was fully healed. Thankfully after scouring the documentation I could find online, I found a provision that said specifically that that type of cancer was allowed to be put through unwaiverable as long as I had been "cured" for at least 5 years. Good Stuff.
Then I find out I have Right Bundle Branch Block (RBBB) which can be disqualifying in the Service.
The MEPs dr helped me get through all that and really pushed his credentials for me after talking to me and seeing my motivation.
I was born with my tounge split in half also. Nowaays there are rules against that if its self inflicted. All these douchebags that I guess do this for fun gave me a bad name and I had to go scrounge up medical docs from like 20 years ago and find my pediatrician who was like 100 years old and have him vouche for it. Pain in the a$$ to say the least. But we got that taken care of.
I had a few other things as well not so necessary to go into depth, but we all know we are supposed to report every surgery adn such, so like surgeries I had in the past and crap.
Anyways, moral of the story, after like almost 2 years of pushing forth and researching provisions and all that stuff, I finally got DEPed in a few months ago. Like 3 weeks before my ASVAB scores ran past their 2 year expiration. HAHA, i'd have been real pi$$ed if I had to take them again.
I am now slotted to ship sometime in Dec/Jan timeframe. Hopefully Dec.
I am now currently taking 20 credits in college in NJ this semester and working.
I know exactly what it feels like to lose motivation, but if you recognize it and take it and use it to help you push yourself forward, you can accomplish anything. I also had the oppurtunity to work with a company writing simulation software and attend a conference in Orlando, FL in 2004 that is called IITSEC. Anyone interested in the technological side of the military would be recommended 100% to go there and check it out. All flight simulators and tank sims. Humvee sims, scout/sniper sims, range sims, all sorts of stuff. They have one day open to the public. I got to fly an F/A22 that day at the Boeing booth and another booth had these Apache sims with the real flight mechanics of the Apache.
Anyways, I hope this helps motivate some. I've been personally trying for over 2 years now to get in the Marine Corps and am almost at my goal. I have NO support structure behind me. My family hates the idea. They are just afraid of me getting killed obviously, but they are now at a point of acceptance and are kinda beginning to support me. Other then that, everyones always bashed the idea, so it was always just personal motivation. So for me, it worked and I got to this point. A few more hurdles and i'm there. For others, it might just be too much. But I hope my story can somewhat be helpful and help prove that you can do it if you put your mind too it.
Id love to hear all the other tough stories of getting to this point.