Switching to active, ship out date still may 30

[JordanB]

Looking for advice from current/ retired Marines

I am switching my Marine Corps contract to active duty, 03xx (hopefully I will still get assigned 0351 in S.O.I.) I have 16 days till I ship out and a secound contract (active duty) to sign, so my questions are:

1. What should I look into/ ask for on my active duty contract, i.e. active duty bounus, am I able to request duty stations? Also I have a buddy who I am going to Parris Island with who is also enlisting in active duty infantry, so would we be able to be stationed togeather after S.O.I.?

2. As far as physical fitness/ training I have been doing a ton of pt, running 3 miles a day, and lifting A FEW weights (I know your not supposto get too into the weight room) for strength, any suggestions as to what would help me best when I have so little time before basic (run more, try to just maintain and not get hurt, push as hard as you can, just forus on running?)

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

1. You will probably be stationed together, but there is no promise. Read Accord's post about SOI that explains how his MOS was selected. You can ask for anything, but this late in the game I doubt you'll get much.

2. That depends on how good of shape you are in now. If you want advice, post your PFT scores.

[JordanB]

The ptf they gave me at the medical center was just pull ups and sit ups (no 1.5 mile run) I got 100% on both the pull ups and the sit ups, and I know from experience that I can run 3 miles in 20 minutes, and one mile sprinting in 4.59

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

The PFT is not a 1.5 mile run. It is a three mile run.

If you did 20 pull ups, 100 crunches, and can run three miles in 20 minutes you're looking at a 287 PFT. You're in pretty good shape. So just maintain- do some push ups and abs work, make the runs a little longer, and see if you can get the time down a little.