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View Full Version : Questions about MOS 5711 -- NBC specialist



Jrrrr
06-17-07, 12:17 AM
I know that there have been a few threads about this over the last few months. I'm DEPed in with a 5711 contract and I have some questions:

-- Do NBC Marines get a remarkable amount of spare time? I seem to be getting this opinion over and over again. First, a Captain at MEPS told me I would have "a lot of spare time" due to being NBC once I make it to the fleet. At last month's pool function, the district RS Sergeant Major tells me that NBC will afford me "plenty" of spare time to pursue education. In both cases, I never asked how much spare time I would have.

-- MOS school is apparently at Ft McClellan, AL. Will I also be training with Army NBC students while there?

-- A running opinion in past NBC threads is that the MOS school is hard because of the tests. I understand that an 80% score is needed to pass tests. What sort of academic skills are put to the test at NBC school? For the record, I'm good at higher math and science, but paradoxically bad with algebra.

-- How long is the MOS school?

-- I plan to take supplemental MOS classes while doing NBC. I'm told this is a good route to a HAZMAT or environmental cleanup career. Is my plan sound?

-- I realize that the MOS isn't as glamorous as one might think. Beyond running the gas chamber, getting gassed myself, teaching Marines, and sorting gaskmasks in a warehouse, what should I be prepared to do?

-- Finally, how is the promotion rate for this MOS? One person told me I could expect Cpl. after 2 years on the job. However, I'm not sure what to expect because I don't imagine the MOS field to have a lot of people.

I've gotten some answers about the MOS from my recruiter, but I'm still somewhat unsure about what I will do for the next four years. Thank you for reading this, Marines.

killerinstinct
06-19-07, 10:53 AM
i have one thing to say DONT DO IT!!!

sounds like fun but youll more than likely be in a warehouse counting gas masks and mop gear and doing inventories. and occasionally run a gas mask and show videos on what happens to a goat exposed to nerve gas..

Persoanlly doesnt seem fun to me. Id go to a different MOS i was thinking about NBC thought before i enlisted it seemed really cool from the name you know nuclear **** weapons?? well im glad i went to ordnance where you get to play on missles load electronic weapons and see all the arsenal there is out there that you never thought existed.

Jrrrr
06-26-07, 09:54 PM
I know what you mean, and appreciate the input, but I realize the MOS isn't all about playing with weapons of mass destruction.

I'm just trying to learn more because information is sparce elsewhere.

Edit: I also found out about the MOS school location and some about supplemental education classes; however, I'm still wondering about the rest.

spperry1
05-29-09, 01:09 PM
Mos school is in Ft.Lenoardwood, MO. Shcool is 15 weeks long. no you will not be training with the army, there is also navy and airforce on the base all have their own school though. The first test is probally the hardest you get the material and two days later you have the test. most other test are easy aslong as you pay attention or read the material. As for free time that depends on the shop you go to. The shop I have been at has some spare time and they afford you the oppertunity to go to college or whatever if you want to persue it. they also do alot of Hazordous Materials training for the MEU's and they send everyone from the shop through the course so they can know the gear. and they train you up to hazmat awareness, ops and tech provided you can pass the test. we do have a wherehouse but if full of Conquence Managemet (CM) gear for the hazmat course we do have a few mopp suits. This shop is devided in to two sections Training who just mainly teaches classes and goes to the chamber, and the wherehouse who maintain the CM gear and make sure its ready for the upcoming courses if you have anyother questions my e-mail is spperry1@yahoo.com

deluge71
12-30-09, 12:42 PM
I am trying to copy & paste my response to this question, but for some reason, the forum won't allow me to do that. If anyone has questions about NBC, feel free to contact me at:

deluge71@msn.com

I spent over 4 years as an NBC specialist, and can probably answer your questions.

Lisa 23
12-30-09, 01:23 PM
This thread was started 2 and a half years ago, and I think the original poster of the thread has the answers he needs since he graduated boot camp almost 2 years ago.

deluge71
12-30-09, 01:36 PM
In the message I couldn't post, I acknowledged that the original query is over two years old. I am offering answers for the sake of anyone who just joined the Corps and chose NBC as their MOS. I figure some of them might do a web search and find this thread. I didn't think the other answers were very complete, so I wanted to answer the posters questions in a little more depth.

I'll try posting it again in just a minute...

deluge71
12-30-09, 01:37 PM
Okay, looks like it worked this time. Here's the message:

I know this post is over two years old, but I'd like to relate my experience in NBC for the sake of anyone who joins the Marine Corps with this MOS. I will answer each of the original questions in order:

-- Do NBC Marines get a remarkable amount of spare time?

The opinion of people outside the NBC field tends to be that 5711's do have a lot of spare time. But the true answer to this question is that it depends on several factors. The primary one is where you are stationed and which battalion/company (or air group/squadron) you are assigned to. I knew 5711's who were assigned to infantry battalions, and they rarely had any spare time at all. When they weren't maintaining equipment, issuing gas masks, calibrating radiac meters, or training other Marines, they were doing "grunt stuff", like humps and practicing combat tactics.

I was in the air wing (2nd MAW, Cherry Point) for almost two years, and things were quite a bit more relaxed. We stayed busy with training regimens and equipment maintenance, but rarely stayed late or worked on weekends. There were slow weeks when we were allowed to secure (leave) early, and we sometimes got days off.

I also spend a year with 3rd FSSG in Okinawa, and about 18 months with 2nd FSSG at Lejeune. I was always at the group level, which means we mostly did training for the battalions (Engineer Support, Maintenance, Landing Support, etc.). We rarely had time off, although there were plenty of slow days in which we did next to nothing.

-- MOS school is apparently at Ft McClellan, AL. Will I also be training with Army NBC students while there?

I was at Fort Mac, AL in 1991, but I think someone here said the school has moved since then. Assuming that your school is at an Army or Air Force base, you will be completely separate from their troops. You'll have a separate barracks, and will train separately from the Army/Air Force.

-- A running opinion in past NBC threads is that the MOS school is hard because of the tests. I understand that an 80% score is needed to pass tests. What sort of academic skills are put to the test at NBC school? For the record, I'm good at higher math and science, but paradoxically bad with algebra.

I remember the school being notoriously difficult for some people, but not so much for others. My original class at NBC school had around 30 Marines. Before it ended, about five people flunked out. Therefore, the numbers are in your favor. You will need some math and science skills to succeed, but the instructors will walk you through each step when you are doing problems. Passing is really just a matter of *wanting* to pass. If you have the desire, you will be sufficiently motivated to study hard and go through the course without a hitch.

-- How long is the MOS school?

When I was there, it was a 6 week course. I arrived two weeks early, so I was placed in the "newbie" platoon. We basically cleaned the barracks day in and day out, and did some painting for the Army guys. That was by far the worst part of NBC school, but it was short-lived.

-- I plan to take supplemental MOS classes while doing NBC. I'm told this is a good route to a HAZMAT or environmental cleanup career. Is my plan sound?

Yes. I know several former NBC people (both Army and Marines) who followed that path and got a job in environmental remediation. My experience probably helped me get hired for my current job as an air quality technician. But if you want to increase your chances of moving into this field, you will want to take some college courses on environmental health or industrial hygiene. Even if you don't get a degree, the courses will count for something.

-- I realize that the MOS isn't as glamorous as one might think. Beyond running the gas chamber, getting gassed myself, teaching Marines, and sorting gaskmasks in a warehouse, what should I be prepared to do?

All kinds of crap. Calibrating radiac meters, embarkation (which involves packing boxes with gear and marking them for easier deployment), equipment maintenance, identifying gear that is past its expiration date and demilitarizing it, keeping a tight inventory of what gear you have and resolving any deficiencies...the list goes on, but this is a good overview.

-- Finally, how is the promotion rate for this MOS? One person told me I could expect Cpl. after 2 years on the job. However, I'm not sure what to expect because I don't imagine the MOS field to have a lot of people.

This depends entirely on what the Corps needs. If you are a lance corporal and the Corps needs more NCO's who are 5711's, you will have a greater chance of being promoted early. Of course, you will also have to be motivated enough to get the highest cutting score possible. Your cutting score is an accumulated number that shows how much you have achieved at your current rank. Getting a high PFT score, shooting "Expert" on the rifle range, and completing as many MCI's (Marine Corps Institute courses, which are self-study and don't involve a classroom) as you can will give you a good score. So whether you will be on the fast track for promotion depends partly on factors beyond your control (i.e., the needs of the Corp), but there are things you can do to make yourself more "promotable".

One final note...unless your recruiter is an NBC specialist him/herself, I wouldn't trust what they have to say about the MOS. As I said before, Marines who are outside NBC tend to perceive the 5711 field very differently from those who are in it.

Lisa 23
12-30-09, 01:39 PM
okie dokie.....:thumbup: