Lateral transfer? MOS topic

[Hamelink83]

In meeting with my recruiter yesterday, he mentioned that because of my scores in testing (according to him, I am "smart as hell"), that he would recommend that I start off in a field that will give me a job possibilities once out of the Marines. I currently work in as a networking tech so he suggested that I start off in an 06xx field, recieve the training and finish off my BS degree. It would also give me an opportunity to be accustomed to being a Marine. Then if I still wanted to be a combat Marine, lateral transfer over to an 03xx position. I thought it was an interesting concept that really made sense to me.

So my questions are:
a) how long do you have to stay in your enterance MOS before you are allowed to transfer?

b) has anyone taken this route before as a Marine?

Thanks for any advice and/or information.

[JordanB]

Best advice you'll ever get on this site: dont listen to a ****in thing a recruiter tells you, TELL HIM what you want on your contract and see what you can get, and if its not on paper you aint gettin it, period.

[Hamelink83]

Ok, will do.

[brian21johansen]

Best advice you'll ever get on this site: dont listen to a ****in thing a recruiter tells you, TELL HIM what you want on your contract and see what you can get, and if its not on paper you aint gettin it, period.



AGREED

[rvillac2]

I'm pretty sure that I've seen it posted that you cannot lateral into 03xx.

[brian21johansen]

I'm pretty sure that I've seen it posted that you cannot lateral into 03xx.


I'm not sure how true that is Sergeant. I posted in another thread today about how I talked to my career planner and he told me that I could do a lat move to the infantry after two years in the Marine Corps (not in my MOS). And by two years, that is when I am allowed to put my package in.

[Phantom Blooper]

(according to him, I am "smart as hell"),


In this case ask him if you can do your own paperwork and throw the dice and spin the wheel and see what you get!:evilgrin:

[rvillac2]

I'm not going to say either one of us is definitively right. Career planners and recruiters have a way of expressing how they would like things to be, not how they actually are.

On the practical side, the grunts have issues with SF Marines returning to a victor unit after getting some rank and having no experience. And these are guys who are already 03's.

Another aspect is the two years part. You have barely made it out of your MOS training and you're requesting to transfer? Doesn't seem like a practical use of resources. I am betting that any lateral transfer coming true for you would be closer to your 4 year mark.

Let's hear from the 03 NCOs.

[smoking gunz]

I believe you can change your mos. After four years, and you would have to attend soi. I may be mistaken. The problem is you would be a nco with no 03 training and no combat experience and be expected to lead a fire team or squad. If you fail you will be fired and lose your leadership role. You will be deemed a sh*t bird. It will then be very difficult to promote. I have seen this with security force guys. I strongly believe if you want to be in a 03 field do it first then do a mos change. I also think security force guys should go to a regular grunt unit first then move into their security forces but thats a whole other topic.

[Hamelink83]

Thank you everyone for your responses. Basically, transfering is possible but disrespectful to the other guys, which I would not want. Good to know and I'm happy I asked.

[brian21johansen]

Thank you everyone for your responses. Basically, transfering is possible but disrespectful to the other guys, which I would not want. Good to know and I'm happy I asked.


"If you fail you will be fired and lose your leadership role. You will be deemed a sh*t bird. It will then be very difficult to promote."


It isn't necessarily disrespectful, but like Smoking Gunz said.....if you fail then your screwed.

As far as the lat move, my career planner could have been telling me what I wanted to hear just to get me out of his office. I've heard different things about lat moves and lat moves to the 03 field. I guess I'll have to wait and find out. I hope I can do a lat move after two years though, instead of waiting till my 5 year contract is up to reenlist. I don't want to be the Sergeant who has to listen to Lance Corporals who have already deployed 5 times......But as a new Corporal it would be a lot easier to listen to those under you, in my own opinion that is.

[thewookie]

Here I am sticking up for Security Forces Marines again....

Love to see the generalizations.....

For those of you who think all SF Marines coming back to the fleet are rocks or turds, or for those who may have first hand experience with a turd coming back from SF duty, I'll point you to a SSgt. Workman.

He won/earned the Navy Cross in Fallujah in 04 when he was with 3/5.

But, he got his start with Security Forces and he seemed to do okay in a leadership position when bullets were flying...



http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/member.php?u=56915


http://www.defendamerica.mil/profiles/may2006/pr052606ms1.html



I'd be more then happy to get in a stack with this Marine.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Interesting.

As a former Marine Barracks Marine (0311), I saw and heard the same things about SF (and, for that matter, 8&I) back in the day, that this thread mentions.

I'd say it all depends on the NCO, and not what they did for the last 2 years. Recruiters and DI's face similiar issues.

One last thing, tho, not already mentioned.....the 06 MOS likely isn't going to let you lateral move into ANYthing else, quite frankly. It's a perennially 'short' job and getting out of it will be far more difficult to do than you think. Furthermore, nowadays as I understand it, since most of the computer jobs in the Corps have been contracted out, you'll do less than you THINK you will. Not being in touch with folks in that job at present, I could be wrong, but that's what I've heard. Something else to consider before you go signing for that particular job.

[PaidinBlood]

I went to SOI with three lat move Marines. A LCpl cook, some Cpl clerk, and I think the Sgt was MT, maybe reserves-I don't remember. You "can" lat move into 03, but it is not easy, not always available, and rarely recommended. You can't compare lat movers to SF Marines (although I did see some real winners come from there) because they at least have at some point had infantry training. You will be resented, and you had best be **** hot if you want to skip the dumbest part of a grunt's career and then show up in line and expect to be his boss. That initial phase of "welcome" to the fleet has an almost mythical property and is pretty dang hard to do without.

You're gettin the cart before the horse anyway. Don't worry about whether you CAN lat move-worry about if you even WANT to! Do you want to be an 03, or do you want to be in comm? Did you pick 06xx or is that what they are trying to fill this month? And let that guy tell ya 03 is a waste of your "brains" - I've got something for him...:D

[Sgt Leprechaun]

I heard the same thing, tried to steer me to something else, 'You are too smart for that', etc etc.

I did lat move later on, to Intel, but never, for one minute, do I regret my grunt time. Furthermore, some of the smartest folks you'll ever know are '03's.

[Hamelink83]

Thanks again for the responses Marines. If I make it though MEPS (had shoulder surgery, everyone says I will be good to go, I am just nervous about it), I will try to contract for a combat role.

Which leads me to another question. I have my AA and only have like maybe 3 semesters left to get my BS. During my free time (not deployed, not training), I want to finish my BS degree. Now, if I finish my degree by the time my first contracted term is up, can I re-up an go in as an officer? I know I'd have to go through OCS and TBS, I'd also be 29 so that should be young enough.

Thanks again for the advice and thoughts. This has been a great source of information.