jenrmurray
06-18-03, 12:22 PM
Hello Everyone,
I've done many searches on Leatherneck and haven't found anything that answers my questions, so here goes:
I currently have a ship date as a Reservist, but I have decided that I want to go Active Duty instead. I've spoken to the GySgt in the recruiting office many times and he told me that there are NO open AD slots for women. He is encouraging me to "simply" go as scheduled and then augment to Active Duty once I get to my unit. That sets off an alarm in my head because a SSgt in the same office told me to dream on if I was thinking about augmenting because it hardly ever happens. Additionally, the Gunny has said things like that before, too, that it is hard to augment.
I certainly do not feel comfortable taking the gamble of my future unit saying that I cannot augment. I need to
secure an Active Duty slot before I go to Parris Island. The problem is that my recruiter is telling me all these things, but I know different because:
Yesterday I spoke with my old Recruiter (he is now the SNCOIC at another Station) and he looked in the system and told me, "There are three slots open right now. If you were in my pool, I could get you to go. GySgt is being lazy because there is work involved in changing your status."
Armed with this new information, I want to go back to the Station and insist upon a status change. My quandary is that I do not want to come across as disrespectful, but I do need to get what I am after. Maybe the Gunny would be comfortable with the uncertainty of trying to augment, but if I got to my unit and they said no, I would be one unhappy Marine with eight years of a Reserve contract remaining.
My question is: what do I do? I go into the office all the time, each time staying for at least 30 minutes talking about AD possibilities, each time, the Gunny tells me the same thing. Now that I know different, I am frustrated that I am still being told that there are no spots. I know that he is not saying this because he doesn't think I will make it or thinks I am lazy.
I will continue to be persistent, but if he continues to tell me that there is no way, the SSgt at the other office told me to call him back and that he would give me a couple numbers to call, presumably to go over the Gunny's head; that is a scary prospect for me.
Any words of wisdom?
I've done many searches on Leatherneck and haven't found anything that answers my questions, so here goes:
I currently have a ship date as a Reservist, but I have decided that I want to go Active Duty instead. I've spoken to the GySgt in the recruiting office many times and he told me that there are NO open AD slots for women. He is encouraging me to "simply" go as scheduled and then augment to Active Duty once I get to my unit. That sets off an alarm in my head because a SSgt in the same office told me to dream on if I was thinking about augmenting because it hardly ever happens. Additionally, the Gunny has said things like that before, too, that it is hard to augment.
I certainly do not feel comfortable taking the gamble of my future unit saying that I cannot augment. I need to
secure an Active Duty slot before I go to Parris Island. The problem is that my recruiter is telling me all these things, but I know different because:
Yesterday I spoke with my old Recruiter (he is now the SNCOIC at another Station) and he looked in the system and told me, "There are three slots open right now. If you were in my pool, I could get you to go. GySgt is being lazy because there is work involved in changing your status."
Armed with this new information, I want to go back to the Station and insist upon a status change. My quandary is that I do not want to come across as disrespectful, but I do need to get what I am after. Maybe the Gunny would be comfortable with the uncertainty of trying to augment, but if I got to my unit and they said no, I would be one unhappy Marine with eight years of a Reserve contract remaining.
My question is: what do I do? I go into the office all the time, each time staying for at least 30 minutes talking about AD possibilities, each time, the Gunny tells me the same thing. Now that I know different, I am frustrated that I am still being told that there are no spots. I know that he is not saying this because he doesn't think I will make it or thinks I am lazy.
I will continue to be persistent, but if he continues to tell me that there is no way, the SSgt at the other office told me to call him back and that he would give me a couple numbers to call, presumably to go over the Gunny's head; that is a scary prospect for me.
Any words of wisdom?