Questions about Signing

[TrevBrill]

I tried to search the forum to see if these questions have been answered before but for some reason my computer wont let the search go through.

My Marine recruiter seems to be giving me the run around. I have been talking to one who called me originally and another which my friend had signed with.

One says with infantry I can get a signing bonus
The other says Marine Corps does not issue signing bonuses

One says I can choose where I am going to be stationed and get it no matter what (His own words)
Other says I can pick a few and if there are openings there they will send me to my top choice available

One said since I am joining in the buddy program I can be a PFC after boot. Is this true?

Thanks Marines.

[sparkie]

OMG,,,,,, Most o us Marines are too whiped to follow you on this Friday nite,,,,,,,,, BONUSES are scarce. Squeeze your Recruiter,,,,,, You want money???? play the lottery,,,,,,,,,,,,

The 'Buddy Program just means you used to have a buddy.

[commdog7]

If you want that bonus, best bet is to join the Army. Real Marines don't join for money, they join for honor and pride.

I never heard of a poolee getting to choose their duty station, I doubt that's true.

You don't get PFC for signing up for the buddy program. The buddy program means you will go to boot camp with a friend, it doesn't have anything to do with promotions. If you refer wannabes to the Corps, then you might be able to get contract PFC.

[PIMarineMP]

Real Marines don't join for money, they join for honor and pride.
That is very true...
Dear Poolee,
-First off most recuiters are lazy but give them a little credit they work long days and hours.
-You cannot chose your duty station! Don't let them make you think that, you will more than likely get the choice of West Coast, East Coast, Over seas during your MOS school. But here is a well known phrase to get used to "It's the needs of the Marine Corps." This means the Marine Corps will put you where they need you. You signed up for the Marines, the Marines didn't sign up for you.

-The only ways to pick up PFC out of boot camp is A) you got 2 other people to sign and stand on the yellow footprints before you grad (if you grad), B) You become "broke" or can't make standands, which leads you stay on MCRD for a period of 9months or longer or C) for some reason your Senior Drill Instructor thinks you deserve it.

*I hope that was a little more detailed and specific for you.
Just a helpful hint, don't buy into what recruiters sell. Your best bet is to have a Marine go with you to talk to your recruiter without them knowing the person you brought is a Marine. For myself I had brought my Dad who is a Marine and that helped with them not being able to lie to me.

[PaidinBlood]

Duh-sign your life away to the one who promises you a rose garden!!...best of luck, clown...:thumbup:

[Old Marine]

Anything and I mean anything that a Marine Recruiter tells you is the TRUTH.

[ecom]

There are bonuses for certain MOS, but I don't know about a signing bonus. I got a $5k bonus, but my recruiter just mentioned that out of the blue. I didn't ask for it or know about it and I would have enlisted regardless.

I got PFC for college credit IIRC.

Everything that you are promised should be in writing, otherwise you can expect it to vaporize. Unless you're going reserve, it's unlikely you'll get to choose your duty station. In MOS school, they gave us a list to choose our preference. I chose Okinawa and I ended up in Southern California.

[psyclopsus]

Fvck a big cereal bowl full of bonuses...You know what the best bonus is that's offered by the Marine Corps? Those pimp-azz God blessed dress blues! When I was on recruiting assistance after boot camp I personally watched my recruiter turn away about 6 possible recruits. If a kid came into the office and asked a thing about bonuses, my recruiter would firmly grab them by the arm, escort them to his door and point across the hall to the Army office and say "I think you should be talking to them." As other Marines in this thread have said, your main motivation to join this great Band Of Brothers SHOULD be about honor and pride, not fvcking dollar bills.

The buddy program is very straightforward. It has nothing to do with rank or promotion. Simply put, if you and your high school friend both sign up on the buddy program, there is a "good chance" you will be in the same platoon at boot camp. Nothing is guaranteed when those buses pull up to the receiving barracks and all the yelling starts and every swinging d!ck is scrambling to find a set of yellow footprints (Ahh, the memories!!). You have to remember, there are more than just you and your friend arriving that night. They pick up an entire company of recruits (roughly 500 -600) over the course of 1 or 2 nights. You and your "buddy" will arrive together, but if you want to absolutely make sure you are together throughout, stand on footprints that are one in front of the other, not side by side. When all the footprints are full, they have you start to peel off one row at a time, longways and if you are side by side there will be almost 30 people between you and they might break off the line to begin a new platoon.

The only ways I can think of (at the moment) to leave boot camp as a PFC are these:

Sign up as an Eagle scout (Have it in writing that you get PFC upon graduating)

Have x amount of college credits when you sign up.

Recruit x amount of recruits while in the DEP program.

The following 3 USUALLY get a meritorious promotion at boot camp:
Become the "Company Ironman" at boot camp (Highest final PFT score)
Become the company high shooter (that's how I got my meritorious PFC)
Graduate as the platoon guide

Choices of duty station is, like others said, ultimately up to the needs of the Marine Corps. When you are about ready to graduate from your MOS school, you fill out a "Dreamsheet." You have 3 choices. East coast USA, West coast USA or Overseas (almost always means Okinawa). You put these three in order of your preference as to where you want to go. These get sent off to your Monitor. Every MOS in the Marine Corps has a Monitor. His entire job is to keep track of every single Marine with that MOS and make sure there are adequate levels of all ranks at all duty stations at all times. Not too easy of a task sometimes, and there's a chance he might have too many boot PFC's where you want to go, or he's short on boot PFC's elsewhere. If he can accomodate your request, he will, but don't be in the least bit shocked if you don't get what you want. I have heard stories of Staff NCO's bribing their Monitor with cases of Scotch for duty station preference, but nobody can prove a thing.;)

[dhenderson88]

I got to get a case of scotch....