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View Full Version : Career Planning on a Tight Time Budget



xpaz
01-26-10, 10:42 PM
Good evening, Marines.

I'm looking for a few opinions from some of the Active Duty Marines on the board; old salts, your opinions most certainly are welcome as well, however I'm more curious to hear from those who have a more up-to-date knowledge of current Marine Corps policies and operations.

My two-year mark is fast approaching and I've run into some career-related questions that I'm having a difficult time getting my head around on my own. I'm going to talk to a career planner and already have the ball rolling through my chain of command, so let's get that out of the way right here and now. What I'd appreciate hearing are educated opinions and perspectives rather than derogatory or emotional b.s. about this and that.

So... to make a long story even longer.

I enlisted out of college in 2008. I explored the Commissioned option and decided that being enlisted sounded more appealing at the time. I have not been disappointed with my decision and enjoy my job, my co-workers, etc. There's the usual "suck" that is inherent with Marine Corps life as an enlisted Marine, but that comes with the territory.

I've discovered through the grapevine that my MOS ultimately is being phased out, making advancement difficult. This could happen sooner or later; right now it's just talk around the scuttlebutt, but it's going to happen at some point. So now I find myself again in a position where I'm surrounded by career paths, several of which sound promising and rewarding, and am having a hard time making an educated decision.

I'm 25 years old now, and will be 26 in August. As far as I've been told, the cut-off (barring any waivers) for ECP and OCC is 28 years. This leaves me with only a couple years to make a decision on the "rest" of my career.

By the time I EAS -- or when my current contract ends -- I will be too old for a commission, meaning that any decision to go that route would need to be made before then.

So the options I'm looking at right now (two of which are career options in the Corps) are:

1.) Go with the flow, EAS in 2013, become a nasty civilian with a wife, family, dog, huge house, rose garden and a stripper pole in my living room.

2.) Stay in as an enlisted Marine and go down one path that has always sounded appealing to me -- MSG, Drill Instructor (hopefully), NCO, Staff NCO, etc. There's great appeal in working up the enlisted ranks. The b.s. is never fun to deal with, but it's always rewarding to see oneself advance in spite of it all.

Part of option 2 might entail an attempt at the Chief Warrant Officer route (I know: baby steps, but having goals is good too). This would be a career option for me as I see little point to re-enlisting and doing all of these great things only to stop short of 20 years. I'm aware that this is all very competitive -- be advised that I'm just career planning and setting goals.

While I'd LOVE to be able to pursue this goal (MSG/Drill Instructor/Fun Stuff) and still seek a commission, I wouldn't be able to complete any 3 year B-Billet and still meet the age requirement for ECP and OCC. Unfortunately for me, it seems to be either one or the other. Either I pick an enlisted career and run with it or.... Option #3

3.) Decide some time in the near future to put together an ECP package and try to get a commission. I'm aware that this is a competitive endeavor as well. This is a pretty self-explanatory career move, though. It's very appealing except that I wouldn't get to do any of the fun stuff that I've always looked forward to as an enlisted Marine. I enjoy getting my hands dirty and working in my MOS, seeing stuff come in broken, fixing it, and seeing it go back out. I enjoy being one of the hands-on worker-bees, even at the lower ranks. I'm worried that some of this camaraderie dissipates with a commission, but I don't have a lot to base that conclusion off of, other than my first impressions.

My heart is not set on any of these options quite yet. I'm having a difficult time with my time constraints and personal perspective -- thus why I'm asking for additional perspectives from you fine gentlemen.

What would some of you consider doing? I have just about 3 years to get this next step on the move and I don't want to make the mistake of leaving it to the last moment, limiting my options and burning bridges, if you know what I mean.

I'm not looking for a "You have to ask yourself what you want, Devil Dog" response, although I can respect if that's all you've got to say.

Would you EAS and get out?

Would you Lat Move and advance through the enlisted ranks knowing that there's no chance at getting a commission in the future short of the Chief Warrant Officer route?

Would you get a commission?

Do you have any information on age waivers as far as ECP goes? To your knowledge is it possible to get pre-approved for an age-waiver, allowing you extra time to complete a B-Billet?

I've already got a pretty good idea of the responses I'm going to get, but it can't hurt to ask anyways. Knowledge is power and I'd like to arm myself with as many additional perspectives as possible when I get in to the career planner and start considering the options.

I apologize for typing so much; I tend to do so later at night. Thanks for reading, Marines, and thanks in advance to those that take the time to respond.

Semper Fidelis

xpaz
01-26-10, 11:08 PM
Can't edit my original post:

I recall reading on the boards that there are indeed age waivers for ECP. I'm curious how flexible they tend to be? I read somewhere about a GySgt getting that far, but that's all relative, because I know that there are stellar, younger-than-28 GySgts out there, so that doesn't necessarily answer the age-waiver question.

Kegler300
01-27-10, 04:54 AM
You better check that age waiver. I recall that the number of years you already served would be subtracted from your age giving you a constructive age for a waiver.

Sally
01-27-10, 06:57 AM
I would lat move and advance through enlisted ranks. Many have done it and they are pretty content. Some started their career late in their 20's also.

Quinbo
01-27-10, 07:24 AM
You gots to get that blood stripe before you can even consider MCEP and you stand a better chance of going warrent if you have a rocker. Keep chugging away for now. Think of every day as adding to your resume.

xpaz
01-27-10, 06:12 PM
Thanks for your perspectives. I'm happy to hear more, especially if there are any officers reading along.

MUSTANG0369
01-27-10, 07:34 PM
I know that you don't wanna hear this but you really gotta pick one. Hundreds of pages could be written on each of the above topics.

Getting out would probably require you to finish your degree IOT provide a decent quality of life for the Fam. Then you have to find a job in a free market with unemployment at a high rate.

Staying enlisted is a great option, and very rewarding. But IMHO can be frustrating until you reach the rank of Cpl if you are a grunt, and I guess Sgt at any other rank. As a SNCO you are a teacher/mentor to both your Marines and newly commissioned officers, if they arent too set in their ways to listen. Very rewarding, and you do have many opportunities. Drill Field? Be careful what you ask for. The worst and best times of my life. It is one of those too hard to explains.

Warrant Officer is also a viable course of action. The great thing is that people know you were a prior, the bad is they know you are a prior. LOL If that makes sense. Have met great WOs and CWOs and others that I have wondered how they made it. Of course I can say that about every rank in the Marine Corps, except Col or above, cause I dont know or hang around too many of those types. You will be an expert in your field, however you will always be in that MOS.......As far as i know there is no "b" billets or time away from your MOS once you are a WO or CWO.

Commissioned Officer. Be humble, and be ready to start all over again. You will be responsible for everything your platoon does or fails to do. Depending on how much time you spend as enlisted, it will feel at times as a step back. Understand that you are indeed on a level playing field as far as competing. Prior enlisted experience can help you or hurt you. You do not know it all, and the minute you think you do , you should get out.

If you have more specific questions i will answer what i know, but please understand i went through a while ago and my info/experience may be dated.

Semper Fi