Advice Needed on Re-Enlisting

Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen


My name is John Lillywhite. In February of 2018, I shipped out to MCRD San Diego for bootcamp. In March, I was ELSd for Medical Fraud because I failed to disclose that I hurt my shoulder when I was younger. My Discharge Code is a JDA1, and my Re-Enlistment Code is an RE-3F.


I am paying the ultimate price for that now. I’ve been wanting to be a Marine ever since I was 7 years old. My grandfather is a retired Gunnery Sergeant, and I’ve always wanted to follow in his footsteps, and serve my country in the worlds strongest fighting force.


I went to a recruiter and was told that there was a 0% chance at getting back into the Marine Corps, and they recommended I look at a different branch of service. I spoke with my Grandfather and he recommends I join the US Army for the shortest amount of time, and then enlist/transfer in the Marine Corps afterwards.


Is this a possible situation? Can I join the Army for X amount of years, and then lateral or enlist in the Marine Corps afterwards? It is my life-long dream.

The likelihood of you getting back into the Marine Corps, regardless of the path you attempt, is zero. It is also unlikely even the Army will take you.

Assuming they would overlook your fraudulent enlistment, your shoulder injury would still require a medical waiver and there is no guarantee that would be granted.

Also, moving from the Army to the Marine Corps isn't an automatic process. You would be considered a prior service applicant and the Corps has been notoriously fickle lately with even prior service Marines. You would still need a waiver from HQMC on the RE-3F - unlikely. Also, you would still have to go through boot camp, SOI, MOS school, everything.

This is what happens when you lie to your recruiter or at MEPS about previous medical problems. You are not paying the ultimate price, only part of it. You could have been court-martialed too and had a criminal record as a result. We warn people all of the time on this site about lying and the potential results.

Forget about ever being a Marine. That option is no longer available to you. It's not the end of the world. Lots of people come on here regretting decisions they made which cost them the opportunity to earn the title (too many tattoos, drug abuse, criminal background, etc).

Go talk to the Army recruiter (take your discharge certificate with you cause they'll need to see it). They pretty much take anybody with a pulse and at least one brain cell. But, don't be surprised if they don't trust you (why should they).

Good luck.

I'll give this kid the benefit of the doubt since almost every Marine I have met had been told by their recruiter to lie, and most did. I went through the waiver process and honestly felt a bit like a dumbass as nobody else I know did... they just all lied at meps like their recruiter told them to.

Anyway, I'd call a bunch of recruiters and see if any will work with you. If not, move on to another branch and you can attempt to enlist in the USMC after your obligation... just know that if you want to stay in the military I think your motivation to go back to being a private and doing boot camp all over again after putting some time in may be minimal when the time comes. That said we did have an airforce iraq war veteran in my boot camp platoon.

What do you want to do in the military job wise? Another branch may be a great fit for you anyway. And yes, the Army does allow more people in, nature of being an organization 10x the size.

I'll reiterate -- bug a bunch of recruiters for the USMC, and if that doesn't work take a look at some other branches.

Mike

I think he has no chance. The discharge code he cited: JDA1, says "No Waiver" when I looked it up.

Oh overlooked that

Wow! In less than 12 hours, I did not expect all these responses. Thank you for your responses. I really appreciate it.

I spoke with the USMC recruiter up where I live, and from back home. Both have said no, so I'm pretty sure the USMC is not an option right now.

I did speak with an Army recruiter and was told that the Army would take me. All I need is a note that says my shoulder is okay (whether thats surgery or not).

I really don't think I will care about going through boot camp, SOI, and MOS school, because the dream is to be a Marine. Even tho my DD-214 says JD-A1 and RE-3F right now, once I am discharged, honorably, from the Army, wouldn't my new DD-214 have a different discharge, and re-enlistment code? Wouldn't the codes be honorable enough that a USMC recruiter would see that and sign me?

Again, thank everyone for the responses, and more importantly, thank you for your service.

New codes sounds reasonable to me. However, that does not mean a USMC prior service recruiter would be interested in you. We see prior service Marines here all the time wanting to reenlist but cannot find a PSR willing to work their case. If the USMC is not interested in former Marines coming back in, hard to see why they'd be interested in a former soldier. You could always contact a PSR and ask them this hypothetical question. Your local recruiting office should have their contact info.

Also hard to tell the future, needs of the military, etc. When I joined in 07-08 it was easy to get in because they needed bodies. Fast forward to 2012 it was hard to even stay in for some people. Right now it's somewhat in the middle. 4 years from now we could have another administration dismantling the military, or we could be involved in another war overseas.

I'd still call a couple more recruiters before you make a huge commitment to another branch. I'd ask again, what is it you want to do in the military? The army has great options for pretty much every MOS, but it's not the Marine Corps. My experience is limited to currently being a pretty new member of the army Guard and a prior service Marine.

Mike

Again, thank you for the responses.

Tennessee Top: Thank you for your information. I will make sure to contact a recruiter and get some information for a PSR.

crazymjb: I want to do something along the lines of security (MP, Security Forces, etc). The job I was assigned when I first enlisted in the USMC was Security Forces, but I asked to change to Infantry because I was an angry American at the time lol. Looking back, I know I would have loved that job. So to answer your question, Security or MP. I want to do it for the Marine Corps, so I will have to talk to a PSR before I make the decision to go Army.

My grandfather is the president of a VFW in a small town in Nevada. Everyone in the town knows who he is. Do you think if he and I went to a recruiter together, he could help out and maybe have a recruiter give me a chance and try to go right back into the Marine Corps?

Thank you, again for your responses and your service.

I honestly don't know that the MP experience in the USMC would be vastly different than the Army. In fact, if I recall, they use the same schoolhouse out in FLW. Not sure if all the USMC instructors are Marines and vice-versa, however.

If I were you, and the Marine Corps was really foreclosed as an option right now, I'd look towards some specific army units that have similar camaraderie to the Marine Corps. I believe you can get Airborne and Ranger contracts directly from the army. The Rangers have a very cool mission, but I dare say it's going to be harder to get through that pipeline than Parris Island. I understand you can also get airborne contracts, and those units are rife with tradition and pride.

Mike

Yes. The MP schoolhouse is located at Fort Leonard Wood, MO Army base. I'm sure the instructors are mixed between the services but never been there so don't know.