Will I actually do my job?

[jd5989]

Is there a chance I won't actually do the job I get? For example, if I am a mechanic, is it likely the marines will put me in an infantry unit?

[DrZ]

The majority of the time.... you will be working within your MOS. That being said, if the Marines (notice the capital letter) need you somewhere else, that is where you will go.

As a Marine, you will follow all legal orders. Just do your best...no matter what you are told to do and you will be fine.

Too many people paint all forms of strange scenarios and drive themselves crazy with it. Don't worry about what may or may not happen. Just do what you are ordered to do.

[Tennessee Top]

Negative. You will do the job you're trained/qualified for.

If you're trained to be a mechanic, you would not be assigned as a grunt in an infantry platoon. Likewise, a grunt would never be assigned to a motor transport unit as a mechanic (chances are, they would not know how to fix anything so what's the point).

The USMC will spend a lot of money sending you to your MOS school. Would not make sense to then have you do something entirely different.

It changes after you've been in for awhile and are eligible for a "B" billet outside your primary MOS like Recruiting, Drill Instructor, or Embassy duty (Marine Security Guard). Although you may be a trained mechanic with years of experience, now you may also be trained to do one (or more) of the above jobs.

[Phantom Blooper]

chances are, they would not know how to fix anything so what's the point).

Duh....which way did he go? Duh.....which way did he go?

[sdk87to91]

If you dont succeed in your MOS school you can be reasssigned to some other MOS.
If you dont succeed in your position same thing can happen.
I passed my MOS school but did not do well in the position of Air Traffic Controller. I was changed to embarkation for the duration of my enlistment.
Dessert Shield was beginning and I was able to contribute in that new assignment.
If I had wanted another school I would have had to re-enlist.
That is because by the time they gave up on me in ATC, I had less than two years left.

[YourPhoneIsMine]

Negative. You will do the job you're trained/qualified for.

If you're trained to be a mechanic, you would not be assigned as a grunt in an infantry platoon. Likewise, a grunt would never be assigned to a motor transport unit as a mechanic (chances are, they would not know how to fix anything so what's the point).

The USMC will spend a lot of money sending you to your MOS school. Would not make sense to then have you do something entirely different.

It changes after you've been in for awhile and are eligible for a "B" billet outside your primary MOS like Recruiting, Drill Instructor, or Embassy duty (Marine Security Guard). Although you may be a trained mechanic with years of experience, now you may also be trained to do one (or more) of the above jobs.

"never" is a bit presumptious, the military has a habit of making irrationally stupid personnel decisions. the airfield I just came from is run by a humvee mechanic and I've got a recon-trained MP in my own unit's S-4

In three years this is the first time I've actually done work in the MOS I was trained for. There are plenty of situations where one can be FAPed out to work in a billet they were never trained for.

[Tennessee Top]

I stand corrected. True, anything is possible and there are always exceptions to every rule. Typically, people work in the job they were trained for; that sounds a little more realistic.

[devilbones2]

Most importantly no matter what you do make sure that you do it the best. If you are a Satellite Engineer and they put you on grass cutting duty, make sure you are the best grass cutter out there. It doesnt matter what you are doing, its how well you do that. Take my advice and you wont have any problems doing anything that you might end up with.

[MintusMaximus]

Also... don't get butt hurt or feel you got screwed if some time in the fleet you get put on something like Camp Guard. It's not like your not doing your job...you just get to do something other than your job. *best example of not doing your MOS in the fleet off the top of my head.*

[Zulu 36]

Assuming you became a 3521, you COULD go to an infantry unit, but almost certainly in a mechanic's billet. Your #1 job would be wrench bending on the unit's vehicles, but you would still probably be expected to take a turn on camp guard, or ride as a gunner (or even driver) on a convoy. Marines are multi-taskers. Semper Gumby.

I was a truck driver in Vietnam assigned to an A-4 attack squadron as the CO's driver. I did everything except drive the CO. I helped hang bombs on aircraft, helped the plane captains launch aircraft, mail clerk, fire team leader on our provisional infantry platoon, and more. I even got to drive a truck now and then (actually almost everyday). I got to do a lot of non-Motor Transport things and I'm very happy for the experiences.

Don't fear opportunities to broaden yourself beyond your primary MOS.