Just a couple questions....

[IHaveEGA843]

How are yall doing Marine's? I have a couple questions before I go through the motions of being sworn in and shipping off later this month.

Yes my profile says 28Nov2011 but yesterday my recruiter contacted me saying that if I wanted to I can ship 27June2011 if I can choose between these two jobs which is 0481 Landing Support Spec or 3531 Motor Vehicle Oper. I have to make my mind up by monday so the everything can be finalized and read for wednesday for the trip to MEPs. Oh yea, I'm going reserves also.

I'd like to know the Pros/Cons of both of those MOS's. I've read up on them on ************* and will do a search of them on here. I was told I could lat move after 2 years in the Reserves to another job or location if I'd like.

Everything is falling in place now and happening fast, I have to play alot of catch up on knowledge.

Thanks for those who read and respond.

[Caesar Augustus]

Lets just say as motor t you'll be hated by a lot of people no matter that yes your job is very important.

I'm one of those, I ****ing hated the motor-t guys we had, then again they were lazy. I say what do you want to do when you get out. Are you hoping to learn a skill and take it with you afterwards or not. Motor-t you're a mech and in country you may be on patrols etc that are mounted depending on what unit you're with.

Landing support I have no clue on, however I'd venture to say its possibly more interesting and less likely to be hated.

[SSgtRSD]

Same as above, I don't know much about the landing support specialist field. Motor T is a bit of a double edged sword. In my Bn (in garrison), Motor T always had the most drug pops, alcohol related incidents, and discipline issues. However when deployed, the Motor T plt was very hard working, outside the wire everyday and had a legitimate mission. Logistical support is imperative to any combat MOS. Honestly, your experience will depend a lot on what unit you are with, what you make of it, and what kind of Marine you want to be. In your shoes I would go Motor T, but that's your decision. If you do, head this warning: surround yourself with the good Marines. The fleet has a bad tendency to think being a terminal lance and not caring is "cool".

[Caesar Augustus]

Our entire motor-t section was full of lazy fat ****s, incredibly stupid SNCOs who allowed their junior Marines to tell us to change our own tires(mind you thats their job, we're in country and we spend all our time patrolling, sleeping in houses, having 18hrs days, getting mortared etc) sending us out with ****ty gear because they were to lazy to do a proper job etc.

Now if landing support is those guys who wear the red square on their cover go for that. I think landing support are the guys who operate the hovercraft things that you can load vehicles onto etc. Now if its those *******s who palletize our stuff no because I hate them because they expect us to just know how to do it the right way as if its OUR job to do THEIR job.

Not that it helps but either way at the end of the day if you're a good Marine you won't have a problem.

[Caesar Augustus]

Same as above, I don't know much about the landing support specialist field. Motor T is a bit of a double edged sword. In my Bn (in garrison), Motor T always had the most drug pops, alcohol related incidents, and discipline issues. However when deployed, the Motor T plt was very hard working, outside the wire everyday and had a legitimate mission. Logistical support is imperative to any combat MOS. Honestly, your experience will depend a lot on what unit you are with, what you make of it, and what kind of Marine you want to be. In your shoes I would go Motor T, but that's your decision. If you do, head this warning: surround yourself with the good Marines. The fleet has a bad tendency to think being a terminal lance and not caring is "cool".

I know we had that problem, myself included but it wasn't for anything other than when we got back from Iraq in 06 you just got back and it was business as usual. I got into a fight with a boot of mine and was told to see the doc, and then ordered to take anger/stress management classes but no one made you and no one knew that getting blown up might be bad for the brain. Our entire unit had tons of Marines pop for drugs, go UA etc. Almost had the entire COC relieved. It was the worst deployment my unit has had since WWII and they wondered why expecting combat Marines to just revert back to garrison Marines and have charlie inspections a month later was going to work

[IHaveEGA843]

Thanks for the replies.

Landing Support is the "red patcher" or what some of the Marines I've heard say "red tag fag". I viewed a couple videos on you tube of the low flying helo drops or attachments they do, its pretty cool but I'm sure scary as hell to be feet away from the helo in mid air.

What are the chances of seeing combat in these MOS's? I know Motor T Marines attached to infrantry units see some but would logistic Marines see any?

I'm going to be the best and most just Marine I can be, respectful but want the same respect I give.

What would a Motor T Marine do on a deployment in Oki or Hawaii? Personnel transport?

Its some dumb questions but I'm trying to make the best decision before I sign. I don't want to be a Marine that's disgruntled because he hates his job.

Thanks again

[Caesar Augustus]

Yea thats what I thought. Red patchers. Motor-t I'm going to guess is going to see combat before they will but I know with our unit they never saw anything and never went anywhere and this in and around fallujah 05-06.

Can't help you with the specific ones about being in oki or hawaii. I'm assuming if they go to the field a lot of support units will convoy out and motor-t will obviously drive them but a lot of grunt units will simply hump out and motor-t stays in the rear iwth the cooks and just comes out to bring supplies etc.

[Danno77]

Just a warning, if you go in June it is a lot hotter at PI than November, when I went to boot camp back in 77, it was July 6th. It was hot as hell there. Then again if you go in November you will be stuck there at Christmas and New Years. So take the climate and time of year in to consideration also.

Good luck
just don't quit and you will make it.

[IHaveEGA843]

I live about a hour and 15 min away from PI so the climate is the same here. 100% humidity, evening heat advisories, and the suck of the state bird *mosquitoes* are all well known about.

As much as I hate the heat and would love to go during the fall I think this is my chance because I fought to get in, kicked up a little dirt and now I have my chance. I've considered waiting until the end of the military fiscal year to close and a new one to open up so I can be amoung the top to pick from more jobs.

So I'm weighing my options here, if I can pick between the two MOS's and go to boot during the hot summer months so be it or wait until it begins cooling down then go through this process again.

Its a hard decision to make because I want to become a Marine and the chance is here but the heat is here also and I feel if I let this go then I'll be allowing a door to close that may not reopen. I'm to the point of, "well you're at the beginning so you might as well do it regardless of the heat, get it done, shut up, and become a Marine" and I'm actually beginning to believe thats what I need to do.

I wont quit trust me but I if I can live and work in this heat for 8 years then obviously I can do boot camp for 3 months. It cant be as bad as riding on the back of a garbage truck for 8-10 hrs in the summer right? How about laying asphalt while the head index was 114 and the asphalt was 600 degrees with none of those new machines the DOT has but only garden rakes and pitch axes, cant be as bad as that?

My father said I'll do alright if I keep hydrated like I do here and I forced down a gal a day.


Lmao, I'm seriously trying to stay positive about this sir but thanks for the consideration on the sucky climate here.

[Caesar Augustus]

Don't worry about when you go to boot. Either way it will "suck" but assuming you graduate when you look back you'll laugh. I went in January (MCRD) and it was cold and wet for most of the time I was there. I will say that hands down training in the cold and rain is the worst experience ever. You can always get used to the heat because it doesn't make your fingers not work, doesn't make you want to cry when you have to get out from under or out of whatever warm thing you're sleeping in, doesn't require you to wear extra gear to stay warm only for it to make you sweat, not dry up in time for you to need it again at night etc.

In Iraq even with it getting up to 140 and in full gear it eventually became pretty much a non issue save for the really really long times spent just standing waiting on EOD etc. When it got "cold" or at least cold to us after being used to the heat it was miserable getting up, and trying to function lol

[Danno77]

Soon2HaveEGA843
I didn't even think about the climate when I went, didn't even enter my mind. I'm pretty happy I went in the summer which is probably the busy season at P.I. Boot camp isn't as bad as people make it out to be, it is a lot of work though the days seem really long.

good luck

[Caesar Augustus]

Soon2HaveEGA843
I didn't even think about the climate when I went, didn't even enter my mind. I'm pretty happy I went in the summer which is probably the busy season at P.I. Boot camp isn't as bad as people make it out to be, it is a lot of work though the days seem really long.

good luck

Well we all know real Marines come from MCRDSD

[IHaveEGA843]

I'm just going to suck it up, hydrate until water begins to come out of my nose, ears, finger nails, and go in head first. My time is here, I have to take it or regret it for the rest of my life. Sometimes God opens those doors when you don't expect it but once he closes it that's it. That won't be me, I have to do this.....

Its not so bad here in the mornings but from 11-4 that when it God raises the ovens temp. I'm sure we won't be outside ALL day and I've heard about the black flag days.

Thanks for the replies Marines, hopefully soon I can come back and ask Sgt Lep for a name change.

If any Marines have any more info on these 2 MOSs they'd like to post please do, I'm watching this thread like a hawk until tomorrow.

[Caesar Augustus]

You could always see if your recruiter could get you a trip to actually check out the reserve unit that you'd be assigned to anyways and maybe talk to some of the new Marines. I know sometimes they'll let depers hang around on a drill weekend to see what its like.

[Danno77]

Well we all know real Marines come from MCRDSD

There you go Caesar, We can start the Old Corps/New Corps fight while we're at it.

I will say at that I think that you had it tougher at S.D. you probably could have made it over the fence, P.I. you had no chance of escape, you had to accept your fate that the quickest way off the island was to graduate.
Also the distractons at San Diego of having a real world around you had to be tough.

I did find your comments about training in the winter interesting, although where I am from, winter at P.I. or S.D. is considered pretty mild. Cold is below 20F during the winter. I was at Yuma for 2 years and it was 113F everyday during the summer and We worked outside, PT'd, PFT'd and walked pretty much everywhere We went, and you do get used to it. 50F in the winter seemed cold there.

Soon2HaveEGA843
**Remember they wouldn't have accepted you for training if they didn't think you were going to make it.

Great chatting with you gentlemen
Good luck in the future
Semper Fi