DEP or no DEP

[Teeters]

I have a problem.

I work 6 days a week. Mon-Fri I work from 3pm-6pm... I wish I could work more hours, but I can't take any hours away from the other guy, you know?

On Saturdays, I work from 7am-3pm.

This is every single week.

Here is my problem:

The PT meetings that I can go to are Monday-Thursday at 8am. I can go to those during the summer. However, I still have one semester of High School left, so once school resumes, I can't go to those.

They have other PT meetings Tues and Thursday at 6pm. The problem here is that I get off of work at 6pm, and it would take me 30-45 minutes to get to the PT. So I obviously can't go to that...

Every other Saturday, they have a PT meeting that is practically all day.

Being in the DEP, I am required to go to at least one PT during the week every week, and one PT on Saturday once a month.


I don't know about other people in the DEP, but I don't have parents that can even afford to pay for my insurance, my gas, or any other expenses. I pay for it all...

I make more on Saturday alone then I do the rest of the week... If you take out Saturdays pay, I just barely have enough money to put into insurance... Then you have to pay for the gas to get to and from work, AND I'd have to pay for even more gas to get to the PT meetings.

Moral of the story...

You can't work less and spend more...

I want to be a Marine, and I need to start going to the PT meetings, I need to sign up for the DEP, but if I sign up for the DEP, I won't be able to afford to even drive to work...

What do I do?

[JenniferJp]

You should talk to your recruiter. If you really want to be a Marine you may have to make a sacrifice and have a strict budget or get a new job that will be more accomadating. The job you have now that is causing so many problems is it what you really want to do for the rest of your life? If not, and you want to be a Marine figure out a way to make a sacrifice to make it happen.

[MarineDAD92]

I have a problem.

I work 6 days a week. Mon-Fri I work from 3pm-6pm... I wish I could work more hours, but I can't take any hours away from the other guy, you know?

On Saturdays, I work from 7am-3pm.

This is every single week.

Here is my problem:

The PT meetings that I can go to are Monday-Thursday at 8am. I can go to those during the summer. However, I still have one semester of High School left, so once school resumes, I can't go to those.

They have other PT meetings Tues and Thursday at 6pm. The problem here is that I get off of work at 6pm, and it would take me 30-45 minutes to get to the PT. So I obviously can't go to that...

Every other Saturday, they have a PT meeting that is practically all day.

Being in the DEP, I am required to go to at least one PT during the week every week, and one PT on Saturday once a month.


I don't know about other people in the DEP, but I don't have parents that can even afford to pay for my insurance, my gas, or any other expenses. I pay for it all...

I make more on Saturday alone then I do the rest of the week... If you take out Saturdays pay, I just barely have enough money to put into insurance... Then you have to pay for the gas to get to and from work, AND I'd have to pay for even more gas to get to the PT meetings.

Moral of the story...

You can't work less and spend more...

I want to be a Marine, and I need to start going to the PT meetings, I need to sign up for the DEP, but if I sign up for the DEP, I won't be able to afford to even drive to work...

First of all, get rid of the can't and don'ts.

What do I do?

Second:

Have you talked to your employer? Most of them will work with your schedule to some degree. 1 saturday a month? surely you can work out a swap with someone. PT @ 6pm? Try leaving 45 min early......... 1 day a month and 45 mins. a week is not insurmountable.

Talk to everyone who holds you accountable for your schedule: Employer, Recruiter, school guidance counsoler. Negotiate, take notes, prioritize and organize.

[Tennessee Top]

Becoming a Marine is one of the most difficult tasks you'll ever undertake. It involves sacrafice, flexibility, and determination/commitment (and I'm not talking only about bootcamp either). If being a Marine were easy, everybody would do it. There are many who begin the journey of earning the eagle, globe, and anchor but plenty fall by the wayside for myriad reasons. Just making it to the yellow footprints can be a struggle for some.

There are no easy answers. In your case, you will have to change your schedule in order to meet the minimum requirements of your dep (or get dropped). If that means changing jobs then start submitting resumes.

There are plenty of poolees in your same circumstance who have found a way to make it all work. If they did it then you can too. It is time for you to...improvise, adapt, and overcome adversity.

[Teeters]

Becoming a Marine is one of the most difficult tasks you'll ever undertake. It involves sacrafice, flexibility, and determination/commitment (and I'm not talking only about bootcamp either). If being a Marine were easy, everybody would do it. There are many who begin the journey of earning the eagle, globe, and anchor but plenty fall by the wayside for myriad reasons. Just making it to the yellow footprints can be a struggle for some.

There are no easy answers. In your case, you will have to change your schedule in order to meet the minimum requirements of your dep (or get dropped). If that means changing jobs then start submitting resumes.

There are plenty of poolees in your same circumstance who have found a way to make it all work. If they did it then you can too. It is time for you to...improvise, adapt, and overcome adversity.

That's a good Morale booster.

Thank you all.


Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.