From Private to PFC

[chad6025]

Hello! I got promoted to PFC today and I was wondering if my recruiter sends the paper work to ITB than how do I go about the promotion does it really matter, Can I just put my chevrons on myself or do I have to have them put on.


Semper Fi

[Tennessee Top]

Your recruiter is out of the picture now and has nothing to do with your promotion (if you're a contract PFC it's in the contract already so nothing for your recruiter to send).

Have your chevrons sewn on by a professional tailor (who knows the USMC regs). NEVER try to sew chevrons on yourself. This is something you have to do; your command will not do it for you. Ask your platoon sergeant, 1stSgt, or an instructor where to take them to.

[YLDNDN6]

Also, DO NOT be seen in uniform without your chevrons, after promotion. If you must, get some sewn on immediately, even before your promotion ceremony. Borrow a shirt from a similar sized PFC...anything....just do not be caught without your chevrons on your uniform. I saw a Marine promoted to PFC at morning formation, then get busted down later that day due to falling in for evening formation without his new rank insignia on his Charile shirt. "My shirts are all getting my chevrons sewn on" is not an excuse. Congrats on the promotion, by the way......carry on.

[Quinbo]

I think he is talking about slapping a set of wings on his collar.

If you have the warrent in hand then by all means wear PFC chevrons. If you don't have the warrent then hang on until you have been formally promoted.

Anything other than the first or second of the month for promotions sounds kind of odd to me.

By the way if you were guarenteed PFC because of eagle scout or whatever you would start wearing it after the EGA ceremony in boot camp.

What's the scoop?

[jp2usmc]

Hello! I got promoted to PFC today and I was wondering if my recruiter sends the paper work to ITB than how do I go about the promotion does it really matter, Can I just put my chevrons on myself or do I have to have them put on.


Semper Fi

Cool! Merry Christmas to you!

[Pylon]

Welcome to the Pointless F'ing Chevron club.

I'm assuming you got the PFC for referrals (which is why your recruiter is involved and you're not getting it as a matter of contract), in which case, yes your recruiter needs to stay involved. They initiate the paperwork. You need to stay on him or her until it shows up in MOL. The IPAC people at SOI/ITB repeatedly told our guys that it was the recruiters responsibility to push the promotion through (and recruiters would invariably tell the Marines that they should see IPAC).

Do not pin on your chevrons yourself. One guy in my ITB class did this and the instructors were not amused. Neither was the First Sergeant. At the end of ITB, we had a mass promotion ceremony where all the guys who rated PFC and LCpl throughout ITB got their warrants and got pinned.

In reality, you're at ITB for such a short period of time that a lot of your admin stuff may not get sorted out while you're there. We had plenty of guys grad ITB and go to the fleet still waiting for their meritorious promotion for referrals to go through. Stay on it, but don't whine. Whining and complaining will get you nowhere.