Is it bad to be a POG?

[Jarad415]

Hello, I am about to get into DEP and I want to sign a 0656 contract, which isn't infantry. I had been looking at infantry before but I am leaning more towards this MOS. I have heard that people who aren't in infantry get called POG, and I was wondering if I would be hazed or something for going with the 0656 contract? Is it bad to be a POG?

[Tennessee Top]

If you get hazed for being a POG that's your own fault (and probably deserve it).

I was a POG for 22.6 years and never hazed (would've loved to see someone even try). There is no doubt in my military mind if I had been a grunt I would've been just as successful as I was being a POG. During my career, I had numerous opportunities to compete against grunts (NCO Academy, Staff NCO Academy, Marine Security Guard School, Marine Security Guard Program) and you know what - did fine, and in some cases, outperformed them. As a student Detachment Commander at MSG School, I competed against former DI's and grunt Staff NCO's - had grunts in my student detachment whom I lead. Who ended up the class Staff NCO honor graduate - me, the only admin chief (of course, I was a former MSG watchstander which helped immensely). By the way, some of those former DI's and grunts never graduated. When we graduated, who did the Battalion CO send to the hotspot at that time - me (Haiti). Out on the program (embassy duty) was more of the same. I was competing against former DI's and grunt Detachment Commanders (as well as other MOS's). There were grunts as well as recon rangers in my detachments whom I lead. In 1988, we were named the #1 detachment in the battalion and I was named the #1 detachment commander on the program that year (our Regional Security Officer was named the RSO of the Year by the State Department) - me, an admin chief/POG. I had orders to recruiters school rotating off the program but the Battalion CO wanted me back at the schoolhouse so got them changed. There were no instructor/advisor billets open at that time so they made me the MSG School Operations Chief.

My whole point is...your MOS does not define you as a Marine (contrary to what you may hear or others may say). Is there a rule that says only grunts can serve as our Commandant or The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps - no (ask our current Commandant). To answer your last question...it is only bad to be a POG if you let it be bad.

[awbrown1462]

not all can be grunts but all who go through Boot and pass are Marines

[Rocky C]

A Marine is a Marine is a Marine.

Great MOS BTW.

Best of luck to you.

[Gemoore2]

Is it bad to be a POG?

No..

[josephd]

Yes it is bad to be a POG...your drill instructors will destroy you in boot camp for being such because they are all grunts and will hate you. IF you make it out of boot camp alive, once you hit the fleet all your NCO's will be prior grunts and they will haze you into oblivion to the point you'll go UA because they will hate you even more than your drill instructors.

[Omegaham]

There are two kinds of people who hate on POGs - boots and morons. Everyone else realizes that there are jobs that need to be done in a military fashion and don't involve shooting people. Everything from communications to crypto to intel to aviation to logistics (Gee, where did those bullets even come from, anyway?) needs to get done, and the infantry is the tip of a very, very long spear.

That being said, I would not suggest trying to say how badass you are to a grunt.

[Tookie22]

Lol sometimes a Security Forces Grunt needs to be put in his place. The whole Grunt and POG argument is dumb. There are some POGS that have seen more combat than some grunts. Grunts talk a big game and try to act all high and mighty, yet when things hit the fan pogs are there for support. The Marine Corps was built around the infantry and every single MOS plays a vital role in the big picture. Comm is a great field with that being said did your recruiter guarantee you 0656?..........

[usmcrro]

0656 have been phased out and any Marine that held that MOS are now re classed as 0651s.

Grunts who are not boots will generally not mess with you- as long as you do your job, you are fine. Every Marine can get made fun of, even grunts.

Marines who can't work with others who are in a different section or MOS will have problems.