Would appreciate help/opinions on choosing an MOS.

[keviNx3]

Hello All!

I added a little background information to my question to help clarify things but it would be okay to just skip to the questions.

Background info:
My name is Kevin and I am a 22 year old college grad with a bachelors degree in Business. I just enlisted to the Marine Corps and I am thinking about ECP in a year. (Enlistment to Commission Program)

There are 2 reasons I am not going in as an officer. The first reason: I simply am not fit enough to go in as an officer at the moment. Current PFT: 14 pull ups, 90 crunches, 3 miles 23:40. The second reason: I want to be a Marine as soon as possible. If I continued the OCC program, I would go on the Board in November of 2014 and the estimated ship date would be June 2015.

Therefore, I decided to enlist. I do not regret this at all (atm..). I went to MEPS couple days ago and qualified to be a Marine and swore in at Fort Jackson. I passed my ASVBAB with a score above 90 so I am able to choose any job I want (in theory). So from 20140701 I am officially a poolee in the DEP.

However, there is a catch and this is why I decided to join this forum and write this post. My ship date is 20140825 which is in a little less than 2 months. The reason for my quick ship date is that when I decided to transfer my application from Officer to Enlistment I told my recruiter I want to leave as soon as possible and August 25th was the closest ship date but they only had 3 jobs available.
The three jobs are Supply and Accounting, Food Services, and Electrician (I believe that's what the last one is.)

But, those three jobs aren't guaranteed because I haven't had my welcome aboard brief and that will be given to me next week.

Questions:

1) Can anyone tell me what I would be doing in Supply and Accounting, Food Services, or Electrician? Also, how hard, boring, and fun are the jobs mentioned?
Also, are they desk jobs , 8-5 jobs, or any other information you would add would be greatly appreciated.

2) How do you become an Honor Grad in Bootcamp? As a college grad, I will come out of boot camp as a PFC but I was told if I became an Honor Grad I could come out as a Lance Corporal. The thought of coming out as a Lance Corporal is very appealing to me.

Once again, I do not mind what MOS I have as long as I become a Marine. However, I would like to be prepared and make the best choices by gathering all knowledge possible. I would greatly appreciate people giving me information about the jobs mentioned. Thank You!
-Poolee Nam

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[josephd]

Only thing I will comment on is the ECP thing....

You are sorely mistaken if you think you'll be able to put in for a commissioning package after only a year. Do you really think the Marine Corps is going to let you off your contract not even being halfway through, you just hitting the fleet, and after they spent $$$ putting you through boot camp, MCT, and MOS training?

well the answer is NO

ECP and MECEP are reserved for salty senior NCO's(Sgts) and SNCO's who have proven themselves as leaders. Not for boot LCpl's who think they rate because they have a college degree.

[keviNx3]

Thank you Sergeant for your reply. Sir, I understand that trying to transfer from enlistment to officer may not be easy due to all the reasons that you mentioned sir. However, even if my packet is not accepted I do not understand why I will not be able to put in a commissioning package if I meet all the basic eligibility requirements. The basic eligibility requirements state that a minimum one year active Marine Corps service and a rank of lance corporal is needed. However sir, after your post I realize that being selected is another issue. Once again, I greatly appreciate you for your input sir.

Also sir, I am sorry if it sounded like I am trying to rate myself higher in any way due to my college degree. I am only interested in being the best possible version of myself so I challenge myself to be the best. That is why I mentioned coming out of bootcamp as a LCpl, sir.

[29palms]

Honor Guard? I don't know anyone going with that intention. You're mostly lucky to keep your head above water the whole time you're there. You have to be better than everyone in your platoon.
Once you sign a contract, its hard to get out of it. It's tough going in from enlisted to officer. When I was in, you had to be in for ten years and minimum Staff Sgt. In your case with a 4 year degree, it may be different for OCS. If they even have that now. Once signing reservist, they can't help you in boot camp. Have to wait till you go back to your reserve unit because they were the unit "FUNDING" you. The Marine Corps is nothing like you ever expect it to be, nor how you think it should be. It's a learning curve usually won by the MARINE CORPS and not you. I speak for myself, my experience.

[Baker1971]

Well don't you just think your the iceing on the cake.
If I were you I would just concentrate on earning the " Title ".

These are questions also you should have aked your recruiter first and then ran it by Marines here with a lot less background about yourself.

Best of luck son.

[irpat54]

hopefully our resident recruiter will be by to give you his input..

[USMC 2571]

His username is huklebuk-----pm him if he's not around soon. He stops in here from time to time

[irpat54]

His username is huklebuk-----pm him if he's not around soon. He stops in here from time to time

lol.. thanks for posting his name, for some reason I always screw up the spelling.. can't figure why, it's not rocket science, but it must be to me, I guess,.... lol ....

[USMC 2571]

Pat, I think I know why you do it that way---that song The Hucklebuck, a few singers have come out with that, and it's a dance, too....I almost spelled it that way awhile ago, but had to look at prior posts to get his username right.

[MunkyVsRobot]

I cant speak about what those MOS's do because I am not either of those, as it relates to picking up Lance in boot camp it is a rarity now probably still possible but youd most likely would have to be honor grad and something else like range high or iron man.

I would also assume that for ECP the requirements even though it doesnt state it on the website would be almost the same as MECEP where you have to be an NCO inorder to be selected. thats also if your command decides they want to let you go to the program.

[keviNx3]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I understand now that the first and most important thing I need to focus on is earning the Title. And once I earn my Title I will have to do my time and earn my ranks before I think about the ECP. Once again, I appreciate all your replies.
-Poolee Nam

[Tennessee Top]

Platoon honorman is given to the recruit with the highest overall scores (rifle score, PFT/CFT scores, academic average, etc.). Pretty much means, expert rifle score, perfect PFT/CFT scores, and nearly perfect academic scores. Being a college grad, you should do pretty well with the academics. Don't know how well you'll shoot on the range (a lot depends on how windy it is that day). You have a long way to go to max-out your PFT score and your competition just graduated highschool. But, this will give you some idea of the challenge. BTW, your nickname will be "professor" and the SDI will probably make you platoon scribe.

[Blutic]

The supply/logistics/accounting field is extremely important in the Corps. Marines that can learn the job and excel are worth their weight in gold. Enlisting and serving in this field will certainly help you as an officer no matter what MOS you end up with.

[Darla]

Good luck at Parris Island, recruit,, I will tell you this, all of the notions you have mentioned above, will fly right out of your mind as soon as you step off of that bus, onto those yellow footprints, and those D.I's are in your face !! Focus , listen and walk that parade deck in three months and EARN that EGA ! Go from there. The Fleet Marine Corps will be a shock to your system to say the least. The Marine Corps is not a ice cream social. As far as "coming out a Lance" from boot camp,, good luck there. I walked out a PFC and counted myself lucky.. Lcpl out of b.c is very rare, having a college degree is not going to help you on that one.. ALL of your scores will have to be perfect. good luck kiddo ! Hope to welcome you aboard in a few months time.

[fl1946]

Keep this in mind when you step on the yellow footprints, you are no better than the next person next to you. While it is admirable you earned your degree, no biggie. The person next to you may also be degreed but an OCS dropout. You gotta prove you can earn the EGA. Good luck.