Serious Questions About Meritorious Promotions! - Page 2
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  1. #16
    Have A little Patience,Don`t worry what other people are doing.Try to get & have A 110% Attitude all of the time in every thing that you do,help your fellow Marines in your unit to do a better job.And keep yourself squared away.I always thought Motor Transport was the hardest MOS to get promoted in,it can be done.It took me 5-years to make E-5,meritoriusly.


  2. #17
    Marine Free Member jinelson's Avatar
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    The Question You Must Ask Yourself

    Would you measure up to your drill instructors expectations? Would they be proud and approving?




  3. #18

    Thank you for all the responses

    Wow...I just got back from watching my wife deliver our third child, to find that everyone has given some simply outstanding advice. I have to first and foremost thank everyone who responded with they're views as well as those who weren't turned off by my admittadly brash nature of beliefs. I stopped by to answer some of the questions that stood out the most.

    To Marine84

    I have a profile? I'll go ahead and update that ASAP. My preconcieved notion about NCOs and Staff NCOs in the Marine Corps is neatly measured in Marines, atleast in my mind. On the books, NCOs are typically squad leaders and/or platoon sergeants in charge of your standard 13 Marine squad (3 fire teams and a squad leader), while a staff NCO can serve in billets similar to that of platoon commanders. Ofcourse the formula could switch where the NCOs are in charge of the fire teams, and the staff NCOs, in charge of the squad, but the standard platoon or battery is "suppose" to be no more than 52 Marines in theory. However book smart I may be about the basic structure of Marine Corps leadership, I always measure the weight of responsibility with situation. For instance, I am an administrator. While we do deploy more than occassionally, our primary duty is in the office, thus making the job of a senior noncommissioned officer, to ensure that the Corporals are training the Marines properly and giving them all the necessary tools, disciplines and understanding needed to accomplish the mission, as well as support they're growth in the Marine Corps.

    Staff NCOs have more of a logistically based job whether than one of micromanaging nature as he/she holds the power to evaluate the mission, enforce or influence change of policy, and is responsible of the well being of all the Marines in his charge, both in and out of the office.

    I will give you one thing. QUITE a bit of the Marines I work with believe that they should just pick up rank as fast as they can just so they can say that they are hot s**t or get a corner desk, or they're own office, or maybe even set a record for fast promotions. To me, THOSE are the Marines who need to stay away from boards. The Marine Corps manpower management system is designed to ensure the accomplishment of two major missions...retain the Marine Corps at a manageable, "expeditious" size, and to ensure that only the most qualified are promoted. I get ornery at the whole deal because I watch as Marines get pinned on, and then just LEAVE the Marine Corps. Why bother picking up rank? Watching year after year of the Corps losing its investments has just made me a tad synical on the whole promotion system.

    This is why I'm not sitting around talking like I CAN pick up Sergeant, but asking advice, gathering information and preparing myself as if I MUST pick up Sergeant. My enlistment doesn't depend on it, but after all of the glorified civilians I have watched get pinned and promptly discharged, I owe it to myself and the Marine Corps to provide one GOOD investment to my MOS.

    That MOS is 0121 by the way. Our cutting scores can top out at highs of 1683 (rare) at the begining of promotion quarters. I picked up Corporal with a 1675. The cutting score for sergeant is somewhere in the 1770s at it's lowest point.


  4. #19
    Yes. There is a profile page and yours is mostly blank.
    http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/pr...do=editprofile
    That's the link to fill it in.


  5. #20
    Marine Free Member jinelson's Avatar
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  6. #21
    In 1970 while in Vietnam, I was promoted to Sgt.after spending 14 months in the Corps. I was a 0311 and had spent my entire tour in the bush. Did I deserve the promotion? Probably not. I didn't have the experience that a stateside NCO had in Marine Corps protocall to function after I returned from Nam and this weighed heavily in my decision not to reenlist. But I did function very well,as a Marine Corps Sgt in a combat envoirement, so where do you draw line.


  7. #22
    24 months in grade isn't too much as I picked up Cpl 01-67 and due to cutting scores and the need of the Marine Corps I did not get my Sgt stripes until 06-71--but--in Oct 71 I was on the SNCO list go figure


  8. #23
    Marine Free Member Quinbo's Avatar
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    Hold your own board

    Get some fellow corporals or lance corporals from your unit to conduct a board for you after hours. You prepare the questions for all of the board members and give each of them 50 questions to ask you. They can each pick 5. You should know the answers to all of the questions. Do the same board 3 or 4 times as if you are a different candidate and relax. See if you can get a sergeant that has been up for a board to help you with some tips. Do the entire board everytime. Ask them to pick which candidate (you) won the board.

    When the real deal comes up conduct youself the same way. Just like any military excercise, practice and rehearsal makes for a smooth operation.


  9. #24
    Marine Free Member Quinbo's Avatar
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    In the 80's there was a recruiting scheme that offered a lad guaranteed corporal after 2 years if they signed up for 6. We called em contract corporals. That concept didn't last long.


  10. #25
    I never had any luck at meritorious boards. I would do great but I always lost out to a WM. Spent 37 months as a LCPL on a 5 year stint. Picked up CPL 7 months before I got out. Field was closed for just over 2 years.

    I remember people laughing when the cutting score came out for my MOS and it was in the mid 1800's. They all said ain't nobody getting promoted in that field, and I told them I had more than enough. Sucks when you max out everything and still can't get promoted. I had two roomates who got to Camp Pendleton as PFC's and they both picked up CPL before I did and I had more time in grade then they had time in service.


  11. #26
    Ya, I heard about the contract corporals in the eighties. I was told by a Sergeant Major that the Marine Corps band actually still does this. That on their two year mark, they get promoted.


  12. #27

    heh heh....

    The funny thing is...they actually do, in some manner of the concept. Time and service rules of meritorious promotion don't apply to the band members. I guess even in the military, musicians get the royal treatment!


  13. #28
    Marine Free Member Quinbo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marcusthemarine
    The funny thing is...they actually do, in some manner of the concept. Time and service rules of meritorious promotion don't apply to the band members. I guess even in the military, musicians get the royal treatment!
    I was a ground pounder so my knowlege of the band is very limited. It is my understanding that the band until very recently did not have and could not wear crossed rifles in their rank insignia (they had a harp instead), they could never be a First Sergeant, Sgt Major, or Drill instructor. There is another group of muscians in the corps who could do all of the above. The Drum and Bugle Corps.


  14. #29

    Wink

    damn right, i'm a lance at this time and have been for 1 yr 4 mths. I have had Marines bypass me for promotions out the a$$, I haven't gotten promoted but anyone can tell you that i am by far a better Non NCOIC than any Marine in our MOS 3112. They respect me cause of my leadership as a Lance, my courage to keep trying hard, and for helping PFC's, LCpl's, Cpl's, and Sgt's getting promoted to their next rank. I help them with cadence, with drill, with marine corps knowledge, and with their jobs in the 3112 mos. Don't go out there thinking that you got competition, u should be telling urself that ur ur only competition, that ur the Sgt they're waiting for. Have confidence when u answer the questions, (sound off), I've trained one of my Marines for the Cpl board 1 wk ago. I told him to go into the BN room full of Higher ups' and Officers and have confidence, i told him to shut the door hard after him, Col. Simmons told him to go back and come back again. When this LCpl came back, he shut the door hard behing him again, MGySgt. Simmons asked him "What's wrong with you Marine, why u slamming my door? The LCpl answered, MGySgt, that's just the way i close doors! They don't want you to go out and come back thinking u did wrong, they don't like marines that second guess themselves cause that means that you will second guess ur marines as well as ur job and ur leadership. Go to a Meditorious Promotion and kick ass, practice ur drill with ur junior marines as much as possible to the point that u won't need the drill cards no more at the BN when u need to drill ur marines. U'll end up getting the card and either crumbling it and throwing it behind u as u start with the drill, or u'll glance at it once and eat it. That's a killer!! My marines always win!!! I'm damn proud of them, but i ain't done, my turn's next!!! you'll be talking to a future NCO!! oohrah!! Stay motivated!


  15. #30
    Japan Devildog, how bout you follow the rules and fill out a proper profile.


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