Question.

[Stevens444]

I have a question I need answered for my parents. Please Marines only.

1. If you sign up in the DEP, are you allowed to quit before you ship off to boot.(Which I'm not going to but my parents are just making sure)?

Please go into detail as much as possible. Thank you.

Stevens

[yellowwing]

I understand you can always walk away before they give the second and final Oath of Enlistment just before you ship.

Let your folks know that they can feel free to talk to your Recruiter for ALL questions and concerns.

[USMC90]

I have a question I need answered for my parents. Please Marines only.

1. If you sign up in the DEP, are you allowed to quit before you ship off to boot.(Which I'm not going to but my parents are just making sure)?

Please go into detail as much as possible. Thank you.

Stevens

1. You're in the poolee hall. If you want this question to be answered by Marines only you should have made the thread in the Ask a Marine section.

2. There are many members here in the DEP who could answer this question just fine.

Not trying to be a jack a$$ btw... just sayin'.

Good luck.

[SgtHopperUSMC]

I think even after arriving to Boot Camp you can go without a dishonorable discharge. Not real sure though....but why miss out on all the fun?

[Stevens444]

Thanks for the help. Anybody else feel free to respond.

[Marine84]

Yes you can.................your Recruiter will give you hell if you do but................

But, I'm like SgtHopper - why would you want to miss out on the fun?

[Sgt Leprechaun]

I'm with the other Marines here. Why bail out?

I assure you, if you do bail, you'll regret it to the end of your days, lad.

[Tyson]

Now now now, from what i gather here he's not thinkin about missin all the fun, it's just a question his parents are wondering and mine wondered the same thing. As for your question yes you can quit while your in the dep, and yes like it was stated you can even get out while your in boot camp there were a few guys that got out while i was at boot camp and they wrote a few of us when they got home and they regreted it after they got home.

[Stevens444]

yeah cas my parents think I'm going to be changing my mind about joining in the 11 month span till boot. yet.. ive been wanting to join since I was eight years old. so they wanna make sure theres a way out.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

See, if you were my kid, that would be the LAST thing I was wondering about. I'd be making sure you were prepped and ready to go. And didn't do anything stoopid to screw up your contract.

But, hey, that's just me.

[Accord]

It is a federal crime to back out of the DEP before you leave for boot camp, however since Vietnam it has been the policy of the government and DoD to not prosecute anyone who chooses to back out while in DEP, so for all intents and purposes yes you can back out of DEP and there isn't a damn thing anyone can do about it, your recruiter will tell you that you'll be arrested and he'll do or say anything to try and keep you in, but at the end of the day it's your decision and there's not a damn thing he or anyone else can do about it.

When you DEP in, go to MEPS, and do all that other stuff required of you before boot camp, that stuff doesn't just happen for free, it costs money and by DEP'ing in and then backing out you're wasting thousands of dollars in tax payers money, we're an all volunteer force and you're free to withdraw from the DEP at any time up until you take the second oath of enlistment the day you ship to boot camp. Just keep in mind that once you ship to boot camp there is no backing out and the "property of the U.S. government" that is written on the back of your ID card, isn't talking about the card.

If there is ANY doubt in your mind, if you're all moto and ready to go and you're just an absolute stud but there is a slight doubt in the back of your mind, I don't want you joining my Corps. Not trying to be mean, that's just the way it is. There are too many Marines who hate the Corps and are counting the days until they EAS, and we certainly don't need another one. But if there is no doubt in your mind and you're committed to being a Marine and serving your country, then semper fi brother and i'll see you in the fleet.

[Billd]

Alice Copper called 18? Part of the lyrics "I'm 18 and I don't know what I want" and "I''m a boy and I'm a Man" "18 I get cunfused everyday" and so on.
I'm sure you'll at least wonder if what you're doing is the right thing for you to do. Wouldn't be normal if you didn't. There are some that know from a young age that they want to be Marines. Some it hits them in high school. My oldest son was headed for college, we even paid the admission fee and dorm deposit. Nope joined the Corps. He's in Iraq now, been in the Corps almost 4 years. Matt the youngest leaves August 6th. He's wondered about is decision a couple of times, but always ends up back at the Corps. As a parent I want him to be sure it's what he wants to do. And I will support him regardless of what he decides to do. It my job as a Dad to do that.
He'll make a damn good Marine.
As for guys hating it after they get in, Most don't hate the Corps cause it's the Corps. IMHO most hate cause it''s the first real job they've ever had, first time they've had to be accountable for themselves or they're just plain homesick. If you carry through you'll be glad you did! If you don't then well, there are still alot of good opportunites in the good ole USA, but nothing will ever stick with ya like the USMC!! I don't think there's one of us formers here they didn't wonder (when we got off the bus at PI) "what the hell am I doing here" "Ah crap! What in the hell did I get myself into?". But all of us would do it all over again in a heartbeat!!

SemperFi
Hang tough you'll figure it out.

[sparkie]

Old tune? Alice Who. What Units did she serve with?

[Billd]

Old tune? Alice Who. What Units did she serve with?

LOL, yeah it's old, mid 70's. She was one of the guys in my plattoon. Called him "no more mister nice guy" HA!

[Ironrider]

I was DEP back in 1978, and I was led to believe, that after I signed on I didn't have a choice. Damn good thing I stayed aboard.