Hashmarks

[sarge450]

Quick question if you did four years and got out do you rate a hashmark on your uniform. Likely will never wear it again, just curious. Thanks

[davblay]

Yep!

[bucksgted]

Quick question if you did four years and got out do you rate a hashmark on your uniform. Likely will never wear it again, just curious. Thanks

Sarge450, I'm not so sure. Technically, you probably stayed 3 years 364 days. As an example of my time in the Corps, I went in on 20 FEB 56 and got out on 19 FEB 60. Even though I was a Sgt at the time, the Corps would not pay my moving expenses back to my home of record because I DID NOT have four years service. That's what I was told at El Toro when I left AD. Moot point, but something to think about.

Thank you for your service to our Great Country!!

Semper Fi,
Ed

[davblay]

Sarge450, I'm not so sure. Technically, you probably stayed 3 years 364 days. As an example of my time in the Corps, I went in on 20 FEB 56 and got out on 19 FEB 60. Even though I was a Sgt at the time, the Corps would not pay my moving expenses back to my home of record because I DID NOT have four years service. That's what I was told at El Toro when I left AD. Moot point, but something to think about.

Thank you for your service to our Great Country!!

Semper Fi,
Ed

Ed you had four years exactly time in service! AT 0001 on 19Feb60 it turned to 4 years!

Dave

[bucksgted]

Ed you had four years exactly time in service! AT 0001 on 19Feb60 it turned to 4 years!

Dave

Great, think I can get that money, with interest, if I play my cards right? LMAO I got travel money, but they would not pay for my dependants based on the "no four years" thingy - - at least that's what I was told. Go figure.

[sarge450]

Interesting, thanks guys.

[Native Warrior]

your admin screwed you, you did rate the 4 years of service benefits. A lot of folks get confused by TOS (time of service) and AD (Active Duty). TOS starts from the time you sign your enlistment papers and AD begins the day you report for Active Duty. Being an admin person, I dealt with this issue for over 6 years. For instance, I signed my papers on 20 January 1980 and reported to boot camp 13 May 1980, I was a 180 day reservist and continued to be a reservist until 1 December 1981. I was separated with a disability on 24 August 1988. So, my TOS was 20 January 1980 to 24 August 1988 and my active duty was 13 May 1980 - 14 December 1980 and 1 December 1981 - 24 August 1988. This gave me 7 years 3 months 23 days active duty. MY TOS was 8 years 7 months 4 days. Since hash marks are based on TOS, I rate 2 hash marks.

Sorry to be extensive, but this was the best way to explain and show and example.

[Kegler300]

I've got 8 hashmarks...'cept the 8th one isn't on my sleeve...

[Old Marine]

I've got 8 hashmarks...'cept the 8th one isn't on my sleeve...

Probably not red either. My guess would be that it is brown.

[Quinbo]

I'm gonna take a stab at the year ... (86?) The time in service was changed from the day you signed the papers to the day you stepped on the yellow foot prints. Not sure what year the Marines started counting the days before your arrival at MCRD as time in service but I have a good idea when they stopped doing it. It turned into a giant cluster bleep when Marines who wanted out were saying hey I signed a 3X3 and spent a year in DEP so at my two year mark it is time to go home. There has also been a debate about 4 years in the IRR counting for a second hashmark, a star on your good conduct. I say why worry about it?

[Petz]

You saying the IRR doesn't count towards a hash mark? It's time on contract, it's time on your sleeve. I'll look into it though since I would rate my second one here in a few months in this situation.... that would suck since I have been very active in the IRR...

now the problem would be that if you count from the time I stepped on the yellow footprints to the end of contract that wouldn't be 8 years since the time in the DEP takes time of obligated service, that would mean if I HADN'T re-upped I wouldn't rate a second hash mark... but since I pass 8 years since my rebirth... I should rate a second hash mark.

[iamcloudlander]

I have a question about the hashmarks that the reservists are wearing on their uniforms. I went to the first Marine Corps Ball on Nov 10,2007 (first one in 40 years) some of the reservists wearing blues all were wearing at least one hashmark many were wearing more. I asked them how long they had been in and was told for the most part they didn't even have 4 years in yet. Question: does the reservists time multiply for time in as their pay ie:4 days pay for two days served. Just wondering as I have time in the reserves but only rate two hashmarks last two years don't count unless the reserve time served counts is this right?

[Petz]

I'm going to say that they didn't rate it, and were out of uniform.

I've seen some Marines wearing "brother-in-law" hand me downs... and this one Marines... well if he doesn't rate 2 chevrons, his blues are destroyed because of the glue his brother in law used to put them on....

[Quinbo]

As far as I know hashmarks denote 4 years active duty or 4 years active reserves. IRR would not fall into either of those two catagories unless you voluntarilly drill and had enough drill points to denote a year as active reserve.

I'm not sure of the actual order but normally a hashmark was placed on the sleeve when a Marine ships over after having served 4 years. To a layman like me looking at a Marine in uniform wearing a hashmark I naturally assume that they have more than four but less than eight years active duty.

[Petz]

I agree, and I think you may be right on the mark with the requirement.... still haven't found it yet.

a sat year in the SMCR is 50 points and you get 15 for just being there, then each drill you get another point so you need 35 more points to make a sat year... like I said I'm going to look into this.