Re-Joining after backing out

[thirdpersonmatt]

I'm not sure how to ask what I'm wanting to know, but here's my story. About 4 years ago I drank a little too much and decided to walk it off at the mall. While I was walking by the Marine Corps. Recruiting office one of the recruiters spotted me. He came out and started talking to me and before I knew it, I had made the decision to join the Marines. So I went to MEPS and got sworn in and told everyone and everything was cool. Then after about a month or so, I starting having doubts. So, long story short, I talked to a friend that wasn't really much of a help and he ended up giving me the impression that I could just get out of it. So after 3 months of being very irritating and making my recruiter royally ****ed off, I got a letter in the mail saying I had been discharged and could rejoin if I changed my mind in the future.

Anyway, having said that, it's been a long time since then. I've matured quite a bit,and about a year ago I started to realise just how much I wish I would have stuck with it. So about two months ago I decided it was time to talk to a recruiter again. I didn't mention that I had sworn in previously and been discharged, I know I probably should have but it didn't come up, and he basically told me loose 60 pounds and come back. My question is, I heard that doing things the way I did, and wanting to rejoin, I may have fewer/limited options, is this true?

I'm going to schedule a meeting with the recruiter next week(even though I've only lost 40 out of the 60 pounds so far) and talk to him about it...I just thought I would see what everyone thought.

[JK523]

I think it's great that you are deciding to join.. especially on a clear head

[thirdpersonmatt]

Thanks, backing out was probably one of the biggest things I regret doing in my life. I figure I can't really change what I did...but I can try like heck to make it right.

[egbutler1]

Well go ahead and do it, i would suggest you tell your recruiter about your past because it will come up. Hopefully you won't back out this time.

[yellowwing]

You still got to lose the other 20 pounds. We are the fighting men. It can be a hard life, you can have no doubt that this is what you are committed to do. The training we put you through will rattle even the most committed.

If Quitting is in the back of your mind, perhaps you should not even bother about it at all.

[thirdpersonmatt]

There's no quitting this time. It's the only thing I want to do. There's no doubt. I know I can and will do it, I'm just wondering if my past mistakes are going to limit my opportunities.

[slimmy07]

Tell your recuiter. No, you will not have limited options because of that DEP discharge. You may be asked to ship to boot camp sooner though. That may be the only limited option, is your boot camp date. As far as jobs go, you should not have any limited options.

[yellowwing]

There's no quitting this time. It's the only thing I want to do. There's no doubt. I know I can and will do it...

Ohh-rahh! Just maybe then. We send our Marines to the wildest corners of hell to go fight. We win each and every time because none of us will Quit.

[thirdpersonmatt]

Thanks Marines, that's exactly what I wanted to know.

[syxx2003]

Im in a similar but different situation, it might go along with this thread.

About 4 years ago when I was 19 I was talking to a recruiter and all that. I was going to go reserves and we had everything good to go. I went to MEPS and went through almost the whole day. I was pulled from the floor because I was involved in a car crash probably 6 months or so prior to going to MEPS and I had gotten a concussion.

I remember telling my recruiter probably 3-5 times about it because he asked me a few different times if I have had ever been hurt and I told him about the car crash and everything about what had happened to me in it and he didnt say anything about it. So we got to MEPS and I was told to go back to see them and he looked at my paperwork I think and he said "You had a concussion?" But yea I remember telling him at least 3 times. So I was disquallified at MEPS.

I wasnt sure how long I had to wait till I'd be ok to go and my recruiter seemed to loose interest in me after that.

So I guess my question is, now I'm starting to think about giving it another go and I'm wondering if that first trip is going to make a difference or not. Its been 4 years or so since the car crash and I'm perfectly fine now so what all is that first trip going to do now?

Thanks in advance for the help.

[Adikt916]

Im in a similar but different situation, it might go along with this thread.

About 4 years ago when I was 19 I was talking to a recruiter and all that. I was going to go reserves and we had everything good to go. I went to MEPS and went through almost the whole day. I was pulled from the floor because I was involved in a car crash probably 6 months or so prior to going to MEPS and I had gotten a concussion.

I remember telling my recruiter probably 3-5 times about it because he asked me a few different times if I have had ever been hurt and I told him about the car crash and everything about what had happened to me in it and he didnt say anything about it. So we got to MEPS and I was told to go back to see them and he looked at my paperwork I think and he said "You had a concussion?" But yea I remember telling him at least 3 times. So I was disquallified at MEPS.

I wasnt sure how long I had to wait till I'd be ok to go and my recruiter seemed to loose interest in me after that.

So I guess my question is, now I'm starting to think about giving it another go and I'm wondering if that first trip is going to make a difference or not. Its been 4 years or so since the car crash and I'm perfectly fine now so what all is that first trip going to do now?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Probably still disqualify you....It's brain trauma. The doctors over here DQ people all day long for dumb stuff. Acne, one dudes ball was bigger than the other one so he got DQ'd ( talk about awkward ), some kid had 'flat back syndrom'. Some kid said he asthma when he was little, DQ'd. They DQ you for the littlest things just so they can get off early. I remember last time I went there, it was a shipping day, and the doctors all left early, so like 20 poeple didn't ship to BT just because of that.

But it wouldn't hurt to go ask a recruiter over the phone. Usually they can see if they can work somethin out, but if you do get in its probably gonna take awhile cause theyre gonna send you to a private doctor and blah blah blah, waiver this and waiver that, then you have to wait for it to be reviewed and come back to you, etc.

No one can really answer your question, only a recruiter can find out for you.

[DGardner]

I had brain trauma and was not DQ'd. Go for it! You never know until the doc tells you what's what.

[syxx2003]

It wasnt even a bad one either because I dont think I ever went back to the dr after I was released for the concussion. I had to go back because the dr thought he saw something on an xray and they wanted to double check and make sure it wasnt anything but I'm pretty sure that was it.

[mattlw201]

My recruiter said people have not been dqd at meps but have been in the depot.