poolee son and mom confused, please help

[kschmidt]

My son joined the DEP back in October and is scheduled to leave for bootcamp in August. Even though initially he wanted to go in as a grunt, his Dad and the recruiter both convinced him to go into a security forces MOS. Here's where the confusion lies.

Last week he met a guy at the recruiting station who was just home on leave. This guy told him that in his MOS, he'll do nothing but stand around in a guard shack on a base somewhere. You know where I'm going with this.....he says that's not what I want to do, I want to make a difference, I want my service to mean something, I want to fight. So he was not a happy camper last night.

I think that we are confused about different MOS's that sound alike. I have a call into his recruiter right now, so hopefully he'll be able to clear this up, but my question is, everything I read on this site says you can't go into bootcamp with the MCSF MOS, and his recruiter says you can and that this is what he has signed for. How can I confirm that this is true? It doesn't say anything on any paperwork he has about his MOS at all. I just hope we haven't gotten bad information. I want him to have all the right information to make an informed decision, and frankly sometimes what you can find out on your own is outdated.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[KawiGunny]

Your son was probably given the MCSF option. Which means he would go to MCSF school. After completion of a tour on MCSF, he would then go to his MOS. Not sure how things work now, but to be on MCSF for your first duty, That meant you were a grunt. When I went on that type of duty many moons ago, I went to boot camp. Then to my MOS school which at the time was call Intantry Training School. Then reported to duty in Yokosuka Japan. Now days, they go through bootcamp, MCT and then MOS school. After that they go to MCSF Bn for training before going to their first duty assignment. MCSF will not be his primary MOS. He will do 2 - 3 years of MCSF then return to the fleet. I may be wrong about that but I think thats the way things work now.

[thewookie]

I want to make a difference, I want my service to mean something, I want to fight. So he was not a happy camper last night.

I think that we are confused about different MOS's that sound alike.

First of all, Mom, once he earns the title he will instantly "make a difference." He doesn't know any better, but we do. But to his complaints, he will have a chance to do something meaningful in Security Forces, trust me. He's not going to the front lines, right away, but after he does two years with Security Forces he will have plenty of time left as a grunt to "make a difference." He might wish he was back in the shack, though.

I'm sure things have changed a lot since I left Security Force Battalion, but one thing has not and that is the uniqueness of the job. Some guys love it, some guys hate it - but that is life. He will be one of the many in the fleet, he could be one of the few in Security Forces. He might be guarding nukes here in the USA; or somewhere overseas in Japan. Or he could have the time of his life in Italy or Spain. If he's good, he might go to the best in the Battalion: FAST Company.

FAST Company will be his closest, and most realistic chance to "fight," but the fleet is where he'll get the most and best chances.

In the fleet as a boot Grunt, it's not as glorious as he might think, he should think long and hard about getting rid of that UV option.

In Security Forces, he'll have the chance to go places and do things that he won't get to do in the fleet, however, after his time with Security Forces he will be able to "get some" in the fleet.

Good luck.

[0231Marine]

Ma'am,

What it boils down to is that he'll get his chance to be a grunt, just not as soon as others. He'll go through bootcamp and then SOI (School of Infantry) which will encompass his first 6 months in the Marine Corps. Then he'll go through Security Forces training and then he'll be assigned to a Security Forces unit somewhere in the fleet. Their primary mission is the safe guarding of sensitive weapons, such as our nuclear arsenal.

Following his tour in Security Forces, he'll move back to the fleet and join an infantry battalion. Then he'll get his chance to see some of the stuff he's looking for. The upside is, he'll be going to that grunt unit likely as an NCO so he won't have to deal with the LCpl and PFC punishments that he'd get checking in as a newly minted Marine.

[dbatt1]

any paperwork signed with the marine corps really is not final until you are actually on the airplane headed to bootcamp. your son should pick his mos on his own. anyone influencing his decision is unfair to him. i understnad he is your child but you will not be serving the contract he will. i let my mother and recruiter talk me out of an infantry mos that was three years ago and i still regret it.

[avenger08]

i know a little about the Marine Corps security forces mos. there are two different jobs in this mos, the first one is that he will guard highly secret bases, such as nuclear submarine bases, and nuclear weapons storage facilities. the second is called FAST company, in the job you are sent to combat zones to basically be a body guard for Battalion,Division commanders. so you are essentially a grunt. but the down side to the mos is the fact that in fast company you can be deployed essentially in a moments notice. i have a few friends in FAST company and we graduated bootcamp together back in November of 07 and they have deployed 4 times and i have only deployed once, their deployments usually not as long as a typical deployment but they can go anywhere and do basically anything, from going to hot spots around the world as a QRF (Quick Reaction Force) to embassy's to different MEU's (Marine Expeditionary Units) to just about anyplace.