Ground Option?

[degenerate138]

First of all, I know there are other topics out there that discuss ground option but none of them contained any of the answers I'm looking for.

So I was really wanting to get into the 18xx field, so I told my recruiter that's what I wanted. He said "Good to go, I'll get that contract for you and come in on PT day and we'll get you signed up." Called me again the other day and said "Got that contract for you, come in on PT day and sign it up."

Ok, so we PT'd pretty hard today, and I was pretty psyched to sign up for this contract. I sit down with him and I see a ****load of jobs listed on the contract labeled "B6 Ground Option," including Bulk Fuel Specialist, Traffic Management, Parachute Rigger, and, heh, Military Police. Oh yea, M1A1 Tank Crewman and AAV Crewman were on there too, with a bunch of other jobs...

So I said "Ehh, I don't think I want to sign this right now, I mean, I'm not really into the idea of being Traffic Management, y'know?" He said something along the lines of "I understand, take time and think about it..."

So my question is, if I signed this contract, how the **** do they choose what job to put you in? I got a 75 on the ASVAB so I'm assuming I'd get a decent job out of it, but I just don't know. I'm thinking about getting a contract where the MOS's are actually... um, related... Probably infrantry.

So yea, my question: Do you get to have any input on which job you'd like out of the B6 Ground Option contract in Boot camp or anything?

Thanks for taking the time to read this wall of text.

[Marine84]

So my question is, if I signed this contract, how the **** do they choose what job to put you in?

There's a bunch of old salts sitting around throwing darts at a board with all of the possible MOS's you could go in. Whatever number the dart lands on is what you get.

[sec9]

If Im not mistaken Ground Options is Separate from Combat Support. Ask to be put in Combat Support, which has like 4 or 5 Jobs under it. Kind of wierd though cause I am supposed to be under Combat Support, but on the Poolee board at my RS it says B6 next to my name and ship date, which according to you means ground options.

[degenerate138]

It is ground option.

[sec9]

It is ground option.

When you say it is A ground option, do you mean Combat Support and Ground Options are the same thing, or that the Combat Support Jobs make up a small part of the Ground Option as a whole. From what I understand Combat Support consists of 0811- Field Artillery Cannoneer, 1812- M1A1 Tank Crewman, 1833- Assault Amphibious Vehicle Crewman and, 7212- Low Altitude Air Defense Gunner, while Ground Options consists of those jobs and something like 25 more. I always thought you could pick either choice to enlist under. My recruiter says I am under Combat Support. I talked to someone who graduated last November and he was under Ground Options.

[Books]

I hear you... The whole "fields" and "options" thing makes the whole contracting process very convoluded. Even my enlistment field (AG - Enlisted Aircrew) is pretty diverse for only having 6 MOS's ... Some of the others are a real crapshoot!

[sec9]

Ya, either way I dont mind. I just remember asking my recruiter when we were driving down to mcrdsd last month to watch a graduation, and I asked what the difference was between ground options and combat support was, and she said ground options has like 20 more jobs under it, and combat support has 5.

[degenerate138]

Hmm.. Combat support, eh? I think I'd be more willing to sign that contract than the ground option contract. My recruiter didn't mention a "Combat Support" contract when I was there and we were talking about it.

[degenerate138]

In any case, thank you poolees for pointing this out to me this definitely helps me out in this situation, I really appreciate it!

[BigGunz90]

Yeah Combat Support was one of my contract choices and it includes M1 Tank Crewman, AAV, Arty, and LAAD Gunner.

[Fubar5812]

go for combat support fraser. Corporal Ward is an awsome recruiter and will not **** you over,tell him what your looking at and he will set you up.

[degenerate138]

i did that Walling... he told me he didn't even want me to sign the Ground Option contract lol, so I told him i'd do some research and I found out about the combat support contract, told him about it... he told me he will get me that contract!

and yes, Cpl. Ward is the ****ing man. he's a little crazy but he's still the ****ing man.

[degenerate138]

Well I found out today that Combat Support is full... however, I have a hard time believing this because didn't the fiscal year just restart in October? Anyway, I'm not sure what I'll do now, if it is true then I might wait until a slot opens for Combat Support... Bah.

[ecfree]

I think you should go for MESS COOK,you'll see plenty of action there......

[degenerate138]

Hmm, yea, I think I'll pass on that, thanks for the heads up though Pfc.