Ship out Jan 11th. Few Questions

[Toretto]

OK, (I'm going as reserves)

While in Boot, I hear I can set up an allotment to send back home to cover bills,etc. Is this true? Do uniforms and such come out of pay? Or (so I heard) they give you a uniform allowance?

Also. Do you receive BAH if your married w/ child while in MCT and MOS school? And another (so I heard) you will get in while in Boot, but not until you graduate.

And lastly. How hard would it be to go Active if I wait say 6months after I hit my unit. (Just in case I love the Military life sooo much) I have a good job, and I am not joining for the money or benefits. I have been wanting to serve, and I want to hold the Title of a Marine.

Now before I get the speech about how its not technically good to go in married and such. I am a dick head and my wife never sees me now, so it will be a regular thing. (Just Kidding)

[slimmy07]

It's fine going in married, I have a few good buddies in the Corps who have been married since day one. Whoever told you that it's not a good idea probably had a rough married life, or wasn't man enough to separate work and home life. Yes, you can send money home, but keep in mind it might not be on a regular basis. I put in a few Marines that were able to send money home to their wife.

[dizark]

I along with others who were married and had children received BAH while in boot camp. From there on out you'll receive it while active duty but I'm not so sure about the reserves. Best of luck to you!

[SGT7477]

Your uniforms will come out of your pay.

[Vandrel]

Your allotments will be set up the first week or so while you are there. They will take you to a class room and you'll all sit and be given instructions on what to do. Word of advice, if you already have a bank account then keep it, don't get shafted with Marine West or FSNB, they have both had claims filed against them for stealing money and other things.

If I remember correctly after you get your uniforms you will stand in a line and they will charge you on the spot using a little debit style card. I don';t know if they still use those little debit style cards or not.

[AmericanWarrior]

Allright, i just got out of boot camp about 2 months ago. First of all, you dont pay for your uniforms anymore. I saw someone said that you get charged in a line. Nah, you get issued 3 sets of Woodland Digital Cammies, 2 sets of Dessert Digital Cammies, 1 set Jungle Boots, 1 set Combat Boots, and then at the end of third phase you are issued 1 Set of Dress Blues and 1 Service Uniform.

But enough of that. Anyways, anymore, your allotments will not be set up the first week. You wont be able to regularly send money home. What you have to do is when you get paid your Drill Instructor will take you to the bank so you can send money home. Your first paycheck will pretty much be nothing cause you have to buy a war bag full of **** in it. You have to buy $300 of stuff at the PX. yes, HAVE to buy $300 of stuff.

And yes, you get BAH at Boot Camp and MCT and MOS School. At least if your Active Duty I know you do. I am married with a daughter and I make ALOT more than my peers. I came out of boot camp with a sizeable chunk of money. But Idk if Reserves get those benefits. Guess you'll find out.

As for the switch to Active Duty. Currently there is a minimum of 2 years waiting list. At least thats what they told my buddy who is in the Reserves. Hell my other buddy just joined and they wouldnt even let him join Active cause they said they are only looking for Reserves right now. We dont need anymore Active right now.

Hope I helped clear some stuff up for you.

[firedog974]

Make sure when you go you carry copies of your spouse's SSN, DOB, and marriage license. You should receive BAH, and COLA (depending on where you live). You also need to find the nearest military installation to you, and have your wife go get an ID card after you ship.

[Vandrel]

Allright, i just got out of boot camp about 2 months ago.

But enough of that. Anyways, anymore, your allotments will not be set up the first week. You wont be able to regularly send money home. What you have to do is when you get paid your Drill Instructor will take you to the bank so you can send money home.

Did you graduate from San Diego or PI? That has a lot to do with it.

San Diego recruits do not get set up with FSNB, only PI recruits do. Marine West is what San Diego uses. The process is much different between the 2 depots. When your pay is set up through the bank it should also include forms for allotments.

Another wonderful tool that came into the Corps after I went through boot camp is "MyPay". MyPay allows 100% control of your pay, direct deposit, allotments, savings, bonds, LES, TSP, W2 and W4 control (withholdings) and more. Once you graduate boot camp you will have access to MyPay. https://mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx

[Toretto]

Word of advice, if you already have a bank account then keep it, don't get shafted with Marine West or FSNB, they have both had claims filed against them for stealing money and other things.

.

I already have Wachovia...will that work?

Also, is there any way you can have a certain amount deposited in one account and then a set amount in another?

Don't want the wife spending all my money,lol

Plus, I'd like to have a little saved up for when I get back.

[Seyborg]

when i went thru you had no choice but to sign up with fsnb. yes it is the ****TIEST bank in the world. so if you can avoid it...do so.

[Vandrel]

If you already have your own bank you just need to provide your account information (account number and routing number) for your direct deposit.

They will make you THINK you HAVE to use FSNB but that is not true by any means. The only reason FSNB is forced the way it is at PI is because it's a retired MGySgt who works for FSNB that is providing the services, HABU kinda deal for him.

It's been exposed year after year that FSNB embezzles money from customer's accounts. $5 here, $50 there, who's gonna notice?

There is also a Navy Fed on PI, they are a very good bank with locations overseas as well. During family day you can go to Navy Fed and sign up with them before you leave PI and graduate (HIGHLY recommended). I've used FSNB, Marine Fed and Navy Fed, Navy Fed beats them all hands down. I also use USAA and a few other banks but Navy Fed is best over all of them. Almost every Marine base will have a Navy Fed.

[firedog974]

If you already have your own bank you just need to provide your account information (account number and routing number) for your direct deposit.

They will make you THINK you HAVE to use FSNB but that is not true by any means. The only reason FSNB is forced the way it is at PI is because it's a retired MGySgt who works for FSNB that is providing the services, HABU kinda deal for him.

It's been exposed year after year that FSNB embezzles money from customer's accounts. $5 here, $50 there, who's gonna notice?

There is also a Navy Fed on PI, they are a very good bank with locations overseas as well. During family day you can go to Navy Fed and sign up with them before you leave PI and graduate (HIGHLY recommended). I've used FSNB, Marine Fed and Navy Fed, Navy Fed beats them all hands down. I also use USAA and a few other banks but Navy Fed is best over all of them.

I agree. I went with navy fed after I got to Hi, and I have been with them since. FSNB sucks... Navy fed is awesome.

[Lisa 23]

I belong to Navy Federal for 21 years now. They've been good to me!

My nephew had to go with that FSNB in boot camp. He switched to Navy Federal when he got out to his MOS school at 29 Palms. So far, so good for him!

[Vandrel]

I've been using Navy Fed since 2002 when I signed up with them over in Bahrain and I still use them today even after the Marine Corps. Every place I have been to overseas for the most part had some type of Navy Fed support branch or ATM services. You will never see a Marine Fed, FSNB or Marine West overseas. You MIGHT find FSNB overseas on some of the Army bases but that'd be about it.

Navy Fed is all over Japan, Middle East, Europe and nearly every Marine/Navy base. I think Camp Lejeune is the only base I have been to that doesn't have a Navy Fed located on the base but there are about 3-4 Navy Fed branches in town just off the base.

I can personally say that when I got out of boot camp and still had FSNB my pay got jacked up. I was missing money from my account, a few times I had other people's pay going into my savings account. When I went to the FSNB office in Jacksonville (Camp Lejeune area) that's in the Wal-Mart, yes that's the only branch FSNB has there, the lady asked me why I wanted to cancel my account. I laughed and asked her, are you serious? Please close my account and give me my money. I then went to Marine Fed and then to Navy Fed after that just because Navy Fed was much more common around the world.

[Dale0817]

Off-topic

I think youre going to pick up with the new Golf Company. Tell Oneezy I say hi LOL