First-Term Lat Move and Career Advice

[Nadeau]

But this SSGT impressed me with his lack of bullsh*t. I liked that.

With what you thought was "lack of bullsh*t". Didn't you just say he lied to you about your MOS?

[ABrevik]

If anyone is thinking of Lat Moving, my advice to you is, talk to some one that is currently in that MOS to get a jist of it. My mistake was I didn't do that. Just like the saying, the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

[gwamo1]

My best piece of advice for you is to get EAS. The chances of you seeing Staff are pretty slim after an NJP and anything past E-6 is like hoping to catch a leprachaun even though you have a wooden leg. That's just my opinion though.

What? One NJP is not career ending. Plenty of senior Marines in my MOS have been subject to NJPs during their early years. Best peice of advice you could offer is to EAS? Have you attended Cpls Course? Are you familer with the mentoring program? If not, ask around.

[Accord]

Okay, the people replying to this thread don't know jack **** about the Marine Corps apparently.

I've got a battalion level NJP. Guess what I did 6 months later? Deploy to Afghanistan as a Squad Leader. Guess what happened when I got back? Picked up Corporal. And now i'm picking up SGT on May 1st and i'm still not even at my 4 year mark yet. An NJP doesn't mean ANYTHING and anyone who tells you otherwise is a ****ing idiot. As long as it's not alcohol related, NJP's are inconsequential.

[TJR1070]

Okay, the people replying to this thread don't know jack **** about the Marine Corps apparently.

I've got a battalion level NJP. Guess what I did 6 months later? Deploy to Afghanistan as a Squad Leader. Guess what happened when I got back? Picked up Corporal. And now i'm picking up SGT on May 1st and i'm still not even at my 4 year mark yet. An NJP doesn't mean ANYTHING and anyone who tells you otherwise is a ****ing idiot. As long as it's not alcohol related, NJP's are inconsequential.

I would re-read all the responses in this thread before you make a stupid comment like that. Most of us have said it shouldn't be a problem, but it might hold up the process and I don't think very many Marines that replied said anything about promotion. NJP's do count for your entire career, if you think they won't take into account a prioir UA charge if that same Marine goes UA again, than you don't know jacksh!t about the Marine Corps apparently.

[thewookie]

I would re-read all the responses in this thread before you make a stupid comment like that. Most of us have said it shouldn't be a problem, but it might hold up the process and I don't think very many Marines that replied said anything about promotion. NJP's do count for your entire career, if you think they won't take into account a prioir UA charge if that same Marine goes UA again, than you don't know jacksh!t about the Marine Corps apparently.

Don't forget, you are talking to Accord -- he knows everything about everything, since the first day he logged into this site as a round little fat body. He likes to throw in HIS bragging points when discussing other points that have nothing to do with HIS bragging points. Hey Accord, please tell us how your azz-pack stopped a 7.62 round again, please. That was my favorite.

Semper Fi -- Keep it real.

[AAV Crewchief]

I'm a newly registered member so I hope I'm putting this in the appropriate forum.

I am a first term Marine who is looking for some information and advice for my career planning so that I can go in to see my CRS as informed and prepared as possible.

Specifically, I am hoping for some clarification regarding the First-Term Lateral Move policy as it relates to my particular situation, some guidance from more experienced Marines for lack of a suitable mentor within my section, and help in establishing a clear plan of action for myself to reach my goals.

Background-
I enlisted into the Marine Corps in Jan. 2008 with the desire to be a 0231 Intelligence Analyst. I was told at the time that getting a contract as a 0231 would be impossible and was talked into enlisting as a 2671 Cryptological Linguist instead, and was assured that it was "the same thing". My scores qualified me for basically anything (145 GT, 131 on the DLAB).
I attended MOS training at DLI, POS Monterey, CA starting in May/June '08 and was assigned to learn Pashto (the language of the primary ethnic group of Afghanistan). I discovered to my dismay that the 2671 MOS was nothing like what I had been led to believe, and the school consisted of over a year and a half of a intense academic environment even worse than the college environment I had hated and specifically joined the Marine Corps to escape.
Prior to starting language training, we were given a brief period (a week or two) of classes actually relating to the Intelligence Analyst-type work that I actually wanted to do and greatly enjoyed. Things like being given a hostile country and forces operating within it to analyze and follow up by giving comprehensive briefings about it. We were given a couple projects of this type during that brief period where I excelled and distinguished myself far beyond the rest of my class, but I was then brought to discover that this was not the kind of work done by a 2671, nor would it be what I would be doing for the next year and a half at the school.
In the following months, I attended classes in Pashto language taught by native speakers, and hated every second of it from the outset. I couldn't get my mind around the work, and found myself falling farther and farther behind despite my best honest efforts. I did everything I could, from extra study sessions, listening to tapes, seeing a councilor in the school house, and living, breathing, and dreaming pashto. But I just couldn't process it. Meanwhile I struggled with the adjustment of settling into the military lifestyle. I felt like a sh*tbag, and it was depressing to feel myself slipping behind my peers despite my work, while knowing that I was trying to do something that I didn't really have an aptitude for.

Long story short about six months into my language training I had finally fell so far behind that I no longer even knew what was going on in class any more, and made the poor decision to relieve my anger and frustration by going UA from class for a couple days.
The resulting NJP was a horrible experience, but also the single best thing that ever happened to me professionally, since it made me grow up in a hurry and turned me into the squared away Marine I am now, carrying that lesson and that motivation forward.

The end result was that I was reclassed as a 3381 Food Service Specialist, and have faithfully done my duty in that MOS since the end of 2008.

I have been at my current duty station of MCAS Cherry Point for over a year now, and though I have no love for the work I have distinguished myself and been recognized by my chain of command for my hard work and proficiency.

Goals-
I understand that it is likely that I will have to continue to wait in some respect to get where I have been trying to be my entire Marine Corps career, but I am trying to be proactive so that I know exactly what I need to do to earn a place in the job field I actually wanted to be in from the very start.
I have read all the source material I can find regarding First Term Lat Moves, but I am not sure how the system applies to my current situation, given that:
-while I have been in the Corps for over two years, I have only been at my current duty station for one year
-I was reclassed to my current MOS punitively
-I enlisted on a 5-year contract, putting my EAS in Jan, 2013

My goal is to continue my professional development and work towards advancement in rank in my current situation while being able to establish a clear timeline for myself on the steps I need to take to earn a lat move into the 0231 field.
Additionally, I want to pursue service as an MSG if that option is available to me at some point.


Conclusion-
I understand that much of what I am relating here is probably best suited directly for either a mentor or my CRS, however I am posting here because any additional input can do nothing but help me and knowledge is power.
I have gone in to see my CRS twice before, but felt brushed off. I know for a fact that they didn't even look at my file.
I want to be able to go in the next time I see my CRS with as much information at my disposal as possible, so that I can be clear and direct with what I am trying to get done, and have the background knowledge to be able to discuss my situation intelligently and not let myself be brushed off.

I appreciate any advice that any of you can share with me, and I thank you for taking the time to read this.

Semper Fi.

DO your three more years you owe to the Corps and then start thinking about all of that when the Career Jammer comes to talk to you about reenlisting.

[AAV Crewchief]

What? One NJP is not career ending. Plenty of senior Marines in my MOS have been subject to NJPs during their early years. Best peice of advice you could offer is to EAS? Have you attended Cpls Course? Are you familer with the mentoring program? If not, ask around.

Good advice.

This guy doesn't realize that he got a break by being allowed to stay in the Corps. He's now acting like the Corps owes him when it is the other way around in his case.

[gwamo1]

Good advice.

This guy doesn't realize that he got a break by being allowed to stay in the Corps. He's now acting like the Corps owes him when it is the other way around in his case.

My comment was aimed at CplMotivates complete lack of anything useful to say, not the OP. Sorry if their was confusion.

[Beltayn]

Good advice.

This guy doesn't realize that he got a break by being allowed to stay in the Corps. He's now acting like the Corps owes him when it is the other way around in his case.

Just want to respectfully clarify something.

I do not in any way feel that my Corps somehow owes me something, or that I deserve anything more than the opportunity to do my duty.

I am a humble and dutiful Marine. I was raised right by my father who is a retired Naval officer. My Senior Drill Instructor instilled in me an understanding of the core values of our service, and beat civilian selfishness out of my old mindset. I could be assigned to burn excrement for the rest of my career and still would be proud to wear my uniform.

I've made some mistakes early in my career that will certainly set me back somewhat. I have fully acknowledged that and take full responsibility for my actions. The past two years have been a period where I've had to do a significant amount of growing up.

Regardless of what happens I will continue to work as hard as I am able and continue to excel in my assigned MOS.
My intentions with this inquiry, however, are to see if the option is feasible to be put to better use. I feel like the contribution I could be making is wasted in my assignment currently.

It frustrates me that:
-Despite having emphatically volunteered multiple times to deploy, I have not been selected to serve when those I went to boot camp with are in many cases returning from their second deployment. I enlisted with deploying being a primary motivation and am currently assigned as station personnel in CONUS with no opportunity to do anything else apparent within my current MOS.
-I know I possess the aptitude and skills to be making a much more valuable contribution to my Corps and the war effort, and do not have any outlet in my current situation to bring them to bear.
-The US Government has already invested a significant amount of resources ($200k if my understanding is correct) on certifying me for the clearance level that I currently possess. Right now, that investment is being wasted.
-On a personal level, I have several close friends either currently engaged in combat operations, or who will be going into harm's way in the near future, and I worry that I will not be capable of doing anything more important for them than sending them off with a hot meal and my prayers. Every evening I read the updates on the ongoing conflict and the DOD releases of the names of those who have fallen casualty to it, and am struck by a sense of helplessness. With Iraq effectively over for the USMC operationally, I worry that Afghanistan may be over too before I am given the opportunity to make a difference.

Maybe I'm naive but I am a Marine and an American and I believe in the importance of the work we are doing. I did not join for the college benefits or the free T-shirt or because I had no real prospects in the civilian world.

I hope you'll forgive me the self-indulgence of searching for an alternative to the position I have found myself in. Perhaps you are right and I should just accept my lot and wait out my remaining years of my extended contract and then EAS and forget about all the reasons why I became a United States Marine in the first place.
I'm embarrassed that you got the impression you did about my motivations. I apologize if my OP failed to represent me as well as it should have. I want to assure you that my intentions are not the selfish ones that you believed them to be.

[Beltayn]

With what you thought was "lack of bullsh*t". Didn't you just say he lied to you about your MOS?

I don't blame my recruiter. He was crashfire rescue and undoubtedly gave me his recommendation in ignorance rather than malicious intent. I was the first person the recruiting station had seen that qualified for the job at all, so there was no doubt top-down pressure on him to get me a contract for the more specialized MOS rather than the one I had asked for, which it would be easier to place other people in contracts for.

[Beltayn]

Just an update:

My name got submitted for special recognition by my chain of command, and me and one other junior enlisted Marine from my (pretty big) section were congratulated by our Squadron CO in person and got a challenge coin from him. It's not a lot, but it's something. It's not everybody that can break the barrier of going from the "New-join PVT coming to us already with an NJP", to "Marine we submit for special recognition and awards".
Oh and they told me they wanted to put me up for Marine of the Quarter, but I was ineligible because my rifle score wasn't updated. (I haven't qual'ed since '08, and I made my chain of command aware of it when I first PCSed here and have been on the waiting list for months. I finally get to go shoot April 5-9th and pick up my orders on Tuesday.)


Meanwhile, I just got word the other day that the MSG recruiters are coming to Cherry Point on April 19th!
Hopefully this might just be the opportunity I've been waiting for. Wish me luck.

[TJR1070]

Good Luck Bro.

[Juicemang]

Just an update:

My name got submitted for special recognition by my chain of command, and me and one other junior enlisted Marine from my (pretty big) section were congratulated by our Squadron CO in person and got a challenge coin from him. It's not a lot, but it's something. It's not everybody that can break the barrier of going from the "New-join PVT coming to us already with an NJP", to "Marine we submit for special recognition and awards".
Oh and they told me they wanted to put me up for Marine of the Quarter, but I was ineligible because my rifle score wasn't updated. (I haven't qual'ed since '08, and I made my chain of command aware of it when I first PCSed here and have been on the waiting list for months. I finally get to go shoot April 5-9th and pick up my orders on Tuesday.)


Meanwhile, I just got word the other day that the MSG recruiters are coming to Cherry Point on April 19th!
Hopefully this might just be the opportunity I've been waiting for. Wish me luck.

Good luck wardog.

[hawks]

Okay, the people replying to this thread don't know jack **** about the Marine Corps apparently.

I've got a battalion level NJP. Guess what I did 6 months later? Deploy to Afghanistan as a Squad Leader. Guess what happened when I got back? Picked up Corporal. And now i'm picking up SGT on May 1st and i'm still not even at my 4 year mark yet. An NJP doesn't mean ANYTHING and anyone who tells you otherwise is a ****ing idiot. As long as it's not alcohol related, NJP's are inconsequential.

So basically once you got to your original unit, you got a batallion NJP, and then you deploy to Afghanistan as a boot ass lcpl "squad leader"? i dont believe you for a second.