Getting LCpl on PTAD

[xbh]

Hi Marines-

I am seeking your advice/opinions about getting your crossed rifles from PTAD (recruiters assistance)? Is it a bad idea? Do you think any less of Marines who earn it that way rather than time in grade? A LCpl here told me he doesn't like Marines who earn his rank by PTAD because there's more leadership and responsibility required.

I'm getting meritoriously promoted to PFC (April 2nd) a few weeks earlier than my 6 months time in service. I got my second referral, my younger brother to sign up.

My mos school likely won't be picking up for possibly 6 months and I'll have the option to take PTAD here soon. So there is the opportunity available to get promoted once again.

Thanks for your time.

[ARTYPIG]

Take it. It's your career not anyone else's so don't fall into peer pressure because someone else doesn't want to take advantage to get promotions. The leadership will come that's what you have NCO's for to teach you. I did RA a couple of times and had a ball!

[Rocky C]

Take it. It's your career not anyone else's so don't fall into peer pressure because someone else doesn't want to take advantage to get promotions. The leadership will come that's what you have NCO's for to teach you. I did RA a couple of times and had a ball!

Well Said

[Beltayn]

Personally I'd think it would be more valuable to get credit for recruiting people that you know once you are already a LCPL, so that it will count towards your composite score for CPL, rather than just save you a few months on a rank that you will pick up in the natural course of events anyway.

[polizei]

x2 I would wait if you can...it will give you 100 points (if you get 5 people) towards Cpl. But of course that is a year TIG...so really it's your call.

I would probably just pick it up now if you can.

[Socal2361]

I agree use it towards Cpl, because that rank isn't guaranteed, Lcpl is.

[Komenko]

Do it now cause you can always do it again. I've known Marines to take PTAD while in the fleet for Recruiter's Assistance. Plus pick up now wait nine months before you rate a score for Cpl and then take PTAD again if you can get it Approved! Its your career and more than likely you'll end up as a recruiter for your B billet! seems they always need more people out in the schools!

[thezero]

Your going to be a crypto linguist and don't have the smarts to make a career moving decision? Naw just messing with ya. Honestly I tried to get Lance while I was on RA after boot, I am one referall away. BUT I only have a couple months before I pick up Lance, the 9 months goes quick, but if you want that 200 dollar pay difference then pick it up ASAP.

[echo3oscar1833]

Like I always say if you can better yourself, and get promoted go for it. Nothing wrong with it, as long as you prove that you earned the rank given to you

[jackson07]

You are going to Monterey to attend DLI. Who told you that you won't class up for possibly 6 months? I attended DLI, and know its current Marine staff. Let me know, and I will get you the real answer.

[Beltayn]

You are going to Monterey to attend DLI. Who told you that you won't class up for possibly 6 months? I attended DLI, and know its current Marine staff. Let me know, and I will get you the real answer.

This.
Spending 6 months in casuals seems extremely strange, given then tempo of training at DLI. 1 month, maybe, if your timing sucks.

Have you been assigned a language yet? I'd assume you have been, or else you wouldn't know how long it would be before your class picks up. What language?
As a former DLI student, I'd give you the honest advice that, as appealing as picking up LCPL early or simply getting 30 days of "free leave" may seem, you really, really should forget all that and use the time you have now getting a HEAD START on your language. Get with other Marines in your platoon and join their study groups. Borrow their textbooks and ask for them to help drill you in the vocabulary and introductory grammar. Practice the number systems while PTing.

DLI language training is no joke. You can expect up to 50 vocabularly words per night to have letter perfect by the next day and get tested on for grade.
Any advantage you can get before your class picks up you will need. Back when I was there, it was almost expected that you have that head start.

Consider very carefully whether getting some "free leave" is more important to you than potentially screwing up your career at a very important stage.

[CplGiraffe]

No disrespect but unless you are pretty lucky 3-4 months is the minimum time for picking up class. I waited October-April. DLI has changed since the last year or two. The amount of Marines here is exponentially more than before. With that, we don't have the class seats to match the influx of new Marines which causes the wait time to grow. Current Marines coming in are getting class start dates next fall. And for the record, get LCpl, go for it, but other lances probably won't like it because they waited for theirs instead of working to get it.

[Beltayn]

Interesting that the delay has increased so dramatically.

If your concern is to truly "work hard to earn advancement" though, I'd still argue that your time is much better spent getting a head start on your language at DLI, than kicking back on the block on some "free leave".

To be fair, not every recruiter is the same, and not every experience with recruiter's assistance is the same.
I've seen:
-Marines go home on PTAD, work their tails off for recruiters until ungodly hours of the night, barely get to see their families or have time off, and then not get credit for a single recruit because the recruiter was struggling to meet their own quota that month and the Marine has to go home with nothing.
-Marines go home on PTAD, and all they have to do is phone their recruiter every couple days to check in and maybe run some PT with poolees once and a while. They spend 30 days of almost uninterrupted "free leave" and then go back with free automatic meritorious promotions because the recruiter "hooked them up" and gave them credit for a bunch of recruits that the Marine never even talked to personally.

Obviously, your mileage may vary, but from personal experience I've never seen someone get RA that didn't end up either "boned" or "hooked up".
What I've definitely NEVER seen was someone who received a meritorious promotion to LCPL via RA who could honestly look their peers in the eye and claim they "deserved it because they worked hard".

If you want some free leave, or if you have a recruiter that will hook you up, go for it.
But don't be under any illusions about how you'll be working so much harder and earning advancement for yourself by being squared away.

Ask yourself if a really honestly squared away Marine would spend the preparatory time worrying about finding new recruits, or getting themselves ready to excel in their assigned MOS at one of the hardest MOS schools in the entire Marine Corps.

[xbh]

Thanks for all the replies Marines. Like Moss said, I've been told by quite a few junior Marines and nco's that some of the classes weren't starting until October.

I should be assigned a language by next week is what I'm told. If it's going to be like 6 months wait I think I'll go for recruiters assistance for a month. But also take that time to get ahead in the language.

[xbh]

Beltayn- I see what you're saying about free leave and spending this time to study hard. But I see PTAD also as an opportunity to: get my stuff from home, talk to the poolees & younger brother about boot & Marine Corps, help out the recruiting office, and possibly earn a promotion. I am going to take the schooling very seriously though.