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  1. #1
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    decisions decisions...

    My recruiter called me, I have to choose my MOS later today. My problem is, I am extremely indecisive and want to do ALOT of things and have a hard time choosing just one thing. I know mechanics, at the moment I own my own shop so in a way I want to do that to even further my knowledge in that field. On the other hand (which no family supports) I want to be a badass. I want to be out in the **** with the rest of my buddies. and I have always wanted to be either a sniper or force recon. so it has always been between choosing between the two, which is hard enough. Then this weekend a current Marine had a conversation with me about doing intelligence and he loves it, and has the time off to go to drag races like we both enjoy doing. Im not sure if anyone can really decide for me, but can any Marine who is in mechanic/sniper/recon/intel shed some light with personal experiences on the good and bad? Also do you really get enough spontaneous time off as infantry?

    I appreciate all your help. I just dont want to choose something that sounds like a good idea at the time and isn't.


  2. #2
    I'd go 0300, but I am bias. I joined the Marines to be an infantryman, apart from my education, asvab scores, etc, so that is what I did.

    If you go into a Mechanics MOS you will get to re-learn everything you already know but to a lesser extent or in a more specialized area. It is basically a more inconvenient way to continue on your education. You already own a shop, so my guess is you know what you are doing. If you want to be a Marine to "be a badass," go 0300.

    My 2 cents, but again, I'm bias.

    Mike


  3. #3
    Every decision we make sounds like a good idea at the time we make them. Otherwise why would we make those choices? And guess what? Many of those decisions in hindsight will turn out to be if not bad then surely less than great. Thats called life.

    But someone who is first concerned with time off and the opportunity to go watch drag racing is IMO never ever going to get through indoc anyway so I'd save all that angst about whether you will be a sniper or a reconner. You will never be either.

    Funny you write like a 10th or 11th grader but talk of owning a business.


  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn2 View Post
    Every decision we make sounds like a good idea at the time we make them. Otherwise why would we make those choices? And guess what? Many of those decisions in hindsight will turn out to be if not bad then surely less than great. Thats called life.

    But someone who is first concerned with time off and the opportunity to go watch drag racing is IMO never ever going to get through indoc anyway so I'd save all that angst about whether you will be a sniper or a reconner. You will never be either.

    Funny you write like a 10th or 11th grader but talk of owning a business.

    Thanks for the insults. But I was more leaning towards constructive criticism? I'm nineteen, I have a business. I build the cars and race them. so that is why I go to the races. I don't go to them to just slack off. but reguardless, If I can't go to them I can handle it. but thanks anyways. And maybe you are just being honest, but you aren't very encouraging to future Marines..

    thanks crazymjb. im leaning towards going 0300 anyways.
    i just got back from the recruiter, he wasnt positive so i guess i can ask everyone here. in order to be a sniper do you have to be 0300 based? according to him you can go recon from any MOS though? but he also said it may be possible to go any MOS then go recon and from there go to sniper school. would that work?


  5. #5
    While I applaud you on setting your sites high I'd worry about becoming a Marine in the basic MOS you want to be going in to first. Also, I am assuming you are going active duty?

    Regardless, your recruiter is somewhat right. I have a friend who is a field wireman who just extended his contract 6 years (after 2 hes been in) and I believe actually just got to BRC today. If your end goal truly is sniper or recon make it easier on yourself and just go infantry. While they draw from other MOS's, its an infantry job so you will have a hell of an easier time getting in being an 03.

    Mike


  6. #6
    You think that is an insult?

    You talk about wanting to be a badazz in one breath and then the need for a job with plenty of time off in the other.

    Forget the cheap high school badazz baloney talk. Try just being a professional. The Reconners I served with were a lot of different things but professionals they were for sure.

    There was never a word from them about how badazz they were or were going to be. They let others make that claim for them.

    You need encouragement? Then Recon (or Sniper) is surely not for you.

    There are kids that come to these types of forums asking about fiitness programs and what they can do to get through indoc. You ask about time off.

    I do not think you have that snowballs chance.....

    Good Luck anyway no matter what you do


  7. #7
    You honestly think you can make it to, let alone through, sniper school or BRC or any other specialized course just because that's what you feel like doing at the time or it sounds "baddass"? The common thread that runs through everyone that I know who had graduated BRC is that they were all about it, all the time.

    You can't simply decide to go Recon or sniper or w/e one day and waltz out of the schoolhouse the next day having graduated.


  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn2 View Post
    You think that is an insult?

    You talk about wanting to be a badazz in one breath and then the need for a job with plenty of time off in the other.

    Forget the cheap high school badazz baloney talk. Try just being a professional. The Reconners I served with were a lot of different things but professionals they were for sure.

    There was never a word from them about how badazz they were or were going to be. They let others make that claim for them.

    You need encouragement? Then Recon (or Sniper) is surely not for you.

    There are kids that come to these types of forums asking about fiitness programs and what they can do to get through indoc. You ask about time off.

    I do not think you have that snowballs chance.....

    Good Luck anyway no matter what you do
    I understand your point now and I apologize, and thank you for the good luck. I see how it sounds how im talking. My main concern was that I don't go into an MOS that I don't even have the option to go recon/sniper. At this point there is only intel,maintenance and mechanics jobs open from what I saw. When october rolls around again if I need to be in 0300 I will be the first to be there trying to get in. I am determined. Dont get the impression that just because I asked about time means otherwise. it was just a question nobody has answered for me. whether you know it or not, you just encouraged me to go on with it and go for it. thank you.


  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by fs19 View Post
    You honestly think you can make it to, let alone through, sniper school or BRC or any other specialized course just because that's what you feel like doing at the time or it sounds "baddass"? The common thread that runs through everyone that I know who had graduated BRC is that they were all about it, all the time.

    You can't simply decide to go Recon or sniper or w/e one day and waltz out of the schoolhouse the next day having graduated.
    I never thought I could just do it on a whim. I just want to make sure I'm on the right track to where I need to be. I don't want to go into another MOS and not be able to do what I really want to do.


  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by crazymjb View Post
    While I applaud you on setting your sites high I'd worry about becoming a Marine in the basic MOS you want to be going in to first. Also, I am assuming you are going active duty?

    Regardless, your recruiter is somewhat right. I have a friend who is a field wireman who just extended his contract 6 years (after 2 hes been in) and I believe actually just got to BRC today. If your end goal truly is sniper or recon make it easier on yourself and just go infantry. While they draw from other MOS's, its an infantry job so you will have a hell of an easier time getting in being an 03.

    Mike
    I appreciate it. I'll have to get on the ball trying to get in 0300 then. Although, I may have to wait until October for the year to be over to get it.


  11. #11
    Not a knock on any other mos or rate. But none of the reconners I knew first hand were debating whether it was going to be recon or mechanic or whether it was going to be recon or supply bubba.

    The guys I served with all came out of the 03 line of work. Not just because it prepared you better. But because that is the line of work they wanted.

    Recon IMO is nothing more than a grunt with more specialized training and a somewhat different way of operating.

    If you do not care to be an 0311 then I find it hard to see how you would like it or make it as an 0321.

    Thats just my old from back in the day view. I am not saying another route could never work. I am saying it is much more unlikely.


  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by hellified View Post
    I never thought I could just do it on a whim. I just want to make sure I'm on the right track to where I need to be. I don't want to go into another MOS and not be able to do what I really want to do.

    What exactly do you think you want to do?

    Also Lynn hit the nail on the head with that last post.


  13. #13
    My friend who is now attached to a grunt unit dropped out of Recon. He had the contract for it before boot. That ****s no joke, he's kicking himself in the ass right now for dropping because he let the pain get to him (he made it 3 weeks in I believe). It's not for the weak hearted and god forbid if you talk about the training in any detail, all I got out of him was long running hikes, and the pool is a b-tch.


  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by thezero View Post
    My friend who is now attached to a grunt unit dropped out of Recon. He had the contract for it before boot. That ****s no joke, he's kicking himself in the ass right now for dropping because he let the pain get to him (he made it 3 weeks in I believe). It's not for the weak hearted and god forbid if you talk about the training in any detail, all I got out of him was long running hikes, and the pool is a b-tch.
    Why don't they talk about it?


  15. #15
    Recon is a very tight night community that does not like to divulge information on how they operate, their TTPs, SOPs, ect. to outsiders in great detail. That being said I see no problem talking about a lot of what happens in RIP and BRC with other Marines. If you haven't yet, check out the "Recon Explained" thread at the top of this forum, it may help you out a little bit.


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