Field artillery question

[Robbieallred]

Hey I signed a contract the other day for field artillery fire direction specialist. My recruiter told me that this means my mos will be in the 08xx field. I know there are like 0811 actualy shooting the artillery 0861 forward observers and then a lot of mos's that calculate the shots by observing wether and other things. I would really like a more physical fun job and be as close to being a grunt as possible I just don't want to be in an office or sitting on a computer doing all the calculations and I know forward observers and radio guys get tact on to infantry units alot. My question is how do I know what mos I might get in that field? I got over 110 on all my line scores and I have a first class pft and I just can't wait to be a marine.

[R Landry]

Enlisted

• 0800 Basic Field Artillery Man - SGT-PVT
• 0811 Field Artillery Cannoneer - MGYSGT-PVT
• 0812 Field Artillery Cannoneer (Nuclear Weapon Trained) SGT-PVT
• 0814 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) Operator[1] - MGYSGT-PVT
• 0842 Field Artillery Radar Operator - SGT-PVT
• 0844 Field Artillery Fire Control Man - SGT-PVT
• 0847 Artillery Meteorological Man - SGT-PVT
• 0848 Field Artillery Operations Man - MGYSGT-SSGT
• 0861 Fire Support Man - MGYSGT-PVT

Looks like you want 0800, 0811, 0812 or 0814

Officer

• 0802 Field Artillery Officer[2]: LtCol - 2ndLt
• 0803 Targeting Effects Officer[4]: CWO5 - WO
• 0840 Naval Surface Fire Support Planner[1]

[BR34]

You probably won't find out until MCT. That's when most Marines find out what their specific MOS will be (at least this was the case 4 years ago).

[Capital M]

your either going to be a 42, 44, 47, 61. You probably wont be a 47, The entire 5 months I was at fort sill, I didnt see one 47 arrive.

You won't find out until the day before you graduate MCT, itll be on your orders. Just pray you get 61 or else your going to be sitting in the fdc or playing with counter battery radar

[we51a]

im an 0861...when i got out of MCT they had me pegged as an 0844...0861 was in high demand at the time so i requested a move to 0861 while there and it was granted...a lot of disgusting lat movers moved into the 0861 MOS so it isnt in high demand like it was, but when you get to FT Sill request 0861, if they dont have you as one, and they should be able to help you out

[Capital M]

What the Sgt said is worth a shot, but be prepared to be laughed out of the CP. Right now its like a 4 month wait time to pick up the 61 class. It's normal to be pushed out of 1 if not two classes because of reservists or NCO's. But 44's seemed high in demand this year. They pushed 4 classes through while I was there, 2 of them had 10 Marines each.

The current 1st Sgt at the battery is a 61. I'd advise doing something (good)/volunteering for working parties. , he'll notice you and will come up and start talking to you/finding out your story. If you mention you want to be a 61 and you have a 44 contract, he MIGHT be able to try and get something rolling. That would probably be your only shot. If you just go ask the platoon Sgt's or the Battery GySgt, youre going to get laughed at, booted out of the CP, and probably put on phase 0 libo for a week just for bothering them.

[we51a]

the current 1st Sgt there (1st Sgt Upp)was a gunny in my unit... he loves talking 0861 knowledge with Marines eager to learn it, talk him up and ask about the MOS, could help you out

[Robbieallred]

Thanks for the help. I hope I can get 0861