SOI/ITB MOS selections and 0313 LAV

[Sweeney10]

Im currently in the Delayed entry program with a UW Security forces contract and im hoping for 0313 LAV crewman as my primary MOS; And I was hoping someone could explain to me how the MOS or SOI selection process for the 03xx MOSs. Some people say its random and I also hear that they ask for like 20 people to volunteer themselves for LAV or the MOS they wish.

I've always liked vehicles and the LAV's seem pretty cool and making a career out of them. I was looking into the Tanks and AAVs but with the LAV I could also do the Security forces.Another question,How do the infantry usually get around,by Humvees or choppers,Ect. If say Humvees is the driver a Infantryman or motor T,I told my recruiter that I liked operating vehicles and he said most infantry are getting Humvee licenses or to where they can drive so I was hoping to validate his claim. But I know LAV cant be guaranteed,but so when you get to SOI or ITB do they ask you what you prefer? And does any of it go off of your ASVAB or what the corps needs. Got a 50 on my ASVAB if it means anything.

Any help or Advice is appreciated. And yes I have done much research on this but a few LAV guys on the threads I saw haven't been on in awhile.

[RP0369]

It's been 2 years since I was an instructor at ITB, but when I was there, we (the instructors) allowed the Marines to sign up for whichever MOS they wanted, after we gave them a brief on the jobs of the different ones...we then would go into our office and select the ones that we wanted. The smart/strong ones usually got the weapons platoon MOS (machine gunner, mortar man, assault)

LAV's were a rare thing, every once in a while someone would come over to our company and allow our Marines to sign up for it.

Good luck.
-Ryan

[Sweeney10]

Ah okay,Thank you very much. Im guessing this is because the School is on the west side. And so basically the better you did on the ASVAB and the better you do on your PFT the more say you have in what you do and what you get? Also Since im Security forces PRP which is a UW contract would I Only be a 0311 or 0331 because thats what I would be doing in Security forces because im sure there's no need for a mortar man in security forces or anything like that ha. The list shows a 0312 Riverine Assault Craft Crewman which looks pretty cool but im sure I can't get that from security forces.

So after Security forces if I wanted to do you think I could like LAT Move to a Infantry MOS that interests me like the LAV or Assault boat as examples but hey I don't really know what a 0311 or 0331 do and its one of those things you don't know if you like it till you try it kinda thing.So any idea where I would go after security forces when I go into the fleet?

Thank you for the Information,Any Advice and help is always Appreciated.

[RP0369]

Security forces can be any 03xx MOS (0311, 0331,0341,0351, or 0352)

0312? never heard of it...and I've been a grunt for 11 years.
will have to do some research on it.

Once you have completed your tour in security forces, you will be sent to a victor unit (infantry battalion), where you will probably be an NCO (Cpl or Sgt) either way, you need to be on your game, because those that check in from SF are usually turds that have spent so much time out of their MOS that they don't know what they need to know, however...I have met a few good ones that recognized this deficiency and took it upon themselves to keep up with their roots and work hard.

They turned out ok...but I have also had a few that thought they were the sh*t and ended up getting moved to the company office or the armory.

Whichever way you get sent, just remember to bloom where you are planted, don't whine, and most importantly....STUDY STUDY STUDY!!

Remember the basics, become brilliant in them...because in the end, when you are leading troops into battle, they don't care about sexy...they want someone leading them who can excel at the stuff that is proven to save their lives.

[Sweeney10]

Hey,Sorry it took so long for me to finally reply,been busy lately.

Ah really MCSF can be any MOS? ah thought it was just 0311 and 0331 because those are about the only skills you will use in security forces,but that works. and Im just going off of The Wikipedia MOS list,It says "0312 Riverine Assault Craft Crewman" I assume it is the Marines with the boats that deploy from the ships or like raiding ops,would be cool. And im sure there's some cool things in Infantry.

And yea,Out of all the research I've done I've saw about being on my game and being like a sponge when I hit the fleet.

This doesn't exactly pertain to SOI selection but some questions about infantry and such. Ah okay,Basically all I have to go off of is any pictures I seen or stories and the main thing that comes to my mind is the show "Generation Kill" if any of you guys have seen it,That's kinda what I go off of when I think infantry,I don't know how good or bad that is but I loved the Show. And I know they always traveled in Humvees,Having the Different types,with the MK19's, the 50.Cal's and Im sure there were the TOW variants. But I didn't know wither it was a Motor T guy driving or a Infantryman,and would the guy Manning the Turret be Infantry like under a Machine-gunner MOS or something? I mean the show did take place in 2003 in the invasion with the 1st recon Bt,so I don't know if things have changed. So do Infantry get to use the Humvees or anything and who would be in the Positions like driver,Gunner. These are just some myths im trying to bust but like say on the Helicopters,Would a Infantryman with a machine-gunner MOS help the Crew chief man the guns while in transport?

And by the way,You mentioned all the smart guys went to weapons platoons,What exactly are those?


Thank you again for the help.

[RP0369]

Ah really MCSF can be any MOS? ah thought it was just 0311 and 0331 because those are about the only skills you will use in security forces,but that works. and Im just going off of The Wikipedia MOS list,It says "0312 Riverine Assault Craft Crewman" I assume it is the Marines with the boats that deploy from the ships or like raiding ops,would be cool. And im sure there's some cool things in Infantry.

And yea,Out of all the research I've done I've saw about being on my game and being like a sponge when I hit the fleet.

This doesn't exactly pertain to SOI selection but some questions about infantry and such. Ah okay,Basically all I have to go off of is any pictures I seen or stories and the main thing that comes to my mind is the show "Generation Kill" if any of you guys have seen it,That's kinda what I go off of when I think infantry,I don't know how good or bad that is but I loved the Show. And I know they always traveled in Humvees,Having the Different types,with the MK19's, the 50.Cal's and Im sure there were the TOW variants. But I didn't know wither it was a Motor T guy driving or a Infantryman,and would the guy Manning the Turret be Infantry like under a Machine-gunner MOS or something? I mean the show did take place in 2003 in the invasion with the 1st recon Bt,so I don't know if things have changed. So do Infantry get to use the Humvees or anything and who would be in the Positions like driver,Gunner. These are just some myths im trying to bust but like say on the Helicopters,Would a Infantryman with a machine-gunner MOS help the Crew chief man the guns while in transport?

And by the way,You mentioned all the smart guys went to weapons platoons,What exactly are those?


Thank you again for the help.

Ok, the weapons MOS' are 0331,0341,0351,0352.

EVERYONE trains with machine guns. Just because I'm not a machine gunner by trade (I'm now an 0369), doesn't mean I'm to remain clueless on the guns. NO ONE rides in uparmored Humvees anymore...we use the MRAP, MATV, or some other Mine resistant vehicle. And grunts drive grunts...just how we do things, we're pretty self sufficient.

So a truck team will break down like this:
Driver:03xx
Gunner: 03xx
Vehicle Commander: 03xx
Dismount: 03xx

Notice a pattern?

As for the skills you will use in Security Forces, get ready for this...grunts cross train in everyone else's jobs. Even when I was an 0341 (mortarman) I learned to patrol with the 11's and shoot the 240 with the 31's. So get used to the fact that we aren't the army (where they train to one job only).

Besides, don't get wrapped up in the truck thing. Most of our transport (unless you get put in a weapons company) is by Footvee's. They are an light armored transport, that is commonly known as YOUR BOOTS.

Yep. We walk alot.

good luck

-Ryan

[Sweeney10]

Ah okay,but so a 0311 isn't a Weapons MOS? And 0351 says Infantry Assault-man,Sounds cool. That's nice that we can train with everything and get to do many different jobs.Was just using the Humvee as a iconic vehicle for the transport ex,but nice,back when I was think Motor T I would only want to get stuck with a Inf Company,nice to know and sounds pretty efficient.

Haha the Footvee's at the end gave me a good laugh. But So a Weapons company gets transport more than 0311s? And If you don't mind briefly explaining to me about a 0311 and what they really do or say different than a 0351,just different training basically?

Another quick one,Did you ever notice a difference between the MCSF PRP and the Regular MCSF guys or anything? Just still kinda thinking about wither I should Keep my PRP or go to regular Security forces.

Thank you again for the valuable information.

[andrew5760]

I will try to explain this to you best I can.

If you are an 0311, you will go dismounted with an m16, m4 with or without m203.

If you are an 0331, you will go dismounted with a m249, or m240. Or those new IR machine guns they came out with? Hope for the m240 though.

If you are an 0352 you will (most likely) go mounted, being the weapons they fire are not easy to carry. Or man your weapon on the FOB, COP, PB.

If you are an 0351 you will go on select missions on where your specific weapon skill is needed.

If you are an 0341 you will do all of the above and perhaps shoot an illumination round.

I am a mortarman. Over 250 dismounted patrols under my belt. Never fired a mortar, but I've shot m16, m240, m249, 50 cal, mk19, and knew how to fire the saber if needed. Oh yeah, I was also the point man doing the job of a combat engineer sweeping for IEDs. Regardless of infantry MOS you may go mounted. Mission dictates.

Grunts are the jacks of all trades.

[Quinbo]

When I was in .... 0313's were only trained on the west coast. Young Marines selected for that MOS all came from students at SOI west. The only exception to that was reservists with the guaranteed MOS. Even if you went to paris island you would be shipped to pendleton for ITS.

I prefaced that paragraph with "when I was in" because a lot of things are different these days and that is probably true for LAV crewman as well. One recent change in the way things are done is when a 0313 is promoted to SSgt their MOS does not change to 0369.

[RP0369]

I will try to explain this to you best I can.

If you are an 0331, you will go dismounted with a m249, or m240. Or those new IR machine guns they came out with? Hope for the m240 though..

Are you sure about this? the M249 is a Squad Automatic Weapon...used by 0311's the world over and the bane of their existence.

I never once saw a Machine gunner carry an M249. As for the new IAR, it was produced to supplement the SAW.

Not saying that it's not true in your battalion...but seems mighty different from how I've always seen it and doctrine (ITR) have it set up.

[andrew5760]

Are you sure about this? the M249 is a Squad Automatic Weapon...used by 0311's the world over and the bane of their existence.

I never once saw a Machine gunner carry an M249. As for the new IAR, it was produced to supplement the SAW.

Not saying that it's not true in your battalion...but seems mighty different from how I've always seen it and doctrine (ITR) have it set up.


That's just my opinion SSgt. I've seen machine gunners carry both on patrol, either m249 or m240. Although it's most likely they will carry m240, as you stated an 0341, or 0311 etc would carry m249. I only suggest m240 because it has the range. From my experience it was much more useful in our current situation because the Taliban like to fight from far. M240 has the range and less jams.

I have heard little bits about the IAR. I've seen it although our BN has not issued them. Seems to be a weapon replacing a m249, but also is like a DM weapon at the same time? That's how it's been described to me correct me if I am wrong.

[RP0369]

I have heard little bits about the IAR. I've seen it although our BN has not issued them. Seems to be a weapon replacing a m249, but also is like a DM weapon at the same time? That's how it's been described to me correct me if I am wrong.


I am a huge fan of the M240, being the most practical machine gun for our current fight. as you said, really reliable and less collateral damage than the Mk-19.

As for the IAR, yes, it has accuracy...but it's a fully automatic weapon, not to REPLACE the M249...but to give commanders another option depending on the situation.