Prior Active duty Air Force member needs advice!

[DWCook]

To introduce myself here my name's Denton, I am a prior Active Duty Air Force member. I have been out of the force for slightly over a year working as a Class A Security officer in Kansas City, Missouri. Not a glorious or even slight entertaining job at the least. I have been looking at joining in Active Duty Marine for sometime now and I am honestly just needing some good old fashion non-biased advice. I have been getting crap from everyone after I tell them I am looking at hitting the core, since I was Air Force. Anyways enough crying here, here's what I am wanting to know.

Besides knowing rank structure and the usual bits what I am needing to know here or be aware of when going to boot? Since I have already been through a type of boot camp some Marines have told me its just learning more so breaking me down again. I got out of the Air Force as an E-3 due to the cuts going on due to the budget. I honestly just need some down to earth advice on what I will expect differently as I have been in active duty environment plus other bits.

Thanks for anyone willing to help me, even though I was Air Force (Home of the whiners)
(no offense to anyone with the Air Force comment as I was Air Force)

[Yonkers]

Well.. best advice would be to learn the phrase "it is what it is"... make do with what you have... and just go with the flow. The more you resist, the harder it all is.

A major difference is that in the Marine Corps Lance Corporals (E-3's) have a lot more responsibility on their shoulders then your typical E-3 in the Air Force.

I'm wondering if any of the ribbons would transfer over.. you'd have a stack I bet if they did.. Haven't read into it very much in that aspect.

Good luck to ya,

LCpl Yonkers

[Zulu 36]

I went from the Marine Corps to Air Guard. My oldest daughter is a SSgt in the USAF Reserve. There is a big culture change either way.

Of course, if accepted, you would have to attend the full Marine boot camp, School of Infantry, and an MOS (same as AFSC) school. I don't know what your AFSC was and the Corps may not necessarily take that into account. Needs of the Corps take precedence. You will be a contract PFC (E-2). However, in boot camp, you will be a Recruit, i.e., nothing, non-human, a grabasstic piece of amphibian poop - just like every other recruit in your platoon. You'll learn that the Air Force didn't teach you that much about close order drill.

Physical fitness requirements are stricter. Just to go to boot camp you have to pass the rough equivalent of the AF PT test. But that is just minimum to start for the Corps. So, you'll need to be in top physical condition. Once your'e accepted into the DEP, you can start studying knowledge. Ranks, General Orders, etc.

Some of your ribbons will not transfer, some will. The AF Marksmanship will not, neither will the AF Training. If you have a Longevity Ribbon, that won't transfer either, although you would get a hash mark in place. If you deployed and received the usual batch of stuff for OIF or OEF, those you'll keep. Any personal awards (AFCom, AFAchiev, etc) you'll keep.

Have you had a face-to-face meeting with a recruiter yet? If not, you need to do so ASAP.