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whollifield1
10-10-12, 08:43 PM
Hello everyone. My husband and I are newlyweds with 6 years of dating under our belts. He enlisted into the Marines and his ship validation date is set for February 2013. He wants to go into Recon. The majority of my questions are centered around a basic timeline of events. I understand that he will be at Boot camp for 13 weeks, then will go to SOI (please correct me if any of my information is wrong. I'm completely new to this.) If he is interested in going into Recon what happens next? When is BRC training? (does BRC training take place at Pendleton?) What happens after BRC training? Am I allowed to visit him at SOI or BRC?

-Basically I want to know how long it will take for him to go from boot camp to his end goal of (I think it's called) Reconnaissance Man.
-Will I be able to move with him when he gets stationed somewhere?


Thanks in advance for all advice given.

m14ed
10-11-12, 02:37 PM
Let me please start the ball rolling by welcoming you to Leatherneck forums.
There a lot of IF's in your future, perhaps you haven't been told.

First , your husband has to complete boot camp to earn his EGA (eagle,globe,and anchor),
and title of United States Marine. When he graduates with his platoon, and title,,,,in all probibility, he will be given boot leave between graduation and SOI (School of Infantry)

NOW the tricky part.

Please read no further if you have a "thin skin" or are easily upset.

In all probibility, you husband will fail the "ReconSchool" and be re-assigned MOS's.
Dependent apon that MOS, determines where he gets stationed next.

Everything you ask with the "exception" of your husband wanting to enter the MarineCorps and earn the title, is all shakey when you're looking for Definent answers , dates, and time-tables.

Good luck with you and your family..

Semper Fidelis to your husband ,When he earnes his EGA, and Title of Marine.

DaShadow
10-12-12, 01:13 AM
Whollifield1:
M14ed is pretty much "spot on", in my opinion.
(http://www.forcerecon.com/reconfaq.htm)
Let's say, however, he does get a Recon MOS and is in the slot for BRC.

His initial training consists of Marine Recruit Training, & the School of Infantry, training as a rifleman. Students are then assigned to the Basic Recon Course. Upon successful completion of the BRC, Marines report to their assigned recon unit & receive various professional, technical and tactical training. Among these are: Airborne (basic and Military Freefall) Jumpmaster, Pathfinder, Ranger, Scout-Sniper, Combat Diver (SCUBA) Diving Supervisor, Mountain warfare & assault climber, Jungle operations, specialized training in urban tactics, Close Quarters Battle & shooting skills, demolitions, communications, photography, controlling aircraft landing operations and directing Airstrikes, Naval Gunfire and Artillery..

If your husband makes it thru BRC, etc. he will be constantly going thru additional training (as illustrated above). You will not be able to spend any time with him while he's undergoing any training until he completes BRC. Therafter, he will likely be in constant training, which will NOT include coming home at night or likely many weekends.

You will spend most of your time, during his first two years, living apart.

You both need to be prepared for many weeks away from each other. And that doesn't count deployments. My advice for any married Marine is to NOT contemplate a Recon MOS. It's just too demanding (being married) while going thru the training.

Of all the Recon Marines, I personally knew, only A FEW were married. Of all the Poolees that "chat about" becoming Recon Marines, only a couple have actually made it thru BRC. This is based on their own feedback.

So actually answering your questions, I think M14ed gave the best answer.
It's impossible to explain to you how "alone" you'll be if your husband continues on the "Wanna be a Recon Marine" career path.

I'd suggest he go into Intellegence, or the Air Wing. I'm serious, you'll both have a much better (married) Marine life.
Good Luck....

advanced
10-12-12, 08:30 AM
Tell your husband to not under estimate the honor of "just" being in the Marine Corps Infantry. We are the ones that have won all the battles and all the exploits of Marine Corps history are stories about us. The very image of being a Marine is centered on Marine Corps Infantry. We are the ones that go toward the guns, and we always win.

Tennessee Top
10-12-12, 11:43 AM
I was never a Recon Ranger so cannot help you there. I am comfortable in saying Recon training is the most rigorous of all training in the USMC and there are only a handful of recon Marines in the entire Corps. Being a Marine is never a 9-5 job with weekends and holidays off. Safe to say, Recon Marines spend more time training than your average Marine so you can expect your husband to be away from home more often than if he had another MOS (be careful what you ask for because you may just get it).

To answer your final question, once your husband completes his initial formal schooling and is assigned his first permanent duty station with a Recon unit you can join him there (unless it's in Okinawa, Japan which has unique rules regarding accompanied tours; both my 12 months tours on OKI were unaccompanied meaning I had to go alone). If your husband stays in long enough to get reassigned to another permanent duty station, you will be able to move with him.

Just a heads-up about base housing. No matter what base you're at, there is never enough housing to accommodate everyone who rates it. That means going on a waiting list and renting in the local community until a unit becomes available (he will receive a housing allowance to help with the rent; once you move aboard base this allowance will stop). At Camp Pendleton CA, my ex and I rented in San Clemente for 13 months before moving on base (our quarters overlooked the Pacific ocean). We had been on base for 12 months when my orders for a 12 months unaccompanied tour to OKI showed up. The ex stayed in our quarters while I was overseas.

There is another website, MarineFamilyNetwork.com that has info about the different USMC bases and other issues families face.

Good luck to you and your husband.

jp2usmc
10-12-12, 11:53 AM
Since this bit never seemed to come up:

> -Will I be able to move with him when he gets stationed somewhere?

If his duty station is stateside, you can follow him anywhere you want. If he's going on floats (boat rides), you'll get to wait on the shore.

If his duty is overseas, you'll also be waiting for him to get back - unless it is one of those 1-year deployments to Okinawa - and if they LET HIM go accompanied with you, his 1-year deployment turns into a 3-year deployment.

Just get a boyfriend while he's away. That's what all the wives did on base when I was in. Yeah, I know: That's just wrong! It happens a LOT, though.

Tennessee Top
10-12-12, 12:34 PM
Just get a boyfriend while he's away. That's what all the wives did on base when I was in. Yeah, I know: That's just wrong! It happens a LOT, though.

Bingo! That's exactly what happened in my case!! Came back after 12 months on the rock and the ex had already filed for divorce. She picked me up at the bus station in San Clemente, took me back to our base quarters, dropped me and my gear off, threw her suitcases in the car, and left. She and Jody were married and lived happily everafter. I went on to a successful career in the Corps as a single Staff NCO (marriage just never had the same appeal to me after that eye-opening experience...been there, got the t-shirt, don't need another one).

advanced
10-12-12, 01:20 PM
Tennessee Top - Don't be so bitter. I've been with my 4th wife now for 22 years. Sometimes there is a happy ending.

Tennessee Top
10-12-12, 04:14 PM
Good for you Advanced! Obviously, if you keep swinging you'll get a hit eventually (my sister is on her 3rd marriage). Just curious, did any of the 3 first ones leave you for Jody (makes a difference)? I am just "gun shy" I guess. She did a real job on my brain housing group and my self esteem suffered greatly for a few years. Will say though, the second time I went to OKI on a 12 month tour as a single SNCO, I made up for lost time with the Japanese girls! Being a single Marine does have it's advantages and it really paid off when I was in Sao Paulo, Brazil as the Detachment Commander of the MSG detachment there. That's when I realized what a favor Jody actually did for me and I thanked him every day!!! Bitter? Hell no, her loss; she got Jody, I got my Corps all to myself and everything worked out just great thank you very much. Today, I'm still single and work at a hospital full of nurses; go to work with a smile on my face every day. So, you can keep your marriages and I'll just enjoy the single life.

advanced
10-12-12, 06:41 PM
Good for you Tennessee Top, I'm glad everything has worked out for you. The 1st 3 didn't leave because of Jody, they left/or I left them because in the past I wasn't as sensitive as I am now. My 2nd used to say "You don't know what it's like being with you." And sensitive me would reply "You don't know what it's like being me." I could blame it on the Nam or being a cop all those years, but the truth is I was just an *******, still am.

I should have been single all those years, but I found out later in counseling that my biggest fear was being alone/the last 1. I got this from the Nam, being the last 1 alive and being so messed up I couldn't do myself before the gooks got me and what would have happened when they got me. For me, thank God I changed.

Semper Fi Top.

Sgt Leprechaun
10-12-12, 08:42 PM
FYI, since he is not yet a Marine, you are not yet a 'Marine Spouse'. Style point. Correction made.