Getting Sergeant on First Enlistment?

[WrJose81]

Hey there Marines, I just graduated from college and have my degree; i decided enlisting was the better option for me and i was just curious if it is possible, or even likely to be promoted as a Sergeant on your first enlistment (4 years)if you go into bootcamp as a PFC. Im thinking going into the 03xx field if there are any open slots if not 58xx if that would matter.

[Tennessee Top]

Possible - I did it (but, I had extra points added to my composite score for promotion because I was on embassy duty at the time).

You should know. Certain MOS's historically promote faster than others. Talk to your recruiter about this. I believe, both 03XX and 58XX fall into this category (but don't quote me on that - could be different today).

[WrJose81]

Thank you Tennessee Top, i will ask my recruiter about this

[Kegler300]

I barely did it as a grunt in 3 yrs, 11 months, but that was almost 40 years ago. With your college degree and PFC out of boot camp, you should be able to reach sergeant by the end of your first enlistment.

[WrJose81]

That sounds pretty good, it is just something on the back of my mind that i have been wondering.

[Kegler300]

When you come to the end of your enlistment, you might then consider the Enlisted Commissioning Program (ECP) since you have a college degree.

[Jofus]

Yes. It does depend on a lot of factors. Your MOS can promote faster or slower than others, your PFT/CFT and rifle scores, education, meritorious boards, special duty assignments, etc. I went to PI February 2009 and was promoted to Sergeant April 2012.

[USMC 2571]

Many variables. But first things first. Boot camp is calling you first! IF you are first accepted into the Corps, though. So Sgt may seem like a priority right now, but it probably comes into the picture later rather than sooner, as far as importance is concerned. Nice to think about, though.

[USMC 2571]

By the way, when I went in, which was just before fire was tamed for domestic use, making Sgt under 4 years was unheard of. But because of the Vietnam War, 3 of us were promoted to Sergeant TWO MONTHS before we got out. These 3 did not go to Vietnam, you had to have had 13 months left on your enlistment and we had 2 months left. But they promoted us anyway-----after that, it is my understanding that Sgt promotions became common within the 4 year enlistment. For what it's worth, though---it may not be relevant today, that was a long time ago. But just to show you when, approximately, the promotions to Sgt began getting more common.

[Zulu 36]

As Jofus wrote, there are many variables involved in any promotion. I made Sergeant in 25-months. But there were a few events that helped me along. Meritorious promotion to PFC out of boot camp and a meritorious promotion to Corporal in Vietnam all had their influence. Good proficiency and conduct marks helped too as did my assignment after Vietnam to Field Medical Service School as the Motor T NCO (a Corporal in a Sergeant's billet). You have to take advantage of the opportunities presented.

But before you get anywhere close to Sergeant is boot camp and SOI. Long term goals are good, but they are accomplished through successful short term goal setting and completion.

[m14ed]

Crap there Sweetpea !

You're not even rating the title of MARINE
and you wanna know about E5 under one enlistment ???

GOOD College GRadJJit could excell 0n the streets

as perhaps the corner brain surgeon -
and Cocaine Dealer.

We've all seen "Educated People" who couldn't
pour water* out of a Rubber boot-

Let alone earn the title of
Marine

*fooled you there with water-
didn't I ?

[USMC 2571]

I would say that these days it would be within reasonable expectations to make Sgt in four years, but again, so many variables. Depends on so much. Nothing to even worry about or be curious about at this early stage.