A few questions.

[TobyMAG]

1) I was told by a former naval officer that when he went to boot camp, he had to buy everything that he needed, including uniform, toothpaste, etc. Is this the same for the Marine Corps or do they provide all the equipment for free?

2) Am I guaranteed a tour of duty right after MOS training? Or Is it normal for a fresh marine to go to iraq/ wherever the fights are?

3) I was told by my recruiter that tours of duty are limited to 6 monthes. Is it possible to serve 2 or more consecutive tours of duty? Or is there some sort of regulation or law that prohibits back to back tours?

Thanks alot.
-Tim

[Phantom Blooper]

You will get everything that you need in boot camp.....H&C,uniforms,boots and some cleaning products for brass et.

In my era at the end or close to the end of boot camp the recruits were given the monies owed and subtracted from that were all the gear bought in bootcamp....


You can get a guarantee on an MOS but all Marines are trained to fight and are riflemen and you chances of going to Iraq are potentially good.


Not necessarily tours can be any length of time.Timetable is the Mission.:evilgrin:

[Zulu 36]

1) I was told by a former naval officer that when he went to boot camp, he had to buy everything that he needed, including uniform, toothpaste, etc. Is this the same for the Marine Corps or do they provide all the equipment for free?

2) Am I guaranteed a tour of duty right after MOS training? Or Is it normal for a fresh marine to go to iraq/ wherever the fights are?

3) I was told by my recruiter that tours of duty are limited to 6 monthes. Is it possible to serve 2 or more consecutive tours of duty? Or is there some sort of regulation or law that prohibits back to back tours?

Thanks alot.
-Tim

Officers do indeed have to purchase most, if not all, of their uniforms.

Enlisted people do not. Enlisted are given a basic issue of uniforms that you will be required to maintain (and are given a modest uniform allowance monthly to do so). You may buy additional uniform items after you get to the fleet if you feel you need them. The basic issue is enough to take care of most Marines' day-to-day needs.

Personal hygiene products you do have to pay for. At Receiving Barracks you will be provided with those items and the cost will be deducted from your pay. You also pay for your haircuts in boot camp and afterward. Most recruits get their money's worth on the first haircut.

"Tours of duty" means different things depending on what you are doing at the time. Yes, after MOS school you will go to your first unit. If that unit deploys to a combat zone, you go with it.

The way I understand it, generally, Marines deploy with their unit and return with their unit. As a junior enlisted man, you likely won't have special skills or talents that would cause the Corps to retain you in Iraq after the seven-month standard unit tour, even if you volunteered. You would have to join a different unit and the Corps is trying to avoid the Vietnam replacement scheme by now sending Marines in units already intact and trained together.

However, you generally stay as long as your unit stays unless wounded or killed first. The seven-month tour is a Marine Corps policy, not a law. Not all Marines serve only seven-months, some go longer. The seven-month tour is basically for combat units.

The Corps could make Iraq tours last two-years with a snap of the Commandant's fingers (not that it would happen, but there is no law to prevent it).

[irizavrima]

As far as buying uniform articles goes, you will have to spend a lot of money while you are at boot camp. They give you a basic issue of socks and skivie shirts and other personal items. But it is your responsibility to buy toothpaste and skivie shirts and hygiene accessories when you need to. I am pretty conservative with my money and I would have to say that I probably spend around 400 dollars of my own money on necesseties.