Do all Marine MOS's go on patrol?

[live opposition]

I am genuinely interested in the 70xx field. My recruiter added these do not go on patrol. I'm not trying to be cowardly, I just want to know what I should expect. Thanks!

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

All Marines are riflemen. That really does mean something. No matter what your job, you could find yourself walking a fence line or outside the wire on a patrol.

That said, Marines usually do what they are trained to do. That means the people that spend their time training to patrol and engage the enemy. Those that are trained to fix airplanes will do so. And even those that are trained to play a trumpet will do so.

If you want a promise that you won't find yourself with a rifle in your hands, join the Air Force. But, if you want to be a Marine- just know that you can be called upon to do anything- even if it is pretty unlikely that you will do so.

[ZSKI]

Not always true they did activate the camp lejune band as a provisional rifle company

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

So what isn't always true? The part where I said:

All Marines are riflemen. That really does mean something. No matter what your job, you could find yourself walking a fence line or outside the wire on a patrol.

The probability of it happening is not all that high- but it can and does happen. There is a reason everyone goes to MCT. But, the Marine Corps wouldn't offer all of the other jobs if they weren't really needed. If they didn't need people in the airfield services MOS field they wouldn't put them there. Since they are putting people there, it tells us that there is a need for people this those specific job skills.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

In a war zone, anything is possible. ANYone could be expected to employ personal weapons (Small arms, and others), going back to the "Every Marine a rifleman first", mantra.

So, in other words, while your primary MOS is "Cooks/Bakers/Candlestick makers", you, as a Marine, will be EXPECTED to know how to "close with, and destroy, the enemy".

[Zulu 36]

I was Motor T in Vietnam with VMA-211, but was in my squadron's provisional defense platoon as a fire team leader. I also drove off-base as a single vehicle several times per week and my A-driver and I were armed to the teeth.

I also had an up-armored six-by. Sandbags on the floor of the cab.

[egbutler1]

Any Marine can find himself outside the wire doing combat patrols. Though more the likley if your not in an 03 mos or combat support mos you won't find yourself outside the wire. While i was deployed in support of OIF as an 0311 squad leader we did have some unusal MOSs walking in the "moon dust" with us hunting insurgents that plant IEDs. Most of them did good, but there is no MOS in the Marine Corps where you might not find youself with a rifle in a firefight or on a convoy that gets into an ambush or caculated IED attack. If you don't want that than don't join the Marines.