MOTOR T Questions

[PapaFranklin]

ive always heard that "motor t is awesome and fun" but no one ever explains to me what it really is, such as hours worked, duties, schooling etc. im just an unacknowledged poolee who wants to know what hes getting into seeing as in how that is the MOS i did sign up for.

thank you marines.

[Sally]

First of all, what exactly is your MOS? Operator, mechanic?

[Phantom Blooper]

PM SSGT Nelson on this site he was in MT in Vietnam....he may not be able to give you updated scoop...but he can give you experience.:evilgrin:

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/member.php?u=2170

[pabears152]

Cpl Walker Viet Nam Dec 67 to Mar 70= Motor t was tough, but I did enjoy it. My time in Nam was a real eye opener. Enjoy your time and get the best out of it. Learn something new all the time you're in.

[PapaFranklin]

Cpl Walker Viet Nam Dec 67 to Mar 70= Motor t was tough, but I did enjoy it. My time in Nam was a real eye opener. Enjoy your time and get the best out of it. Learn something new all the time you're in.




i cold only imagine, our war in iraq right now is a walk in the park compared to nam! thank you for you services marine!

[PapaFranklin]

First of all, what exactly is your MOS? Operator, mechanic?


havent made it that far yet, as of now im just a dep. im hoping for operator tho but either way i wouldnt mind being a mechanic i just want some action while im in. i didnt enlist to not serve

[Zulu 36]

Operator is a dangerous job in a combat zone. 3531s had a very high casualty rate in Vietnam, although I don't know about now. I'm sure it's up there with all the IEDs, etc. At least half of the instructors in my 3531 school had Purple Hearts from Vietnam.

I drove trucks in Vietnam and was shot at fairly regularly. Most of my driving was not in convoy, but as a single truck. I think I did a good job despite my dislike for the job in general. It had to be done, I was the schmuck who had to do it, so I did it right (my life depended on that part).

I did not like Motor T although I freely admit that it provided the route to some very interesting experiences, particularly in Vietnam. I tried to get out of MT as soon as I could after I got back from Vietnam and ended up in Military Police where I was very happy. However, MT was still my primary MOS so I often got stuck as the unit MT NCO as an additional duty.

Motor T in garrison was the worst for me. The routine of preventive maintenance, washing, etc, just bored me to tears. I have never been a "car person" so mechanics had zero interest for me. At least in Vietnam there was a sense of purpose and I knew I was doing useful things for my unit.

If you like mechanical work, like driving, and don't mind being in a big target, you will probably enjoy Motor T.

[jrhd97]

I lat moved ( involuntary, good of the Corps kind of thing ) in '95 as an 3521 ( mech. ). We were a small Bn and worked close with the drivers ( operators 3530's ).
When not in the field the driver's do a lot of cleaning and pm's. Checking and topping off fluids, changing tires, making sure lug nut are tight, sanding and repainting rust spots, patching canvas tops, checking and changing lights. It wasn't unusual to have a driver working with me in the shop. Depending on if you are licensed to drive a Hummer, 5-Ton, LVS, Wrecker, Fuel Tank depends on which 353? you become.
The mechanic side is harder ( 3521 ). Often you have to get a vehicle up and running in a short time and do it with out the right tools and some times the right parts. It's not uncommon to be in the shop well before the drivers are out of the rack. Besides fixing what the drivers break, you have to keep the PM list up to date. You will be in the field with your tools working on vehicles in any and all weather conditions or in a shop.
If you want to get into rebuilding and swapping engines and such. That is another MOS in Motor Trans. Those are the 3rd shop guys. A diff ball game. There is also the 4th echelon guys. They are the ones that do reconditioning and more extensive work. I think there is only 2 place in the U.S for them. Albany GA, if I remember right, and someplace out west. Can't remember.

[Zulu 36]

You're thinking of Barstow, CA, jrhd.

Most 4th echelon mechs are civilians. A lot of them are former Marine mechs though.

[jrhd97]

You're thinking of Barstow, CA, jrhd.

Most 4th echelon mechs are civilians. A lot of them are former Marine mechs though.
That's it. Thanks for refreshing the memory.

[HARDLUCK88]

its long hours, heavy lifting, sometimes dispatching duty, preventative maintenance, long driving under bad conditions, liquid loads, passenger loads, explosive loads, defensive driving techniques it depends on what kind of unit you end up with, and where in the world you get stationed. but i loved it, it was fun, and it was not fun. but you have to take the good with the bad.

[HARDLUCK88]

You're thinking of Barstow, CA, jrhd.

Most 4th echelon mechs are civilians. A lot of them are former Marine mechs though.


i heard there is no 3rd echelon maintenance anymore, if the unit cant fix it at the motor pool, it goes right to 4th echelon, and the only time we ever sent anything to 4th, was if we couldnt get parts from our DRMO vehicles... or wiring harness failures like many of the first series' of 1123's tended to have

[jrhd97]

i heard there is no 3rd echelon maintenance anymore, if the unit cant fix it at the motor pool, it goes right to 4th echelon, and the only time we ever sent anything to 4th, was if we couldnt get parts from our DRMO vehicles... or wiring harness failures like many of the first series' of 1123's tended to have
Really? They would send a truck all the way to the 4th shop for a head or glow plug that broke off?
We had some one from the 3rd shop up frequently pulling broke off glow plugs out of the heads.
Have they expanded the training for 2nd echelon?

[HARDLUCK88]

actually the oppisite, for us a broken glow plug was second echelon. the transition to 3 echelons was near the end of my tour, so i dont know really why they did it, but i mean even as an operator, i was helping change transfer cases on LVS' and rebuilding cv shafts on 7 tons... 4th echelon really only handled vehicles that they wouldnt put in DRMO like blown transmissions, siezed motors... stuff like that.

and actually now that i think about it, we had the option to send it to 4th or fix it ourselves, usually if we fixed it ourselves just to get it back on teh road quicker, but there were some things that we couldnt handle at the motor pool, although i must say i was the tool room NCO for a little while, and we had a lot of specialty tools...

[jrhd97]

actually the oppisite, for us a broken glow plug was second echelon. the transition to 3 echelons was near the end of my tour, so i dont know really why they did it, but i mean even as an operator, i was helping change transfer cases on LVS' and rebuilding cv shafts on 7 tons... 4th echelon really only handled vehicles that they wouldnt put in DRMO like blown transmissions, siezed motors... stuff like that.

and actually now that i think about it, we had the option to send it to 4th or fix it ourselves, usually if we fixed it ourselves just to get it back on teh road quicker, but there were some things that we couldnt handle at the motor pool, although i must say i was the tool room NCO for a little while, and we had a lot of specialty tools...
Things have changed a lot. We handled broke glow plugs, unless they fell into the head. C.V shafts we would rebuild.
Things like injectors and swapping major components like that we had to send off. It would leave us without the vehicle for a month or more.

[HARDLUCK88]

Things have changed a lot. We handled broke glow plugs, unless they fell into the head. C.V shafts we would rebuild.
Things like injectors and swapping major components like that we had to send off. It would leave us without the vehicle for a month or more.


there were times when the deadline was so bad, we were sending 7 tons to to a run a hummer would normally do, just because the parts ordering process alone is a joke...

[jrhd97]

there were times when the deadline was so bad, we were sending 7 tons to to a run a hummer would normally do, just because the parts ordering process alone is a joke...
Well .....that hasn't changed. The process is such a joke that we were always scrounging for parts. When we had an inspection coming we would have spare parts hid in our cars.

[Zulu 36]

Oddly enough, our motor pool in Vietnam usually had admin deadlines we were so good for parts. Many of the operators were decent wrenches themselves and could help the mechs if necessary. Just needed a good supply of parts.

The shop parts man was a scrounger par excellence. He could get anything necessary. He preferred honest horse trading when possible, but he was not above organizing a raiding party to steal Army vehicles from their side of the base and strip them for parts.

Bob and I went through boot camp, ITR, and truck driver's school together. We were both Detroit-area boys and we still remain in periodic touch to this day. He made meritorious Corporal and got a NMCAM for his scrounging skills. He was like the one character in John Wayne's "The Green Berets" only he never got caught.

[HARDLUCK88]

you know something, its funny, i think back then people or at least men, were way more mechanically inclined then people are today. my dad was a hot rodder, so it was natural for me ( also my father was a 3536, wrecker operator ) to decide to be motor t, but i noticed some of the junior marines i had under me were pretty freakin dumb about some things...

[Sally]

you know something, its funny, i think back then people or at least men, were way more mechanically inclined then people are today. my dad was a hot rodder, so it was natural for me ( also my father was a 3536, wrecker operator ) to decide to be motor t, but i noticed some of the junior marines i had under me were pretty freakin dumb about some things...

I agree and also some of these Marines did not pick the job.

[jinelson]

Zulu 36 did a great job relating how it was in the Nam. A few years ago I had the oppritunity of returning to my roots at 1st Motors at Camp Horno, MCB Camp Pendleton and got to spend a couple days hanging around the motor pool. The 7 ton trucks are far better operationaly than the 2 and a half and 5 ton M35 series we had although not near as fun to drive ( no more double clutching lol). The biggest change I noted was that drivers must now wear all protective gear (helmuts and flack gear and they even have seat belts now). Hell we didnt even do that in Nam although we were supposed to. Moral wise the nothing has changed the same special breed of adrenaline junkie Marines still play the same old fun games with each other. The deadline issues didnt seem to be as bad although they existed. In Nam we would go to the Freedom Hill PX and liberate brand new Army M35A2C's for staying operational. We either parted them out and dumped them or spray painted them MC green and applied our USMC with seriel numbers and TAC marks. Several of us had our own private M151A1 jeeps for our own pleasure. It was nuts up when we left the wire daily because we were a big slow moving extreme target of oppritunity for the enemy. We had junior officers volunteer to be convoy commanders and ride with us just so they could get their CARS. I loved the job and would recommend it to any hopefull Marine Poolee or wannabe. We even managed to have fun in garrisson and thats real hard to do. If I were to pull the same stuff today to remain operational I would be in the brig for life but, it was considered an unofficial needs of the Corps thing back then. When I picked up my rocker and became a 3537 the job got a bit boring and wasent as much fun. Troop discipline and accountability can suck at times LMAO. Sorry for being so windy with my answer but the thread topic evoked so many great memories.

Jim

[PapaFranklin]

Zulu 36 did a great job relating how it was in the Nam. A few years ago I had the oppritunity of returning to my roots at 1st Motors at Camp Horno, MCB Camp Pendleton and got to spend a couple days hanging around the motor pool. The 7 ton trucks are far better operationaly than the 2 and a half and 5 ton M35 series we had although not near as fun to drive ( no more double clutching lol). The biggest change I noted was that drivers must now wear all protective gear (helmuts and flack gear and they even have seat belts now). Hell we didnt even do that in Nam although we were supposed to. Moral wise the nothing has changed the same special breed of adrenaline junkie Marines still play the same old fun games with each other. The deadline issues didnt seem to be as bad although they existed. In Nam we would go to the Freedom Hill PX and liberate brand new Army M35A2C's for staying operational. We either parted them out and dumped them or spray painted them MC green and applied our USMC with seriel numbers and TAC marks. Several of us had our own private M151A1 jeeps for our own pleasure. It was nuts up when we left the wire daily because we were a big slow moving extreme target of oppritunity for the enemy. We had junior officers volunteer to be convoy commanders and ride with us just so they could get their CARS. I loved the job and would recommend it to any hopefull Marine Poolee or wannabe. We even managed to have fun in garrisson and thats real hard to do. If I were to pull the same stuff today to remain operational I would be in the brig for life but, it was considered an unofficial needs of the Corps thing back then. When I picked up my rocker and became a 3537 the job got a bit boring and wasent as much fun. Troop discipline and accountability can suck at times LMAO. Sorry for being so windy with my answer but the thread topic evoked so many great memories.

Jim

that was windy at all, it is what it is and youre telling me basically what i wanna hear. i mean obviously theres no job in the corps thats fun 24/7, they all have their goods and bads, but i just wanna make sure that i will see, do and learn a lot of cool **** along the way. i dont want to be one of those marines that enlists and then hates every single day of it. i wanna be as proud and happy as possible to hold that eagle globe and anchor!!

as far as schooling, does anyone know how long it is or where its located?

[HARDLUCK88]

that was windy at all, it is what it is and youre telling me basically what i wanna hear. i mean obviously theres no job in the corps thats fun 24/7, they all have their goods and bads, but i just wanna make sure that i will see, do and learn a lot of cool **** along the way. i dont want to be one of those marines that enlists and then hates every single day of it. i wanna be as proud and happy as possible to hold that eagle globe and anchor!!

as far as schooling, does anyone know how long it is or where its located?

ill put it to you like this, for me being motor t, was the best choice i ever made, yeah sometimes you have to bust tires and clean up oil spills and police call and stuff, but there is no better feeling than having an office with a view ;) :D

the motor transport school is located in fort leonard wood missouri. also the military police, nbc, engineers, and army train there as well.

[HARDLUCK88]

that was windy at all, it is what it is and youre telling me basically what i wanna hear. i mean obviously theres no job in the corps thats fun 24/7, they all have their goods and bads, but i just wanna make sure that i will see, do and learn a lot of cool **** along the way. i dont want to be one of those marines that enlists and then hates every single day of it. i wanna be as proud and happy as possible to hold that eagle globe and anchor!!

as far as schooling, does anyone know how long it is or where its located?

M here you forgot this.

[MLMonk]

that was windy at all, it is what it is and youre telling me basically what i wanna hear. i mean obviously theres no job in the corps thats fun 24/7, they all have their goods and bads, but i just wanna make sure that i will see, do and learn a lot of cool **** along the way. i dont want to be one of those marines that enlists and then hates every single day of it. i wanna be as proud and happy as possible to hold that eagle globe and anchor!!

as far as schooling, does anyone know how long it is or where its located?


There's 2 schools you can go to, basic Motor T and LVS. MVOC (Motor Vehicle Operators Course) is 6 weeks long, and picks up with about 60 Marines. LVS is 4 weeks long and has about 40 Marines.

The 1st 2 weeks of MVOC you drive HMMWV's, and the last 4 weeks are for the 7tons. For LVS each week after the 1st is learning a new trailer and driving with it.

They have 2 more courses but for fleet Marines only, unless by some chance you get selected for the Refuelers Course (SROC) after MVOC and waiting for LVS like a few Marines I knew did. The other one is Vehicle Recovery Course, or VRC. SROC is 4 weeks long and you just learn to drive a modified 7ton that can haul a green fuel trailer (like the civilian semi's have). VRC is 7 weeks long and the 1st half is recovering vehicles with the 7ton wrecker or MK36 out in the mud pits and driving them (since it is slightly different wheelbase/weight then the 7tons), the other half is driving the LVS wrecker and learning the parts for that.

I've been to MVOC, LVS and VRC, so just ask away.

I also made a thread about this a while ago:

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87447

[Lisa 23]

PapaFranklin, when using the words Marine or Corps, they will be capitalized at all times.
Also......it's Eagle, Globe and Anchor.

[Wheels123]

Marines is always capitalized.

[Zulu 36]

Zulu 36 did a great job relating how it was in the Nam. A few years ago I had the oppritunity of returning to my roots at 1st Motors at Camp Horno, MCB Camp Pendleton and got to spend a couple days hanging around the motor pool. The 7 ton trucks are far better operationaly than the 2 and a half and 5 ton M35 series we had although not near as fun to drive ( no more double clutching lol). The biggest change I noted was that drivers must now wear all protective gear (helmuts and flack gear and they even have seat belts now). Hell we didnt even do that in Nam although we were supposed to. Moral wise the nothing has changed the same special breed of adrenaline junkie Marines still play the same old fun games with each other. The deadline issues didnt seem to be as bad although they existed. In Nam we would go to the Freedom Hill PX and liberate brand new Army M35A2C's for staying operational. We either parted them out and dumped them or spray painted them MC green and applied our USMC with seriel numbers and TAC marks. Several of us had our own private M151A1 jeeps for our own pleasure. It was nuts up when we left the wire daily because we were a big slow moving extreme target of oppritunity for the enemy. We had junior officers volunteer to be convoy commanders and ride with us just so they could get their CARS. I loved the job and would recommend it to any hopefull Marine Poolee or wannabe. We even managed to have fun in garrisson and thats real hard to do. If I were to pull the same stuff today to remain operational I would be in the brig for life but, it was considered an unofficial needs of the Corps thing back then. When I picked up my rocker and became a 3537 the job got a bit boring and wasent as much fun. Troop discipline and accountability can suck at times LMAO. Sorry for being so windy with my answer but the thread topic evoked so many great memories.

Jim

Yeah, I was proud of my ability to do tricks with an M-35. I had a good truck and it took care of me and I of it. It could out-run the Army MP jeeps if it wasn't heavily loaded. I did wear my flak and helmet off base and went armed to the teeth. Since I was usually off as a single truck, my A-driver and I didn't want to get caught short if we had to do some shooting (and we did a few times - or rather, the A-driver did). I never had a .50 cal mounted though.

Armor consisted of a layer of sandbags on the floor of the cab, and maybe on the cargo bed if hauling troops. There is a picture of me in my photo gallery in front of my baby. And yeah, that shotgun usually came along for the ride too.

I went to 3531 school at 25 Area, Camp Valdo del Rio, at Pendleton, in Nov/Dec 1971.

[jrhd97]

the motor transport school is located in fort leonard wood missouri. also the military police, nbc, engineers, and army train there as well.
When did it get moved from Camp Johnson?

[HARDLUCK88]

When did it get moved from Camp Johnson?

i dont know exactly when, but i know when my dad went to the wrecker operators course in the early 80's it was at camp johnson, i think perhaps in the late 80's or early 90's it moved there...

[ZSKI]

As far as i know the mechs course is still there. But there shifting alot of **** there all engineers used to be trained at courthouse bay. now all 1345, 1341's, small boat mechanics and surveyors are at lenardwood. and the 71's are at courthouse bay.