Need Some advice

[RyanMcL92]

Alright, so basically this might be a little long so I apologize but I have wanted to become a Marine for a long time and I need advice from the Marines on this website if you wouldn't mind assisting me.

The thing that grabbed my attention and directed it towards the Marines was a really good friend of mine. He would have been 20 if he was still here. (He died in a car accident) He was going into the Marines, he was such a nice guy and always helped everyone out and was just in all a great person. I heard he wanted to be a Marine, (this was three years ago) and I looked the Marines up and liked what I saw. Ever since, every time I hear the words Marine Corps, or Marines it immediately spikes my attention and gives me this excited feelings in my gut.

I have always tried to be the best I can be. I was thinking about becoming a Navy Seal because I feel like special forces would be a great challenge for me... I do not like water enough to be one.(I don't hate it, considering I'm a life guard but it just doesn't look like the seals are for me)

And I've already ruled out the Army. I've had a lot of long talks with my uncle before he passed away about the Marines and the sense of pride he had for the Marines was inspiring.

I've tried to convince myself to forget about the Marines because my mom is so worried about it and thinks it's a bad choice. And it really kills my motivation that I don't have her support but I know 30 years down the line when I look back on my life I want to be able to know and say I earned the eagle, globe and anchor. And everytime I tried to forget about the Marines I was disappointed in myself.

I feel like I won't get a sense of accomplishment unless I'm in the infantry mos field but that may be a childish thing to say because I know every Marine is a rifle man and every Marine contributes one way or another.

I talked to a Retired Eod in the Army and I showed him a list of possible Mos I could pursue in the Marines and he picked one out imparticular and that was 0284 Advanced Foreign Counterintelligence Officer. I understand I have to go to college and qualify for this level of security clearance but does anyone know anything about 0284? I'd appreciate some information on it, I tried researching it and had no luck.

In a nut shell I'm just seeking some support and or motivation to continue my goal to become a U.S Marine and some advice on an Mos.



Thanks for reading this entire thing Marines.
~Ryan

[Backhaus 1103]

Well are you going to go to college next year? Do you know what you want to study? Can you pay for college?
It's up to you man. Forget what everybody else says and be selfish right now. Is this what you want to do, because you have to live with the "what if I had joined" thing if you don't.
The Marine Corps has it's ups and downs, but in the long run I think it's worth it and wouldn't change a thing.

[hbharrison]

If you want the Marine Corps and you are going to collage, complete the collage and then try for OCS. The MOS you want will come to you by then.

[Zulu 36]

I don't know for certain, but 0284 may not be open to unrestricted officers, only to Warrant Officers, or Limited-Duty Officers who usually come from the 0211 ranks.

[R Landry]

Check this out.

http://www.usmc.mil/news/publications/Documents/MCO%201200.17.pdf

[Zulu 36]

As I read that order, 0284 is a Free MOS, meaning any officer from WO to LtCol can be assigned (including unrestricted officers). However, reading between the lines, I think a young officer will not be assigned that as a Primary MOS initially.

After some time in the fleet (a year or two at least), I would guess that a young officer could apply to be accepted into that field as a 1stLt or Captain. I would also suspect that officers already in the 02XX field would have the inside track.

This would be something an OSO would have to answer for certain.

[RyanMcL92]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I was also wondering if there are any infantry Marines who wouldn't mind telling me the good and bad?

[RyanMcL92]

Ryan, do what YOUR heart tells you to do. I dropped out of high school a few months short of completing my third year, but got a GED in the Marine Corps, went on from there. I signed up at age 16, my mother had to co-sign for me, and two weeks after turning 17 I was at Parris Island.
So it is crucial that you do what YOU think you "should" do or want to do. If you must must must go to college right now, then do that, and seek OCS afterwards or ROTC while you are in college, but if college is just a fifty fifty thing with you right now, then you have to do what you are really interested in doing. And you just can't listen to others who try to dissuade you. Yogi Berra's little league coach told him he basically could not play baseball. Buddy Holly and the Crickets, when they tried to get a record company to record and release their very first hit, "That'll be The Day", only Brunswick Records would do it, everyone else thought they had little or no talent. So please don't listen to anyone trying to dissuade you other than yourself. If you want the Marine Corps, the yellow footprints are right there waiting for you. If you really want college right now, the campus is there for you. And it is good to get input from people including family but you have to decide. All you have to ask yourself is one question, What is the most important thing for me right now? To go to school, to go to the Marine Corps, to do neither? Take it where it leads you. There is no right or wrong decision.


The most important thing to me right now is becoming a Marine so thanks for helping answer my question and making me come to that realization.

My dad's friend told me my mom is going to be scared and she may disagree with your decision but he said there is no such thing as a parent who isn't proud of their son or daughter who is a Marine.

That really motivated me. I guess my next step is to talk to a recruiter. Thank you for the help.

[Backhaus 1103]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I was also wondering if there are any infantry Marines who wouldn't mind telling me the good and bad?

In garrison (when not deployed) you will be bored a lot. There's not much for grunts to do when you're not in the field but clean your weapon, police call, working parties to do various thing, classes from your squad leader or team leader all the way up to your BC and clean your room or "field day". Or just sitting in your room "NOT" playing video games or sleeping haha. You'll do a lot of ranges. It deponds on the command what exactly you do for training. You will do a lot of ranges around where ever you stationed and then do big battalion things like AP hill, CAX, Bridgeport, Camp Dawson.

On deployment you'll usually do something like patrol, post, rest in a cycle for 7 months unless your doing an opperation. If you do then you'll be advanceing and clearing out houses shooting people during the day and then stoping to rest at night in whatever house you took over. You'll stand post for like an hour then wake up at like 05 and then moving on.

[RyanMcL92]

Ryan, all moms are scared when their son or daughter goes away from home to anywhere, much less an MCRD! My mother was scared, she signed on the dotted line and I was outta there. She went down to PI for the graduation, so you might say, as we used to say, that she "got over it". ":)

Really appreciate your advice. As much as I want to be a Marine I'm just nervous I'll develop PTSD if I get deployed.

Part of me wants to be a grunt and do the things everyone imagines the Marine corps to be like and the other half wants to be a Marine for the travel and seeing things you'll never see in 10 life times.

I'm 99% sure I'm joining, I just heard that you can only take advantage of the GI bill while your in the Marines, not when you get out. Meaning I have to go to college while being a Marine?

Won't that be very very difficult if I'm active duty and get deployed? =\

~Ryan

[usmc3521]

Really appreciate your advice. As much as I want to be a Marine I'm just nervous I'll develop PTSD if I get deployed.

Part of me wants to be a grunt and do the things everyone imagines the Marine corps to be like and the other half wants to be a Marine for the travel and seeing things you'll never see in 10 life times.

I'm 99% sure I'm joining, I just heard that you can only take advantage of the GI bill while your in the Marines, not when you get out. Meaning I have to go to college while being a Marine?

Won't that be very very difficult if I'm active duty and get deployed? =\

~Ryan

you are nervous you will get ptsd if you get deployed? Seriously WTF is wrong with you. You become a Marine to kill the enemy and not cry about it later.

You sound like a cry baby p*ssy, go join the army because you will seriously get your sh*t raped if you join the Marine Corps and worry that you will get ptsd.

If you sign up for the gi bill and rate it you have it while you are in or out. You can even let your kids use the benefits

[Supersquishy]

Really appreciate your advice. As much as I want to be a Marine I'm just nervous I'll develop PTSD if I get deployed.

Part of me wants to be a grunt and do the things everyone imagines the Marine corps to be like and the other half wants to be a Marine for the travel and seeing things you'll never see in 10 life times.

I'm 99% sure I'm joining, I just heard that you can only take advantage of the GI bill while your in the Marines, not when you get out. Meaning I have to go to college while being a Marine?

Won't that be very very difficult if I'm active duty and get deployed? =\

~Ryan


OK WHAT THE FVCK DO PEOPLE THINK THESE DAYS!!!! FVCKING ROMPER ROOM?!?!?!?! GIVE ME A FVCKING BREAK DUDE!!!!!!! GO BACK TO PLAYING FRIGGING HALO or some BULLSH!T!!!

[RyanMcL92]

you are nervous you will get ptsd if you get deployed? Seriously WTF is wrong with you. You become a Marine to kill the enemy and not cry about it later.

You sound like a cry baby p*ssy, go join the army because you will seriously get your sh*t raped if you join the Marine Corps and worry that you will get ptsd.

If you sign up for the gi bill and rate it you have it while you are in or out. You can even let your kids use the benefits



Alright sounds good, did not know you could take advantage of it if you were out as well.

I guess I needed what you just said because as soon as I read that I immediately thought... why the hell should I be worried about a problem I don't have yet.

My parents keep getting in my head with all this **** trying to get me not to join so it's hard to not second guess myself sometimes if you can understand that.

Btw what kind of dirtbike is that in your avatar? I have a crf250r, rode almost every day since I've been 7.


~Ryan

[RyanMcL92]

OK WHAT THE FVCK DO PEOPLE THINK THESE DAYS!!!! FVCKING ROMPER ROOM?!?!?!?! GIVE ME A FVCKING BREAK DUDE!!!!!!! GO BACK TO PLAYING FRIGGING HALO or some BULLSH!T!!!


I'm not sure what you're talking about. What do you expect me to think, a senior in high school who is considering joining the Marines and asking questions in the "Ask A Marine" section of the forums.

No disrespect to yourself Marine but I'm simply trying to get a good idea about the Marines.

[Supersquishy]

I'm not sure what you're talking about. What do you expect me to think, a senior in high school who is considering joining the Marines and asking questions in the "Ask A Marine" section of the forums.

Look dude, we are not going to hold your hand, especially when you already made an excuse for yourself being in High School. Pathetic...

[RyanMcL92]

Look dude, we are not going to hold your hand, especially when you already made an excuse for yourself being in High School. Pathetic...


I understand completely Marine, I am trying not to use that as an excuse but as an image that I do not know what the hell I am talking about and need advice from Marines like yourself.

I'm sorry if myself being a senior in high school doesn't know all the ins and outs of the Marine Corps but I'm trying very hard to get a good grasp to know what I'm getting myself into.

Once again no disrespect to yourself and I'm sorry you feel that I'm a P*ssy, excuse giving, civilian, but I'm looking forward to proving you very wrong Marine.


Ryan

[Barr]

I find the best mix is finding a job you want to do that gives you job security when you get out.

Basically, the opposite of my MOS. I'm working on a lat move. Just seriously think this over, it's a big f*ckin deal.

[usmc3521]

F*ck what your parents say. God damn, how many of you kids on here have said the same thing, mommy and daddy will be mad! Who gives a flying sh*t! So what they raised you, does that mean you cant make your own decisions when you are 18. If you want the title Marine, and want to be part of the best damn brotherhood on the planet then go to the recruiter and sign up. If your parents are mad or threaten to "remove you from their will" if you go in tell them to f*ck off. They will come around eventually.

PS the bike is a 2010 CRF250R( I race for Honda of Troy support team)

[martinj]

PTSD too a certain extent is a mental weakness, a form of a beta male.

[Backhaus 1103]

PTSD too a certain extent is a mental weakness, a form of a beta male.

Easy with where you go with that.

[ameriken]

PTSD too a certain extent is a mental weakness, a form of a beta male.

Really? And from what combat experience are you speaking from?

[RyanMcL92]

Alright I made the first step at getting the chance to become a Marine.

I spoke with a recruiter and talked a lot about everything you could possibly ask about the Marines. Told him I'm very interested etc. He called my mom to talk about it while I was at school and I came home and my Mom had a different outlook on the Marines.

He explained stuff she didn't understand and made a lot of things clearer to her.

She is now way more supportive of me wanting to become a Marine.


I've gotten into a habit of running everyday, rain or shine. At first running was difficult for myself and I disliked it a lot. Now I run a couple miles without feeling the burn I did after 1mile.

After my run I (try to do at least 50 push ups) yesterday I did 66. And then do pull ups on the bar at the lake I run past. I aim for 10 pull ups but yesterday I did 13 so my new goal to shoot for is 15 which I think I'll hit very soon.

To my understanding Bootcamp isn't all about being physically fit but I hear it definitely helps.
Anyways I know this section is for questions and what not so this will be my last post in this thread.

Thanks for the help once again Marines.

~Ryan

[Zulu 36]

Alright I made the first step at getting the chance to become a Marine.

I spoke with a recruiter and talked a lot about everything you could possibly ask about the Marines. Told him I'm very interested etc. He called my mom to talk about it while I was at school and I came home and my Mom had a different outlook on the Marines.

He explained stuff she didn't understand and made a lot of things clearer to her.

She is now way more supportive of me wanting to become a Marine.


I've gotten into a habit of running everyday, rain or shine. At first running was difficult for myself and I disliked it a lot. Now I run a couple miles without feeling the burn I did after 1mile.

After my run I (try to do at least 50 push ups) yesterday I did 66. And then do pull ups on the bar at the lake I run past. I aim for 10 pull ups but yesterday I did 13 so my new goal to shoot for is 15 which I think I'll hit very soon.

To my understanding Bootcamp isn't all about being physically fit but I hear it definitely helps.
Anyways I know this section is for questions and what not so this will be my last post in this thread.

Thanks for the help once again Marines.

~Ryan

You need to be at a minimum level of fitness to ship to boot camp (passing the IST). Boot camp does brings you up to a minimum level of fitness needed of Marines.

However, you should strive to be in the best shape before, during, and after boot camp. PFT scores count toward promotions, especially to the NCO ranks. Being in PFT shape before boot camp makes life a little easier at the Depot since you won't be struggling physically.

If you go into infantry (especially), your fitness level will increase even more. Your life may depend on it.

I'm glad your Mom is on-board now. That makes things easier too.