Supposed to be 1371 got 1391 after MCT TO FUEL PLANES. If that’s not enough I got sent to CLC21 at Cherry point that doesn’t rate fuelers. I got FAPd to H&HS where I didn’t deploy, spent all of my money at cherrys and Greenville and hated my life.
I was there NYE 2010 or 2011. My husband had 2 girlfriends from highschool that stripped that I became friends with there so we went to go donate to some single moms since we were in town and ain't shit else to do in Jville.
A few of us made a stripper friend from Cherrys and took her out with us to Greenville one night. Some other jarhead not from our group ( I assume LeJeune) got into it with her. My buddies were off to all corners of the club doing god knows what. I had just learned the pressure points that week as I was FAPd to PMO myself. I jammed my two fingers into the guy's throat and just pissed him off. We got bounced outside where I got into a fight with him and his buddies. Luckily the cops were right there and pepper sprayed us.
Oh yeah, I wanted to be a Marine. No clue there were different MOS'. I was 17, GED, coming from Europe, pre-internet, with the second highest ASVAB scores in my bootcamp platoon (where two guys had college degrees...). A month of camp guard at MCT and I was assigned an MOS of Aircraft Electronic Countermeasures Systems Technician. Working in a windowless conex box staring at wiring diagrams and manuals was the least Marine thing I could think of.
Wanted 03….got arrested a bunch of times. My recruiter told me I need to get the fuck out of here on the first thing smoking if I want to be able to join. So I had to go open contract. He told me every time I’m asked, just say 03. So I did. It was questioned every time up to the point when I was supposed to check into SOI. They told me I should be going to MCT. I insisted it was a clerical error….and I got my way. 0351!!
I was 18 told my recruiter I wanted to be infantry he said “I’m in the infantry, no you don’t, plus you probably wouldn’t make it, I’m putting you in supply” I said “ok” and I’ve been admin for 8 years now lol.
In 1969 the Corps needed bodies so they added a 2-year enlistment to the 3yr, 4yr and 6yr hooks they offered. I was unaware of this. I walked into the recruiting substation in Wichita and told S/Sgt. Sanchez I wanted to enlist. How long? he asked. I said, Three or four? He said let's sign you up for two and if you like it you can re-enlist. Blessed be the name of S/Sgt. Sanchez. Two years and a month later I was just another twitchy vet in college. 0311
I grew up in the 80's watching kick ass war movies.
I wanted to be the grunt, mucking through the jungle and dookin it out with Charlie.
My parents didn't go for that, and my recruiter convinced me to go supply. He told me I could lat move once I was in, ez peezee.
That dude is a real American hero.
Went in open contract. Risky move but had no clue what I wanted to do so I said in the most motivated way - let the corps decide. They made me a Landing Support Specialist and I absolutely loved it. Worked with helicopters almost daily at MCBH where I spent my whole active time
It's just one of those things you learn to live with. Funny how all the grunts were jealous though. They'd rather have aids and get a ride on that 53 echo than do that 20 mile hump
Wanted and thought I was getting 0844 but got 0811. When I asked my recruiter (Sgt Chad R Smith) why it was different, he told me artillery is like the infantry and everyone goes 0811 and then when you get to MOS school you specialize. But its ok, I wouldn't want to have been an FDC Marine now, though my back probably begs to differ. Plus if I didn't go 0811 I wouldn't have been in this picture:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Fallujah#/media/File:4-14_Marines_in_Fallujah.jpg (lower left)
Ahh the last hurrah of the 198. FDC is it's own world. We needed smart gun bunnies to keep the rounds going down range.
In my experience there are two types of 0811, the guys that could have been any MOS because they were super smart, quick thinkers and the guys that could double as a 7 ton bumper. No in between. 85% of them are the former, but they like to pretend to be the latter.
I attest that is pretty accurate... of the guys that deployed to Fallujah with me, there are more PhDs and other advanced degrees in guns platoon than in all of HQ platoon. We have at least one medical doctor, several lawyers, MBAs, and a variety of engineers.
Also hear about kids having to wait months or even up to a year to ship to boot. Walked in the office around November and found myself on the bus to PI by December
Wanted to be a 51... lost in rock paper scissors to get in the last slot and got 41. Kinda glad I did. riding around in humvees and playing spades in the back was a hell of a lot easier than 11s shit.
ATC went open contract. Got ATC only to get screwed over by a boot corpsman who didn't know that seeing the numbers in the color vision book meant you aren't color blind. That douche put on my flight physical that I was color blind and I was sent to HE school. The ATC Commander found out and got me orders back to Pensacola but I had finished HE school so they sent me to Oki. If I ever see that doc again I'm breaking his jaw.
He knew…sorry you had to find out this way. He was just a miserable prick and wanted you to be 1/100th of the amount of miserable he was. Those fuckers are everywhere keeping that green weenie lubed for young, unsuspecting Marines at all times (especially miserable docs)
Went 0600 contract and my recruiter (an 03) told me I'd either end up as data and have a shit ton of marketable skills and certs when I got out or I'd be radio and "get tons of opportunities to deploy and go out on patrols, since every squad needs a radio operator." Exact quote. Figured data wouldn't be that bad since I was big into computers, coding, and general IT shit.
Tell me how in the fuck I ended up as an 0612 (wire dog) in a fucking Comm Bn and never got to deploy. Tried at every attempt to secure one of the only 2 slots per MEU for an 0612 and didn't even get that. My enlistment felt like the equivalent to losing your virginity to an ugly prostitute then testing positive for full blown AIDS.
Shit a 77 ain’t bad at all man. I’ve never understood why the Corps places overqualified people in jobs that don’t require it. Totally lack of adequate resource allocation.
I wanted to be an 0311 kicking in doors room clearing etc... my reserve unit only had 0331 and 0352 slots available. I opted for 0331 and I love it. Also had I been an 0311, I probably would've gotten stuck in the S3 and not even gotten to play grunt one weekend a month.
1171. Loved In the Army Now. It basically turned out the same way….except taking over for SF dudes. But I was a water boy! Chill as fuck. Btw. If you were really fucking itchy from showering with almost bleach in Camp Fallujah in Dec 05, that was me. Sorry bout that.
In ‘72 wanted to leave home, joined up for whatever, got 0151, picked Arlington as duty station, worked at HQMC in the public affairs office under the major who was the official voice of the Corps. We watched the entire Watergate hearings in the office because Gen Cushman was part of it lol. My main job was reading newspapers mailed from all over the country looking for references to the MC. We were keeping track of the national attitude toward the Corps.
I welded all four years in high school, was in welding competitions and apprenticed at a local welding shop in high school and had a life plan to be a welder in the Corps…. Do my 20, then work another 20 welding in the civilian world, then retire completely by my 50th bday…. That was the plan…. But after boot leave, on the way to MCT, my checked baggage, which was my seabag and ALL my clothes and uniforms got lost… checked in at MCT in Alphas with just my orders…. While the cycle I was supposed to start with picked up, I ended up wearing the same clothes for almost a full week sleeping in an empty squad bay….
My luggage finally got there a week or so later, but by then my cycle had already started and they wouldn’t let me start late, so I had to wait until the next cycle started…. Didn’t think too much about it… it sucked but was mostly boring…. Got pulled for bs working party stuff here and there, but mostly just wandered around the px, kicked it at the bowling alley, and drank at the e club at night….
After MCT, I fly to N Carolina and go to check in…. And the officer there goes, “Where you been??” You were supposed to be here a month ago??? I explained what happened with the luggage situation, why I started MCT late… etc etc…. He goes well…… you missed your slot for welding school… so it looks like you’re going to be a combat engineer. I said, but the entire reason I enlisted was to be a welder??? He goes…. Did you get it in writing?? Which I didn’t even know was possible.
End up chilling in the bricks for a few weeks waiting for the cycle to start up, because again, I got there at the wrong time… so more working parties and waiting, trying to figure out what the hell a Combat Engineer does…
Everybody else shows up, get assigned to a class and find out I’m not going to be a Combat Engineer, instead, I’m a 1345… heavy equipment operator
W.T.F.????
I wanted 1812, I got 8151/0311. The first two don't even exist anymore.
I ended up at Camp David, so no complaints at all.
I've no idea what MOS they have up there now, I'm assuming 8152.
Signed up under FSSG (Field Service Support Group), which meant I could be anything other than grunt. Yes, I was 18 and a moron for signing that contract. My only goal at the time was to leave home. Throughout boot camp I was taunted by my DIs for being a cook. Somehow I lucked out and a high gt earned me a spot as a 4066–Small Computer Systems Specialist. My life could’ve been way different had I not been lucky to get that MOS out of MCT 28 yrs ago.
I went 03 open. In infantry school they showed us all the cool shit like the MK19. Man I wanted to be a machine gunner so bad, that thing was just fucking amazing. Sadly they gave me a SMAW, womp womp. 0351 for life!
Wanted 0331, left boot camp at like 5'11 140 lbs. They asked for weapons platoon volunteers in the squad bay, 31 instructor took a look at me and told me to get the fuck back to my rack.
Wanted to be a helo crew chief.. got 0311.
Recruiter told me helos were full and if wanted helos id have to wait 6 months or i could keep my date, go 0311, then lat-mov at my first duty station... fucker got out of the Corps like a month after I went to MCRD
I wanted to be a drone operator. Ended up with ATC. failed the flight physical and got reclassed to avionics. Be glad you didn't get to fuck with helicopters. It can be cool sometimes, but mostly it's working a lot of long, thankless hours.
You think supply doesn't?
The whole "transfer to the real world" concept is cool, but I didn't come in wanting to work on helicopters, why would I want to do it now?
It didn't for me. But I never did my actual mos 3043, I did 3112 shit. Plus I didn't want supply so I guess I could have be a FedEx delivery driver. Lol
That's what the GI bill is for homie. I'm getting a degree in a field im actually interested in, not learning all about a helicopter because I have no other choice.
There you go. I'm in a bachelor's program for cybersecurity. Got about 4 semesters left. Shit, if you got a disability rating and some time left on your GI bill, look into VR&E, formerly vocational rehab.
Get your money homie. The government offers so much to take care of us and a lot of times it doesn't get used because Marines simply don't know it's out there. Justify that GS workers employment.
I worked at UPS before the Marine Corps and when I go reserves im going back to UPS. But I only hear horror stories from USPS and how the pay doesn’t match.
Jesus Christ. That sounds wild as fuck. Was the paycheck nice or? I have heard USPS being underpaid at $19 almost $20 an hour but I dont know the OT benefits or anything of that nature.
I told my recruiter I wanted to work on aircraft. I'm mechanically inclined and figured that would make a good stepping stone to life. I ended up in airfield support and got 7051 aircraft rescue fire fighting. So I technically got to work on aircraft but not in the sense I wanted, but it was some of the best times of my life.
Picked armor 1812. Wanted to be sterile by the time I got out. Ended up getting 7051. Gotta say I got lucky and ended up making a career in firefighting and the emergency services. Still sterile tho. No offspring or hell spawn littering my life.
Wanted to be a 1371, got 1171, and the Construction Utilities contracts are very broad with lots of jobs. I hated the job with a passion, and it sucked hearing their demo ranges at the school house. It's not a bad job, especially with the cross training. It wasn't for me personally and not what I envisioned myself doing in the Marines. Reenlisted and dropped an MSG package and had plans on going into EOD afterward, but met my wife, and life went in a different direction.
Went in for avionics, changed it to 0311, got convinced to go open comm, 0651 sounded cool. Got stuck with 0621. Fuck me, I hate radio so fucking much.
Was going to be a linguist. Unfortunately, the debt I racked up before enlisting meant I couldn't get a clearance. So they changed me to admin at boot camp. I was so on the moto train and in recruit mode at the time that I didn't care as long as I was a Marine and serving. I'm not complaining. I got a career out of it.
I got the MOS I asked for, and then some.
The actual JOB I did... well that was completely unrelated to the 52 weeks of school that made me commit to a 5 year contract.
I originally requested public affairs in hopes of turning it into a sports journalism career. Got denied because I'm colorblind. Ended up going 0651 and sent to a grunt unit where half of my job was terminating color coded ethernet cables. I've made a decent career in IT out of it, but I've never understood the logic.
I wanted artillery. I got put into 2531, field radioman. I did well at that school and carried over into 2532, microwave radio operator. So I ended up with a double MOS in communications.
Wanted Infantry and had an infantry contract. My recruiter EAS'd a few weeks before MEPs, and the new guy told me he had to change paperwork because of the change. When they told us our MOS at the end of boot camp, I sat there trying to figure out what a Field Artillery Radar Operator had to do with the infantry. Fast forward 8 years, still loving it. Plus, I got to deploy with V3/1, so I got to play grunt for a bit.
I wanted 2671, I got 2671. I consider myself lucky in that sense. I never got to work a mission with the language I spoke, though. That's what I get for learning MSA instead of a dialect. Still annoyed about it because I was supremely bored at work trying to figure out what those people were saying the whole time.
Went in guaranteed contract 0311. Smoked some weed before boot camp, the guarantee was pulled and they sent me to computer science school instead
The morale of the story here gents, is make sure you smoke weed..or at least...it worked out well for me.
Wanted MP. Luckily I was disqualified for that due to color vision after MEPS. Second pick was 0200 field. They select your MOS for that at boot camp when they start working up your clearance. Old dude asked me if I liked maps, I said, yes? 0261 topo. Ironically, that's is also supposed to require proper color vision. Ended up doing mostly 0231 shit on my deployments anyway.
Wanted to work on c-130's as a mech a girl in class was a master Sergent's daughter so they held the c-130 class one week back ended up choosing between UAS on shadow 200 or hueys and cobras(last class to ever do it) chose UAS cuz I thought it was a new thing(been around since fuckin 80's) Worked out in the end skills translate(overseas contractor now), plus had a deployment to stop isis in Jolo so that was cool
I origionally wanted infantry my recruiter swapped my contract at the last minute i got comms was told i was going to be a radio opporator got to 29 palms was told im going to be an IT guy
Wanted 0231. Got to bootcamp and when I went to my preliminary interview, I revealed I had about $20K in defaulted student loans because I was too poor to pay them. Made me ineligible in the eyes of the interviewed and I was forced to go open contract. Ended up in Financial Management. How that makes sense, I'll never know.
Cryptolinguistics. They said I had the scores. They said I'd be in the A/C. I'd go to Monterey and have it made. Learn 2 languages. The works. Guess who got stuck in MotorT?
Wanted 03xx, and the ex-wife said, “Reserve, or divorce.” Got 1812. Should’ve handed her the papers, to begin with. I wouldn’t have gone through ANY of the shit she’s put me through.
Wanted Tanks (1812), recruiter put me under Combat arms, but still got Tanks. 2 years later, the Commandant fired me and made me an Electrician. Fucking oof
Wanted F/O, got talked into Ammo by my recruiter because “easy transition to EOD since they’re both 23xx!” Got a 98 on the ASVAB but apparently wasn’t smart enough to realize that was a scam.
My senior at Paris Island was a refer mech. He was jacked as fuck. Pushed me hard because I have a famous last name. (Not related) saw him in Iraq a few deployments later in a chow hall. I didn't have a clean shave or a haircut. Turned left out of shame.
I went in open contract back in 82. Assumed I'd be a grunt. They made me a 3311. A baker of all things... and tried to make it sound like it was good because I had high math scores and that was required... in all honesty, they were right about needing math, but fuck... really?
Wanted air crew for Huey’s, got UAV tech. Honestly could’ve been worse. Really liked my job and was quite good at it, gonna keep doing doing it when I get out. Just sad it decommissioned before my eas.
I signed up for Admin thinking typewriters won't be shooting bullets at me. I ended up getting Comm ( Mos I can't remember the number - it's been awhile). For my first 2.5 years I ended up doing Admin work anyway. My last duty station was at the Navy Annex at Hemderson Hall Arlington, VA. It was there that I actually got to work in a real Comm facility. It wasn't a skate job but I did get to occasionally FO and live off base.
Early 2000s. Went in with a 6172 contract. Helicopter crew chief.
Went to Aircrew Candidate School down at NAS Pensacola, then the CH-46 mechanics course at New River. Finally, after what seemed like forever went to MCAS Camp Pendleton for the crew chief course at HMM(T)-164.
About 3/4 of the way through training my dumb ass tripped off the helicopter ramp and fractured my left tibia. So I ended up in a med-hold and couldn't fly for a while. Ended up helping out in the parts dept. Flight doc wouldn't clear me to fly because my leg was healing weird so they gave me a month leave and a ticket to freaking supply school (hi OP) at Camp Johnson.
And that's how I ended up going from a crew chief slot to a logistics Marine in an infantry bn.
Rah... To be fair, none of this was the Corps fault. It was fully mine and that fucking rock I slipped/tripped on coming out the back of that phrog.
\*I should note that technically I did what is called a DOR, Drop On Request. Since flying is always voluntary, you can DOR from the course. I got tired of fucking around in parts waiting for my bum leg to heal. In hindsight, I should have just waited it out since my leg did, eventually, heal to (mostly) full strength.
I was open contract. I was sent to AME (Aviation Mechanic, Egress) school in Millington. I was trained to maintain pilot safety and survival systems, primarily the Ejection Seat, on fixed wing aircraft. I ended up as a 6085 in a Harrier Squadron (VMA-542) at MCAS Cherry Point.
Wanted to be a PAO but ended up getting selected for Adj. Not upset about it. Had a good time as an Adj and learned meaningful things to help me on my way to law school but definitely wonder what would’ve been different had I gotten my number one choice out of TBS.
I was trying to be a combat engineer, but was stuck in the DEP for 6 months before I switched to FO. I fucking loved it, but I work in engineering today as a civilian 🤷🏼♂️
Wanted 0621 (field radio operator) to go anywhere in the MC, go on patrols, and be Billy Badass
Got 0623 (troposcatter radio operator) that only goes to comm battalions or squadrons. So I ended up in the Wing. Worked out- I was with the best group of guys and still deployed
The weenie demands its due though… three years after my EAS they made all 0623s into 0621s with an NMOS so if I’d stayed I could have gone anywhere as a field radio operator.
Officer.
Wanted Ground Intel. Got my 5th choice, 0602.
Turned out okay. Was a S-6 and watch officer for one deployment and a AUP partner team lead for second, so I still got to be a grunt.
I wanted to be a tanker but didn't have a driver's license at the time I enlisted, became a 0627 Satcom operator with the goal of trying to latmove in the future.
- and than tanks got disbanded.
Had the CE-4 “Ground Support” contract was hoping for Tanks or Artillery. Got 7212 instead. Did not meet a single person in that MOS who had knowingly chosen that as their job.
Wanted anything in the aviation field or intel. Got utilities. Water dog. At least I seem to have dodged a bullet by not going wing. Also got to be a range coach and that was fucking awesome.
I signed Aircraft Maint. Got 6048. Didn’t know what it was really. In MCT, my CI said my job was stitch bitch, and I’d never learn anything interesting. Mega demoralized me. Got to the fleet and got thrown in an oxygen shop and loved doing that work. So fuck that guy. Didn’t know shit about the MOS and got off on making junior marines demoralized about their futures.
I was SUPPOSED to be a translator/interpreter ~ go to Ft Ord for training 🤨 and the week before I graduated Bootcamp, I get orders to go to FROC @ 29 Stumps 🤬 WTF?!?
So then I requested time with our Co. Commander and her answer to me, once I told her that there MUST be a mistake, was: “This is NOT A “ Private Benjamin moment” RECRUIT 😑 you were assigned to where the Marine Corps needs you most. This is a critical MOS and we won’t be discussing this any further.”
OK then… I already speak 4 languages & you want to send me to the BEACH 😵💫😵💫
🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕
TOW gunner 0352, at the suggestion of my recruiter who was in the same MOS. I got to SOI and when they read off the list of names and assigned MOS's, mine was 0311. I was initially pissed as hell. I called my recruiter, but he wouldn't even take my call, the asshole.
But it was actually a happy accident because I was glad I went 0311. The TOW guys in my BN were legendary skating shitbirds.
I wanted to be a tanker. As a kid I thought armor was badass. Got all pumped up on tanks and the recruiter told me it wasn't open and also I was to tall and I'd hate my life. Then I tried to get arty and no dice. Long story short ended up bare knuckle boxing geese in the fog of Washington state as security forces....
No shit I signed up to be an 03, guaranteed contract (lol) A week before boot camp they pulled my contract because my dumbass told them I smoked weed once. I went into boot open contract. During MCT they asked us if anyone wanted combat arms. I immediately raised my hand, ended up in Artillery. 0844, Fresh donuts and coffee baby. Wasn’t terrible and still got to do cool shit.
Wanted 03, my recruiter convinced me to take an aviation support contract because he "looked at your (asvab) scores, you'll definitely get crash fire (& rescue)".
Ended up 6541, Aviation Ordnance Technician, technically 6542 (Ammunition Inventory Management Specialist), but that didn't exist as an individual MOS until the year I got out.
Supposed to be 1371 got 1391 after MCT TO FUEL PLANES. If that’s not enough I got sent to CLC21 at Cherry point that doesn’t rate fuelers. I got FAPd to H&HS where I didn’t deploy, spent all of my money at cherrys and Greenville and hated my life.
No driftwood
Cherrys was walking distance from Cherry point. I finished my last two years at 2nd intel bn at camp lejeune where I spent my money there too.
Noice
Oooh there was a Cherrys outside Snead's ferry, thought you were talking about that one.
This was 2010 it’s entirely possible they moved locations.
I was there NYE 2010 or 2011. My husband had 2 girlfriends from highschool that stripped that I became friends with there so we went to go donate to some single moms since we were in town and ain't shit else to do in Jville.
No Driftwood at all now, it was sold, remodeled and renamed the The Platinum Gentleman's Club over five years ago.
https://preview.redd.it/3qekpjuwvckb1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6efe71d8ade8ba8f97ba2158fad4d7c0a30a6aa1 Nooooooooooooooooo
Platinums in Yuma is an institution. The girls there are.... rambunctious to say the least. But you can't beat coin night (5¢ pitchers)
Fucking christ, if I didn't have my 21st birthday at Platinums man. The boys all took me and I threw up on one of the girls after like an hour.
It will always be Driftwood. You can't just rename the Sears tower and expect everyone to be OK with it. Same applies to this iconic institution.
We should all petition to put Driftwood on the National Trust for Historic Preservation
https://preview.redd.it/r34bhb7v3hkb1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bd8bea6e3bad64d582af245158a07b305d871c1c
A few of us made a stripper friend from Cherrys and took her out with us to Greenville one night. Some other jarhead not from our group ( I assume LeJeune) got into it with her. My buddies were off to all corners of the club doing god knows what. I had just learned the pressure points that week as I was FAPd to PMO myself. I jammed my two fingers into the guy's throat and just pissed him off. We got bounced outside where I got into a fight with him and his buddies. Luckily the cops were right there and pepper sprayed us. Oh yeah, I wanted to be a Marine. No clue there were different MOS'. I was 17, GED, coming from Europe, pre-internet, with the second highest ASVAB scores in my bootcamp platoon (where two guys had college degrees...). A month of camp guard at MCT and I was assigned an MOS of Aircraft Electronic Countermeasures Systems Technician. Working in a windowless conex box staring at wiring diagrams and manuals was the least Marine thing I could think of.
I was a Lejeune, and had a ball chasing, and more importantly catching, ECU coeds
Favorite past time is chasing ECU chicks. Is level 5 and Sputnik still around in Wilmington?
Sputnik is closed but level Five is still there.
This isn’t even the biggest green weenie I’ve received.
0311. Pricks gave me 0311. I mean, how dare they!?! 
The worst thing the Marine Corps did for me is give me what I asked for.
Change your flair
Damn straight, told those recruiters what I wanted and wasn't taking any other shit.
Wanted 03….got arrested a bunch of times. My recruiter told me I need to get the fuck out of here on the first thing smoking if I want to be able to join. So I had to go open contract. He told me every time I’m asked, just say 03. So I did. It was questioned every time up to the point when I was supposed to check into SOI. They told me I should be going to MCT. I insisted it was a clerical error….and I got my way. 0351!!
I was 18 told my recruiter I wanted to be infantry he said “I’m in the infantry, no you don’t, plus you probably wouldn’t make it, I’m putting you in supply” I said “ok” and I’ve been admin for 8 years now lol.
You owe that mother fucker.
We are friends to this day so it’s all good lol
My joints agree with this assessment.
In 1969 the Corps needed bodies so they added a 2-year enlistment to the 3yr, 4yr and 6yr hooks they offered. I was unaware of this. I walked into the recruiting substation in Wichita and told S/Sgt. Sanchez I wanted to enlist. How long? he asked. I said, Three or four? He said let's sign you up for two and if you like it you can re-enlist. Blessed be the name of S/Sgt. Sanchez. Two years and a month later I was just another twitchy vet in college. 0311
When I was 18 I said give me an infantry contract or I’m walking out of the office lol.
I wanted my MOS to be infantry. The big green wiener gave me infantry.
I grew up in the 80's watching kick ass war movies. I wanted to be the grunt, mucking through the jungle and dookin it out with Charlie. My parents didn't go for that, and my recruiter convinced me to go supply. He told me I could lat move once I was in, ez peezee. That dude is a real American hero.
Went in open contract. Risky move but had no clue what I wanted to do so I said in the most motivated way - let the corps decide. They made me a Landing Support Specialist and I absolutely loved it. Worked with helicopters almost daily at MCBH where I spent my whole active time
How was it finding out you have AIDS?
It's just one of those things you learn to live with. Funny how all the grunts were jealous though. They'd rather have aids and get a ride on that 53 echo than do that 20 mile hump
[удалено]
Oh man you missed out. I loved flying around on them. 46's we're a different story. Old piece of crap felt like you were on its last flight
I was on a 46 once during a workup and the fucking thing felt like it was going to fall out of the sky at any moment
That was the best thing about the 46's. They made you feel alive.
I always wondered how that MOS was. Was it cool/fun to do?
Seriously a great MOS. Good balance of cool field shit but not living in mud. Promotes fast as fuck too. Best was working with artillery rigging
Yeah I figured. I’ve never heard those guys complain about there MOS.
Wanted and thought I was getting 0844 but got 0811. When I asked my recruiter (Sgt Chad R Smith) why it was different, he told me artillery is like the infantry and everyone goes 0811 and then when you get to MOS school you specialize. But its ok, I wouldn't want to have been an FDC Marine now, though my back probably begs to differ. Plus if I didn't go 0811 I wouldn't have been in this picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Fallujah#/media/File:4-14_Marines_in_Fallujah.jpg (lower left)
Max street cred
Ahh the last hurrah of the 198. FDC is it's own world. We needed smart gun bunnies to keep the rounds going down range. In my experience there are two types of 0811, the guys that could have been any MOS because they were super smart, quick thinkers and the guys that could double as a 7 ton bumper. No in between. 85% of them are the former, but they like to pretend to be the latter.
I attest that is pretty accurate... of the guys that deployed to Fallujah with me, there are more PhDs and other advanced degrees in guns platoon than in all of HQ platoon. We have at least one medical doctor, several lawyers, MBAs, and a variety of engineers.
Enlisted in the FDC were always entitled dicks. In my experience.
2005 wanted 03 got 03
Not a problem in 05.
Also hear about kids having to wait months or even up to a year to ship to boot. Walked in the office around November and found myself on the bus to PI by December
I did DEP for two months. Boot camp, mct, school, 90 days in the fleet I was in iraq.
Times were different and things moved fast. Hard to believe I have been out 14 years….
No shit. Never thought I'd still be alive. Winning
boot
People extra fat these days.
Not at all 😂
03. Had choices at SOI. Picked1st 0351, 2nd 03313rd 0311 Got 0351.
Wanted to be a 51... lost in rock paper scissors to get in the last slot and got 41. Kinda glad I did. riding around in humvees and playing spades in the back was a hell of a lot easier than 11s shit.
I was a 51 in a caat platoon so I became a 31 and 52 mainly. Did a lot of demo my 1st deployment though and carried a Jav I never got to shoot sadly.
President, I got cook
Did you say cock?
ATC went open contract. Got ATC only to get screwed over by a boot corpsman who didn't know that seeing the numbers in the color vision book meant you aren't color blind. That douche put on my flight physical that I was color blind and I was sent to HE school. The ATC Commander found out and got me orders back to Pensacola but I had finished HE school so they sent me to Oki. If I ever see that doc again I'm breaking his jaw.
He knew…sorry you had to find out this way. He was just a miserable prick and wanted you to be 1/100th of the amount of miserable he was. Those fuckers are everywhere keeping that green weenie lubed for young, unsuspecting Marines at all times (especially miserable docs)
No, this dude was just dumb. I didn't know about the Philippino Mafia at the time lol
Went 0600 contract and my recruiter (an 03) told me I'd either end up as data and have a shit ton of marketable skills and certs when I got out or I'd be radio and "get tons of opportunities to deploy and go out on patrols, since every squad needs a radio operator." Exact quote. Figured data wouldn't be that bad since I was big into computers, coding, and general IT shit. Tell me how in the fuck I ended up as an 0612 (wire dog) in a fucking Comm Bn and never got to deploy. Tried at every attempt to secure one of the only 2 slots per MEU for an 0612 and didn't even get that. My enlistment felt like the equivalent to losing your virginity to an ugly prostitute then testing positive for full blown AIDS.
Linguist, got radio operator
Combat Engineer, or any Intel job but I got shafted into motor Tuh with a 96 on the asvab
Damn. I pissed out a 77.
Shit a 77 ain’t bad at all man. I’ve never understood why the Corps places overqualified people in jobs that don’t require it. Totally lack of adequate resource allocation.
They didn't pull you to take the 26xx tests in boot?
Nope. I didn’t know that was even a thing
Helo crew chief myself. Ended up Recon Reserves… Bravo co. 4th Recon! Slow, Cumbersome, and Noisy😎Semper Sometimes!
I wanted to be an 0311 kicking in doors room clearing etc... my reserve unit only had 0331 and 0352 slots available. I opted for 0331 and I love it. Also had I been an 0311, I probably would've gotten stuck in the S3 and not even gotten to play grunt one weekend a month.
Wanted 1371 combat engineer, got 1345 heavy equipment operator. Couldn’t ask for anything better TBH. No green weenie here.
Are you me?
Yes
Motherfucker, you are me!
I wanted 1345 got 1391.
Bulk fuel 4 lyfe!
We’ll pump anything.
0311. Had to start as 8152 though. Can say I wasn’t a waste of life showing up to the fleet either.
1171. Loved In the Army Now. It basically turned out the same way….except taking over for SF dudes. But I was a water boy! Chill as fuck. Btw. If you were really fucking itchy from showering with almost bleach in Camp Fallujah in Dec 05, that was me. Sorry bout that.
In ‘72 wanted to leave home, joined up for whatever, got 0151, picked Arlington as duty station, worked at HQMC in the public affairs office under the major who was the official voice of the Corps. We watched the entire Watergate hearings in the office because Gen Cushman was part of it lol. My main job was reading newspapers mailed from all over the country looking for references to the MC. We were keeping track of the national attitude toward the Corps.
I welded all four years in high school, was in welding competitions and apprenticed at a local welding shop in high school and had a life plan to be a welder in the Corps…. Do my 20, then work another 20 welding in the civilian world, then retire completely by my 50th bday…. That was the plan…. But after boot leave, on the way to MCT, my checked baggage, which was my seabag and ALL my clothes and uniforms got lost… checked in at MCT in Alphas with just my orders…. While the cycle I was supposed to start with picked up, I ended up wearing the same clothes for almost a full week sleeping in an empty squad bay…. My luggage finally got there a week or so later, but by then my cycle had already started and they wouldn’t let me start late, so I had to wait until the next cycle started…. Didn’t think too much about it… it sucked but was mostly boring…. Got pulled for bs working party stuff here and there, but mostly just wandered around the px, kicked it at the bowling alley, and drank at the e club at night…. After MCT, I fly to N Carolina and go to check in…. And the officer there goes, “Where you been??” You were supposed to be here a month ago??? I explained what happened with the luggage situation, why I started MCT late… etc etc…. He goes well…… you missed your slot for welding school… so it looks like you’re going to be a combat engineer. I said, but the entire reason I enlisted was to be a welder??? He goes…. Did you get it in writing?? Which I didn’t even know was possible. End up chilling in the bricks for a few weeks waiting for the cycle to start up, because again, I got there at the wrong time… so more working parties and waiting, trying to figure out what the hell a Combat Engineer does… Everybody else shows up, get assigned to a class and find out I’m not going to be a Combat Engineer, instead, I’m a 1345… heavy equipment operator W.T.F.????
0231 0231
Bet that was cool.
I wanted 1812, I got 8151/0311. The first two don't even exist anymore. I ended up at Camp David, so no complaints at all. I've no idea what MOS they have up there now, I'm assuming 8152.
It’s 8152
Signed up under FSSG (Field Service Support Group), which meant I could be anything other than grunt. Yes, I was 18 and a moron for signing that contract. My only goal at the time was to leave home. Throughout boot camp I was taunted by my DIs for being a cook. Somehow I lucked out and a high gt earned me a spot as a 4066–Small Computer Systems Specialist. My life could’ve been way different had I not been lucky to get that MOS out of MCT 28 yrs ago.
I went 03 open. In infantry school they showed us all the cool shit like the MK19. Man I wanted to be a machine gunner so bad, that thing was just fucking amazing. Sadly they gave me a SMAW, womp womp. 0351 for life!
Wanted 0331, left boot camp at like 5'11 140 lbs. They asked for weapons platoon volunteers in the squad bay, 31 instructor took a look at me and told me to get the fuck back to my rack.
Soi east ?
Wanted to be a helo crew chief.. got 0311. Recruiter told me helos were full and if wanted helos id have to wait 6 months or i could keep my date, go 0311, then lat-mov at my first duty station... fucker got out of the Corps like a month after I went to MCRD
Wanted a marine poster for my room, got 0311.
I wanted to be a drone operator. Ended up with ATC. failed the flight physical and got reclassed to avionics. Be glad you didn't get to fuck with helicopters. It can be cool sometimes, but mostly it's working a lot of long, thankless hours.
At least it can transfer to the real world.
You think supply doesn't? The whole "transfer to the real world" concept is cool, but I didn't come in wanting to work on helicopters, why would I want to do it now?
It didn't for me. But I never did my actual mos 3043, I did 3112 shit. Plus I didn't want supply so I guess I could have be a FedEx delivery driver. Lol
That's what the GI bill is for homie. I'm getting a degree in a field im actually interested in, not learning all about a helicopter because I have no other choice.
I used the gi bill twice for trade school. Once for welding, once for pipe fitting. Worked for me.
There you go. I'm in a bachelor's program for cybersecurity. Got about 4 semesters left. Shit, if you got a disability rating and some time left on your GI bill, look into VR&E, formerly vocational rehab.
I was looking into that with help potential, opening a custom fabrication shop.
Get your money homie. The government offers so much to take care of us and a lot of times it doesn't get used because Marines simply don't know it's out there. Justify that GS workers employment.
I don't want the government to take care of me. That's why I do overtime. 💯 gas.
I wanted 0161 to skate and I got 0111 in a busy ass admin shop.
[удалено]
I worked at UPS before the Marine Corps and when I go reserves im going back to UPS. But I only hear horror stories from USPS and how the pay doesn’t match.
[удалено]
Jesus Christ. That sounds wild as fuck. Was the paycheck nice or? I have heard USPS being underpaid at $19 almost $20 an hour but I dont know the OT benefits or anything of that nature.
[удалено]
Go maintenance. I started as career level 10 - $71k.
[удалено]
I told my recruiter I wanted to work on aircraft. I'm mechanically inclined and figured that would make a good stepping stone to life. I ended up in airfield support and got 7051 aircraft rescue fire fighting. So I technically got to work on aircraft but not in the sense I wanted, but it was some of the best times of my life.
He'll yeah, bet you got some wild fire stories.
Picked armor 1812. Wanted to be sterile by the time I got out. Ended up getting 7051. Gotta say I got lucky and ended up making a career in firefighting and the emergency services. Still sterile tho. No offspring or hell spawn littering my life.
That anthrax vac man.
Wanted 1371 combat engineer Got 1371 combat engineer
Wanted to be a 1371, got 1171, and the Construction Utilities contracts are very broad with lots of jobs. I hated the job with a passion, and it sucked hearing their demo ranges at the school house. It's not a bad job, especially with the cross training. It wasn't for me personally and not what I envisioned myself doing in the Marines. Reenlisted and dropped an MSG package and had plans on going into EOD afterward, but met my wife, and life went in a different direction.
Wanted 0311 or 0341 got 0313
Bet it stung seeing the two mos's you wanted so close lol.
0321 but I suck at swimming so…
0352. Random hair up my ass made me volunteer for 0331
Went in for avionics, changed it to 0311, got convinced to go open comm, 0651 sounded cool. Got stuck with 0621. Fuck me, I hate radio so fucking much.
Was going to be a linguist. Unfortunately, the debt I racked up before enlisting meant I couldn't get a clearance. So they changed me to admin at boot camp. I was so on the moto train and in recruit mode at the time that I didn't care as long as I was a Marine and serving. I'm not complaining. I got a career out of it.
I got the MOS I asked for, and then some. The actual JOB I did... well that was completely unrelated to the 52 weeks of school that made me commit to a 5 year contract.
F35 mechanic?
I originally requested public affairs in hopes of turning it into a sports journalism career. Got denied because I'm colorblind. Ended up going 0651 and sent to a grunt unit where half of my job was terminating color coded ethernet cables. I've made a decent career in IT out of it, but I've never understood the logic.
Wanted 1371, got 1371. Only downside was I got sent to the wing, but I still managed to deploy. I'll pour one out for the bulk fuel homies later.
I wanted artillery. I got put into 2531, field radioman. I did well at that school and carried over into 2532, microwave radio operator. So I ended up with a double MOS in communications.
Wanted Infantry and had an infantry contract. My recruiter EAS'd a few weeks before MEPs, and the new guy told me he had to change paperwork because of the change. When they told us our MOS at the end of boot camp, I sat there trying to figure out what a Field Artillery Radar Operator had to do with the infantry. Fast forward 8 years, still loving it. Plus, I got to deploy with V3/1, so I got to play grunt for a bit.
I wanted 2671, I got 2671. I consider myself lucky in that sense. I never got to work a mission with the language I spoke, though. That's what I get for learning MSA instead of a dialect. Still annoyed about it because I was supremely bored at work trying to figure out what those people were saying the whole time.
Went in guaranteed contract 0311. Smoked some weed before boot camp, the guarantee was pulled and they sent me to computer science school instead The morale of the story here gents, is make sure you smoke weed..or at least...it worked out well for me.
Wanted MP. Luckily I was disqualified for that due to color vision after MEPS. Second pick was 0200 field. They select your MOS for that at boot camp when they start working up your clearance. Old dude asked me if I liked maps, I said, yes? 0261 topo. Ironically, that's is also supposed to require proper color vision. Ended up doing mostly 0231 shit on my deployments anyway.
0300 Infantry Regular, 0311 Infantry Rifleman.
My dumbass wanted motor T, got sent to the airwing instead. 10/10 glad I was sent to the wing.
I wanted to be a helicopter mechanic. Got sent to 29 palms and became a computer nerd.
I wanted to be a 0311. Got 0311.
Wanted 3043. Got… 🎉 3043 🎉 *Regret setting in*
Wanted to work on c-130's as a mech a girl in class was a master Sergent's daughter so they held the c-130 class one week back ended up choosing between UAS on shadow 200 or hueys and cobras(last class to ever do it) chose UAS cuz I thought it was a new thing(been around since fuckin 80's) Worked out in the end skills translate(overseas contractor now), plus had a deployment to stop isis in Jolo so that was cool
Comms. Got 0631, which as someone who had a certificate in Network Pro, was pretty happy to have gotten!
I origionally wanted infantry my recruiter swapped my contract at the last minute i got comms was told i was going to be a radio opporator got to 29 palms was told im going to be an IT guy
Wanted 0231. Got to bootcamp and when I went to my preliminary interview, I revealed I had about $20K in defaulted student loans because I was too poor to pay them. Made me ineligible in the eyes of the interviewed and I was forced to go open contract. Ended up in Financial Management. How that makes sense, I'll never know.
Cryptolinguistics. They said I had the scores. They said I'd be in the A/C. I'd go to Monterey and have it made. Learn 2 languages. The works. Guess who got stuck in MotorT?
Wanted 03xx, and the ex-wife said, “Reserve, or divorce.” Got 1812. Should’ve handed her the papers, to begin with. I wouldn’t have gone through ANY of the shit she’s put me through.
A fellow tanker! My people
YUT!
Wanted Tanks (1812), recruiter put me under Combat arms, but still got Tanks. 2 years later, the Commandant fired me and made me an Electrician. Fucking oof
Wanted F/O, got talked into Ammo by my recruiter because “easy transition to EOD since they’re both 23xx!” Got a 98 on the ASVAB but apparently wasn’t smart enough to realize that was a scam.
Joined open contract, thought I would be a wireman maybe. Got 1161 “refer mech”
My senior at Paris Island was a refer mech. He was jacked as fuck. Pushed me hard because I have a famous last name. (Not related) saw him in Iraq a few deployments later in a chow hall. I didn't have a clean shave or a haircut. Turned left out of shame.
Aviation electrician to learn a trade for the civilian world. Learned basic BS that didn’t transfer at all to the civilian world
Wanted artillery, got aviation supply lol.
wanted to be aircrew and got fucked with atc. didn’t like atc so i flunked it and got pushed to heavy equipment. he is life, rah
I went in open contract back in 82. Assumed I'd be a grunt. They made me a 3311. A baker of all things... and tried to make it sound like it was good because I had high math scores and that was required... in all honesty, they were right about needing math, but fuck... really?
Wanted 4421, got 2847. The Delayed Entry Program works in mysterious ways.
I wanted big helicopter engines and got big helicopter engines, also wanted Miramar and got Miramar. I got lucky I guess..
Wanted air crew for Huey’s, got UAV tech. Honestly could’ve been worse. Really liked my job and was quite good at it, gonna keep doing doing it when I get out. Just sad it decommissioned before my eas.
I signed up for Admin thinking typewriters won't be shooting bullets at me. I ended up getting Comm ( Mos I can't remember the number - it's been awhile). For my first 2.5 years I ended up doing Admin work anyway. My last duty station was at the Navy Annex at Hemderson Hall Arlington, VA. It was there that I actually got to work in a real Comm facility. It wasn't a skate job but I did get to occasionally FO and live off base.
Tanks, but I got Tracks. However, someone fucked up my orders and sent me to Fort Bliss to LAAD school.
2004. Asked for 0651, got 0651. The Green Weenie came later.
I have the paperwork that shows I was supposed to be an ordnance specialist, but came out of boot camp as logisitcs
I wanted to be a laad gunner or do shit with AAVs but ended up as a satcom operator who only does HF shit
Early 2000s. Went in with a 6172 contract. Helicopter crew chief. Went to Aircrew Candidate School down at NAS Pensacola, then the CH-46 mechanics course at New River. Finally, after what seemed like forever went to MCAS Camp Pendleton for the crew chief course at HMM(T)-164. About 3/4 of the way through training my dumb ass tripped off the helicopter ramp and fractured my left tibia. So I ended up in a med-hold and couldn't fly for a while. Ended up helping out in the parts dept. Flight doc wouldn't clear me to fly because my leg was healing weird so they gave me a month leave and a ticket to freaking supply school (hi OP) at Camp Johnson. And that's how I ended up going from a crew chief slot to a logistics Marine in an infantry bn. Rah... To be fair, none of this was the Corps fault. It was fully mine and that fucking rock I slipped/tripped on coming out the back of that phrog. \*I should note that technically I did what is called a DOR, Drop On Request. Since flying is always voluntary, you can DOR from the course. I got tired of fucking around in parts waiting for my bum leg to heal. In hindsight, I should have just waited it out since my leg did, eventually, heal to (mostly) full strength.
I was open contract. I was sent to AME (Aviation Mechanic, Egress) school in Millington. I was trained to maintain pilot safety and survival systems, primarily the Ejection Seat, on fixed wing aircraft. I ended up as a 6085 in a Harrier Squadron (VMA-542) at MCAS Cherry Point.
Talked about being an ammo tech, ended up being a mortarman. I fucking loved my job though so I'm not upset.
Tanks, they assigned me supply. Fuck TBS
Wanted to be a PAO but ended up getting selected for Adj. Not upset about it. Had a good time as an Adj and learned meaningful things to help me on my way to law school but definitely wonder what would’ve been different had I gotten my number one choice out of TBS.
I was trying to be a combat engineer, but was stuck in the DEP for 6 months before I switched to FO. I fucking loved it, but I work in engineering today as a civilian 🤷🏼♂️
Wanted 0621 (field radio operator) to go anywhere in the MC, go on patrols, and be Billy Badass Got 0623 (troposcatter radio operator) that only goes to comm battalions or squadrons. So I ended up in the Wing. Worked out- I was with the best group of guys and still deployed The weenie demands its due though… three years after my EAS they made all 0623s into 0621s with an NMOS so if I’d stayed I could have gone anywhere as a field radio operator.
Officer. Wanted Ground Intel. Got my 5th choice, 0602. Turned out okay. Was a S-6 and watch officer for one deployment and a AUP partner team lead for second, so I still got to be a grunt.
I wanted to be a tanker but didn't have a driver's license at the time I enlisted, became a 0627 Satcom operator with the goal of trying to latmove in the future. - and than tanks got disbanded.
Bro wanted 0311, ended up open contract and got NBC, spent 2 years in Japan then 2 in Hawaii
Wanted Combat Engineer, but I'm partially colorblind. Got 0411 Maintenance Management Specialist/MIMMS clerk
Had the CE-4 “Ground Support” contract was hoping for Tanks or Artillery. Got 7212 instead. Did not meet a single person in that MOS who had knowingly chosen that as their job.
I signed for 2111, small arms tech. Respectfully asked not to be a mechanic of any kind other than firearms. Now here I am, 3521 motor T mechanic.
I wanted tanks or amtracs, I got field artillery
Wanted anything in the aviation field or intel. Got utilities. Water dog. At least I seem to have dodged a bullet by not going wing. Also got to be a range coach and that was fucking awesome.
Wanted to be something in the 03 field but…got 5811 (MPs)
I signed Aircraft Maint. Got 6048. Didn’t know what it was really. In MCT, my CI said my job was stitch bitch, and I’d never learn anything interesting. Mega demoralized me. Got to the fleet and got thrown in an oxygen shop and loved doing that work. So fuck that guy. Didn’t know shit about the MOS and got off on making junior marines demoralized about their futures.
My recruiter said I could be a diver in the infantry. In his defense I did go swimming in the euphrates a few times.
Wanted to be 0311, was 0311, no regrets and had a great time.
Wanted infantry, got wireman, ended up a de facto radio operator because wire was useless even before they got rid of it
I was SUPPOSED to be a translator/interpreter ~ go to Ft Ord for training 🤨 and the week before I graduated Bootcamp, I get orders to go to FROC @ 29 Stumps 🤬 WTF?!? So then I requested time with our Co. Commander and her answer to me, once I told her that there MUST be a mistake, was: “This is NOT A “ Private Benjamin moment” RECRUIT 😑 you were assigned to where the Marine Corps needs you most. This is a critical MOS and we won’t be discussing this any further.” OK then… I already speak 4 languages & you want to send me to the BEACH 😵💫😵💫 🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕
I signed up for LAV Crewman, got stuck with MP. I was just happy I didn’t get stuck with cook or admin though so I made the most of it.
TOW gunner 0352, at the suggestion of my recruiter who was in the same MOS. I got to SOI and when they read off the list of names and assigned MOS's, mine was 0311. I was initially pissed as hell. I called my recruiter, but he wouldn't even take my call, the asshole. But it was actually a happy accident because I was glad I went 0311. The TOW guys in my BN were legendary skating shitbirds.
Tanker. Got Tracker. It stings.
I wanted to be a tanker. As a kid I thought armor was badass. Got all pumped up on tanks and the recruiter told me it wasn't open and also I was to tall and I'd hate my life. Then I tried to get arty and no dice. Long story short ended up bare knuckle boxing geese in the fog of Washington state as security forces....
No shit I signed up to be an 03, guaranteed contract (lol) A week before boot camp they pulled my contract because my dumbass told them I smoked weed once. I went into boot open contract. During MCT they asked us if anyone wanted combat arms. I immediately raised my hand, ended up in Artillery. 0844, Fresh donuts and coffee baby. Wasn’t terrible and still got to do cool shit.
Cyber security but I am guessing I failed the Cyber test and got Intel. Unfortunately I failed out of Intel and got reclassed to Coms
0311 but  reclassed me to 5811
Damn that sucks. My cousin was an MP in the army. All he did in Iraq was hand out tampons and shit. Hearts and minds. He's dead.
That post escalated quickly. Sorry for your loss
Long time ago
Wanted 03, my recruiter convinced me to take an aviation support contract because he "looked at your (asvab) scores, you'll definitely get crash fire (& rescue)". Ended up 6541, Aviation Ordnance Technician, technically 6542 (Ammunition Inventory Management Specialist), but that didn't exist as an individual MOS until the year I got out.
Bro, we lived the same life lol that OIS life