Ask U.S Marines Part 2 (SERIOUS Questions)

[lunchbox12]

taking the ASTB tm

tips? suggestions?

I've looked at some practice test but other than that, I havent really studied. It's sort of like the ACT/SAT from what I gather, but with some aviation knowledge as well.

[FrostyMarine]

taking the ASTB tm

tips? suggestions?

I've looked at some practice test but other than that, I havent really studied. It's sort of like the ACT/SAT from what I gather, but with some aviation knowledge as well.

you mean asvab?

[FrostyMarine]

hey i wanted to know if i could specifically get MOS 1371

the requiter wants me to sign under a 1300 blanket contract

requiter?


why dont you ask him?

[FrostyMarine]

Oh sht. I guess I just liked the idea of living in Japan. I take it they're more strict over there?

it was when a young girl got raped by a marine over there, i think its better now, but for a while, it sucked for dem.

[lunchbox12]

you mean asvab?

no, ASTB. To get an air contract for OCS

[tyler1775]

requiter?


why dont you ask him?

haha auto correct on my phone...

i did he said he cannot im going to talk to someone higher up.

[Acevedo85]

How do you guys handl being away from family?

how do you handle the bull**** with politics?

[fevr]

no, ASTB. To get an air contract for OCS

It's really basic. Some physics 101 stuff, basic aeronautical/maritime knowledge, a section where there is a shoreline and you are given a view from the cockpit and have to determine what attitude and direction the airplane is in (might be the other way around), stuff like that.

There are study guides you can get. This is the one I used

http://www.amazon.com/Military-Fligh...7485887&sr=8-4

The Amazon price seems way high, FYI.

[Hatebreed13]

How do you guys handl being away from family?

how do you handle the bull**** with politics?

As for politics, most people will put up with it and pretty much play politics to their advantage. You really need to choose your battles; you can't try winning every single one. You will basically have to learn to play politics regardless, otherwise life will be very hard for you.

[strongbrah]

What are the best/worse bases?

How is Japan?

[Khronos]

Oh sht. I guess I just liked the idea of living in Japan. I take it they're more strict over there?

Yes, very strict. It get's worse all the time.

it was when a young girl got raped by a marine over there, i think its better now, but for a while, it sucked for dem.

Uh, check yourself. The place was on lockdown a couple times in the past decade and currently all E3 and below have a midnight curfew. There are still protests on a weekly basis, and no one in their right mind would want to go there anything less then E4 (even then you have lots of liberty restrictions-3am curfew). When I left in August it was getting more restrictive, and it will never get less restrictive with the weekly drunk driving/police assault cases. Marines/Sailors/Airmen do dumb stuff everyday there, you only hear about the really bad ones in the news.

You also cannot drive or own a vehicle until you hit E4. Even then a lot of units aren't issuing the permit to let E4s and E5s drive because they don't want to be the next unit with a screw up. When I was headed out they just made it a requirement that any special liberty requests had to be signed by the Group Commander - a Colonel. How many requests do you actually think he saw? lol

Okinawa is a hellhole and it ruined a year of my life. (yes mad)

[Explateev]

Question for all 0300's or those with knowledge of the question, is there a future in going infantry? Have any of you progressed through ranks and stayed in for longer then 10 years? How secure are you financially?

[Deadbob]

Question for all 0300's or those with knowledge of the question, is there a future in going infantry? Have any of you progressed through ranks and stayed in for longer then 10 years? How secure are you financially?

Grunts get payed the same amount as every other Marine.

Any Military member (regardless of rank or time in service) can be financially secure or drowning in debt. It all depends on how smart they were with their money.

[SevereMedicalCondition]

hey i wanted to know if i could specifically get MOS 1371

the requiter wants me to sign under a 1300 blanket contract

I am in the same situation. From what I gathered from my recruiter there is no guarantee. For 1371 you have to pass a swim qual in boot and I think it is the only job in that field that requires one so my hope is that by passing that my chances will go up. That is the best news he has given me on this subject.

[Deadbob]

I am in the same situation. From what I gathered from my recruiter there is no guarantee. For 1371 you have to pass a swim qual in boot and I think it is the only job in that field that requires one so my hope is that by passing that my chances will go up. That is the best news he has given me on this subject.

There are different levels of Swim qual. EVERY Marine / Recruit has to pass CWS 3. Some MOS's require CWS1 or a WSQ level. If a MOS requires a certain swim qual, you'll requal at that MOS school regardless of what you did at Boot.

If you are unable to meet the swim qual requirements for that MOS while at school, you'll be dropped from the school, and will be at the mercy of the Corps needs for what school you are sent to.

[Explateev]

Grunts get payed the same amount as every other Marine.

Any Military member (regardless of rank or time in service) can be financially secure or drowning in debt. It all depends on how smart they were with their money.

So a bulk fuel specialist, EOD technician, and a riflemen all receive the same pay and benefits if they are all the same ranking?



EDIT:
Also, is 0300 typically only a short term job? Do people stay in 0300 for longer then 10 years or does their ranking plateau and they have to re-enlist under something less grunty (lol).

[Deadbob]

So a bulk fuel specialist, EOD technician, and a riflemen all receive the same pay and benefits if they are all the same ranking?

If they all 3 people are the same rank with the same amount of Time is Service, then yes, their base pay, allotments and allowances are the same.

EOD would make a tad more due to HDIP Incentive.

When deployed to a war zone, they would all get the same incentive / bonus pay

I was a Bulk Fueler because that's what the reserve unit here in Phoenix is. In '03 I was deployed to Iraq for 6 months. While there I got
Base pay
Housing allowance (because I was leasing an apartment at the time)
Family Separation Allowance
1 Clothing allowance
Imminent danger pay
Tax Free Zone

Yes, I still have those LES's (pay stub).There in a scrap book my mom made. No I'm not going to scan them because of some of the sensitive information on them.

Also, is 0300 typically only a short term job? Do people stay in 0300 for longer then 10 years or does their ranking plateau and they have to re-enlist under something less grunty (lol).

Depends on the person. Some stay 20+ years. Some can't stand the life and lat move to a different MOS after a few years. Others get out because they get tired of baby sitting grown men (EPC, 2 retired Marines I know IRL). A few get out because their body physically cannot handle the demands. And yes, there are people that are forced out because they get passed over for promotion too many times (happened to a Vietnam pilot I work with). All that happens in EVERY "job" the Marine Corps has

[nutsy54]

So a bulk fuel specialist, EOD technician, and a riflemen all receive the same pay and benefits if they are all the same ranking?

Military pay is based on rank and years-in-service. Same pay no matter what your job, or what branch of the military you're in.

As Bob noted, a few jobs have extra incentive pays (such as EOD, flight crew, etc). Combat Zones have a flat-rate extra per month, paid to everyone in that zone. Sea & Submarine pays are based on rank & years of service. Plus others.

Don't plan your career on small pay differences. Pick the career path you want to do, and will enjoy.

[Explateev]

If they all 3 people are the same rank with the same amount of Time is Service, then yes, their base pay, allotments and allowances are the same.

EOD would make a tad more due to HDIP Incentive.

When deployed to a war zone, they would all get the same incentive / bonus pay

I was a Bulk Fueler because that's what the reserve unit here in Phoenix is. In '03 I was deployed to Iraq for 6 months. While there I got
Base pay
Housing allowance (because I was leasing an apartment at the time)
Family Separation Allowance
1 Clothing allowance
Imminent danger pay
Tax Free Zone

Yes, I still have those LES's (pay stub).There in a scrap book my mom made. No I'm not going to scan them because of some of the sensitive information on them.



Depends on the person. Some stay 20+ years. Some can't stand the life and lat move to a different MOS after a few years. Others get out because they get tired of baby sitting grown men (EPC, 2 retired Marines I know IRL). A few get out because their body physically cannot handle the demands. And yes, there are people that are forced out because they get passed over for promotion too many times (happened to a Vietnam pilot I work with). All that happens in EVERY "job" the Marine Corps has

thanks for the straight ance, what is HDIP by the way?

Military pay is based on rank and years-in-service. Same pay no matter what your job, or what branch of the military you're in.

As Bob noted, a few jobs have extra incentive pays (such as EOD, flight crew, etc). Combat Zones have a flat-rate extra per month, paid to everyone in that zone. Sea & Submarine pays are based on rank & years of service. Plus others.

Don't plan your career on small pay differences. Pick the career path you want to do, and will enjoy.

thanks for the tip, I had planned going 1300 but with the knowledge I have now of randomly assigned MOS's I'm going 0300 because the majority of jobs Interest me.

[nutsy54]

thanks for the straight ance, what is HDIP by the way?

Hazardous Duty Incentive Pay

[Ejjw18]

hey i wanted to know if i could specifically get MOS 1371

the requiter wants me to sign under a 1300 blanket contract

I'm pretty sure that unless you're a reservist you don't get to pick your MOS. If you enlist, you get to pick your field, but not specific MOS. So I mean, let's say I wanted 03, if im enlisted I can't be like "hey let me get 0311" I would just be 03xx. Don't take this as 100% fact, but this is what I've been told.

[Hatebreed13]

Question for all 0300's or those with knowledge of the question, is there a future in going infantry? Have any of you progressed through ranks and stayed in for longer then 10 years? How secure are you financially?

A lot of people move to a different MOS because Infantry simply doesn't promote as fast as other fields might.

And...I think a lot of people may realize that unless they plan on doing 20 years in Infantry and are still physically capable of doing the job as a contractor (which very few after 20 years can) that they should move into a field with a better career opportunity.

Like people say, everyone gets paid the same. You can get out after 4-5 years with $40,000-$120,000 saved up...or get out in $5000-50,000 of debt or more...all depends on you.

[ICurlLOL]

Hey Marines. Any tips on pull-ups? What's your hand placement, how far apart, routine you use, stuff like that. I'm at 16 and need to get that 20.

[nutsy54]

Hey Marines. Any tips on pull-ups? What's your hand placement, how far apart, routine you use, stuff like that. I'm at 16 and need to get that 20.

Alternate your training with chinups and pullups... Then use your best one for the test

[Hatebreed13]

Alternate your training with chinups and pullups... Then use your best one for the test

gah, really? That program? hahahah

I've yet to meet a SNCO or Officer that advocates that program or any "pullup" program that can do more than 30 pullups.

[nutsy54]

gah, really? That program? hahahah

I've yet to meet a SNCO or Officer that advocates that program or any "pullup" program that can do more than 30 pullups.

Dude's goal is to get from 16 to 20. After that, he can switch it up

Wut you got?

[Explateev]

A question about Boot camp. I was informed that your are paid (a small amount) per month while in boot camp. How much money (after plane ticket) can I expect to come out of Basic with?

[Deadbob]

A question about Boot camp. I was informed that your are paid (a small amount) per month while in boot camp. How much money (after plane ticket) can I expect to come out of Basic with?

I'd plan on $3K and change

Contract E-1 makes $1,357 - taxes / month
Contract E-2 makes $1,645 - taxes / month

Basically, no one joins the Military for the Money.

[Khronos]

I'd plan on $3K and change

Contract E-1 makes $1,357 - taxes / month
Contract E-2 makes $1,645 - taxes / month

Basically, no one joins the Military for the Money.

How many 20 year old guys have 2k+ a month in disposable income these days?

The military is one of the best stable financial options out there right now for young people.

[Deadbob]

How many 20 year old guys have 2k+ a month in disposable income these days?

The military is one of the best stable financial options out there right now for young people.

And how many of those Marines can't afford to buy a soda at the Airport when they go back for MCT / SOI?

Having money is one thing, knowing how to handle it is another