For Oerdin and Lonestar...

[Docfeelgood]

My wife was embarrassed of her cancer. That is why I used a cover story.

[Asher]

Embarrassed of cancer? WTF?

[Lonestar]

Like I said, one, it is very common. Two, my medical record gets sent to the selection board as well. They'll see fractures in tibiae.

People get medically discharged all the time, this is true. That does not equate "they let these people give it a second/third/fourth shot" all the time, espcially when there are literally thousands of other potentials who have NOT gotten medically discharged from OCS twice before.

(FWIW I just turned to the Gunny who works with me and related your situation, he hemmed and hawed and then said that he probably would not have approved your officer package if he was on your board, knowing what he knows of your situation)

Why do you want to be (specifically)in the Marines? Do you want to go career? Why do you specifically want to be an officer?

I'm paying for my day-to-day. I have money. I still have $3000 or so sitting in the bank.

Living at home wiht your parents? I'm just trying to paint a complete picture.

[Al B. Sure!]

I have a place. I don't live with my parents.

[Lonestar]

Albie,

Why do you want to be (specifically)in the Marines? Do you want to go career? Why do you specifically want to be an officer?

[Al B. Sure!]

Albie,

Why do you want to be (specifically)in the Marines? Do you want to go career? Why do you specifically want to be an officer?

I considered the Navy. But the Navy recruiters were so unprofessional it seriously bothered me. Then the officer selection officer was a joke. He finally got back to me the week that I was shipping out to Marine OCS.

Another complication is that I'm color blind. From my understanding, that severely limits what I can do as a Naval officer but, oddly enough, not as much for a Marine officer. Go figure that one. Maybe I'm misinformed though about the Navy.

[Lonestar]

Do you want to go career? Are you fixated on being an officer?

What "limitations" in the USN are you referring, aviation? That's the same in all the services. If you were an enlisted techie that would be extended to some maintenance positions, but not all.

[Al B. Sure!]

Do you want to go career? Are you fixated on being an officer?

What "limitations" in the USN are you referring, aviation? That's the same in all the services. If you were an enlisted techie that would be extended to some maintenance positions, but not all.

I don't know. It's been a few years since then (I first signed up for the Marines in 2008) but I recall color blindness screwed you for a bunch of Naval officer MOS's. You can't be a line officer, for example.

Doing a quick google just now, I saw this:
Assignment Restrictions for Color Blind?

In it, people are talking about color blind Naval Academy guys pretty much have to go Marines.

I am pretty sure you are restricted from Navy and must commission Marine Corps. Waivers for colorblindness are very few and far between. They do happen but very rarely.

My son is in the same boat for Class of 2013, waiting for a color blind waiver and they are as rare as hen's teeth we were told! If you're a recruited athlete you might have a chance and you will have to commission as a Marine.

I have no idea why the Navy cares about color blindness and the Marine Corps doesn't but that's how it is.

[Asher]

rare as hen's teeth

I have no idea why the Navy cares about color blindness and the Marine Corps doesn't but that's how it is.

In the Navy, you operate valuable equipment.
In the Marines, you operate your dick.

Being able to tell green from red indicator lights is probably seen as valuable.

[Lonestar]

Albie, I get the sense that you are avoiding the following questions: Do you want to go career? Are you fixated on being an officer?



Also, not being a line officer isn't a terrible thing. You can still be a SWO, still see combat(if that is your thing), still hold shore command. The last is me working under the assumption that you are seeking the military as a career.

[Al B. Sure!]

Albie, I get the sense that you are avoiding the following questions: Do you want to go career? Are you fixated on being an officer?



Also, not being a line officer isn't a terrible thing. You can still be a SWO, still see combat(if that is your thing), still hold shore command. The last is me working under the assumption that you are seeking the military as a career.

I don't know yet about career. Honestly, I'm not even sure yet if I want to go Active or Reserve. My prior contracts to OCS were as Active Ground but I'm older and being a reservist might make some more sense. I don't know. But even with active, I may put in my 8 years and feel done. I'll be 34 by then and who knows what my circumstances will be at that point (marriage, kids, etc.). There's no way to really know if I want to make a career out of it until I actually hit the fleet.

And yes, I'm being an officer. There's no sense in me going to Parris Island for 13 weeks this summer or something when I can just do 10 weeks at OCS, which I am intimately familiar with, in the fall. And I'm not living off E-3 pay.

In my late 20's living off E-3 pay... must be out your god damned mind

[Lonestar]

Hold on,

Thousands of E-3s live off that pay all the time. You seem to be under the impression that an E3 is incredibly poor: they aren't, unless they have a gazillion kids or manage their money poorly(which is really hard because the military either specifically pays for your rent, or provides you with housing).

If you're dead set on being a Marine you should just sign a 2-4 year contract and enlist. I think you're avoiding that because you don't want to take your lumps as the low man on the totem pole.

[Lonestar]

I'll go ahead and add that your unwillingness to start off at the bottom with the **** jobs(enlist) indicates to me that you aren't really looking too hard for jobs on the civilian side of the house.

[Egbert]

If I were 26 and looking to join the USMC as an officer I would make it my career, or not join at all and find a career elsewhere. If you join up for a few years then, in terms of career development, it was "just a job". Coming out with skills that are not particularly relevant to most civilian jobs at the age of 34 does not seem like a good idea.

[Asher]

If I were 26 and looking to join the USMC as an officer I would make it my career, or not join at all and find a career elsewhere. If you join up for a few years then, in terms of career development, it was "just a job". Coming out with skills that are not particularly relevant to most civilian jobs at the age of 34 does not seem like a good idea.

Listen to this man, Alby.