Being a Lieutenant is the Best Job I've Ever Had

[Dinner]

Not just any ****, any **** with a degree and >2.5 GPA who can pass a PT test. Possibly only 2.0 GPA in the reserves, I don't remember.

Like I said, any ****. If you can't get a 2.5 GPA you're sub-**** in my book and the PT test is a joke. I routinely got like 280 on it back in the day.

[regexcellent]

Yeah I wasn't disagreeing with you. Those were surge-era requirements though; today, if you want to go active duty, you're going to need at least a 3.2 GPA, maybe higher, as well as good PT scores and a decent LDAC score. That's in the army anyway.

[The Mad Monk]

On deployment? I got my regular E-5 pay plus BAH. I have been out since Jan 1, 2005 but at current rates that would be ~$2900 per month for pay and ~$1800 for BAH. Which is only $4700 per month or $56,400 per year though you at least don't have to pay federal income taxes while on deployment. Yeah, I made more not being on deployment and considered that a big step down. It's not worth it for most people with good paying jobs unless they're part of a union and their union contract makes up the difference between their civilian pay and their military pay (which is normally much less).

Edit: Oh, I forgot my combat pay but that was a joke at only $200 per month and married people with dependents can make more for dependent allowance but I didn't qualify for that as a single guy.

No, not pay, time. You weren't exactly a "weekend warrior" back then.

[MRT144]

How many times has poor officer leadership and ability really ****ed over anyone who was on the right side of history?

[Hauldren Collider]

How many times has poor officer leadership and ability really ****ed over anyone who was on the right side of history?

The first 3 years of the civil war were basically this.

[Elok]

How many times has poor officer leadership and ability really ****ed over anyone who was on the right side of history?

Since "the right side of history" is determined by the winners imposing their policies, by definition this doesn't happen.

[MRT144]

Since "the right side of history" is determined by the winners imposing their policies, by definition this doesn't happen.

Shut up, i'm trying to do something...

[MRT144]

Well now you've ruined it.

[Al B. Sure!]

I think you're vastly overestimating the people who get hurt physically or psychologically in the US military, particularly among rear echelon folks.

I'm going to respond to this in a little more detail now.

You are demonstrating an obsolete view of warfare that may have not even been valid in traditional, conventional wars. During Korea, cooks, clerks, and motor transport drivers were organized into provisional rifle platoons to fight the Chinese at the Chosin Reservoir. Even moreso in today's assymetrical combat environment, there is no linear battlespace with a clearly delineated frontline and rear.

Aside from the obvious fact that logistics convoys and supply dumps are targets for guerrilla and insurgent fighters, logistics Marines are exposed to other potential risks. There is no linear battlefront in Afghanistan and resupply convoys must navigate through potentially hostile territory to reach forward operating bases and patrol bases scattered throughout the battlespace, not up 'at the frontlines' where it's friendly territory until you reach the trenches like the Western Front. Logistics Marines also transport infantry into hostile regions in trucks and are involved in casualty evacuation. They transport artillery. They conduct vehicle recovery in hostile territory. There is a reason why logistics Marines are trained in crew-served weapons (to man MG's on vehicles) and must have IED recognition and handling capabilities.

That is not to overstate the danger relative to infantrymen but an idea that certain MOS' of Marines are somehow exempt from any danger is obsolete in a modern combat environment and may have never truly been the case, as demonstrated in Korea. There's a reason why every Marine is trained to be a basic rifleman.

[Al B. Sure!]

****, they'll make just about any **** an officer.

It's not the surge anymore.

The Marine Corps wasn't even accepting any new active duty officers in FY13 and likely in all of FY14 as well (so far, there's been none). Flat out, you cannot join the Marine Corps with a college degree as an active-duty officer today. The only pipeline for active duty officers not closed is the Naval Academy and the PLC program because those two programs add officers to the fleet 4-5 years from now. In a 1-2 year timeframe, the Marine Corps is only taking reserve officers.

Second, don't conflate Army standards with the Marine Corps. We take a different PFT, have different selection boards, have a different screen process, and a different training pipeline.

An officer in the Army is not the same as an officer in any other service branch.

Now, this is from September of 2010, even before the dramatic force reduction in the Marine Corps and the increase in competitiveness in officer accessions. The Officer Selection Assistant at OSS Philadelphia informed me that minimums to apply to the officer board were 3.3 GPA, 1250 SAT and 280 PFT. That was 3 years ago. I can tell you first hand that the bar has been raised higher since then.

The draw-down could potentially revolutionize the Marine Corps and I think people are starting to realize this. I talked to a Staff Sergeant here at logistics school teaching the drivers, mechanics, etc. and he said he has definitely seen a huge difference in the privates and PFC's entering his school now versus the quality of Marines even three years ago. I talked to another SSgt who is an enlisted recruiter in Philadelphia and he informed me that with the lack of need for recruits and the average of 9-12 month wait in the Delayed Entry Program before basic training, that the recruits he sends to Parris Island are significantly more competitive than any recruits he's ever seen or heard of. They're already running first class PFT's, are 60th percentile or higher on the ASVAB, have college credits, etc. on average. Anyone who doesn't fit the high standards for even enlistment are either told to come back when they're more competitive or remain in DEP until they improve their deficiencies.

The present situation of a large base of experienced NCO's and field grade officers with significant combat experience and the best new blood in USMC history entering the Marine Corps both on the junior enlisted and company grade officer side could revolutionize the modern Marine Corps.

I assume similar situations could be developing in the other branches to the benefit of both the Dept. of Defense and the nation.

[Patroklos]

The Army really is their own thing. They recruit at lower standards and the promote faster than everyone for both eisted and officer. This should be expected during an expansion and war that is primarily their domain, to hold that against them probably means you can't meet those lowered requirements to join.

The Army has since returned to normal officer promotion periods. One of the things I do appreciate about the Army is they have lots of prior enlisted officer accessions and use warrant officers liberally. You will always need the energy and longevity of young direct commission officer recruits, but it's good to have a cadre of older experienced junior offers to temper those young douches untill they become just slightly older *******s, but at least competent slightly older *******s

[Elok]

Well now you've ruined it.

You're welcome. Always glad to help.

[regexcellent]

I'm going to respond to this in a little more detail now.

You are demonstrating an obsolete view of warfare that may have not even been valid in traditional, conventional wars. During Korea, cooks, clerks, and motor transport drivers were organized into provisional rifle platoons to fight the Chinese at the Chosin Reservoir. Even moreso in today's assymetrical combat environment, there is no linear battlespace with a clearly delineated frontline and rear.

Aside from the obvious fact that logistics convoys and supply dumps are targets for guerrilla and insurgent fighters, logistics Marines are exposed to other potential risks. There is no linear battlefront in Afghanistan and resupply convoys must navigate through potentially hostile territory to reach forward operating bases and patrol bases scattered throughout the battlespace, not up 'at the frontlines' where it's friendly territory until you reach the trenches like the Western Front. Logistics Marines also transport infantry into hostile regions in trucks and are involved in casualty evacuation. They transport artillery. They conduct vehicle recovery in hostile territory. There is a reason why logistics Marines are trained in crew-served weapons (to man MG's on vehicles) and must have IED recognition and handling capabilities.

That is not to overstate the danger relative to infantrymen but an idea that certain MOS' of Marines are somehow exempt from any danger is obsolete in a modern combat environment and may have never truly been the case, as demonstrated in Korea. There's a reason why every Marine is trained to be a basic rifleman.

1. Infantry still have way way way way higher WIA and KIA rates than everyone else
2. Many (most?) logistics people never leave their FOBs, which are the "rear area" HC is talking about
3. Many (most?) logistics convoys in Afghanistan are contracted out to civilians

Although I guess the FOBs might still be dangerous if it's marines running them judging by how they managed to let a bunch of illiterate mountain people blow up a bunch of their planes inside the wire.

[regexcellent]

Also stop claiming that every marine is trained to be a rifleman or whatever because I know for a goddamn fact that every ACTUAL infantry marine ever would laugh you out of the room for that.

[Alexander's Horse]

Does it get any better?

It does but we're real proud of you, those of us who remember when you first started posting as a young kid doing it hard with Mom, and congratulations again.

From your tough background, I think you are an ideal candidate for your role. One reason is you can appreciate the benefits.

One piece of advice - seize the opportunities that come up - being the guy who is prepared to go when others won't is a a big advantage in any form of public service. Plus active service means even better pay, chances for promotion and short tours so you aren't locked in.

The next step might be to find a job that suits the military career, gives you the long leave you need. Something like a civilian job in the US Defence Department might be worth investigating.