Convincing my mom on the Marines

[AndrewTB]

YOu considered the army? They need to get their numbers up and benefit you just as well. Many careers to pick from too.

 

[KC&97TA]

The "killer to clerk/cook/cabdriver" ratio is the least in the Marine Corps, but still fairly high. You're a smart kid, right? Smart kids don't sign up 0311 (this smart kid signed up 0811, Gun Rock, even better ) and then got convinced 0231 was the MOS I (meaning the Corps) most needed. 0231, Intelligence Specialist.

Ask any recruiter, I double devil dog dare you... All the smart ones want to be grunts, all the dumb ones want to be Air Plane Mechanics. I've been with; 1/4, 1/5, 2/1, 2/2, 3/1, 3/7, 1st CEB, 7th ESB, worked with the 24th MEU engineer det. Yet I never meet the stupidest, undereducated, overly PME trained, overly-politicaly correct bunch, micro-manageing SOB's, with no common sence what so ever, untill I exectuted orders (against my will) to the air wing.

If you want to be a grunt, go be a grunt... there's only one thing that will make you happy in this world, doing what you feel is the best decision for YOU. Trust me on that one. I'm an Engineer, that's what I wanted to be, I get to blow stuff up in division & roll with the grunts and I get to build stuff in an engineer battalion, still haven't figured out the wing side of life yet.

Mommy only runs your life till your 18th B-day, I told mine if she wouldn't sign the papers when I was 17, I'd just wait and sign them on my 18th B-day.



Balog, I feel your pain, I came from RCT-1 (Fallujah March-Sept 04) dirrectly to the Air Wing. Was told "don't back your car into the parking spots", because it showes off my Purple Heart Plates, so I backed my car into the first parking spot, lineing up with the side walk into the Squadron Building guess it scared some of the wives from KVN

There's nothing worse than seeing some pog from calibrations pick up Cpl at 1327 (and you're a salty lance with a 1658 score). Watching his pog-ness load magazines backwards was the greatest laugh of that CAX.

 

[KC&97TA]

William P.,

You mention that the Force Recon guys aren't too happy these days. Could you explain that, maybe PM me so as not to hijack the thread? My contract is for infantry and I am hoping to be able to qualify for Recon and hopefully get into Force Recon down the road.


Regards,
Maarten

I got a buddy over there right now with 1st Force, his Emails sound they're haveing a good time, a really good time. can't tell you much more...

 

[Barbara]

Well, I'll tell you from the other side of this that there is no way in hell I would sign for a 17 year old to enlist.

My nearly 19 year old is in boot camp now, intending to be a Navy Corpsman, and graduating in a couple of weeks. Even with a couple years on you, I'm not sure he fully understands what he's looking at as far as the toll this will take on him, but all I could do is point it out to him and trust him to make his own decisions. And pray.

The only good thing about him joining is that he has a goal of some sort in mind for when he gets out. He intends to be a physical therapist and while being a Corpsman itself doesn't exactly qualify you for much when you get out, it's at least headed in the right direction. As a former HR person, I can tell you that "ability to kill people from long distances" doesn't really translate well into a civilian job. Spending 4 years beating the hell out of your body and soul, and not being able to support yourself is going to suck.

 

[AechKay]

Army ROTC for the win!

Yea man, don't go into the Marines unless you want to lose ALL sense of comfort Seriousally. And yea, just because you want to be a scout sniper doesn't mean you'll get it. They could have you burning ???? all day. Just something to think about. Thats why I went ROTC. The Army could still technically have me dealing with ????, I'll just be the...."overseer" of ???? burning. But then again, they could decide to be nice and stick me in an M1

Hooah

 

[AechKay]

I got a buddy over there right now with 1st Force, his Emails sound they're haveing a good time, a really good time. can't tell you much more...

Yea. I can see this happening.

E-Mail being sent:

It sucks here, I hate it.

E-Mail being recieved from Pentagon, then resent:

We are having such a good time. Boy do I love it here. Things are great.

 

[bogie]

Yeah, remember that the military, as a whole, does weirdness. You may be the best shot since Davey Crockett, and end up with permanent KP, while the kid who's next to you in the barracks, dumber than a box of rocks, gets handed one of those variants on the ol' Remington 722...

Take your time, and do it right. I'm assuming you're going to be a lifer? That's 20 years for half pay retirement.

 

[LynnMassGuy]

I love the military and our soldiers. I voted for Bush twice as a lesser of 2 evils sort of thing. I don't hate Bush but I'm not so sure things are getting handled properly right now. What's your rush? When troops start getting treated better while they are deployed and when they come home, enlist. Stop hanging our soldiers out to dry for posing them in their underwear. Stop hassling soldiers for being soldiers. If a soldier fires his weapon NEAR a prisoner and gets vital intelligence from said prisoner give him a medal not a hearing. Send the recruiters a message. My 2 cents and I know it's not going to please everyone.

Regards
John

 

[themontashu]

Ive heard time and time again that to be a sniper is the hardest way to kill. You see every detail of the person before you kill them. Not some distant shape, or a fatigue, or a bag of gear with a gun...a real human.

And it takes LOTS of patience, and endurance. In other words, your spirit must be as strong as the granite walls of the rocky's.

Im not bellitling you- im the same age as you, and i also want to be a sniper. The sheer dedication recquired is the thing that attracts me most. But i have to wear glasses- with something like that, no way in heck i can be a sniper, no matter what else i can do.

Though im not sure if i want the army or marines. That has yet to evolve. The army has plenty of more rigid subdivisions that just standard infantry (Not to say that the infantry doesnt deserve the greatest of respect)

The reason I want to be a sniper or some sort of special forces sniper, is because they are the bes. Not always the best at alot but they are always the best shots, shooting is the most basic soldiering skill. To me that is the most important and most apealing thind, shooting, being able to kill some one from 1000 yards away with them having no ides when they are going to die.

 

[themontashu]

As an officer, if you show promise and leadership skills, you can go to the same schools - in fact, you're expected to. But you're expected to direct the shooters, while hopefully staying alive to direct them successfully. This tends to preclude the concept of crawling out in front of one's lines.

Dead and wounded officers (and soldiers...) instantly turn from combat assets into liabilities. Don't be a liability, and don't let your soldiers become liabilities either.

I think one problem we saw in Vietnam, and that we're starting to see in Iraq, is that too much of our "leadership" in Washington thinks that we're "fighting," and they're trying to make it work according to some sort of rules. Boxers fight. Soldiers kill.

Real world rule #1) There are no rules.

In the words of Gunnery Sgt. Jack Coughlin "My idea of a fair fight is clubing baby seals"

 

[themontashu]

Well, I'll tell you from the other side of this that there is no way in hell I would sign for a 17 year old to enlist.

My nearly 19 year old is in boot camp now, intending to be a Navy Corpsman, and graduating in a couple of weeks. Even with a couple years on you, I'm not sure he fully understands what he's looking at as far as the toll this will take on him, but all I could do is point it out to him and trust him to make his own decisions. And pray.

The only good thing about him joining is that he has a goal of some sort in mind for when he gets out. He intends to be a physical therapist and while being a Corpsman itself doesn't exactly qualify you for much when you get out, it's at least headed in the right direction. As a former HR person, I can tell you that "ability to kill people from long distances" doesn't really translate well into a civilian job. Spending 4 years beating the hell out of your body and soul, and not being able to support yourself is going to suck.

If a join I am not joining to help me later in life, I'm joining to serve my country. I want to fight and I want to be the best, when I come back I will always have my perents house while I get on my feet and will have a job an time I need it at the gun club I am active in.

 

[Lupinus]

Ok I didn't read the entire thread I will say that right off.

Don't push the issue now when you are 18 tell her you ARE joining the military and explain why. Be respectful and explain it to her and then go and do it.

The service is a great thing for any person and is far from a bad thing. If I didn't have physical problems I would have joined the day I turned 18.

 

[MDG1976]

No one has ever convinced their mom it was OK to join the Marines.

 

[Powderman]

The reason I want to be a sniper or some sort of special forces sniper, is because they are the bes. Not always the best at alot but they are always the best shots, shooting is the most basic soldiering skill. To me that is the most important and most apealing thind, shooting, being able to kill some one from 1000 yards away with them having no ides when they are going to die.

True, snipers are good shots--but remember this well: As a sniper/precision rifleman, you will be trained to aim for the center of mass of the exposed target. With a good rifle, known ballistics and good, clear optics, it is NOT as hard as you may think.

If you want what I would believe the BEST training is to start shooting precision rifle, then take up the shooting sports--namely, NRA Highpower competition.

Like I said, the marksmanship level required of a sniper is nothing--let me repeat, NOTHING--compared to the expertise of a Master-class Highpower shooter. It is most assuredly NOT easy.

An example:

I am one of the precision rifle officers for my department (read, sniper.) I practice at ranges out to 300 yards constantly, and further when I get the chance.

My rifle is a M1A NM, recently refurbished by the factory with a Kahles 3-12x56 scope mounted. My duty ammo is Federal GM Match, with 168 gr. MatchKing bullets, factory loaded. Shooting 6" targets out to 300 yards is almost a no brainer with this rifle.

By contrast, the highpower shooter has to be able to shoot at distances to 600 yards--and out to 1000 (!) for the Long Range championship. And--they have to do it with IRON sights, not scopes.

To get you started in the right direction, take up Service Rifle competition if you can. Use the AR15 platform--full length of course. This will prepare you for basic rifle marksmanship in the Corps--which to me is the best initial rifle training given by ANY military service.

 

[Lupinus]

given what I have seen (and a few snipers I have talked to) shooting is the easy part. It is the stalking and such that is the hard part,

 

[KriegHund]

given what I have seen (and a few snipers I have talked to) shooting is the easy part. It is the stalking and such that is the hard part,

Indeed. Its not easy laying in wet grass in 40 degree temperatures for 16 hours!

I recall there was a sniper- one of the best- in vietnam who killed an enemy vietnamese general. He was dropped off several miles away, and when he appraoched the enemy camp, it lay in a field of grass. For several days he crawled inch by inch,. moving no more than the grass did in the wind. His stomach began to be bitten over and over again by ants.

Finally he accomplished his mission and did it all over again in reverse. When they picked him up he was severly dehydrated and his stomach was bleeding raw with ant bites.

The shot may be easy....but getting there is not.

 

[Walter]

Well, I'll tell you from the other side of this that there is no way in hell I would sign for a 17 year old to enlist.

Of course you wouldn't, Barbara, no mother in her right mind would. Mine
certainly didn't, in spite of all the pleading I did. So I waited until I was 18
and enlisted in the Marine Corps.

I did two partial tours in Viet Nam as a grunt Marine, both tours cut short by
wounds received in ground combat. I spent 6 months in hospitals recovering
from said wounds. And I consider myself "lucky". I got home, more or less,
in one piece. But I got to see all the Marines who were killed around me
in Viet Nam, and I got to see all the Marines who were severely wounded
while I was in the hospital. Many of them with missing limbs.

When I was 17 I wanted to join the Navy. Had my mother signed the papers,
I would have ended up in the Navy, and probably avoided all the hell I witnessed in the Marine Corps. But then my life wouldn't have been
nearly as interesting.

Semper Fi, and Happy Birthday, USMC

Walter

 

[Powderman]

Indeed. Its not easy laying in wet grass in 40 degree temperatures for 16 hours!

I recall there was a sniper- one of the best- in vietnam who killed an enemy vietnamese general. He was dropped off several miles away, and when he appraoched the enemy camp, it lay in a field of grass. For several days he crawled inch by inch,. moving no more than the grass did in the wind. His stomach began to be bitten over and over again by ants.

Finally he accomplished his mission and did it all over again in reverse. When they picked him up he was severly dehydrated and his stomach was bleeding raw with ant bites.

The shot may be easy....but getting there is not.

I believe that you may be referring to GySgt Carlos Hathcock, aka Long Trang (White Feather). 93 (IIRC) confirmed kills, one of which was done with a M2 HB with optics mounted (don't know what kind). Range was (again, IIRC) a little over two miles.

Another lesser known fact was that he was a 1000 yard NRA champion.

 

[themontashu]

True, snipers are good shots--but remember this well: As a sniper/precision rifleman, you will be trained to aim for the center of mass of the exposed target. With a good rifle, known ballistics and good, clear optics, it is NOT as hard as you may think.

If you want what I would believe the BEST training is to start shooting precision rifle, then take up the shooting sports--namely, NRA Highpower competition.

Like I said, the marksmanship level required of a sniper is nothing--let me repeat, NOTHING--compared to the expertise of a Master-class Highpower shooter. It is most assuredly NOT easy.

An example:

I am one of the precision rifle officers for my department (read, sniper.) I practice at ranges out to 300 yards constantly, and further when I get the chance.

My rifle is a M1A NM, recently refurbished by the factory with a Kahles 3-12x56 scope mounted. My duty ammo is Federal GM Match, with 168 gr. MatchKing bullets, factory loaded. Shooting 6" targets out to 300 yards is almost a no brainer with this rifle.

By contrast, the highpower shooter has to be able to shoot at distances to 600 yards--and out to 1000 (!) for the Long Range championship. And--they have to do it with IRON sights, not scopes.

To get you started in the right direction, take up Service Rifle competition if you can. Use the AR15 platform--full length of course. This will prepare you for basic rifle marksmanship in the Corps--which to me is the best initial rifle training given by ANY military service.

I shoot NRA high power, NRA service rifle and international small bore (If i go to college I am going to be shooting on a team for smallbore)

 

[Powderman]

I shoot NRA high power, NRA service rifle and international small bore (If i go to college I am going to be shooting on a team for smallbore)

Hawwww! You GO, dude! You ROCK!!

Then, you're up on the game already. Good luck, Godspeed, and favor that X!

 

[Johnny_Yuma]

Your Mom would be nuts if she

I am 16 almost 17 and have been wanting to join the Marine Corps and becoming a scout sniper sence I can remember. I have been talking to recruters for some time now. Today one of the recruters called my cell phone while I was in the bathroom and my mom picked up, she is quite upset about me being this serious (she has known that I have wanted to join the military for a long time). My mom is very much supportive of our troops but does not want me to join and will not have it, what can I do to convince her?

wanted you to join the Marines. That's just the nature of things. Moms do not want their kids to become soldiers, sailors, Marines, cops, firemen, pilots, etc. I've got probably the safest assignment in law enforcement right now investigating white-collar crime and Mom still hates it. Go figure.

At any rate, think of your Mom. If she gives her consent for you to join (or her blessings after you are 18) and you get killed, disabled, or disfigured, Mom wil never, never forgive herself. It does not matter if it's logical or not; that is the way mothers are.

You sound very determined to be a Marine. I was in the same position 17 years ago and gave into my parents and went on to college. I've regretted it ever since. Follow your own desires, friend. Spend the next year studying one of those ASVAB prep-tests http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...3?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance.

ACE that test so that you can nail down that dream. Are you so certain you would ace it right now? If not, forget about getting your Mom to sign consent - you may bomb the test and end up in a crummy MOS and end up hating that which you want so badly. Also, ask HARD question of the recruiters and DEMAND answers in writing - preferably photocopies of pertinent manual pages. What are the physical requirements for the MOS you want? A fellow I know joined the Marines right out of high school - he was full of pis and vinegar and ready to fight the world. He found out too late that he was under the weight limit for infantry and spent his 4 years as a Marine computer tech. He served admirably but I get the feeling had he known about the weight limit he would have spent a year at the gym muscling up before joining. He wanted infantry real bad...

You've got a year until you turn 18 and can join the Marines without anyone's consent. Spend it well. Study hard. Ask questions. Do the research! What you do in the next 12 months will determine how much you enjoy your hitch.

Best of luck.

JY

 

[Johnny_Yuma]

By the way,

Mom probably doesn't want you to join right now because she's been reading about the Pentagon spending $22k on mini-refrigirators and $20 on icetrays but not having enough money for up-armor kits for all of the Humvees . Know what you are getting into.

 

[LanEvo`]

My opinion--go to college, even if you don't want to. Then, if you still feel this need to serve, go in as an officer (or, you can still be enlisted if that floats your boat but the pay is less).

That's what I'm thinking as well. If you really want to make a career out of the miliary, it pays to get as much education and training as you can get ahead of time.

What happens if you don't make it as a sniper? What happens if you end up doing something else...something that you might not be so enthusiastic about? This is why it pays to distinguish yourself upfront. After college, you'll have more control.

 

[chopinbloc]

dude, you realize that this thread is almost eight months old? i'm sure he's made his decision and he's probably off somewhere on a ship now makin' fun of squids.

 

[Pickpocket]

Eight months old, indeed. However - if old boy hadn't have brought this one back from the dead I never would have read this:

In the words of Gunnery Sgt. Jack Coughlin "My idea of a fair fight is clubing baby seals"

Interesting...I served with Jack Coughlin. I wonder how this kid knew about him.