Question on Schooling

[BRST12]

A friend of mine that is an Army Officer said the Army infantry gets slots and goes to more schools and the Marines don't get many chances for schools unless there very lucky. Now I am not trying to start a lil war here I just want to is this true yes or no? If no what kind schools do Marines get? And once again Ill say i have respect for both branches I was just curious didnt want to start a lil forum warfare.

[BRST12]

What about for the enlisted?

[India Raider]

I can't comment on the training/schools for Army enlisted, but your info is basically correct for Marine Enlisted. HOWEVER, there are always exceptions to the rule.

As you know you'll do Boot Camp and SOI. If you're Security Forces you'll go there straight from SOI, but otherwise you're going straight to the fleet, which isn't a bad thing.

Whether or not you're going to attend additional schools basically boils down to two factors; you and some luck. For example, if you go to a unit that is going on a MEU lots of opportunities become available. Essentially it's going to come down to what kind of impression you've made on your Squad Leader and Senior Enlisted. But it's also going to come down to competition and seniority. Seniority can work both for and against you. For example, I did a year and some change in GTMO before going to the fleet and at that time to Indoc for STA our SOP was that you did 1 float. Problem with that was a lot of guys would go STA and do 1 float and got out. In order to elimanate some of the revolving door the next cycle only took "boot" PFC's and LCPL's because they'd be around for 2 floats.

Regardless, if your in an Infantry Unit and you're squared away you'll at least get to Indoc for STA. Again, you may be able to go right off the bat depending on STA's needs and it's typically easier because you're still within Battalion. NOW, here's a kicker. Our company had an indoc to take the indoc and a lot came down to favoritism. Being Squared away can work for our against you. Unit Commanders don't want to lose Marines that are Squared Away. I never saw them deny a squared away Marine, but they'll offer incentives to stay within the company. Put you up for meritious promotion or TAD you to a "choice" job for 6-months. In the day, after a deployment you had about 6-months of downtime and the Marines with 1-pump under their belt would get TAD'd to the pool (which is awesome), MP, Range, etc. Also, Officers use to stay around for only a cycle, so they didn't really care, but NCO's and SNCO's are around for 2 to 3 cycles and don't want to lose squared away Marines that they've groomed for senior billets. So if you fall in when everyone is rotating out you might get lucky. After my last deployment, everyone, I mean everyone above CPL was either getting out, PCSing, or going to B-Billets. I only had 4-months left, not much good to the Corps at that point and not cost effective for any schools. So I was Sgt of the Guard for 4-months with a 3 day on/6 day off schedule, which suited me. 6-days off in SoCal during the summer isn't a bad hook-up.

As I was separating we did have one squared away hard charger that was Meritiously promoted all the way to Sgt. in under 3-years (I only knew 2 guys to do this) and still had time for another deployment. He was going to go to Ranger School, a pretty choice school to go to as a Marine, but because he picked up Sgt he had to go to Squad Leaders and Sgt Course first, which elimanated him for Ranger school.

In you're first enlistment you're almost guarunteed of at least one "speciality" school if you're squared away. Squad Leader's, CPL's course, Div Schools, Scout Swimmers, Assault Climbers, OTH Nav, Coxswain, etc.

Best advice, just be squared away. As a boot your learning curve is so steep your head will spin just with the regular training cycle. And after a float you can request some schools. Also, I don't know whether you're planning on being a Lifer or short-timer, but always give the impression that you're a lifer and you'll have a better shot of school assignments.

[YTDEVIL]

India here hit it just about on the button. He sounds like he came from Horno. Is that correct?
YTDEVIL S/S PLT 1/1 96-98

[India Raider]

Roger that Devil.

Cpl Macauley
3/1 India Wpns
95-97

[RAT]

Sgt...less than 3 years-----> Lochness He did it in 2 1/2 years fdrom what I remember.

He was and still is Mr. Marine Corps

RAT OUT!!!

[josepy]

I was a CPL for 3 years is that good?

[Jack Ryan]

Hey Lochness2,

Being an honor grad, how much of that do you
think was based off your PT scores, Academic
score, leadership ability.

Just curious as to what they look for and what is given the most weight.

Thanks - Jack Ryan

[This message has been edited by Jack Ryan (edited 06-21-2000).]

[0802]

In the Corps you go to the schools that are necessary to do your job. The Army on the other hand has more money so it often sends it people to school just to send them to school. How many guys in a light infantry division need to know how to jump out of airplanes? None they aren't in the 82 and don't jump, however the division can send people according to the numbers of quotas they have. Case in point my last OBC plt, all the female Lt were going over to the training center across the highway, however on the way (to being training battery XO's) many went to jump school. Why, the school had the quotas, they wanted to go and they did. The army has the impression some times that all it takes to have a qualified leader or soldier is to graduate from enough schools. All the formal schools I have gone to were either necessary to do my job or I happen to be lucky and was in the right place at the right time.

[Scotty]

You say that like it's a bad thing! I've attended many of the HArm-me's great schools and find myself to be a much more interesting person to talk to because of it. I was also able to relate more to people I dealt with because I had this or that badge.

It's all about human relations. Or something.

[LOCHNESS2]

Jack Ryan, those awards were achieved from all three of your suggestions. Pt, Leadership, and academics. Dive school is tough for many people in the academics. ARC is tough for many people in the PT field. Leadership is a role that should be played by everybody automatically. I hope this helps. Stay hard.
LOCHNESS OUT

[Mudpuppy]

Marines can goto ranger school?! what happens if they graduate ranger school?

[0802]

Mud:
They return to their unit.

[Fred]

Technical military schools = human relations tools?????

Leave to the crafters of Consideration Of Others Training to use jump school as a way for "all of us to get along." What's with the "badge " stuff. Does that mean a female intell officer who will never see a real world combat equipment jump in her life needs to go to jump school to have credibility. Seems like an infinitely screwed up system to me.

[Mudpuppy]

wow i didnt know marines could goto ranger school... is this a popular thing? is it just to improve skills (urban combat etc)and do most marines do good in ranger school?

[LOCHNESS2]

Mudpuppy, (going through Ranger school myself), I believe that no infantry Marines should go through this school. The tactics that are taught are(or were) the same as regular Marine Corps infantry tactics. The only difference is that you get very little sleep and very little chow. It is a great school for the personnel that want to be in the Ranger Batts, but it takes too long to physically recover from to do your job in the spec ops community. Just an opinion from a FR Marine that went through it. If you want a "gut check" try it out. Stay hard young man.
LOCHNESS OUT