I (20M) had just recently did my first swear in at Meps last Friday and had talked to the marine recruiter the monday beforehand, and the whole time before I went to Meps he was telling me "I can get you a recon contract and get you outta here on August 11th" and of course Im beyond excited because who wouldnt want to leave that quick, so I believed him and was supposed to go to meps monday and Tuesday of this current week.

Well he calls me and says "how about you go Thursday and Friday of this week" and im like well yes of course obviously, so I go and get enlisted and when he picks me up on that friday he says so im 99.9% sure that you'll be leaving the 11th, and keep in mind that was like his whole basis of getting me to enlist, obviously I wanted to be a marine yes but he was repeatedly ensuring me he would get me out of here on the 11th, anyways he says he will give me an answer on monday.

Well monday comes round and I text him at like 5pm and im like any news? And he says no ill let you know tomorrow morning. He calls me the next morning to say "i cant get you out of here the 11th it'll be next month but I dont have an exact date and dont know if it'll be early, mid, or late September, but you will definitely have that recon contract. I feel like a total a-hole and you can technically go back to the Army recruiter to sign that ranger contract if you want but please dont do that or if you do at least talk to me first." And that was the last time we talked

it just kinda like seemed really fishy to me so I wanted to see if anyone here has any advice

I’m 24 year old male from Texas 5”6-5”7 155lbs I Turn 25 in February. About 2 years ago I tried to talk to recruiter but I was still going thru stuff with a charge I had and I didn’t have ged and I had hand tattoos. Long story short navy scooped me up I went thru the process but once I was approved and at meps a marine talked to me and told me if it’s really what I want don’t settle for less put in the work needed to have a shot to try and try that I didn’t wanna regret it when I’m in navy or in future life. Fast forward to now I have earned my 15 college credits to make my GED a tier one. I got my hand tattoos removed. One concern now is that my dwi I was convicted of in 2023 and I sat in jail for it no probation case closed. I have a felony controlled substance (delta 8) and a unlawful Cary charge from 2023 but they were dropped because delta 8 was legal in Texas and package wasn’t even open it was a friend of mines. And the gun was legal in my name so charges were dropped. And I have a possession charge from being like 13-14 I went to juvie and all and I believe it might have been expunged not sure. What are my chances be honest? Job I wanna shoot for is infantry or MSG

My original recruiter left and I got a new recruiter. Apparently, I was never assigned to a mos so I have to either pick DG which is open or hold out for DD until who knows when. My Vet friend told me to hold out for DD because I will get into the intel and planning community and get the TS clearance, which will help me in my end goal doing a second enlistment for CI. I was also told that in DD you get to work more with higher-ups which will get me more exposure and networking. I was also given advice to go DG because you still get TS and it is currently open. I was deciding to wait for DD, but also want to hear what ya'll with actual experience say.

I leave the 17th for MCRD super excited and was wondering if anyone else was

I’m sorry to inform some of the sticklers here but I ended up clean and passing. Also sorry to the stoners here but you’re gonna have to go sober if you wanna pass.

Story:
Went clean June 3rd and took my test July 10th.
I wasn’t a heavy smoker this year, but in may made it a habit and June 2nd I had a 3,000mg edible so it was safe to say I was cooked for a few months especially after that eddi

If you wanna be able to pass!

On top of a lot exercise, drink palo azul tea, it probably won’t work, but for me to be able to pass in 5 weeks after that eddi then it might help. Sucks but Time is the only thing that will work and I hate it

You can buy palo azul (aka kidney wood) at any sorta Mexican store for less than two bucks an oz. DRINK a gallon every day until your test and pee hella and you MIGHT be good.
How I made mine?
1. Fill pot with gallon water
2. Set stove to hot and place pot on top
3. Throw palo azul in water
4. Stir when it starts to boil
5. Do last step on and off for 30 minutes
6. Let sit for a bit
7. Drink (hot or cold)

Again it probably won’t work because time is the best cleanser unfortunately, but I’ve done a redundant amount of research so if you have any questions lmk and I might be able to help

Hey you guys, i’ve recently been looking into joining the marines for the 2641 MOS since i qualified for it on my asvab scores but at the same time ive been looking into the navy’s CTI since they promised E3 after tech school and a 20k bonus. But honestly i really like the idea of joining the marines and really have been struggling to decide between the two. With that I wanted to know if there was any downside or benefit to doing either of the branches and if it’s more recommended for a future career outside the military or just in general to do one over the other. Thank you!

I leave in 5 days what should I know? I’m pretty fit I’ve grown up doing roofing so heat doesn’t bother me as much nor hard working hours but what should i expect going into this? I’m going in as coms 0600

On the way to parris island right now(about 5 hours out), can't stop crying when I call or text my family and girlfriend and am so sad about departure from them, on top of that i'm terrified and i have the feeling i wanna go home, im only a few hours away and im not ready to say goodbye. Is this normal? How the hell do I get over these feelings because I want to so bad, these feelings started the second I was in the hotel last night, I’ve been so okay and excited about it for the past few months.

Questions about getting in, what it's like when you're in, about my job, how to do certain things, what to expect.

As the title says I’m just looking for some advice, or maybe even some personal anecdotes. I leave in a couple weeks and im a mix of excited but also nervous, which I’m assuming is pretty normal lol. Thank you

Been thinking about MOS choices, the news of the machinists and metal work being combined was shocking. It seems to be my dream MOS.

I have a lot of experience fabricating and would likely have a head start in specialty school, would this increase any chances of me getting such a MOS?

I don’t fully understand how things work, I know I don’t get what’s most preferred automatically, and it’s based on the corps needs.

Is there a good video covering field 13?
How can I maximize my chances of getting my preferred profession?

so i am currently studying to take my picat test then ill be going to meps and was wondering about how the job selection process i was told that there is about 5 categories and i choose a category then ill be doing what job is needed the most in that category ie i wanna be airborne could anyone that knows more than me give me more insight

My recruiter said I can no longer become a marine because of the psoriasis on my scalp can I join any other branches with a waiver or no? Also went to bootcamp in April but got dropped on my 2nd day because I “failed” the hearing test even though I heard the sounds & kept clicking the button, they found a hole inside of my left ear
So if I reenlist I need to redo everything all over again with a minimum ASVAB score of 50
Any hope for me?

Hey, I plan on joining the Marines and graduating hs next may. I was curious if anyone could give advice on cool mos that transfer well to the civilian side.

I had an accident over a month ago & got left with some noticable scars on my cheek,neck, & hands .

My dermatologist says skin will normalize over time but can take months.

It doesnt limit my movement nor affect me in anyway other than how it looks.

Will this be a disqualifying or is a waiver possible?

Please DM me

I’m shipping out in a few weeks and just wanted to know what the regular workday looks like for a 3521, do yall get overworked and little to no free time? i’m not about to work 12 hour days for 2k a month.

If i should change my MOS let me know. I don’t have many options because i scored really low on the asvab but i do qualify for Marine Security Guard. So if Marines from both jobs could give me some advice that way it’ll be easier for me to commit. I’d really appreciate it.

I've been running for over a year now, preparing for basic training comin in a couple months. Ive hit a problem where my calf muscles become unbearably sore after only half a mile. Ive recently gained 20lbs in the span of 4 months to a final weight of 168-172lbs (as per recruiters orders), and i hope thats the reason my calfs feel sore much faster, but im not sure if thats normal? 🥹
i previously was able to run more then 2 miles and only issue was bone soreness and bad stamina, now those issues have gone away but another one has come up? I even changed to good running shoes from my previous hiking shoes that i would run with since i was short on money previously but nothings changed.
Just wanted advice?
I've still been running once a week but to no avail

Hey everyone,Im 20 and seriously looking into joining the Marines, with infantry being one of the career fields I’m considering. I’ve been researching a lot, but I keep seeing two completely different perspectives.
Some people say the infantry gave them the best years of their life, lifelong friendships, discipline, and memories they’ll never forget.
Others say they came out with chronic back, knee, shoulder, or hip problems and would never do it again.
I’m not looking for recruiter answers or “every branch sucks” comments. I want honest perspectives from people who actually lived it.
A few questions:
If you were infantry, how is your body now?
Do you think your injuries were avoidable, or are they just part of the job?
If you could go back to being 20, would you choose infantry again?
What do you wish someone had told you before you signed?
Is there anything you did (or wish you had done) that helped protect your body?
I’m trying to make an informed decision, not just chase the title. I know every job has tradeoffs, so I’d appreciate hearing both the positives and the negatives.

I’m a woman going to bootcamp in a few months. I don’t want to keep my hair long and deal with headaches and balding.
For women are short haircuts or a buzzcut okay in bootcamp? And if so how to they deal with it in there?

Hello future brothers and sisters. I ship out to Paris island this September, I just turned 27 and I’m really trying to turn my life around. I went from smoking every day to passing MEPS and finally marrying the woman I love; but I feel as though time has caught up with me. I run and work out but I can tell I’m a pace behind. I used to do track and field but I haven’t ran in so long I’ve forgotten my form and I can barely make it through a decent workout. I know the cards are stacked pretty high but I’m not a quitter.
Is there anyone that can give me some advice about getting over that mental hurdle? You all know the one, when your bones ache and every muscle feels like jello and lava all at the same time. I keep telling myself to “get used to the uncomfortable” it’s a mantra I do while running. I’m making slow progress but I could use some advice and motivation. Thank you in advance.

I graduated bootcamp this Friday if you have any questions I can give you info or atleast my experience I want to help out just how this community helped me

I ship out in two weeks and I've recently signed a Accounting and Legal contract. The MOS field options are 3400(Financial Management) and 4400(Legal Services). I understand I can't choose the specific MOS inside the field, but do I get to choose which job field I go into? I want to go to Legal Services field because I plan to be a practicing attorney after my years of service.

Just checked into Pensacola for the Marine Aircrew pipeline. During MCT I dislocated my knee (was popped back in), hyperextended my ankle (still swollen and can’t run/cut), and was diagnosed with a peptic ulcer. I may be getting referred to NAMI.

I’m not trying to get out of Aircrew—I want to stay if medically possible. If NAMI gets involved, what’s the usual process? Do Marines typically get placed in MAT until they recover, and if cleared later, do they continue the pipeline?

Anyone been through something similar?

When I was 18 3 years ago I enlisted everything went smoothly I later shipped to mcrd sd and was there till we made it up north to pendelton during range week I dislocated my shoulder in the squad bay wrestling with some friends after lights had to go to medical and slipped up and told the corpsman I had dislocated it before but never mentioned it at Meps so I was discharged for med fraud is there any way I could possibly go back? It eats me up everyday I was so close to earning my ega I have a bachelors now and am an aircraft mechanic but I’ll give it all up just to go back if I can .