Posted on Jan 28, 2016
Are the needs of the Army driving MOS choices or did you pick your MOS?
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There are a lot of discussions about reclassification. Numerous reasons are given for them, advancement, bonus', no available slots in current MOS, no units in Reserve, NG area... Did recruiters direct your choice or did you choose on your own?
MOS
Leadership Development
Soldiers
New Soldiers
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 15
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CPT (Join to see) A year after Top Gun:
Recruiter: Sure, sure, you can be a fighter pilot. Just come in as enlisted, and then go officer.
Young, dumb, me: Sure! Where do I sign?
Recruiter: Sure, sure, you can be a fighter pilot. Just come in as enlisted, and then go officer.
Young, dumb, me: Sure! Where do I sign?
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PVT Andrew Burd
3 months later, SN Greg Wright is scraping barnacles off the side of an aircraft carrier, looking at the dude next to him saying "DAMMIT... ..you don't look like Kelly McGillis...."
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The end result here is the recruit does not have to sign any papers. If you do not like the job then you wait until the one job you want is available. The military doesn't own you quite yet, lol. The career counselors or recruiters if still enlisted from station can get you the slot you want. They can call and get a spot open. Its not take what you have too. I now because well I was a recruiter. I told all my recruits if they didn't want a combat MOS (haha) not to choose one. They all did. If they asked if they were going to Iraq or Afghanistan I told them more than likely. No reason to lie to get a recruit to enlist.
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SSgt at MEPS : "So, what do you want to do?"
Me : "TANKS! I want to drive tanks!"
SSgt at MEPS : "what if I can't get tanks?"
Me : "I guess Combat Engineer so I can still blow shit up"
I really really wanted to drive tanks.. I had my heart set on it. I SHOULD HAVE stood up and said "well I guess we're done talking..."
Me : "TANKS! I want to drive tanks!"
SSgt at MEPS : "what if I can't get tanks?"
Me : "I guess Combat Engineer so I can still blow shit up"
I really really wanted to drive tanks.. I had my heart set on it. I SHOULD HAVE stood up and said "well I guess we're done talking..."
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I was prior-service USN when I enlisted, and at the time, the options for prior service were severely limited, so I chose 14T (PATRIOT Missile Launching Station Enhanced Operator/Maintainer) because it and it's counterpart, 14E (Fire Control) were the only Combat Arms MOSs available to me.
When the opportunity to reclass PSYOP came, I took it, and for the most part, it's a better fit.
I think it's an equitable model: you do your time where the Army needs you, then, if you qualify for something else (better maybe even), go do that. Everybody wins.
When the opportunity to reclass PSYOP came, I took it, and for the most part, it's a better fit.
I think it's an equitable model: you do your time where the Army needs you, then, if you qualify for something else (better maybe even), go do that. Everybody wins.
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I asked for 11B at the Baltimore MEPS. The recruiter said the slots were filled and I'd need another job, so I tried for Medic, and was told the same thing. I went through the Ordinance MOS' and none of them were what I wanted, so MP was open and I snatched it up. Great decision, although knowing what I know now, I would've walked out if they couldn't give me 11B until they could. Do the time in combat arms, and then reclass. After being an MP, I loved it, and turned down K9, Airborne school, and an assignment to Italy to become a 74B.......not sure if that was the best choice, but for pay on the outside, I reckon it's not so bad.
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SGT William Howell
Same thing for me. I wanted to be a tanker. My recruiter then actually told me, " You know you have to live in one of those things for weeks and you being 6'3" may not be the best choice." I picked MP. Best choice I could have ever made.
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In the Marines you pick "Field" (Branch) if you meet the requirements (you have to meet the requirements for pretty much every MOS in it), and then they select MOS based on the needs of the Corps. I selected 02xx/26xx which was Intel/SigInt and was assigned 0231 (out of 0231/0241/0261 & 26xx). Based on the Field you choose, you get assigned a ship date, and when you are completing boot camp they assign final MOS. Our 03xx (Infantry) guys "might" be a little different, because they skip MCT, but the same basic principle applies.
Officers go Air, Law, or Ground Contracts, and are assigned specific MOS within those Fields.
When it really boils down to it "Needs of the Corps first" with the ILLUSION of Choice. Overall a very "fair" system.
Officers go Air, Law, or Ground Contracts, and are assigned specific MOS within those Fields.
When it really boils down to it "Needs of the Corps first" with the ILLUSION of Choice. Overall a very "fair" system.
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I chose my own, thankfully I had a recruiter who actually cared about the soldiers joining and cared about helping them out so they'd enjoy and get the most out of it.
The thing that gets me about "Needs of the Army" is, I think there's a strategical way you could use it. I understand if you need soldiers somewhere then they must go. But I think there could be some option system worked out where the kids who want to join the army and know about what job they want to do, they could pick. And then the ones who can't get a job anywhere else, don't know what to do for income, etc and don't really care about where they work; They get filtered to the Needs of the Army section.
The thing that gets me about "Needs of the Army" is, I think there's a strategical way you could use it. I understand if you need soldiers somewhere then they must go. But I think there could be some option system worked out where the kids who want to join the army and know about what job they want to do, they could pick. And then the ones who can't get a job anywhere else, don't know what to do for income, etc and don't really care about where they work; They get filtered to the Needs of the Army section.
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I was able to choose several AFSC's as preferences, and the USAF assigned me one of them. I scored in the 95th percentile for pilot on the AFOQT test, but my vision kept me on the ground, and I knew beforehand that this would be the case. As a weapons controller I got as close to flying as a ground pounder is able to get.
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MSG (Join to see)
SSG Warren Swan - Current: 68S30 (Preventive Medicine), Secondary 12B30 (Combat Engineer); Third: 68W (Medic).
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SSG Warren Swan
MSG (Join to see) - Is it easy to reclass in the RC/Guard? You didn't have to jump through hoops or damn near die trying to get out of your current MOS?
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MSG (Join to see)
SSG Warren Swan - Ironically, these MOS's I have were hoops I jumped through going from Reserves to AD to Reserves. Let me explain:
I initially joined in 93 in the Reserves. i wanted to go to Basic that summer and the only slots they had was Medic. Not what I wanted. And since I was new to the game and didn't know better, I had to take Medic if I wanted in. So, Medic it was. Then, in '96 I decided to go AD. I wanted to stay a Medic, but apparently according the Recruiters and MEPS, Medic slots were not available on AD. But, 12B was open. Again, still slightly new to the game, I yielded to being an Engineer in order to go AD. (Ironically, I went back to being a Medic 2 yrs later when my window opened). After getting out in '03 and coming back into the Reserves in '08, I got the offer to be an Interior Electrician........but after months of no course date, I spoke with my SGM, and it turned out that job I picked I was not eligible for, so I was guided towards Preventive Medicine. And now, here I am today.
I initially joined in 93 in the Reserves. i wanted to go to Basic that summer and the only slots they had was Medic. Not what I wanted. And since I was new to the game and didn't know better, I had to take Medic if I wanted in. So, Medic it was. Then, in '96 I decided to go AD. I wanted to stay a Medic, but apparently according the Recruiters and MEPS, Medic slots were not available on AD. But, 12B was open. Again, still slightly new to the game, I yielded to being an Engineer in order to go AD. (Ironically, I went back to being a Medic 2 yrs later when my window opened). After getting out in '03 and coming back into the Reserves in '08, I got the offer to be an Interior Electrician........but after months of no course date, I spoke with my SGM, and it turned out that job I picked I was not eligible for, so I was guided towards Preventive Medicine. And now, here I am today.
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