Can I change my MOS after signing my contract 2 weeks back? Can I be shipped at an earlier date for my BCT?

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 19 May 2019 14:53:47 -0400

I recently joined army reserves, I had a couple of questions
1. Can I change my mos to different mos after I signed my contract 2 weeks back
2. Can I pull my Bct and ait to a earlier month becuase I am shipping almost in October.

Response by MAJ Javier Rivera made May 19 at 2019 3:19 PM

MAJ Javier Rivera — Sun, 19 May 2019 15:19:29 -0400

Depends:

1. Are you Reserve (to include NG) or Regular Army. I’m assuming you joined the Army since you referred to BCT.

2. If Regular Army you have a big chance to do so but will piss a lot of folks off. You are not obligated until you sign a DD Form 4 the day you ship. If in the Reserves, you are already under contract against a vacant position.

Best of lucks on your endeavors!

Response by CPL Gary Pifer made May 19 at 2019 3:27 PM

CPL Gary Pifer — Sun, 19 May 2019 15:27:16 -0400

Ask your recruiter

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made May 19 at 2019 3:37 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Sun, 19 May 2019 15:37:56 -0400

I obv can't help you with your specific problem, however, purely out of trying to spare you what's doubtless be a great deal of needless, useless, pointless aggravation in trying, trust what I tell you, after 44+ yrs of Army ROTC, USAF OTS going through that twice, getting assigned to the wrong place, following it all up trying to change reality instead of making lemonade outta my lemons early on, more years of heartbreak and aggravation thereafter, and six and half years of VA total perm.disability processing, OK?.Don't even try, it just ain't worth it, you're gonna wind up, even if you do somehow manage to win, with a Pyrrhjc victory on your hands (look that one up, you'll see it)...in other words, you might win, but you'll still lose, I assure you, honest...once enlistment contracts are done, they're done, the end, QED, finito, cast in concrete, never to be changed (short of Divine intervention)...like a great line from a flick I'd seen... "No matter where you go, there you are", OK? You are what you agreed to, that's it, done, finished, end of story...as I found out the hard way, having my head virtually slammed into pavement repeatedly till I got the point, svc life takes on a life all its own, you can't control it, it controls you...that's just life, honest...your ambitions are your ambitions, not those of a svc...I was told, not once, not twice, more times than even God could count, if God could count that high, to zip my lip, be a good little munchkin, do my work, and basically just shut up...I swear to God, that's exactly what happened, word for word, I got told it when I was at USAF OTS, I got told it when I was at my installation, by my supervisors, AND by my unit CO, who was a REAL serious Vietnam War hero (DFC and 400+ combat missions), who, after giving me the only plaque I ever got for helping with my unit getting a good IG rating, sat me down afterward, explored my motivations in depth, and basically chewed me out, up, down, left, right, inside out, and sideways, till I was basically a limo dishrag walking out of the room, after a solid hour of his polite tongue lashing...I was screamed at by other managers, told I was an idiot, chewed out six ways from Sunday, till I began to learn to function halfway competently in the role (and by then it was WAY too late)...I'm telling you the God's truth, OK? You chose it, you agreed to it, now, short of an Act.of.God, a papal dispensation, a Congressional writ, or a thunderbolt from Zeus on Mt. Olympus, you're basically stuck with it...I wish I could tell you something else, truly, I do, however, I've been in EXACTLY your predicament...I picked the wrong work, the wrong base, the wrong branch, the wrong EVERYTHING...and when you do, guy (and I could sugarcoat this, though it wouldn't help), you are 100% stuck, in quicksand, and all you can do is just basically slog through it...what you get later on, IF you do your job right, is a MAYBE, and that's IT, PERIOD...anyone who tells you anything else is giving you total "el.garrbago" [garbage in, garbage out (GIGO)]...trust me, been there, done that (BTDT), OK? I don't care which svc it is, which job, which branch, which MOS, which AFSC, which rate..DONE IS DONE, OK? Now...having said my peace, which, I do hope helps, if only to inject a dose of reality into your day, however bitter the pill might be to swallow, IF you'd still like me to at least just TRY to find ways to help you make lemonade outta your lemons, I can try to help you, if your want...I can suggest schools, tell me your other ambitions, I'll suggest stuff, I'm quite good at that, I've found, I have an interest in career/educ stuff, I've helped many on here, sometimes I might tend to overwhelm, admittedly, so you'll need to tell.me to ratchet down the volume at times, however, there are many things I know about in svc life you may well not, so, give me high school grades and GPA, where you placed in your class associates stuff, bachelors stuff, hobbies interests, reading tastes, sports.esp martial.arts if any, a detailed biosketch, STEM coursework you've taken in all.sciences, be specific, actual course titles and subjects, not vague generalities, so far as possible, and I'll try to suggest what I can, OK? As for your contract, in my honest view, and I say this to be kind, truly, forget it, as I'd said, DONE IS DONE on that, I promise, you'd be fighting city hall, shoveling against the tide...now, you wanna swim with the tide and get semewhere? Trust me,.and lemme try to help you the RIGHT way, OK? I'm here if you wanna yak...just trust me, kiddo, on THAT stuff, I know EXACTLY what I'm talking about, I PROMISE you...as I said, I'm here if you wanna yak more, OK?

Response by LTC John Mohor made May 19 at 2019 3:38 PM

LTC John Mohor — Sun, 19 May 2019 15:38:26 -0400

PFC Ak Reddy talk to your recruiter but first answer this have you read the entire enlisted contract from start to finish? If not read it completely then if you still don’t have an answere to your question ask your recruiter! Good luck! If you can’t start BCT earlier be sure to get in the absolute best physical shape possible! You won’t wanna delay your progress going from Basic to AIT over the holidays especially being in the Reserve component.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made May 19 at 2019 3:39 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Sun, 19 May 2019 15:39:21 -0400

Sorry for the typos...clumsy tablet...just trust me, trying to change it just ain't worth it, honest...lemme try to help you the RIGHT way as I'd said, OK?

Response by PFC Westley Strange made May 19 at 2019 5:26 PM

PFC Westley Strange — Sun, 19 May 2019 17:26:27 -0400

No to either one of them. Whenever they tell you to go on that date then you have to go on that date

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made May 19 at 2019 5:53 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Sun, 19 May 2019 17:53:49 -0400

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory

Here's what I was speaking of...believe me, read this, devour it word for word...trust me...Pyrrhic victories are lose-lose...you NEVER win, EVEN when you THINK you've won, trust me, I know, I've been around more bureaucratic blocks than God...if I wasn't genuinely trying to help you, i honestly wouldn't have told you all that, promise, OK?

Pyrrhic victory - Wikipedia

A Pyrrhic victory (/ˈpɪrɪk/ (listen) PIRR-ik) is a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat. Someone who wins a Pyrrhic victory has also taken a heavy toll that negates any true sense of achievement.

Response by SSG Brian G. made May 19 at 2019 10:31 PM

SSG Brian G. — Sun, 19 May 2019 22:31:37 -0400

You can but the hassle to do so is enormous, like move a mountain of sand 200 yards to the left one grain at a time enormous. The better question is why do you want to? You were told about the MOS you have prior to signing the dotted line and you were fine with it so what has changed? And why do you want to go to basic a month earlier? If anything the later date would be a good thing as you are able to be in just that much better shape.

No matter what you are still going to be going to basic when it is cool. Not a bad thing. AIT will be colder but that is life.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 21 at 2019 9:10 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 21 May 2019 21:10:19 -0400

No unless you fail out of AIT and they make you re-class.

Response by PFC Brian Hoyt made Jun 4 at 2019 7:09 PM

PFC Brian Hoyt — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 19:09:23 -0400

After 3 yrs in the airborne infantry as as rifleman, I wanted to change my “primary”’MOS to get out of the infantry. If I re-uped and got the re-up bonus, I would still be stuck with the same MOS. So, i was going to get discharged and reenlist in 29 days and request training for a different job. In my case Food Service. If u re-enlist within 30 days u keep your rank but no re-enlist bonus. Which was not that much anyway in 1961. This way your primary MOS would no longer be rifleman. (111.17). But u will always have the 111.17 as a secondary MOS. Becoming a cook is one of the best jobs in the service. You get your own room. No dormitory barracks, no guard duty or inspections or grunt details. One day on, and one day off. On the off day you can sleep in and not stand formations. It’s the best job in the military. But after discharge I came down with the measles and got real sick and almost died. I was in hospital for 6 was and laid up for almost 6 mos total. That killed my “great” idea and I did not go back into the service.