Posted on Sep 6, 2020
Can I reclass to a new MOS before my window opens?
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I’m an 11B and I just don’t like this MOS , I volunteer for cleaning details or anything else just to get away from doing MOS. I’ve been for about 14 months now, my window opens next year ( I sighed for a 3 year contract). Ima start talking to my retention NCO and see if I could get any information. Thank you.
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 13
You’re in an under strength MOS you won’t be able to reclass till your window opens.
Some advice, every single 11B who walked into my office as an Infantry Battalion Career Counselor said they wanted to reclass and most of them don’t. What they’re looking for is a do over of their MEPS experience, but active duty reclass is much more complicated and difficult. Chances are that your scores aren’t high enough for the job you want, or you don’t have the clearance, or you don’t meet the grade or NCOES requirements, or most commonly there are simply no class seats. So, when you sit down with your Career Counselor you don’t get a big list of sexy sounding jobs, you get CMF 13, CMF 14, 88M, 12B, and CMF 91. So, they reenlist for something fun like Hawaii, Germany, Airborne, or a location close to their family.
If you’re dead set on a new job, there will be work for you to do. Look at the application MOSs, they usually have class seats because not enough people meet the prerequisites. Depending on the MOS you may need to wait a year or two for the college credit requirements, clearance, rank or NCOES requirements.
Not saying you can’t reclass easily, only that every single 11B who came into my office and said “anything is better than 11B”, followed up their statement with, “but not those MOS’s” after they looked at the MOSs they qualified that had class seats.
Just in case I didn’t make it clear: at no time are you ever able to just pick an MOS from all the MOSs in the Army that you have the line scores to qualify for. Class seats are like the inventory of a used car lot. You can pick from what’s available at the moment you are there, and all one thousand Career Counselors in the Army are shopping that same car lot for the twenty or thirty people they are working with at that time.
Some advice, every single 11B who walked into my office as an Infantry Battalion Career Counselor said they wanted to reclass and most of them don’t. What they’re looking for is a do over of their MEPS experience, but active duty reclass is much more complicated and difficult. Chances are that your scores aren’t high enough for the job you want, or you don’t have the clearance, or you don’t meet the grade or NCOES requirements, or most commonly there are simply no class seats. So, when you sit down with your Career Counselor you don’t get a big list of sexy sounding jobs, you get CMF 13, CMF 14, 88M, 12B, and CMF 91. So, they reenlist for something fun like Hawaii, Germany, Airborne, or a location close to their family.
If you’re dead set on a new job, there will be work for you to do. Look at the application MOSs, they usually have class seats because not enough people meet the prerequisites. Depending on the MOS you may need to wait a year or two for the college credit requirements, clearance, rank or NCOES requirements.
Not saying you can’t reclass easily, only that every single 11B who came into my office and said “anything is better than 11B”, followed up their statement with, “but not those MOS’s” after they looked at the MOSs they qualified that had class seats.
Just in case I didn’t make it clear: at no time are you ever able to just pick an MOS from all the MOSs in the Army that you have the line scores to qualify for. Class seats are like the inventory of a used car lot. You can pick from what’s available at the moment you are there, and all one thousand Career Counselors in the Army are shopping that same car lot for the twenty or thirty people they are working with at that time.
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I am just curious here not going to slam you. Why did you pick the 11B MOS in the first place? It's actually normal that about 10-15% of 11 Series sign up for the MOS and once performing in it, think it is a waste of their life. Sometimes in that 10-15% they are hit with the bigger picture and they change their minds or they advance in rank to SPC and kind of like the MOS then. BTW, if you want my opinion. Within 11 Series there are more interesting things you could be doing other than cleaning details. Have you asked to help out the company administratively? Maybe help type up memos or policies? Help in the Arms room? Supply room? Areas where you would be learning about how the Army operates but not doing Infantry stuff? What about TOW Missile, not necessarily pure Infantry but a lot of Infantry Brigades still have them. Have you thought about that?
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14 months E2, have you had some issues? That will impact your ability to change your MOS. 11B is similar in activity with all Combat Arms and Combat support. If you are serious you need to check your asvab scores to ensure you even qualify for other MOS’
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The suck isn’t for everyone so I get it. That being said, just finish your three years and re-class. Anything in life can frustrate you and make you miserable if you let it. Make the best of your situation if you can.
That being said, your chances are slim on getting re-classed during your initial stint. You’ll need approval throughout the chain of command. So let’s start. You’ve got first line, so you’ll have to have a heart to heart with your team leader, that won’t be too terrible because chances are his dying for you to leave his team for not being an asset. Squad leader is definitely tracking after this, he will be pissed and will prob make your life complete crap. Plt sgt and PL gets ahold of this, it’ll get real fun now. Your ego, self respect will be gone after this step. 1st sgt is next, depending on his style you’ll get immediately c’ya’d or he will try to get through to you. If it makes it to the CO you’re lucky. At this point you’ll most likely get an in depth conversation about training schedule/company agenda/needs of the army/manpower can’t afford to lose a body at this point. Then that will be the end of it. You’ll be more miserable and your remaining 9-10 months of the year will be met with passive aggressive actions as well as being the poster child for how NOT to be. You don’t want that.
You’ll be in your last year at this point.
This will be the time to make decisions on the next step. Re-class, Re-up, PCS or ETS. If you go this route I’m 90% sure you’ll want to ETS.
JUST WAIT. MAKE THE BEST OF OUT OF IT.
That being said, your chances are slim on getting re-classed during your initial stint. You’ll need approval throughout the chain of command. So let’s start. You’ve got first line, so you’ll have to have a heart to heart with your team leader, that won’t be too terrible because chances are his dying for you to leave his team for not being an asset. Squad leader is definitely tracking after this, he will be pissed and will prob make your life complete crap. Plt sgt and PL gets ahold of this, it’ll get real fun now. Your ego, self respect will be gone after this step. 1st sgt is next, depending on his style you’ll get immediately c’ya’d or he will try to get through to you. If it makes it to the CO you’re lucky. At this point you’ll most likely get an in depth conversation about training schedule/company agenda/needs of the army/manpower can’t afford to lose a body at this point. Then that will be the end of it. You’ll be more miserable and your remaining 9-10 months of the year will be met with passive aggressive actions as well as being the poster child for how NOT to be. You don’t want that.
You’ll be in your last year at this point.
This will be the time to make decisions on the next step. Re-class, Re-up, PCS or ETS. If you go this route I’m 90% sure you’ll want to ETS.
JUST WAIT. MAKE THE BEST OF OUT OF IT.
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SSG (Join to see)
SPC Bradly Martin welp you broke that down in a way only a SPC could lol. But you make a great point, it'll be better for him to use the time to plan on what MOS he wants to reclass to when his window opens up
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SPC Bradly Martin
Bro I’m just making sure this cat don’t ruin his career lol. Sometimes you gotta get dramatic know what I’m saying? Hahah SSG (Join to see)
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This is not ment to browbeat you and not wanting an actual response. PV2 with 14 months in service...? Is it you don't like the infantry or is it the leadership in your unit? I joined as an 11B and was in weapons platoon 2/75 loved every minute of it. Later was in a line Infantry company. I bring that up because there are many other jobs that you can do in the Infantry or change units.
As for reclass early there may be not a simple yes or no answer like SFC Boyd said. You may be allowed to but what you want or what is available may not be available or you may not be qualified.
The final thing I will leave you with is You don't get what you want or is not available and you choose to get out of the military think of this. What will you do when you get out where will you live where you have a job that pays you housing food vacation days. Do you have enough money saved for your future assuming you haven't been in that long You can't use your TSP yet without getting penalized if you have TSP So what will you do how will you live? This is the same thing I tell everybody that may choose to get out of the service because what they got out of it wasn't what they wanted be it MOS or location Don't waste the time that you've done
As for reclass early there may be not a simple yes or no answer like SFC Boyd said. You may be allowed to but what you want or what is available may not be available or you may not be qualified.
The final thing I will leave you with is You don't get what you want or is not available and you choose to get out of the military think of this. What will you do when you get out where will you live where you have a job that pays you housing food vacation days. Do you have enough money saved for your future assuming you haven't been in that long You can't use your TSP yet without getting penalized if you have TSP So what will you do how will you live? This is the same thing I tell everybody that may choose to get out of the service because what they got out of it wasn't what they wanted be it MOS or location Don't waste the time that you've done
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You must fulfill the terms of your initial contract and be in your window to reclass to a new MOS. The other issue is that you have been in for 14 months and are only an E2 which indicates some sort of issue with you.
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PFC (Join to see)
I just haven’t switched my rank on here , I ranked up 2 months ago to PFC. Thank you for answering SSG.
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Before you consider trying to reclass, let me ask you this, what don't you like about your MOS? I'm not trying to dissuade you, I spent most of my career infantry. It's just some shit you hate while being infantry, you miss while you're another MOS
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I reclassed out of the infantry. I initially spent 9 years in the Infantry and while there was some tough times I never regreted leaving. Sixteen years after leaving I retired. Those nine years in the Infantry help pave my way for my next career choice by showing teaching me many attributes I need to know before being successful on my road do greatness.
I understand the Infantry is not for everyone. Yet there is so much you can learn and take with you to your next MOS. Don’t waste time doing useless details if you avoid them. Take the time to learn battle drills.
I understand the Infantry is not for everyone. Yet there is so much you can learn and take with you to your next MOS. Don’t waste time doing useless details if you avoid them. Take the time to learn battle drills.
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Make use of the education center, improve your ASVAB Scores. Take classes that will bring your value up. You need to bring something to the table other than a I want.
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I believe it will depend on what you want to reclass to. If they are understrength it may be a possibility. Your branch would need to release you and the new branch pick you up. Would be a simple 4187.
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