Posted on Oct 29, 2017
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Marines
Re-enlistment
Retirement
0311: Rifleman
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 41
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Good Grief, as Charlie Brown said. The MOS manual hasn’t changed THAT much. Most answers launched off into the ‘every Marine a rifleman’ tangent w/o addressing the (apparent) actual question.
1st off, Rifleman is a specific enlisted MOS, 0311-Rifleman: Private through Sergeant in the 0300 Infantry Occupational Field. Other 03 MOS’s are 0331 Machinegunner, 0341 Mortarman, 0351 Assaultman. There used to be 0321 Basic Recon and there are others like LAV crew that I forget. You can enlist for the 03 field and keep your primary MOS even if you volunteer or get drafted for a B billet like MSG Duty, Recruiting or the Drill Field. But assuming you want to keep getting promoted, once you make SSGT you become an 0369 Infantry Unit Leader - SSgt - MGySgt. Once you make Gunny (in any Occ Field) you choose whether you want to be selected for 1stSgt/SgtMaj or stay in your MOS as a MSgt/MGySgt. Few Marines do 20+ years without pulling some type of B billet. I did 4 in 24 years alternating with tours in the Fleet in rifle battalion
1st off, Rifleman is a specific enlisted MOS, 0311-Rifleman: Private through Sergeant in the 0300 Infantry Occupational Field. Other 03 MOS’s are 0331 Machinegunner, 0341 Mortarman, 0351 Assaultman. There used to be 0321 Basic Recon and there are others like LAV crew that I forget. You can enlist for the 03 field and keep your primary MOS even if you volunteer or get drafted for a B billet like MSG Duty, Recruiting or the Drill Field. But assuming you want to keep getting promoted, once you make SSGT you become an 0369 Infantry Unit Leader - SSgt - MGySgt. Once you make Gunny (in any Occ Field) you choose whether you want to be selected for 1stSgt/SgtMaj or stay in your MOS as a MSgt/MGySgt. Few Marines do 20+ years without pulling some type of B billet. I did 4 in 24 years alternating with tours in the Fleet in rifle battalion
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LCpl (Join to see)
You can still volunteer for Recon from what I understand, but it's safer to go regular 03 and check into a unit, THEN try for Recon after some time. Because if you get dropped from the course, you go back to your unit. If you volunteer o get a Recon contract and drop, you'll be reassigned a complete new MOS based upon Marine Corp needs. (8 times out of 10: non-infantry). Out of the 12 guys I went to ITB, that went recon, only two made it.
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LCpl (Join to see)
When you hit the "Split" in ITB (after the 1st month marker) you can volunteer for 0321 Recon or volunteer for 8th&I or MSG. (If you opt 8th&I, you have to meet a certain height requirement).
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Maj John Bell
SGT Tony Clifford - Every platoon in a Marine rifle Battalion does not come with integral tactical transport, and none of the rifle platoons do. The Weapons company is or was where you found a battalion HMG's.
Every Marine should be able to fire an M-240, but firing isn't meet the art of employment. In my day an artillery battery had something on the order of 4 times as many M-60's as a rifle company. When I spoke to non-infantry machine gun crews (Marine or Army) the basic concepts of interlocking fires and talking guns were about the peak of their understanding of MG employment. They heard of, but did not know the basic employment concepts of grazing fires, plunging fires, flanking fires, enfilade fires, beaten zone distribution etc. etc. Let alone concepts like observed-indirect fires, fire plan sketches, MG fires integration with mortar fire and CAS, etc. etc.
Every Marine should be able to fire an M-240, but firing isn't meet the art of employment. In my day an artillery battery had something on the order of 4 times as many M-60's as a rifle company. When I spoke to non-infantry machine gun crews (Marine or Army) the basic concepts of interlocking fires and talking guns were about the peak of their understanding of MG employment. They heard of, but did not know the basic employment concepts of grazing fires, plunging fires, flanking fires, enfilade fires, beaten zone distribution etc. etc. Let alone concepts like observed-indirect fires, fire plan sketches, MG fires integration with mortar fire and CAS, etc. etc.
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If you manage to spend 20 years as a Marine Infantryman it’s my opinion you’ll retire embittered, injured, and unemployable. After 4 years as a Grunt, find your way into an MOS with high civilian employability.
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Cpl George Canfield
absolutely, there is life after the corps. Survive, learn and grow as a person, and be ready to take care of your family after your military career
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Lt Col Jim Coe
Thanks to those who broke the stereotype promoted in "Terminal Lance" and elsewhere! I like MSgt George Cater answer. He laid out a reasonable pathway for a Marine staying in "operations" with a few detours into related assignments. There also is the possibility that you, PV2 J M, would retire as a Gunny because you didn't make it to the E-8 or E-9 grade. Good advice from MSgt Gerald Orvis and other Marines in this string.
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Dude... max out your ASVAB or whatever they call it these days then drive your recruiter insane by telling him you want Combat Arms, Infantry.
Unlike the Army, in the Marines you really CAN BE ALL YOU CAN BE. But you have to prove it EVERY SINGLE DAY.
If you MAX the ASVAB then the only limit is you... if you don’t max it you start at a disadvantage.
Fool everyone, show ‘em Marines ain’t stupid or crazy, just eccentric.
Buckle up buttercup... it’s a helluva ride.
Oh yeah, ask about mandatory Class B billets... i tried to avoid ‘em but shit happens.
Unlike the Army, in the Marines you really CAN BE ALL YOU CAN BE. But you have to prove it EVERY SINGLE DAY.
If you MAX the ASVAB then the only limit is you... if you don’t max it you start at a disadvantage.
Fool everyone, show ‘em Marines ain’t stupid or crazy, just eccentric.
Buckle up buttercup... it’s a helluva ride.
Oh yeah, ask about mandatory Class B billets... i tried to avoid ‘em but shit happens.
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