Posted on Feb 20, 2020
PFC (Non-Rated)
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I failed a difficult MOS (68K) (new curriculum only 11 soldier passed) and I am now reclassing to 74D (CBRN). I don't want this MOS because I wanted 25B. Should I just bite the bullet and accept this new MOS or should I chapter out? I don't want to go 6 months without income though and be a burden on my family. I presume I could always reclass again in a year?
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SFC Retention Operations Nco
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It could certainly be longer than six months out. Prior service serves at the needs of the Army. The Army is a career, and you don't always get the entry level job you want, but you almost always retire somewhere you never imagined.

So, if you want this to be a career, then stick with it. Otherwise, find a career that will give you an annuity at 40%+ of your base pay for the rest of your life after the first 20 years, plus matching 401k, cheap Healthcare for life and 30 days of paid vacation every year and a housing allowance based on your location while you're working.

But hey, if you want to work at Safeway or spend 30 years paying off student loan debt because learning about how organophosphate poisoning overstimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and how acetylcholinesterase counteracts that - I understand. Who really likes applicable science anyway when you have a promising career doing.... That thing you were doing before the Army.

It's a job and a career. You do it because it feeds and takes care of your family. There are plenty of routes for progession and advancement.
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SGT James Lilly
SGT James Lilly
5 y
Sticking with it doesn't always work. When you don't get the job or career you aimed for then you have a soldier who is miserable on the job. then their morale is down which creates a domino effect.
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CPL Sarah Stilwell
CPL Sarah Stilwell
5 y
Great Answer. My father always put it: serve three or slave thirty (he was talking about paying for college)
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SGM Bill Frazer
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Look Corey, it doesn't matter how hard the course is, other folks passed it, you didn't. Regulations state that any AIT failures will be sent to a new MOS for the "good of the service" not what you want, but what is needed. If you decide to forgo the Army's choice, then they can chapter you out as a failure to train. That means to TRY to re-enter any service you will have to ask for/get a wavier- that takes time and is NOT guaranteed to happen.
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1SG Retired
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You will not be guaranteed to be able to get any waiver necessary to reenter the Army in 6 months. All you have to do is use the search function and see how well it didn't work out for others who believed all they had to so was take the chapter and they would be given a waiver in 6 months.
Stay in; become a Chem Dawg (74D), try to get additional training while at Leonard Wood (Recon, etc).
You may be able to reclass upon reenlistment, not within a year.
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Should I chapter or just accept a new mos I don't want after failing Army AIT? How do I have to stay out 6 months if I chapter out?
SFC Martin Rickert
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74D is a great MOS. I taught at the schoolhouse so I am a little bias. Great promotion potential just keep your nose clean.
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SFC Clinton D. Washington
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Do whatever it take to keep your family secure in every endeavor.
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Sgt Field Radio Operator
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Edited >1 y ago
If you could not pass the 68K MOS, who says that you would pass 25B? Accept this MOS and excel at it. As others have mentioned, there is no guarantee that a waiver would be approved or how long it would take if it is approved.
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1SG Michael Farrell
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Edited >1 y ago
What do you want, Young Soldier? That's a very small career field and as a guy who was a Chemical Corps soldier for over 20 years, I knew a lot folks who came into the operational side from the research side, and some were great and some were just resentful. You're already resentful, so not sure what moving you into another MOS does besides burden trainers and leaders with someone who doesn't want to be there. That doesn't work well for anybody.

Assuming you want to be a Soldier, the odds are small of you being able to enlist for a seat in that MOS., because it is such a small career field. So, if you want to be a soldier, take the reclassification and excel at it. If you just want a job working in a lab, take the chapter and go do something else.
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SGT Infantryman
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my advice is to give CBRN a chance, after 2 years drop a packet to change your MOS you might end up liking it
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SPC Devin Young
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Bro these dudes are giving your HORRIBLE advice. Get what you WANT out of the army cause they are daym sure going to get what they want out of you.

One dude basically called you an idiot saying you won’t be smart enough to pass the IT training you want. Well if you’re into computers do that shyt bro don’t let anyone stop you from getting what you want.

If you can handle waiting 6 months then wait it out bro. If you need the income take the chem job and pray you’ll be able to reclass in 3-4 years when that window open up. So what it really boils down to is can you wait and can you deal with being stuck in a crappy MOS until your contract is up.
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SSG Infantryman
SSG (Join to see)
>1 y
You should absolutely try to get the most out of your career in the Army, however you choose to define that. Keep in mind that if you take the chapter, it's six months until your eligible for a WAIVER to enlist. There is no guarantee the waiver will be approved.
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1SG Alan Boggs
1SG Alan Boggs
>1 y
Do not listen to this guy. You are in the Army, you signed the contract, which by the way contained the text allowing you to be asigned a new MOS if you failed AIT.
Listen up. You failed a class, you havent failed life. Listening to the above clown is the sure path to that outcome. Stand tall, move forward. Adapt and overcome.
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SPC Devin Young
SPC Devin Young
>1 y
Smh
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SGT James Lilly
SGT James Lilly
5 y
SPC Devin Young - Couldn't agree with you more
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Lt Col Jim Coe
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Suck it up and be glad the Army is willing to keep you. Go to the next school intent on not only passing the course but ready to max out on every test. Put in the time to learn all you can as well as you can. Serve out your contract and if you hate the job, then either get out or try to leverage re-enlistment into a new MOS.
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