19yo Brother In Law

[avionix]

Well, about 2 weeks ago my punk kid brother in law left for Parris Island.  Just wondering here if anyone has some good promises from the recruiters that never panned out.

My mother in law was promised that she would get a phone call from Robbie when he arrived.  After about 2-3 days she got PO'd and called the recruiter.  He said that he did not know why she never got a call.  I had to ask her if she believed everything that she was told.  She said yes.  She got a form letter just a few days ago with his signature at the bottom.

[lowZX14]

Normally they do let you make one phone call right after you arrive at P.I.  It normally only lasts about 10 seconds though so you can let your parents or whomever know that you made it safely.

 As far as promises not kept, the only thing I had was a supposed guaranteed East Coast duty station out of M.O.S. school.  Right before we graduated, we all received orders to Okinawa.  I wasn't happy and headed to the S-1 shop to straighten things out.  I was told by a GySgt. in a very nice    manner that he didn't care what copies I had showing it was in my contract that he went from my S.R.B. which holds all of your documents.  He then showed me the S.R.B. and plain as day you could see that the page in it was a copy and where it had East Coast under guaranteed first duty station, it had been covered by whiteout then a line with N/A was in the box.  You could barely make out the "st" from Coast and the "t" from East and the N/A looked completely different than the rest of the N/A's on the paper.  So, not happy I graduated and came home and showed my recruiter who was a genuinely awesome guy, we still talk on a regular basis.  I had my S.R.B. on me because you take it with you to your next duty station.  I showed him the copy of the original I had and the "original" in my S.R.B.  He laughed and said he wished there was something he could do and it sucked but it might be a blessing in disguise.  So, I went to Oki, had a blast because I was able to see a bunch of other countries and got my year of it out of the way then came back home.  

[Simba]

Welcoming address by a salty Petty Officer, Royal Navy, to the typical new recruit :

'Are you missing your mother, lad? Well, don't worry - I'M YOUR MOTHER NOW! BY THE LEFT, QUICK MARCH!'

Hope he enjoys the six weeks' induction, or however long it is these days.

 

[allaire]

Army we filled out the letter home and then got to make a 15 sec. call to let them know we had arrived "down range" at our BCTB.  Of course that was after I spent two weeks at the reception battalion.

[Stoney]

...Just wondering here if anyone has some good promises from the recruiters that never panned out...

I'm hoping that the negativity in the statement is merely inquisitive.  Please don't expect the worst.  The Marine Corps, regardless of any bad press Parris Island gets, will be a faithful steward of your brother-in-law's service.  Furthermore, tell your Mother-in-law to hold the Marine Corps accountable for fulfilling every single promise that her son's recruiter made.  For the next 13 weeks and beyond, the Corps will be responsible for him.  I expect that he'll come back "not-so-punk". 

Situations like those described by LowZ sometimes happen, as HQMC Manpower folks shift people at the last minute, especially these days.  The stark reality of it is that the battlefield and deployment cycles can create unforeseen personnel situations that demand quick resolution.

[allaire]

I'Furthermore, tell your Mother-in-law to hold the Marine Corps accountable for fulfilling every single promise that her son's recruiter made.

As long as you got in writing.

[VooWho]

When I went to RTC for Navy a year ago, I was allowed to make a 5min call, we had to use paycards and mine didn't work. I was so mad because the thing didn't work and It took me another month before I was able to call home, just to find out my cousin was killed and the funeral was a few days before.

I was never lied to by my recruiter and I stay in contact with him, but when I first went to MEPS I wanted to be a SeaBee but the lady said the job was full, but instead of pulling the "Oh I'm not joining then card" I said oooo Hospital Corpsman, give me that! Even though it wasn't my first choice I'm glad I became a Corpsman. I work with a few Marines at my command and a few of them talk about boot and things that happened there but they said in the end, its made them a better person, and they think twice before they do something that could ruin their career or life. Your Brother-In-Law will be fine and let me tell you from my experience in boot camp, letters of encouragement help the most. In each letter let him know its all a game to get the weakest out and the weaker, stronger.

[gpwurzel]

Welcoming address by a salty Petty Officer, Royal Navy, to the typical new recruit :

'Are you missing your mother, lad? Well, don't worry - I'M YOUR MOTHER NOW! BY THE LEFT, QUICK MARCH!'

Hope he enjoys the six weeks' induction, or however long it is these days.

 

OOOOH so very true - had that on my first day in the Navy - mind you, his beard wasn't as bushy as my mums, and his tattoo's were nowhere near as impressive 

Wurzel

[Maverick]

When you sign on the dotted line, raise your hand and swear the oath you are now serving where the service needs you to be, not where you might want to go. Ya might as well get used to the idea that you are not in charge any more.

  

[Bosco123]

I might be in his position, but all I know is that I selected 3 jobs that are all in the avionic field. I wasn't qualified for 2 so it only left me for one. I'm hoping to get it, but even if I don't get it I still will enjoy the Corps, and I think that that is the mentality you have to go with when I do go. No reson to have negativity what so ever becasue that will give you a bad image after you get out of boot camp.

<S>

[eagl]

Your mother in law should write a letter to the installation commander, and send a copy to her congressional representatives.  The military reports to the civilian side, and you can bet your bellybutton a congressional query into broken promises to family members will get her a more personal response.  

She should follow up the letter with a phone call to the congressman's office about 2 days after sending the letter to the congressman(woman).  Congresscritters and their staffers just live for the opportunity to make that sort of thing better.  Seriously.

[eagl]

As for recruiting "promises"...  We're allegedly in the middle of a war so even though most people aren't in a wartime mentality, the military has been changing it's own personnel rules at least yearly as it adjusts to changing requirements.  One year they kick out a few hundred lieutenants, the next year they increase the promotion rates and use "stop loss" rules to prevent voluntary separations at the end of service commitments.  One year everyone gets what they were "promised", the next year they cancel orders and eliminate entire specialty fields, forcing thousands of people to either retrain (often a career ender for mid-level members) or involuntarily separate without any retirement unless they've served for at least 18 years active duty.

Yea it's maddening, but every time the military tries to assess its own requirements farther out than 1 year, the civilian side says "I don't care how good of an assessment you made, we can't afford it.  So change your assumptions and results until it fits into a budget that is *this big*.  And the budget changes every year, and where the money can go also changes every year.  And we're supposed to be at war, but nobody who isn't wearing a uniform really acts like it.

[Stoney]

...send a copy to her congressional representatives.

Uhh, don't do that.  This sort of thing doesn't warrant a CONGRINT.  Those are very serious.  Work through the recruiter, and if you don't get anything from him, contact his boss.

[Stoney]

forcing thousands of people to either retrain (often a career ender for mid-level members) or involuntarily separate without any retirement unless...

You get separations pay if you are forced out, even for somewhat dubious reasons...  Its not retirement, but its a pretty large lump sum, depending on rank and time in service.

[eagl]

You get separations pay if you are forced out, even for somewhat dubious reasons...  Its not retirement, but its a pretty large lump sum, depending on rank and time in service.

If you think any sort of separation pay lump sum after 17 years of service is any sort of reasonable compensation...   

I've put in 19 years already, and they could kick me out after 21 years in uniform with a lump sum of under $30,000 and no retirement.  Until just a few years ago, there was no 401k equivalent either and TSP contributions have always been capped, so there is no reasonable personal retirement plan I could have been contributing to either.  It doesn't seem like a fair deal to me...  Every other pension plan I know of will have an employee fully vested after as little as 5 years.  Yea the payoff after just 5 years is super tiny, but at least it's something.  To get diddly squat after 21 years doesn't seem right, but that's how the rules are written.

BTW 21 years in uniform = 4 years at the academy subject to UCMJ, chain of command, and carrying a military ID card, plus 17 years commissioned servic == no pension.