USMC DEP/Recruiting Issue

[FacFortia]

Members of SS,

Recently, I've been having issues with my recruiter. He is well aware of my aspirations to attend BRPC/BRC and become a Recon Marine. For a while, he told me that there were Recon slots open for June 2017 (my original ship date), but a few months ago, he reneged that and told me there are likely slots open in the spring, so I made arrangements to graduate this past December in order to seize that opportunity. December rolls around and I've graduated high school with flying colors, so I go to my recruiter and ask if he's found a Reconaissance slot for me... he then tells me that he doesn't know and he can't look to see what's open. For months I've felt strung along and like he's been blowing smoke up my ass. Needless to say, I was pissed.

I'm a high school graduate with absolutely no clue as to when I'm shipping or whether or not I'll have a Recon job while there are Poolees still in high school that already have contracts and ship dates, so naturally I went to my SNCOIC, told her I was frustrated and wanted to go to boot camp. She was very understanding and told me that they could send me to MEPS on priority standby on 20170205 and I would ship to boot then. I thought, "Great! I get to leave earlier than I thought.", but I found out later, after asking more questions, that when you go to MEPS on standby... you go open contract. I don't want to go to boot camp without that HZ contract: it's what I've wanted to do since I first DEP'd and it's my dream.

After my family relocated to Colorado, I went to go talk to the recruiters there to see about coming to their PT sessions to stay squared-away until boot (if I ever actually got there), and built a decent rapport with one of the recruiters.

A few weeks go by and I'm to the point where I'm fed up with the BS my RSS, so I go talk to the recruiters here in Denver and as it turns out, they have one slot for Recon for February, March and April, each. I told the SNCOIC here my story and he sympathized, told me they would take care of me a lot better here and give me the Recon seat for February if I wanted it, and said that before they could help me and enlist me here, I needed call my current recruiter and request a discharge.

So, this afternoon, I did. I called my SNCOIC back home and told her that I had found a better opportunity elsewhere and I would like to request a discharge (per instructions from my new SNCOIC). They would not have it; tried to convince me to stay and promised me the world so I wouldn't go through with the discharge, even threatened that if I discharged I'd never be able to become a Marine again. After about 20 minutes on the phone, I realized that I wasn't going to convince them to let me go without harassment, and I've played it cool and gone along with what they've said, awaiting instructions and help from my new SNCOIC.

How should I handle the situation? I've been trying to play hardball and be firm with the recruiters back home, but I don't want to piss them off to the point where they'll put false info on my paperwork or delay it until July so I can't reenlist in Colorado. Should I just say f*ck it and stay with my current RSS and risk things not going my way? Or find a way to get them to discharge me and ship through the CO RSS with the job I want in a timely manner?

 

[JohnBender]

I have been in contact with FacFortia a few times, and I think this is a situation where a good kid getting dicked around by a shithead recruiter. I have guided him a little up to this point because when I hear the bullshit his recruiter has been giving him, I cannot stand idly by.

When I walked into the recruiters office, my first one sold me all the same shit. He strung me along on an infantry contract for 10 months to go to MEPS, because I had gotten into some minor trouble as a kid and needed to get a waiver for, honestly, kid shit. He fed me almost identical shit as I'm seeing here, including the scare tactics when I finally had enough shit and drove 5 hours to damn near the Canadian Border to enlist with someone else.

I say tell your old recruiter to eat a bag of dicks, but do so with the help and guidance of your new one. Now you just have to hope that your new guy is on the level. But then again, what the hell do I know? It all sounds like total shit to me, and I know for a fact that going to MEPS open contract is a one way ticket to cooking eggs in Okinawa (or something similar), but my real knowledge on the subject of DEP discharges is limited.

 

[Teufel]

Don't accept an open contract. Tell them that you want to enlist through your regional recruit station. Where was your old recruit station?

 

[FacFortia]

Texas, sir. My regional recruiting station is RS San Antonio.

 

[Teufel]

Texas, sir. My regional recruiting station is RS San Antonio.

So you were in Texas and now you are in Colorado?

 

[TLDR20]

Remember man, you do have the ability to walk away. You have no obligation to this recruiter in Texas.

I had originally did what you did except with the Navy. I wanted to be a SEAL just like every other 17 year old. I got dicked around at MEPS and hit a contract that would not have ever allowed me to go to BUD/S. I was only 17 and when my dad found out he took back his parental consent. I was so pissed at the Navy, I joined the Army...

 

[Ooh-Rah]

@FacFortia

Here is my recruiter/MEPS story -

I was a complete fuckup in high school and had to repeat my senior year. When I told my recruiter that I wanted to put off shipping to boot camp for one year so I could graduate with a diploma, he put me on a bus to MEPS the next day to "discuss ".

Once there, they were complete and total dicks. At the time I had burned my parents enough that they did not bother going with me, It was the first time in my short life I had to stand for principle. There was no internet then, (yes there was a time) so I had no one with experience to ask for advise, I just knew what I was supposed to do.

I remember a corporal coming into the room where I was sitting (think of the interrogation rooms you see on TV cop show) and really giving me hard time, telling me that I was disgracing the Corps before I even joined it. Then a Major came in, he was the good cop. The Major explained how the Corps needed me "now", and that my delay would cause people to question my patriotism and love of country. He put a phone in front of me, told me to call my mom and let her know I'd be shipping directly to San Diego that night! ( No idea what they would have done with me, probably put me into some type of "shit platoon" until I could start a new series.) He went on to tell not to worry about my diploma, I could study for my GED during my "off time" at bootcamp. Jesus, I think about that now...bootcamp was hassle enough, cannot imagine trying to study for my GED at the same time!

I did end up calling my mom, but to tell her what they told me and that I did not want to go until I finished high school the right way. After that I don't remember much, this was in 88' so Gulf War had not kicked up yet - maybe quotas were tougher to reach then.

In the end I held strong and shipped one year later - no worse for the wear, but with a high school diploma, the respect of my family, and most important the first "defining moment" of my life. It is one I think back to often.

Stay strong, assuming you qualify, you'll get what you want. It's all a game, and you have the advantage of knowing the rules better than most.

 

[FacFortia]

So you were in Texas and now you are in Colorado?

Yes, sir, I moved from Austin to Denver last month.

 

[FacFortia]

Remember man, you do have the ability to walk away. You have no obligation to this recruiter in Texas.

I had originally did what you did except with the Navy. I wanted to be a SEAL just like every other 17 year old. I got dicked around at MEPS and hit a contract that would not have ever allowed me to go to BUD/S. I was only 17 and when my dad found out he took back his parental consent. I was so pissed at the Navy, I joined the Army...

@FacFortia

Here is my recruiter/MEPS story -

I was a complete fuckup in high school and had to repeat my senior year. When I told my recruiter that I wanted to put off shipping to boot camp for one year so I could graduate with a diploma, he put me on a bus to MEPS the next day to "discuss ".

Once there, they were complete and total dicks. At the time I had burned my parents enough that they did not bother going with me, It was the first time in my short life I had to stand for principle. There was no internet then, (yes there was a time) so I had no one with experience to ask for advise, I just knew what I was supposed to do.

I remember a corporal coming into the room where I was sitting (think of the interrogation rooms you see on TV cop show) and really giving me hard time, telling me that I was disgracing the Corps before I even joined it. Then a Major came in, he was the good cop. The Major explained how the Corps needed me "now", and that my delay would cause people to question my patriotism and love of country. He put a phone in front of me, told me to call my mom and let her know I'd be shipping directly to San Diego that night! ( No idea what they would have done with me, probably put me into some type of "shit platoon" until I could start a new series.) He went on to tell not to worry about my diploma, I could study for my GED during my "off time" at bootcamp. Jesus, I think about that now...bootcamp was hassle enough, cannot imagine trying to study for my GED at the same time!

I did end up calling my mom, but to tell her what they told me and that I did not want to go until I finished high school the right way. After that I don't remember much, this was in 88' so Gulf War had not kicked up yet - maybe quotas were tougher to reach then.

In the end I held strong and shipped one year later - no worse for the wear, but with a high school diploma, the respect of my family, and most important the first "defining moment" of my life. It is one I think back to often.

Stay strong, assuming you qualify, you'll get what you want. It's all a game, and you have the advantage of knowing the rules better than most.

Thank you for the advice and personal stories, gentlemen. Not going to lie, there was a time when I felt like complete shit for a while because I thought I was the only guy in the world getting fucked over by a recruiter (I know... imagine that, right?). Hearing your stories has alleviated my fears of never being able to serve in the capacity I know I'm capable of, because I know there's a way.

That said, my SNCOIC back home in TX told me the other day that they have a Reconaissance slot open for the month of April... I'll be damned. I haven't moved further with getting a DEP discharge- the recruiters in CO wouldn't help me, they just said it was my decision and they weren't going to influence me any which way. My SNCOIC gave me her word on it, and she personally has never lied to me. Do I trust her? Could threatening to leave have been what I needed to do to get the ball rolling?

 

[CDG]

Remember man, you do have the ability to walk away. You have no obligation to this recruiter in Texas.

I had originally did what you did except with the Navy. I wanted to be a SEAL just like every other 17 year old. I got dicked around at MEPS and hit a contract that would not have ever allowed me to go to BUD/S. I was only 17 and when my dad found out he took back his parental consent. I was so pissed at the Navy, I joined the Army...

That's a cool story, because look at you now. If you had been a SEAL, you'd be busy figuring out how to pay the government back all the royalties from your unauthorized book.

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."
-Douglas Adams.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

My SNCOIC gave me her word on it, and she personally has never lied to me. Do I trust her?

There will be a point at MEPS where they ask you, "has anyone promised you something that is not in your contract?" Take that opportunity very seriously if you are unsure about something...

 

[CDG]

My SNCOIC gave me her word on it, and she personally has never lied to me. Do I trust her?

Fuck no, you don't trust her. She's a cog in the system man. A system designed to fill quotas and numbers and slots. She doesn't need to lie. She can promise the world until it comes down to, "Well, I did everything I could, but my boss/his boss/another boss isn't letting it happen. I would just sign and then you can volunteer anyways." Fuck. That. Noise. A lot of military recruiters, and especially the people at MEPS, will try and intimidate young kids into signing shit they really don't want to sign. You owe them jackshit until you sign that contract. They have absolutely no recourse to punish you in any way for failure to sign. Stick to your guns, and if you aren't comfortable with it, respectfully decline and then stick to it.

I swear, I wish new MEPS recruits had the option to bring a prior/current servicemember with them to MEPS. Those people can be downright vultures.

 

[Gunz]

They're like fucking car dealers.

I think of all the dudes I knew who had "Guaranteed Aviation" contracts who ended up humping the shit with me with brown water shooting out the vent holes in their jungle boots while giving finger to every rotorhead who flew above us...

 

[JohnBender]

Listen to these wise men!

I forgot about the "is there anything you were promised that isn't in your contract" portion. That is the time to speak up but please make sure you read every word with detail, and don't just skim like 90 percent of everyone.

Just always remember it's your life, not theirs. Bullshit will come in any format and will target any and every part of you. Ooh-Rah told of how they were trying to ship him out right then and there without a high school diploma yet I was told my college education was going to hurt my chances of enlisting because they saw me as "someone who couldn't find a job and is using the military as the last resort." Total.Bullshit.

It's your 4 - 30 years. If they hand you some bullshit that doesnt sound right. jist think "Am i willing to spend 4 years doing this?" They might even say: oh you can lateral move after! Yeah. tell that to the Pack clerk or whatever his job was from my last.command who wanted nothing but to reenlist as an 0311. but couldn't because manpower was over capacity.

Follow my advice previously:

Knowledge is power. Research all of the orders and try to get second and third opionions. Fact check what is being told to you by one against another recruiter. Knowing they are full of shit allows you to defend yourself from lies and deceit.

Good luck, stay strong. and question everything. We call it the 5 why's in B-school -a root cause analysis. Though here it would be the 5 what ifs: Every time they offer you some rationale for anything, question it and how it works. Ask how and why things they are telling you are the way they are. Don't be a cock sucker about it, and tact and respect are paramount but ask what happens if X,Y, and Z. if it's total bullshit holes will start to form in the narrative, and facts won't be consistent. The problem with lies is that you have to remember every part of them and make sure that they line up at all times. Damn near impossible to do.

 

[AWP]

If it isn't in writing, it just isn't.

"If you don't write it down then it never happened."