So I want to join the Military, i've wanted to join the Marine Corp for about 4 years now i've had my mind set on it. But I went sky diving a couple of weeks ago and realized how much I loved it. So i'm here just looking for some information on branches of the Military that have sky diving involved. I understand the Marines dont have any program like that unless I go SF or what ever, but I dont want to do that. I wanna be able to be in combat, and sky dive out of a plane at the sametime. Idk if this is a bad idea, focusing on something I like. Compared to something I should do that will help me with my career when I retire from the Military.
Feel free to explain everything you know about what im looking to do. I am 18 years old, and I would like to go to BT as soon as 3-4 months. I may need surgery on my foot before I go because its broken, doctor said he needs to take out my Tibail Sesamoid.
Let me know your thoughts, and point of veiw on my topic.
Thanks!
-Jon

quote:

Originally posted by 18071480:
I understand the Marines dont have any program like that unless I go SF or what ever, but I dont want to do that.

Yeah, you heard right. The Marine Corps has jump billets (as we call them), but they are far and few in between.

quote:

Idk if this is a bad idea, focusing on something I like. Compared to something I should do that will help me with my career when I retire from the Military.

No, you should always do something "you like." Otherwise, you will have a miserable time in the military.

What you do after the military will not always depend on what you did while in, but how much preparation and DETERMINATION you put into preparing for civilian transition.

A friend of mine got his college degree and flew helicopters for the Army for twelve years. After the Army, what did he do? He drove junk food and cable installation trucks! Nothing wrong with those occupations except you would expect more from someone with a lot of credentials like helicopter pilot and leadership (and no I don't mean just landing civilian flying jobs).

Obviously he didn't put much effort into his military-to-civilian transition, otherwise, some big company would have hired him for big bucks.

You say you'll do this until you retire. My advice is take this ONE STEP/DAY AT A TIME! You don't know if you'll even like being in the military enough to go past the first four years.

Speaking of steps,

quote:

I would like to go to BT as soon as 3-4 months. I may need surgery on my foot before I go because its broken, doctor said he needs to take out my Tibail Sesamoid.

Your first step is to take care of your foot issue. Then see how long the doctor wants for recuperation before you do anything physical (like Basic Training).

The longer you take, the more you will wait past the "3-4 months" you think you'll be shipping out.

Have you talked to a recruiter yet and (if so) have you told him about your foot?

Yeah, I totally agree, first things first. Check with a recruiter to make sure you'd be medically qualified with the surgery on your foot.

As far as doing stuff you like, here's an example. I had a friend when I was at Coast Guard Station Ft. Lauderdale who was a Machinery Technician (mechanic). He had a Datsun 240Z. He was rebuilding the engine and restoring the car. I told him it seemed every free moment he had he was working on that car. He put down the wrench and looked at me and said "This ain't work!"

Now, he didn't look any different to me than he did when he was turning a wrench on the diesel engine of one of the small boats or working on one of the outboards. He found something in the military that he liked doing on the outside.

Sky diving in the USMC is "free fall" and we don't have SF, unless you are talking about Security Forces. Coming in as an 18 year old with no Fleet time, I will guarantee you wont parachute out of aircraft. You would have to be in either Recon or MARSOC with a significant amount of time and experience to be allowed for that kind of billet. Better try another branch, or bid your time in the Infantry, apply for Recon, have your command send you to all those schools, which will eventually lead to that sort of training. Now would be a good time to get your foot taken care of, because Infantry contracts are full until October.

I don't know if CG has a parachutist billets. The Navy has them in the form of SEAL teams which is the Navy version of SF. The AF has the Ninjas which, again, is an SF unit. The Army is the only branch that doesn't require some time of special forces designation to be a parachutist. I don't know what all in the Army requires jump training but definitely the Airborne brigades and PsyOps, along with SF.

I kind of figured there was nothing for me in the Marines that has to do with parachuting. I guess i'll just have to find a diffrent MOS then, my mind is so set on the Marines. I dont want to go in the Army, for many reasons. I understand there are probably better benifits and a good sign on bonus. But that stuff doesn't really matter to me.
I want to be a Marine.

Get your foot checked out first. Then when you enlist in the Army, you can get an airborne (parachutist) option written into your contract even before you sign or even agree to join the Army. There are many seats in the Army Airborne training school. I put in three in the last two months.

If you want to know details about the school itself, I am also a paratrooper and will answer any questions you PM me.

SSG Schwartz

quote:

Originally posted by 18071480:
I want to be a Marine.

Dude... we already answered your question about a month ago! I recommend you take another look in your posted thread.

WARNING!
Anyone venturing into the USMC Wannabe Forum should first read the threads for the answers they seek. Marines in there are a wealth of knowledge, but you have better grow thick skin if you step on their pride. We may be agressive in combat (protecting our own, and others who fight alongside us), but that's just how we operate. Other then that, good luck.

Semper Fi!
HM

quote:

Originally posted by HollywoodMarine:

quote:

Originally posted by 18071480:
I want to be a Marine.

Dude... we already answered your question about a month ago! I recommend you take another look in your posted thread.

WARNING!
Anyone venturing into the USMC Wannabe Forum should first read the threads for the answers they seek. Marines in there are a wealth of knowledge, but you have better grow thick skin if you step on their pride. We may be agressive in combat (protecting our own, and others who fight alongside us), but that's just how we operate. Other then that, good luck.

Semper Fi!
HM

Calm down, I was checking if there was other options. Excuse me for posting, didn't know it offended you.

quote:

Originally posted by 18071480:
Calm down, I was checking if there was other options. Excuse me for posting, didn't know it offended you.

It is as if I'm talking to a skipping CD player.

quote:

I don't know if CG has a parachutist billets.

Sometimes the Aviation Survival Technicians use them when they are jumping out of helicopters into the water to rescue people. They also learn to repair and maintain them. It's nothing like being a paratrooper though.

The Coast Guard used to use a Navy school for AST. It was in Lakehurst New Jersey. They went through Aviation Ordnance and Parachute Rigger School. The folks that went through the Navy school said you had to make a jump with a parachute you packed yourself or you didn't graduate. The Coast Guard also used to use Navy AM and AE schools. They quit doing that in 1979, and started using Coast Guard schools for all the aviation rates.

18071480, Hollywood is just saying that you can get some really good information on the Marine Wannabee board. But he's telling you not to be easily offened, they tell it like it is and don't pull any punches.

quote:

Originally posted by 18071480:
I kind of figured there was nothing for me in the Marines that has to do with parachuting.

Like I said, there are few openings and they're only for Marines who need them for their MOS's.

If jumping out of planes or helicopters is your passion, then either plan on getting a Marine MOS that rates it or join the Army where your chances of going to jump school are ten times better than anyother service.

quote:

Originally posted by SgtLtUSMC:

quote:

Originally posted by 18071480:
I kind of figured there was nothing for me in the Marines that has to do with parachuting.

Like I said, there are few openings and they're only for Marines who need them for their MOS's.

If jumping out of planes or helicopters is your passion, then either plan on getting a Marine MOS that rates it or join the Army where your chances of going to jump school are ten times better than anyother service.

Thanks for all of your help, I figured out what i'm most likley going to do. I figured I'll just get certified at skydiving, so I can jump whenever. I'll join the Marines and probably go 0311. My sister is currently at camp lejeune, and i've been talking to quite a bit of people there that are grunts, and have been to afghan and leaving for iraq in a month or so. So i'm kind of shootin for infantry, I don't want to be behind a desk, or in a vehicle I would rather be on the ground, on my feet.

I know most of you are going to read what I said, and talk some ******** because I changed my mind. But I can still do what I want to do. So keep your ******** to yourself, unless I need to know it.
Thanks!

You need to know that listening to "advice" from people who have never BTDT ("but are going"!!) is NOT a good plan. You will get opinion and BS, that's about it.

Talk to those who have really and truly BTDT before you make decisions. You owe that much to yourself, if nothing else.

quote:

Sometimes the Aviation Survival Technicians use them when they are jumping out of helicopters into the water to rescue people.

No they don't.

They don't?

Well, I really don't know much about the rate. The main reason I thought they might have sometimes used parachutes is because I saw a patch from Air Station San Diego. It said "CGAS San Diego ASMs" "Chutes?" "We don't need no stinkin' chutes!"

quote:

Originally posted by Cider33_Alpha:
You need to know that listening to "advice" from people who have never BTDT ("but are going"!!) is NOT a good plan. You will get opinion and BS, that's about it.

Talk to those who have really and truly BTDT before you make decisions. You owe that much to yourself, if nothing else.

Never heard of BTDT, whats it stand for?

quote:

Never heard of BTDT, whats it stand for?

Been There Done That

quote:

Originally posted by Retired_CG_Recruiter:
They don't?

Well, I really don't know much about the rate. The main reason I thought they might have sometimes used parachutes is because I saw a patch from Air Station San Diego. It said "CGAS San Diego ASMs" "Chutes?" "We don't need no stinkin' chutes!"

They do use and rig chutes for some things such as dropping equipment from aircraft but not for jumping with. The patch simply meant, they didn't need chutes because they just jump out of the aircraft and do not use parachutes.

OK, thanks for clearing that up.

On after thought, since they are jumping into water from a helicopter, I guess they wouldn't use parachutes for that. From reading that patch, I thought maybe ASTs from other Air Stations may have used them for jumping.