I know there have been several posts about things like this but I just wanted to post this info.

I went by my recruiters office today to discuss my progress and take the ride downtown. He told me that I might not even be able to join now. The factor is my age and my tattoos. That won't keep me out but he said he was told they will be cutting back even more on enlistment after Oct 1 (his office has gone from a staff of 13 men to 4 and in October they will be down to 3). With the cut down on enlistment the standards will be made tighter (he suggested that a 1 tattoo policy and a 28 age cut off could be possible).

He gave me two main reasons for this: 1)the Corps is over staffed 2) due to the economy enlistment has been up.

The second part I believe because most of the 100+ Marine recruits at MEPS today were older.

I am not going to give up but he said my choice was to go into DEP next week (I will fail medical with my Lasik being so new) or risk being turned down all together in January for being 28 with 6 tattoos and no billets left for my MOS.

Like I said I'm not giving up. If I have to enlist as a cook I will.


On a high note I took my ASVAB today. 93 with a 130 GT.

How bad do you want it? Don't quit on you as you'll get used to Military Folks of all branches being nay-sayers for whatever you're trying to accomplish.

Truth be told earning the Title in boot is just the test to qualify you to join a Fleet Unit which will tax every fiber of your being. Magnify everything they throw at you in boot by ten to start and you'll begin to get an idea of what an operational tour is like.

What means more to you, keeping tattoos on your body or serving with the greatest group of humans you'll ever know? Again, how bad do you want it?

I'm not giving up sir.

I think what my recruiter was trying to say was that he wanted me to succeed but he saw bigger hurdles for me the longer I have to wait.

I would sign on the dotted line today if I could. I wish I did not have to get Lasik before enlistment but my vision was 20/330 before Lasik so my options would have been severely limited.

As for my tattoos, under the current rules I'm fine. If they tell me that the rules change I will get every single one removed.

Again I don't believe my recruiter was in any way trying to discourage me. He and I speak on an almost daily basis and he seemed ginuinely concerned that I might not get in.

I will not quit!

Thank you for your insight and comment Marine.

A good positive attitude like you're displaying here will always carry you through no matter how bad times get. Stay with this and there's nothing you can't accomplish.

Just one request, please don't call me sir Son. Everytime someone does I'm looking around for my Dad. Dino is fine.

Ha ha ha if you'd have called me Marine back in the day we'd have had words ha ha ha. Only time anyone ever called me Marine was when they wanted me to do something I didn't want to do or I was doing something they didn't want me to!

Your generation will have your own tales like this to tell so go out and make your own mark as you travel the world. Making the six o'clock news as opposed to watching it will define your character forever.

Best of luck Future Devil Dawg.