I just wanted to see if I understand this correctly. If I choose Infantry as my MOS that makes my MOS only a 03; that is until I go to Infantry School. When I get to Infantry School, the Corps will then train and evaluate me on different Infantry jobs the Corps has to offer. Upon graduation from Infantry school, I will then learn what exactly my MOS is. Such as if I’m going to be classified as a: 0311, 0312, ect. That is all up to the Corps and what is needed and what they trained me on. The only thing I choose is the first two numbers of my MOS. And the Corps picks the rest. Is that correct or do I get to pick the exact MOS I want as long as I pass the initial requirements (ASVAB score, and PFT), and there’s an opening in that MOS. Anyways, thought I might ask.

You choose the MOS field only, like 03 etc.

quote:

Upon graduation from Infantry school, I will then learn what exactly my MOS is

You are correct except for this, they will pick you exact MOS during the school not after. and this only applys to active duty Marines.

If you go reserves you get to pick your exact MOS. I am a reservist and I picked my exact MOS 0451. If you went reserve you can pick 0311, 0331 exetra. Just to cut off you next question before you make the mistake of asking it. Yes you can go reserve and get the MOS you want and than go active duty but it is more hassle than it is worth. and unless you have an exact civilian plans go Active.

I have a question about this also, I did some google searches and one person said that at SOI theres lines for diffrent infantry MOS's and you stand in one of them and if there's an opening in that MOS then thats where you train but if there isn't then you get sent into a diffrent one that has space. Is this correct or does it work some other way?

When you sit in front of your recruiter and pick an MOS it is not guaranteed. For example I was told to pick three MOS's and I would be given one. It just so happens that I was given the 03 designator. When you get to SOI infantry students are put into the Infantry Training Battalion. You will need to check but I believe SOI is still about 2 months. For the first month you will work on common skills (basic rifleman knowledge-land nav, overview of infantry weapons, a few humps, etc..) About three weeks into SOI your instructors will give you a class regarding the different 03 MOS's. If the company you are in is offering all MOS's you will choose from 0311, 0331, 0341, 0351, 0352. Usually the instructors will hold separate classes talking about the specifics of a MOS and answering questions. He will write down the names of those Marines that are interested and it will go from there. The next part depends a lot on a number of things-needs of the Corps, quota for the company, your GT score and lastly, what you would like. So if your lucky you make get what you pick but if not, you'll like it anyway.

The only way you can have all of your questions answered is to go through it yourself. Everyone has a different experience. Good luck with whatever your decide.

Thanks for the reply it cleared things up for me.

Would the chances be good that I can be a machinegunner or is does it depend too much on what the Marines need me too?

I would say that other than 0311, you have a good chance of being a 31. Due to the war and enemy we are fighting right now, the Corps doesn't have quite a need for 0351's and 0352's. 0311's, 0331's and 0341's are being utilized more in the current situation. Again, though, it all depends on the things I talked about in my last post. More important-whatever MOS you are given you must learn it very well. The Taliban are seasoned warriors and not messing around. In order to protect yourself and fellow Marines you need to know your job. So my advice would be to think about that when going through boot camp and SOI. When your going through something tough, think about what it means to help keep yourself and fellow Marines alive. Think about the Marines who are giving their best everyday and still loosing their brothers.

Here is a link to keep you motivated. Our job is unlike any other and you must understand that. Train your hardest to deal with the situations where you wish you trained harder.
http://www.militarycity.com/valor/honor.html

Good luck on your endeavors.

Thanks for the great info and the link,

I'll remember to try my hardest and be the best I can at whatever job I get whether I like it or not.

You can always request machineguns when you get to your infantry battalion as the crew serves (machineguns) are heavy so many don't want to carry them. Your gun team leader will teach you everything you need to know as it's not that difficult to learn on the job.

Understand that A-Stan is not the city war of Iraq and you'll be operational in the open. This means you'll be foot mobile instead of relying on humvees for mobility so you'll need plenty of upper body strength to do your job.

Personally I prefer walking because vehicles make great RPG bait whereas one man is a waste of ammo given their marksmanship doesn't appear to be all that high. Doesn't mean they can't and won't kill you because you never know about the man you're up against until it's over and one of you is dead.

It's imperative you work out now accordingly or the crew serve will wear you out simply trying to man pack (carry) the sucker along with 2-3 one hundred round assault pouches, spare barrel, etc. 60-70 pounds of primary weapon, and everything else feel like 180 - 210 pounds by the end of the day if you're not physically fit for it.

Best of luck in however it turns out.

Would alot of pushups,weight lifting, and bench pressing be enough upper body training for the crew served weapon or is there another way you recomend?

Some will probably disagree with me on this one but Crossfit always worked for me-or something like that. You don't only need to be strong but you need to move quickly with a lot of weight. If your big and strong and slow that does not help you out at all. Crossfit has helped me a lot with getting my PFT and now CFT score up.

But heres some food for thought- a quote I saw the other day that I've been trying to live by since I've been in. "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." Everything you will do and your performance will be a direct representation of your mental capacity. You must also have a very strong mind. Good luck.

What exactly is crossfit is it something i can do at home?

Do you have any good workouts that could help me get strong enough?

Link Removed A workout routine something like crossfit would suit well. Lots of pullups, lots of running, lots of leg and core exercises. Use the search tool and im sure you'll find something. You don't need a gym for any of this but a set of olympic weights and a bench would help but isn't necessary.
most important-don't hurt yourself. If unexperienced, routines like crossfit can really hurt you so be careful.

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Thanks for the info on crossfit, ill look into it and try it out.

I looked at the website and it seems like a good idea to to to try it out, can you tell me your workout routine just to help me get started?

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They're handling the PT part well so I'll stay with the job as we're a team effort to help you here.

Speed in combat is life. As you read above, you've got to be able to displace your weapon from firing position to firing position otherwise they'll dial you in and you're dead. Remember, a machinegun fires at a high rate so they'll pick up your muzzle flashes if they have any skills at all. Especially at night.

So gear your workouts for agility and speed along with total body strength to give yourself an edge in combat.

Most importantly, stay with what Jakeneller wrote because everything in the Corps is considered "90% mental and 10% physical." This literally means you can do anything as long as you believe you can. Truth be told? "The only reason you haven't done something already is we simply haven't thought of it yet."