Hello,

I DEPed in back on May 1st with a BX Data Systems contract for a 5 year enlistment. My recruiters have told me my MOS school would be in 29 Palms, and the few other Marines that have asked what my MOS would be, would tell me that I was going to 29 Palms as well.

The thing is, a while back I read some where on these boards that the Job Field 40, Data Systems was integrated into something else and there are a wider range of MOS's I might be given.

Now I have also asked both SNCOIC's at my recruiting station (we just had a change of hands) and neither has gotten back to me on the clarification of this information.

To add to all of that, my mother loves to get online and research everything for herself. She read on this Marine community site, Marine Parents, that I would be going to Quantico, Virginia for my schooling.

I am just hoping that someone on this board has the resources or first-hand knowledge to clarify this for me. I'll go wherever the Marine Corps tells me I need to be, but it's also the next 5 years of my life and I don't want to end up someplace completely different than what I signed up for.

Thanks for any help that can be given,
RonemX

You can contact the Marine Corps Communications Electronics School command at 29 Palms and find out about training. There may even be information available on their web site.

I've got news for you as far as being assigned to a location, as a Marine you will go where and when the Marine Corps wants you to go. That applies to all Marines. If you stay around long anough you may get a specific location or assignment by request.

The school used to be in Quantico, VA. several years ago. It's now in 29 Palms, CA.

Here's what MCO 1130.53P says about the BX program:

0500 Marine Air Ground Task Force Plans
0511 MAGTF Planning Specialist

0600 Command and Control Systems
0651 Data Network Specialist
0656 Tactical Network Specialist

Program Notes:
• U. S. Citizen
• Must be eligible for a SECRET Clearance. In fairness to the applicant, an enlistee for this program should have reasonable assurance of being granted a Secret Clearance. To ensure a reasonable degree of success in attaining the applicant's guaranteed option, the following prescreening prerequisites will be used in assessing the probability of being granted a secret clearance.
a. No felony convictions.
b. No drug or moral waiver above the Recruiting Station Level. On an exception to policy basis only, MCRC may give consideration to applicants with serious offenses provided RS and District COs believe the offense would not disqualify the applicant from receiving a security clearance. This consideration is intended to be reserved for applicants that would be considered a “safe risk” for clearance application. For this reason, commanders will use strong discretion when determining if a waiver should be endorsed and forwarded to CG, MCRC (G-3) for consideration. Such waivers are expected to be infrequent. Since MCRC must coordinate these exceptions to policy with the Department of the Navy Central Adjudication Facility (DONCAF), the approval process will take longer than normal. Applicants with IN-DEP drug use may retain their program at the discretion of the Commanding Officer of the MCD.
• RS will ensure that a SF-86/EPSQ (NAC/LC) is submitted to OPM/DSS for the security clearance requirements of this Enlistment Option prior to shipping to recruit training. Verification of submission will be documented on DD1966/4, Section VI - Remarks. A printed copy of the SF-86/EPSQ will be placed on the documents side of the Service Record Book when shipped to recruit training.

The 2 programs in Bold above (0500 and 0600) ARE NOT actual MOS's. It's just a overall description of the MOS's that fall within that field. The 3 actual MOS's that you can be assigned in the BX program are 0511, 0651, and 0656 (as listed above). More than likely you'll be assigned as an 0651, but of course that's no guarantee. Your guess is as good as mine. It's all up the the Marine Corps. However, I will tell you that for all intents and purposes 0651 and 0656 are pretty much one and the same. Hope this helps.

Thank you very much. I appreciate the information. It finally clears up all of what I've been reading/told.

I understand I will go where they need me to go, and I have absolutely no problem with that policy.