Is FMSS optional?

[leslo92]

I plan on enlisting in about 6 months after I graduate high school to be a Corpsman. My recruiter told me that FMSS is completely optional. I just was wondering if this is true. Or do all Corpsmen have to go to FMSS?

[Da-Chief]

Ahem..

Leslo92,

go to

http://www.corpsman.com or also read the posts here @

http://www.corpsman.com/wowbb/view_topic.php?id=410&forum_id=31

Yes you have to go to FMSS, it is not optional any more.. Recruiter is mistaken, this swtiched in November..

V/R
HMC Crone
Da-Chief

[MAWDoc]

Your recruiter didn't EXACTLY lie, he just didn't present you with the whole truth.

Yes, FMSS is optional.....for the Navy, not the Corpsman graduating NHCS!:)

[combatdoc]

FMSS is good for everyone, but not everyone will be able to make it through. Navy boot kind of makes a guy or gal get soft. Corp school was the same way, then all of a sudden BAM!!! FMSS, So stay in shape you swabby's, physically and mentally!!

[Orzonus]

combatdoc wrote: FMSS is good for everyone, but not everyone will be able to make it through. Navy boot kind of makes a guy or gal get soft. Corp school was the same way, then all of a sudden BAM!!! FMSS, So stay in shape you swabby's, physically and mentally!!

And what happens if you don't complete FMSS? Are you discharged out of the Navy?

[Da-Chief]

As of Friday 08 December 2006, They were admin sep'ing people if they were nto qualified to go to FMSS. Evenyone has to be qaulified to go.

We just this month lost 4 able bodied people who were not qualified to got to FMSS though.

The days of thinking you were going to get a hospital or ship if you did not qualify for FMSS are over..

V/R
HMC

[combatdoc]

Where do they go if they don't qualify. Can they request another school?

[Da-Chief]

Entry level Seperation..

You see all rates are doing this now.. Because they are sending everyone over to the sandbox, they all have to qualify.

Your qualified or your not..

If not your out.

Da-Chief

[crazycajun]

Remember, we are moving more toward a deploying force. Most of the billets are Marine Corps billets. We need trained personnel ready to go. Why you ask? It's because the FMF Docs are getting mulled over, with mutiple deployments to Iraq. I've said this before, the day of standing on shore and watching the deploying Sailors are going away. I've seen Physical Therapy Techs deploy as a 8404 with the Marine Corps. We need more bodies to give the guys who have been out there,(2, 3 & some 4 times),the breaks they deserve. If you don't want to go to the FMF, please pick another rate! Because, I don't want my FMF Docs to look ashore at a Sailor who doesn't deploy. It's a morale buster!

Just my 2 cents!

[Da-Chief]

Cha-Ching..

;-)

Da-Chief

Da-Bears..

[hm1park]

I worked in POMI (Plans Operations Medical Intelligence) for 4 years. I soaked up what some would say too much shore duty. I was ramped up twice to go, but never did. It's very true, the fact that some people sit on shore duty forever alienates those who deployto the sandbox over and over. My job there was to augment those shore duty folks on platforms and send them to support the war effort. Augmentation wasn't a big issue till 9/11 hit 9 months after I got the job there. Suddenly we were scrambling for 8404 trained individuals and although you'd think there are tons of them out there, when I searched our database for HM3's and HM2's whom were 0000/8404 I came up drastically shorthanded. OIF I hit and we needed more and more personnel. One guys jaw hit the floor when we told him that although he is a Urology technician (historically very shore intensive), he would be deploying to augment 2D Mar Div.

When I was going through Corps School, they told us we would be picking orders in class academic ranking. The instructor put the orders on the board. 1, 2, 3, ....MARDIV...MARDIV...MARDIV ...."Now all males will pick in class ranking" he said with a grin. It changed for each class based on the need forFMF corpsmen. Nowadays you will almost certainly see time in Iraq. I'm glad to see the policy change now vs sending them as needed.