Enlistment Contract, asking all enlisted

[Meatfoam]

Hi guys,

I am taking HMC-FMF-PJ's advice to heart. I will be talking to another recruiter next week.

Here's my question: What kind of things did you guys make sure tobe written in your contracts before you signed?

Another thing: I am asking this out of mere curiosity. How many people here were made into corpsmen by the Navy without having requested such rating (is that the right term, rating?)? And out of those people, how manyloved (or still love) what they did, or still do?

Have a good night, everyone!



David

[Poolzer]

All I did was wander in, take the ASVAB, tell them I wanted into their medical program, went to MEPS, got HM and signed the dotted line for 4 years with 1 year extension enlistment. Nothing fancy, nothing special and ten years later, I have no regrets and have gotten pretty much everything Ive wanted from the Navy.

[old navy]

I reported aboard my first ship in 1977 as an undesignated deck seaman. I was about to take the test for BM3 when an opening came up for an HM striker.I put in for it and got it. We were on a Med cruise at the time. Shortly after we returned, I reported to Corps School at Great Lakes.

I was in the Navy 26 years, over 24 as a Corpsman and 16 as an Independent Duty Corpsman. I loved every minute of it.

[Da-Chief]

OldNavy my friends is what we call "REAL NAVY" he experienced it all.

One thing I like to tell folks, don't geta C-School right out of A-School. Get a feel for the Navy and understand what we do before you specialize.

Once you choose your NEC you can be locked down to it for years upon years upon years, and some of them can really hurt when up for a Sea Shore rotation.

V/R
HMC

[old navy]

I agree. Except for FMSS and instructor school, IDC school was my first and only 'C' school. I was lucky enough to be assigned to 3 tin cans, 1 oiler, and various FMF units. I also had some great shore duty. Corps School instructor, Cecil Field clinic, and 2 headquarters commands. It was a good life.

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

May include: enlistment bonuses, length of service (obligated vs non-ob, Active, SelRes, IRR), rating, A School, paygrade, DEP details, report date, loan repayment, college fund, first duty assignment, buddy program, & more

Here is an interesting article. Most seems right, but I don't agree with everything said:
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/joiningup/a/recruiter4.htm

some enlistment bonus info:
http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/EIncentives/N5311%20EB/EB/Released%20EB%20Messages/FY07/CNRC_GENADMIN_252203ZOCTEFF_29OCT06.pdf

[mestup3117]

I wanted to be a Corpsman so bad that when it wasn't open, I opted to go the undesignated route. Most people will tell you to NEVER become undes because you're at the mercy of the Navy. I can honestly say it's been one of the best decisions I've made concerning my career. I've gotten to experience and see things most Corpsman won't. I've seen how the Navy works and I've put in my time doing everything from cleaning heads, to serving punch at a Change of Command (most humbling moment in my career thus far) to running our squadron's Indoc program. I've got a leg up on all the Corpsman I will be attending school with due to OJTand my AW qual. Going straight in as a Corpsman wouldn't have allowed me to experience all those things. I think they're doing away with the undes program, but it's definetly something I wouldn't trade for the world. As long as you stay motivated there's nothing you can't accomplish in the Navy. Hope that helps.