From FMTB to Reserve Unit

[EMT_HM]

Hello.
I'm about to graduate from FMTB-East. After this, I'll be heading to Quincy, Massachusetts to my reserve station.
Any idea regarding which unit I'm gonna be atteched to? There's nothing in my orders related to any Marine unit.

EMT_HM

[Hayato89]

Hi EMT_HM,
If you are a reservist under New Accession Training, then you're mostly likely just have been ordered to report to your local reserve center simply to begin drilling without any follow on orders. From what I've been hearing, there are alot of deployment opportunities offered once you get to your reserve center.

Good luck,
Scotty O'Connor (USNVET and depper HM dad)

[FMF_DOC]

Dont worry, already spoke with you what you needed to do when you get there. I was stationed with Ordnance Contact Team-1 not too far from Quincey. It's not a bad place. If you need help when you get there, call me.
R/
HM1 Paul
1st Platoon

[8404]

FMF Doc;

Whoa, it's been a long time, welcome back, welcome home or whatever the case maybe. Glad to see ya here.

[jared_fletcher2001]

Hey I am in the same situation actually. I don't leave for boot camp til june.. june26th2009. But i too dont see anything related to a marine corp unit. just my NOSC. But out of Tampa, FL (where I will be drilling) there is the 4th Assault Amphibious Marines...soo will I be with them?!

jared_fletcher2001@yahoo.com

DEP Jared L FLETCHER

FIREFIGHTER1

[FMF_DOC]

First, Thanks everyone, I have been very busy with career moves. Short term goals have been met and new long range goals in place. Currently writing articles for National Military Family Asc. and enjoying it.

Second, Remember the needs of the navy. You will be amongst Sailors who will point you in the right direction when you arrive to you Naval Command. If a Marine unit needs help and their corpsman calls for help, You may be chosen to drill with the requesting unit. Untill then, learn all you can from the people your attached to.
R/
HM1 Paul

[Pirkle8404]

Future FMF Corpsman,
When I graduated FMTB West several of my shipmates were assigned to Marine Corps units. I was assigned blue side. It all comes down to, like HM1 said, the needs of the Navy. If you're assigned green side enjoy it. If you go blue side, enjoy that too. You will learn a lot either way. Remember to keep your FMF skills up. No matter which side you're assigned you will need them. Some of the corpsman that you will drill with will not be 8404. I don't care what their rank is they can't touch you on your combat trauma skills and knowledge.

HM3 Select Pirkle

[indy]

EMT_HM,

As an FTS HM at a NOSC, the process is this - you'll arrive at NOSC Quincy where they will process your sep from active duty, and cut you orders to a specific reserve unit. It depends on the availability of billets, NEC requirements etc on the particular unit RUAD (Reserve Unit Assignment Document) as to where you'll fit in best. They try to put 8404 NECs with the green side units if available, but you may end up with a SeaBee det or with a hospital det depending on whats open. Like the others said, keep your eyes and ears open, there are multiple opportunities to deploy (or IA), it all depends on what you want to do. Engage with your Reserve Unit chain of command when you get there, and they should be able to help you out.

Quincy's got some good folks, and they'll do their best to help you.

-indy

[white_sg]

I was npsb and have been an 8404 reserve corpsman with 4th med bn. and to be honest it's been a terrible experience.

[indy]

ok, white_sg, this is the third post of yours I'm reading, and every single one has been negative - care to share why it's been so bad, and what you are doing to fix it?

[white_sg]

I'm on my phone and I can elaborate in detail when I'm off work. You are right about the negatives. If you read my intro post you will see I can be a very motivated sailor/corpsman it was a difficult transition from ad training to sitting at a nosc. I try to stay positive. Thanks for the reality check.

[indy]

I can understand about the difficulty in transition from active to reserve - it's a different way of life. I did see your intro post, and you sound like a hard charger, but it's hard to help out when all I see is all about how AFU the Reserve situation is. In the Reserve life, responsibility for your career and training rests even more on your shoulders as folks are working two jobs, and their primary one is not Navy related usually. Keep your head up, look around for opportunities, and let us know if we can help out.

[white_sg]

edit post: I'd rather not get in depth.

[clifpi]

Indy,
I was reading through your reponses and thought you would have some great insight. Since you are FTS, I think you can relate to "Reservist life". What advice or insights can you offer to a NAT reservist? I assume going from ad to reserves, you will lose some of the skills you learned so what it sounds like is my life as a reservist will be what I make of it. Do you think I can gather more clinical time? We have a hosp wbout 55 miles from here but doubt I will be assigned to it. What can I do to make the best out of my experience as 8404 HN since the weight of learning is on us? Can you post or email at clifpi@yahoo.com. I think all reservists leave the training with motivation however, you are right when you say we have to balance our lives with careers, family, etc...so when I walk into my reserve center, where do I start? If I set goals for myself for advancement and keep my skills and training fresh, can they be realistically met as a reservist?

[indy]

The biggest change that a NAT would see is the extreme difference between an Active Duty lifestyle and a Reserve Duty lifestyle - in the case of a Reserve member, the bulk of career management falls squarely on the individual's shoulders.

It's hard to say whether you can get certain skills/training etc as it will vary widely by the type of NOSC you are at, the type of unit that you are in, and what your supported command's mission is.

Some examples: if you are at a NOSC that is not attached to a military installation, and you are an HM attached to an Operational Health Support Unit (blueside medical det basically), then you can expect to do much the same tasks that can be found in a small shore clinic (PHAs & Dental - with all of the ancillary service that go with that). If you drill with a unit attached to a Marine I&I, then you may have similar requirements for the health and readiness of your Marines, but also have a training cycle and other operational requirements to meet.

Where do you start? Well, when you check in, you need to find out what unit you are going to. Typically the NOSC Manpower/CMC/CO (or in combination) make that determination based on whats available and open within the units under that NOSC. You may get put with an OHSU even though you have an 8404 NEC simply because that NOSC doesn't have any 8404 billets.

You certainly can meet your goals, provided they are realistic. There will be times when the monotony of doing repetitive processes every drill weekend can wear you down but a good chain of command will rotate folks around so that doesn't happen. You can always bring the issue up with them if it's not happening. Likewise there are many many significant collateral duties that have to be filled regardless of the size of the unit so you may find yourself filling a role as a junior that typically would be filled be a senior in the Active Component.

Your annual training will be spent in support of your gaining command (for blueside units, that will typically be a large shore MTF - Norfolk, Portsmouth, San Diego etc) and that will be an opportunity to refresh some skills. It's been the case where there has been some friction between AC and RC members during periods of AT and drills, but provided you show up ready to work then it should be ok. Otherwise, this needs to be addressed with both chains of command... (I don't condone any behavior from either side about duty status - could go on for a while on that, but it's better served as a topic for a different post).

Reserve members have access to all the same information online that Active members have so there is no excuse for not knowing. The Navy Reserve is governed by instructions/notices and policy just like everywhere else - it's just that the work force is a little more transient in nature. That being said, keep copies of everything and backups all over as you never know where in the process things may go wrong.

I'm sure that you've heard the horror stories about NOSCs and Reserve life - there are places that do have issues that need to be resolved. I would know, I was at one of them - we have since turned it around, and are now consistently one of the best in the region. Reserve life is what you make of it, just like anywhere else - the only difference is that you are forced to be a little more independent and take charge of your own career.

Good luck to you, and let us know if you have any other questions.

[clifpi]

Indy!
This great insight! I really appreciate you taking the time out to send this response.

[indy]

You are welcome, let us know if you have any other questions.