Just finished range week!

[Mosin]

Well, I suppose I might as well just throw in my two cents on FMTB/FMSS as it's been going for me so far, currently we're in the 3 to a room BEQ. However the class coming in after us is going to be open bay again, because renevations are almost done (We got a chance to look around inside, really not bad at all). Anywho... here's where I'm at roughly in the training. Completed test #1-4, already spent a day in the field, learned all the MCMAP training, completed the week at the range with the M4-Carbine, and started getting into test #5 material. We've got about 3 weeks left until graduation (May 20th) and this next week entails learning test #5 material, going out in the field for 3 days, followed next week by finex, casualty assessment (Casass.. Pretty much the final test), and the 6-7 and 8 mile humps.

If you've got any questions as to what to expect with FMTB West, feel free to ask. Right now it's not to bad, PT is fairly easy and it's really boot camp mentality, the instructors are the ideal corpsman, and if you get the chance, tap into their sea stories and learn as much as you can.

That's pretty much all I got. I'm really exited to get out of here and serve with the 1st Marine Division, and so far... It really is going by fast. The first two or three weeks are slow, but after you've got phase 4 liberty, and you're wearing cammies all day, it's not so bad. (Oh, except for this week, because we spend the whole week waking up at 0330 so we could go to the armory and draw weapons).

Cheers guys,
-Mosin

[ArizFlash]

Mosin,

My son will be reporting to Pendelton on 5/15 for clinic duty (PCI?)for 87 days before he starts FMTB training with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. He is then scheduled for assignment to Navy Medical Center in San Diego.

I've got a couple questions for you if you're able to answer.

1. Can you have a personal vehicle for the clinic duty and FMTB School?

2. Is the FMTB school with the air wing any different than the regular Marines?

3. You answered the other question about quarters. It sounds like it will be a barracks. He has been in the three to a room at Great Lakes.

Thanks,
Alan

[Mosin]

Alan,

To answer your questions, in order, yes he will be permitted a car. It will have to go through a safety check, but POV's are allowed, also, it's called "PSI" duty. Essentially what he'll be doing during this stage is working at the hospital and pretty much relaxing (Compared to FMTB life anyways). Liberty is pretty much once the day is done, you're good to go. Similiar to the real fleet or any non-training command. It'll take about 5 days to get through all the inprocessing, but it sounds to me like he'll more than likely go the the class that will class up next after ours (We graduate 5-20, and give a 2 week downtime for another class that is run through FMTB) because we had a lot of people that were sceduled to do a lot of PSI time, but because they came before the classup date, they ended up just falling in with us, because we had room.

My advice is to bring a POV, as it's your best tool to hold all your extra stuff.

As far as the second question goes, we have people from all different spectrums of the Navy going through FMTB, it doesn't matter if you're going 1st MLG, 3rd MAR DIV, Naval Hospital Guam, or anything. If you go through FMTB, you go though the same class as everyone else. The only difference is after the divisional corpsman graduate FMTB we have to attend a few more classes before we can see our unit.

Hope that helped answer your questions. Feel free to ask more or have your son come on the board if he's got anything else. Life here in the grand scheme of things is not that hard, and it goes by with a speed and intensity. The main thing is just to stay motivated.

[ArizFlash]

I've asked my son to get online with corpsman.com but he doesn't have a good connection at corp school.

Thanks again,

Alan

[8404]

Alan:

What I don't understand is, after your son completes FMTB, is your son being stationed at Naval Medical Center San Diego, CA (http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmcsd/Pages/default.aspx) or with the 3d Marine Aircraft Wing at San Diego, CA? (http://www.3maw.usmc.mil/) Would he be attending a 'C' school at NMCSD prior to reporting to 3d MAW?

(http://www.3maw.usmc.mil/)

[white_sg]

I was in the first class of FMTB 2007040 at Pendleton with Sgt. J and we were still firing A2's and only 10 rounds. Damn.