Option 40 and the Prior Service Soldier.

Questions and Answers about obtaining an Option 40 Contract and other routes to serving as a Ranger in the US Army.
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Dan24
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Re: Option 40 and the Prior Service Soldier.

Post by Dan24 »

I am a prior service Marine trying to get option 40, its tough but i'm making ground. I am e-4 and was a squad leader in the infantry with 2 deployments to Iraq. My question is why all the hostility towards the prior service guys? I am fully aware that what I have done previously won't count for beans on my way to battalion, but it seems as if guys are going out of their way to take a big dump on me. Is this purely interservice rivalry and i'm just the meat that people will sink their teeth into? I think most knowledgable Marines in the infantry know by their 2 or 3rd deployment that Rangers are pulling alot more serious missions and their lifestyle and training is probably what Marines thought they were going to get in Corps but those days are gone, thats why they are trying to come over to battalion. I understand the whole "you are new, shut up and do as your told" but these are just veteran warfighters trying to make an honest change and pay for it in sweat and blood. Any information is appreciated including those of you who wish to chew me a new one, any info is better than none. I guess everybody is always gonna be boot to somebody.
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mortar_guy78
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Re: Option 40 and the Prior Service Soldier.

Post by mortar_guy78 »

Post an intro and read the rules of the site.
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K.Ingraham
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Re: Option 40 and the Prior Service Soldier.

Post by K.Ingraham »

Dan24 wrote:why all the hostility towards the prior service guys? .
Not to undermine your responsibility to go post the intro & read the site rules, but this question is worth answering.

The difficulty for prior service enlistees has nothing to do with interservice rivalry & everything to do with defense spending on a the big screen.
Each service gets apportioned 'X' dollars to recruit and train servicemembers. Each service has a ceiling number of bodies it can have and that is budgeted for. Sadly, in most government operations, money not spent each year on what and how it is budgeted for is lost for the next budget cycle. "You didn't spend it, you must not need it."
Services recognize the value of experience and each wants to hang onto what it has. Crossing over is difficult partly due to each service discouraging the others from changing horses, but the big idea is that a service is only credited for cherries initial training and thier MOS training. Prior service are deemed to already be trained (even if they are enlisting for a totally new career field). Therefore they fill a slot and cost the gaining service the dollars it otherwise would've recieved. Pretty much, your enlistment costs double what a new enlistee would gain for the Army.

All that being said, I would lay some money on a prior service, 'combat-qualified' Marine would be a damn good risk for recruiting for our regiment. Good luck, your goal is bureaucratically difficult but doable so long as your record is clean. For inspiration (or dissuasion), look for Prodigy's thread.
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FORRTrES
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Re: Option 40 and the Prior Service Soldier.

Post by FORRTrES »

I read the PRIOR SERVICE RULES(current as of 2Aug2018) before visiting my recruiter a few weeks ago. But apparently I misread it, and he JUST figured out how to read it yesterday.

According to the list, I fall under #7, section b, subsection 1. The MOS' available are as follows:
11B, 12B, 12C, 13J, 13F, 13M, 14E, 14G, 14H, 18X, 19D, 19K, 35T, 68C, 88M, and 92F.
SunTzulu
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Re: Option 40 and the Prior Service Soldier.

Post by SunTzulu »

FORRTrES wrote:I read the PRIOR SERVICE RULES(current as of 2Aug2018) before visiting my recruiter a few weeks ago. But apparently I misread it, and he JUST figured out how to read it yesterday.

According to the list, I fall under #7, section b, subsection 1. The MOS' available are as follows:
11B, 12B, 12C, 13J, 13F, 13M, 14E, 14G, 14H, 18X, 19D, 19K, 35T, 68C, 88M, and 92F.

That’s correct prior service, non-Airborne personnel get retrained into those MOS’. I know that 11B and 12B are Ranger eligible MOS’ but my brother was in AIT recently for Combat Engineer (12B) and the Regiment did not come recruiting at his class or the one before him. I can only assume they are over-strength for 11B as well.


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