Obtaining a Contract

[insidecntr]

Rangers,

I have been working with and waiting for my recruiter to secure an 11x Opt40 for about a month or so now, and still no progress. He says he calls (whoever) every day and is being told there will be no slots available until March. He knows that is the only contract I am interested in and isn't pressuring me to sign anything else. I am prepared to wait, but I was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and has been put on hold for several months? And if so, what they did about it. Any words of advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.

[Baseplate]

Just keep your goals in sight and be patient. If you want you can try to put a little more pressure on your recruiter or even go talk to a differant recruiter. In the end get what you want from your recruiter because honestly you will probably never see him again afer he drops you off at MEPS for the last time

[wellfed]

Have you been to MEPS? if so when did you go? Where do you reside? These sometimes factor into enlistment contracts.. All MEPS call and receive slots from the ROC (Recruitment Operation Center) in Fort Knox. They are the ones who allocate slots per region..i.e. 1st Brigade (Northeast) 2nd Brigade (Southeast) etc.. each MEPS can also have allocated slots...if you've been to MEPS and they said there isn't a slot ...maybe it's time to go visit a relative far away...PM me if you have any further questions.

[insidecntr]

Thank you Ranger wellfed and Ranger Baseplate,

I'm in NY and my recruiter is in the Boston area, I started working with him before I graduated college up there. He said he wants to wait for me to go to MEPS, by which time he says he will have an Opt 40 locked in for me, and I will get the entire enlistment done in one shot. He might also want me to wait because if I go to MEPS and don't get the right contract and walk away, I'll be an easy sell for any recruiter that can secure it for me before he does. Little work involved for the recruiter if I've already gone to MEPS once. Just speculation though.

[Praetorian]

I have done the ASVAB, Medical portion of MEP's thus far, my recruiter has given me similar information regarding option 40 contracts. I have also spoken with two other recruiters (One of which served with 3rd Batt) and they also informed me no option 40s will be open until March or later of next year. So for all the deps in this position with me I say hold it out, I personally am not sure If I can. I have been informed by the recruiter who served in the regiment that he can get me a slot if I take the option 4...so I personally am considering that option.

But if it's not in your contract it's not guaranteed so I would say wait if you can. Thanks

-Mike

[panthersix]

Why don't you go SF or 82d until you can go Ranger? Hell, there's nothing wrong with USMC infantry until you can get an option 40!

[insidecntr]

Thank you Rangers and all for the advice, I am going to talk to a new recruiter soon but I won't sign anything other than the Opt 40. I appreciate the responses.

[panthersix]

There's a fucking war on right now and you can gain real world experience by joining the Marines as an infantryman. We had SSG Guest, prior service USMC Vietnam Veteran, in my Company when I got there. Ain't nothing like having a combat vet in your unit.

I appreciate your desire to be a Hooah Ranger and all may be delayed, but you still have a chance to be a man RIGHT NOW.

[Baseplate]

I where did the talk of being a marine start?

[panthersix]

Sorry, but if I was 19 or thereabouts and I got denied a contract to be a Ranger, then I'd join something else to get in the war. Sorry for going off on a tangent, but we are fighting a war right now.

[insidecntr]

Ranger Panthersix,

Thank you very much for the advice and I will take it into strong consideration, but other Rangers' advice on these boards has advised me to hold out for the Ranger contract and that is what I plan on doing. That was my goal after graduating college and I will stick with it. Thanks for taking the time to respond to my question and thank you for your service, I am very grateful for both.

[panthersix]

Ranger Panthersix,

Thank you very much for the advice and I will take it into strong consideration, but other Rangers' advice on these boards has advised me to hold out for the Ranger contract and that is what I plan on doing. That was my goal after graduating college and I will stick with it. Thanks for taking the time to respond to my question and thank you for your service, I am very grateful for both.

You're very welcome and I wish you much luck and success. My story is that I went into the recruiter to enlist for SF Medic. The asshat told me that there were no slots for SF Medic. My next question was "what unit will be the easiest to transfer into the Special Forces from?" He told me Ranger!

But I was ready to go into the military to become a paratrooper more than anything in the world at that time in my life. I passed on the USMC because they couldn't guarantee me an Airborne slot. So I do understand.