Questions about joining Navy/Marines

[TexasComputerDude]

Hey yall,

My cousin wants to join the armed forces and has a couple questions for you guys since yall are some
of the smartest guys Texas has to offer.

[1] After I have been sworn into Navy DEP am I allowed to switch to USMC DEP? How would it affect me?
I have been in Navy DEP since February and my ship date is December 15th of this year.

[2] What can you tell me about the Nuclear Biological Chemical defense specialist program. Is it offered to
enlisted personnel? What about logistics?

[3] How binding is the initial enlistment contract? I'm thinking of going marine instead of navy now.

[4] The recruiter told me I couldn't drop out of Navy DEP because they said the initial enlistment contract is a
"legally binding contract". Their is no ship date on it. There is only the day I signed the contract.

My cousin had originally wanted to be a corpsman in the navy but now he wants to join the marines.

[android]

Hey yall,

[4] The recruiter told me I couldn't drop out of Navy DEP because they said the initial enlistment contract is a
"legally binding contract". Their is no ship date on it. There is only the day I signed the contract.

You are over 18 and have signed a legally binding contract enlisting yourself in the United States Navy.

You didn't really think the federal govt was just kidding, did you?

Anchors aweigh (<==NOTE: correct spelling, do you use "away" or you will look like idiot), shipmate!!

Also, it sounds like you have been given your ship date, (which is usually TBD at first, that doesn't matter) so you better show up or you will be AWOL.

[TxRVer]

Tell your cousin to see a Marine recruiter. If anyone could find a loophole to get him into the Marines...

[TexasComputerDude]

it also says "I understand that I WILL be ordered to active duty unless I report to the place shown in item 4 above by (list date) Blank."


He signed the form DD FORM 4/1

[C-dub]

I was in the DEP a loooong time ago. Another friend of mine was too and he ended up chickening out at the airport on his way to boot. Apparently, you're not officially totally in until you swear in at boot and nothing really happened. I don't know if this is still the case or not. Obviously, a recruiter wouldn't like this last minute change, but there might not be any adverse consequences.

NAVYCHIEF will hopefully see this and know the answer.

[MoJo]

Remember military recruiters are salesmen with a quota to meet. When my step grandson was trying to join the Marines the recruiter told him some bald faced lies to keep him on the hook. Once he got to San Diego they culled him in a heartbeat. (Old injury exacerbated by PT)

[TexasComputerDude]

I just wish they would be more honest about things. My cousin really wants to serve, but doesn't like not being told the facts.

[TxRVer]

Apparently, you're not officially totally in until you swear in at boot and nothing really happened.

Maybe that's why our group was sworn in before getting on the plane.

[KD5NRH]

You didn't really think the federal govt was just kidding, did you?

Why not? After all, the CINC doesn't seem to place a lot of importance on oaths or contractual obligations.

[LaserTex]

I was an Air Force recruiter for 4 years. The Delayed Enlistment Program (DEP) is the Inactive Reserves. You are now part of the official numbers of the Armed Forces. It is a legally binding contract but none of the services will force the issue in court. If you are in the Navy DEP, go talk to your Navy recruiter...or their boss...or their boss. Keep going until someone can answer all of your questions about switching to the Marines. When you go to the MEPS (Military Entrance processing Station) for the final physical and swearing in, then you are part of the Armed Forces Active rolls.

Hope this helps...btw - not all recruiters lie. I was more concerned with my personal integrity than I was about getting my numbers...and if you treat people right, they tell 2 friends, and they tell 2 friends and so on and so on...and the numbers take care of themselves. This is the same once you get into a management position. You take care of your people and the mission will take care of itself.

Doug

[lonewolf]

I was a Navy recruiter for 3 1/2 years. Never lied, cheated or stole. One thing I told the kids was that I was going back to the fleet when I got done recruiting, and I wanted the best I could send there to join me. Not a lie.

Back in the day, all it took was the DEPper refusing to ship. Recent interactions with recruiters tends to confirm this. I put several folks in that were "DEP attrites" from other services. Just took a waiver. Of course, along with the waiver, I made completely sure the youngster wasn't going to bag on me.

One young man I helped a couple of years ago, when he asked me for advice would up not shipping for the Army, followed my advice and is now a 2nd Looie in the USMC after graduating college.

It can be done, it is not that hard. Just be prepared to listen to a lot of grief from the current recruiter, and make sure you talk to the new recruiter first. Right now there are LOTS of folks wanting to join because of the economy. When that happens, waivers can be tough to come by. Your new recruiter should not work to persuade you to drop DEP for another service. He may not even talk to you until you have. When I was recruiting, other services' DEPpers were sacred territory and we tried to respect that.

Good luck!

I recommend you send a PM to NAVYCHIEF here on the forum. I believe he's a recruiter in Marble Falls. He has more current information and insight, I'm sure.

[TexasComputerDude]

cool thanks for all yalls input.


my cousin had originally wanted to be a corpsman and has been studying biology at SFA and was planning on becoming a medical doctor but he may now want to take a few years break from studying biology and do something that will toughen him up.