No problem.
I've noticed that, don't you drive a DSG cobra?
I'm in Hampstead during the day, I've seen a few Terminators here and there.
Training with MARsoc
- Thread starter svtfocus2cobra
- Start date
No problem.
I've noticed that, don't you drive a DSG cobra?
I'm in Hampstead during the day, I've seen a few Terminators here and there.
i had a Marine in my unit go to MARsoc A&S. he was a Cpl. with 1 deployment as a gunner 1st class everything one of only 12 IIRC to make it through the A&S and still didnt make it because it primary MOS wasnt 03xx. the MARsoc recruiters came to Cpls course when i went last year and explained the whole process, its extremely tough but very rewarding. i would say unless you have been in for a few years with at least a deployment in a combat arms MOS you would be wasting your time to go to the A&S, even if you make it through your not guaranteed anything.
have fun OP sounds like some good training and good times that 99% of the corps wont get to have.
have fun OP sounds like some good training and good times that 99% of the corps wont get to have.
Not anymore :cryying: Sold it to a member here.
There's still a sonic blue in the area (Heater on here) and a good friend of mine has a torch red on chrome saleens that you might see running around.
Sorry for the thread hijack fellas.
I did get to go "on base" today, but it was just to get our visitors pass. For some reason joining up has really peaked my interest as of late. I guess b/c I'm nearing the deadline for age requirement and my damn curiosity is killing me. I'd love to put in some time for my country but I'm worried that if I signed up I wouldn't get to go the direction I'd want...:smmon:
OP, I thought you got out? Or still have a year or two to go from EAS? Or have you reenlisted already?
Sounds like fun man, I'd like to do the high speed stuff, but totally suck at swim with cammies and boots on.
Sounds like fun man, I'd like to do the high speed stuff, but totally suck at swim with cammies and boots on.
From what I hear they want Sgts or Cpls that will be Sgts by the time they finish ITC. Their looking for maturity mostly from what I hear which would involve someone who's done tours and is a little older, but they still will pull guys who don't have combat tours. They make rounds to Security Forces every year looking for guys and we don't have any combat experience. Our security clearance and those of us who have gone through CQB make us good candidates for them, plus we do nothing but stand post and work out. In my platoon 16 of the 17 or 18 guys that have went for it have made it.
No, I've only been in for only for about a year and a half.
Another thing someone brought up which was who they're compared to. They're more along the lines of SEALs and Army SF, they're not like Recon. Recon and Rangers are more along the same lines.
We're allowed to take pictures now so when I get done with this ill post up whatever good ones we got. I have no way of uploading them right now.
Sounds like they look for a mature candidate who puts forth the effort and has the desire to be there. I can also see why they want some older guys with a few deployments under they're belt.
Thanks for the good info OP.
Waiting for pics.
Thanks for the good info OP.
Waiting for pics.
Got some more info from my recruiter on Marsoc Indocs, as well as some bits from here>
Becomming a Special Operations Marine
E3 or higher, 1st class PFT, Second class swim qual ( [ame=http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43574]1st class swim qual - Marine Corps Community for USMC Marine Veterans[/ame]).
Becomming a Special Operations Marine
E3 or higher, 1st class PFT, Second class swim qual ( [ame=http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43574]1st class swim qual - Marine Corps Community for USMC Marine Veterans[/ame]).
Any pics yet?
From what they told us the requirements on rank just changed and I think I mentioned it before but you need to be at least a Cpl that will be picking up Sgt by the time you finish ITC. Of course there will be waivers to that for Marines who've shown spectacular performance and ability, but for the most part that's what they're looking for.
I do have pictures but we were told that pictures are no longer allowed due to security reasons. The guys in MARsoc are taking pictures themselves and once they've determined that there's no faces or names in the pictures then they will release them and they'll let us have access to them too. Their pictures are better as well cause the ones we took are just of helicopters and stuff from further off, none of had cameras the days we did spie-rigging and fast roping but the MARsoc guys were taking up close pictures of all of it. Once I have them though I will post them for sure, just don't know when that will be.
Awesome.
Sounds like a blast! I cant wait.
Sounds like a blast! I cant wait.
Nevermind, cant talk about this.
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Dam, I feel like I'm missing out on some secretive badass stuff..
It wasn't much. We did a night raid last night with helicopters in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. What I wrote out said too much about how they conduct their operations so I erased it just to be safe.
I am anxiously awaiting pictures when and if you are able to download them.
SO you said you were security forces? How did you like that billet? I have a friend that has a SF contract but will probably be separated from the military due to a wrist injury so he won't be able to fulfill his 0311 duties(has been in 2 years). He doesn't like it too much since he's not in any "action" and on non deployable status because of his wrist injury. Wondering how your feelings are towards the job.
SO you said you were security forces? How did you like that billet? I have a friend that has a SF contract but will probably be separated from the military due to a wrist injury so he won't be able to fulfill his 0311 duties(has been in 2 years). He doesn't like it too much since he's not in any "action" and on non deployable status because of his wrist injury. Wondering how your feelings are towards the job.
I tend to look at it slightly differently than most the other guys I've gone through SF with. With my situation I'm stationed an hour away from my home and I'm a part of the most highly trained platoon in the Security Forces. I'm in no hurry to see combat. I want to learn what I can, and soak up as much knowledge as I can and Security Forces has provided me with some tools that will be beneficial when I hit my next unit so I'm not one of the guys constantly complaining about not just going 0311. It's hard to deal with sometimes, but I'm content with where I'm at.
Speaking for about 95% of the population in the PRP commands though is that they absolutely hate it! It has it's benefits once you are out, but it's miserable once you're in. I know a lot of guys in FAST as well and I don't think they like it very much either. Just about all of them have been NJP'd already.
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What exactly does a SF job entail?
+1 I talked to a guy that did FAST and he loved it, said he went to like 12 countries and did all kinds of cool training and had it alot better than the actual 03/grunts did. But i dont think he ever got any "action"
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To break it down you have 3 parts to SF. There's the PRP and Presidential commands, and then FAST Companies.
The two PRP commands are Bangor, Wa. and Kings Bay in South Carolina. These are where some of the nations most important nuclear assets are stored and built along with the docking and servicing of our nuclear submarines. In PRP commands you have Navy guard force and a Marine guard force. The Navy is usually responsible for gates and towers where the Marines are more mobile doing patrols 24hrs a day and and are a first response. There are two companies here at Bangor so your time on duty is 2 weeks on inside the wire with 8hr rotating posts, and depending on who you are you may get a couple days off in that time period but while you're in you're cut off from the outside. No cell phones or anything. Computers and land line phones are provided to you.
Within the Marine guard force you have RTT or Recapture Tactics Team. We have the best job within all of SF imo. We have 2 squads right now, almost 3 so we do our 2 weeks in the wire but we do not have to stand any posts. Our job is simply to recapture any assets that have actually been stolen or someone unauthorized has somehow managed to gain access to an asset. We are the only one's authorized to chase an asset off base if it was ever stolen and our authority would supersede any outside law enforcement. So while we wait for someone to break in RTT just sits around watching movies, playing video games, and working out most of the day, lol. People think we're lazy but we do train every day for that worst case scenario which no one else in the command gets to do as much as us. We're usually in the best shape too cause we have all the time we want to work out. The worst part is having to do the 2 weeks in schedule, but with our platoon about to pick up a 3rd squad that will change to 1 week in and 2 weeks off. So being that we're a smaller platoon (roughly 40 Marines including DMs and Breachers) we can be more versatile and we're very tight knit in comparison to the other platoons. The 2 weeks off is not actually off either. You show up to work as usual in the rear but there's usually nothing to do except maybe a range, so other than that you get off work around 12-2 every day.
Presidential is Marines standing post around the White House and and traveling with the President. This is probably the hardest to get as you have to have it in your contract and it requires multiple screenings. The presidential SF at some point can gain a higher security clearance than anyone else, and I believe it's a very limited position. Once you pick up Cpl you can get this position that without giving any unnecessary details gets you the same clearance as the Secret Service.
FAST is what everyone that goes into SF thinks is the best place to be and in some ways it is cool, but it's mainly just a PRP command that travels. The guys I know that are in FAST were guys that either declined the added security screenings for PRP because they wanted to go FAST or just didn't meet the criteria for PRP, meaning they had some kind of record of some sort or just a discrepancy that eliminated them for PRP selections.
From what I've heard the traveling can be hit or miss. The guys from my class that are in FAST have only gone to Cuba so far and I think all of them hated it and a lot of them got NJP'd there haha. I'm sure they'll be going on another deployment but they only have about year left so I'm skeptical if they're going to make it to all the 11 or 12 countries that other SF Marines have done in the past.
Hopefully this helps as I know there's very limited information on the specifics of SF jobs on the internet, and most recruiters don't know much about it. Imo though, while the two years of duty in PRP may suck as a whole compared to a regular infantry unit it's still the way to go in SF given that you bust your ass to get into RTT which can have a pretty tough selections process. Getting the opportunity to go to CQB school and with the possibility of DM school and Breacher school, they're great tools that will elevate you in the fleet, and are in a way a foot in the door if you ever want to go join Special Forces as I've explained previously. The MARsoc CO talked to us yesterday and pretty much laid out what he wanted us to do. He said finish our time in SF, go do a tour in an infantry unit and gain some experience and then head right over to A&S and join MARsoc. They were pretty impressed with our knowledge and ability to quickly pick up the tactics they were teaching us. But if you want to go to Special Forces right off the bat then just join the infantry and do the Recon indoc in SOI and move on from there. You'll get a lot more done in less time.
:beer:
Let me know if this helps or if you guys have anymore questions.
The two PRP commands are Bangor, Wa. and Kings Bay in South Carolina. These are where some of the nations most important nuclear assets are stored and built along with the docking and servicing of our nuclear submarines. In PRP commands you have Navy guard force and a Marine guard force. The Navy is usually responsible for gates and towers where the Marines are more mobile doing patrols 24hrs a day and and are a first response. There are two companies here at Bangor so your time on duty is 2 weeks on inside the wire with 8hr rotating posts, and depending on who you are you may get a couple days off in that time period but while you're in you're cut off from the outside. No cell phones or anything. Computers and land line phones are provided to you.
Within the Marine guard force you have RTT or Recapture Tactics Team. We have the best job within all of SF imo. We have 2 squads right now, almost 3 so we do our 2 weeks in the wire but we do not have to stand any posts. Our job is simply to recapture any assets that have actually been stolen or someone unauthorized has somehow managed to gain access to an asset. We are the only one's authorized to chase an asset off base if it was ever stolen and our authority would supersede any outside law enforcement. So while we wait for someone to break in RTT just sits around watching movies, playing video games, and working out most of the day, lol. People think we're lazy but we do train every day for that worst case scenario which no one else in the command gets to do as much as us. We're usually in the best shape too cause we have all the time we want to work out. The worst part is having to do the 2 weeks in schedule, but with our platoon about to pick up a 3rd squad that will change to 1 week in and 2 weeks off. So being that we're a smaller platoon (roughly 40 Marines including DMs and Breachers) we can be more versatile and we're very tight knit in comparison to the other platoons. The 2 weeks off is not actually off either. You show up to work as usual in the rear but there's usually nothing to do except maybe a range, so other than that you get off work around 12-2 every day.
Presidential is Marines standing post around the White House and and traveling with the President. This is probably the hardest to get as you have to have it in your contract and it requires multiple screenings. The presidential SF at some point can gain a higher security clearance than anyone else, and I believe it's a very limited position. Once you pick up Cpl you can get this position that without giving any unnecessary details gets you the same clearance as the Secret Service.
FAST is what everyone that goes into SF thinks is the best place to be and in some ways it is cool, but it's mainly just a PRP command that travels. The guys I know that are in FAST were guys that either declined the added security screenings for PRP because they wanted to go FAST or just didn't meet the criteria for PRP, meaning they had some kind of record of some sort or just a discrepancy that eliminated them for PRP selections.
From what I've heard the traveling can be hit or miss. The guys from my class that are in FAST have only gone to Cuba so far and I think all of them hated it and a lot of them got NJP'd there haha. I'm sure they'll be going on another deployment but they only have about year left so I'm skeptical if they're going to make it to all the 11 or 12 countries that other SF Marines have done in the past.
Hopefully this helps as I know there's very limited information on the specifics of SF jobs on the internet, and most recruiters don't know much about it. Imo though, while the two years of duty in PRP may suck as a whole compared to a regular infantry unit it's still the way to go in SF given that you bust your ass to get into RTT which can have a pretty tough selections process. Getting the opportunity to go to CQB school and with the possibility of DM school and Breacher school, they're great tools that will elevate you in the fleet, and are in a way a foot in the door if you ever want to go join Special Forces as I've explained previously. The MARsoc CO talked to us yesterday and pretty much laid out what he wanted us to do. He said finish our time in SF, go do a tour in an infantry unit and gain some experience and then head right over to A&S and join MARsoc. They were pretty impressed with our knowledge and ability to quickly pick up the tactics they were teaching us. But if you want to go to Special Forces right off the bat then just join the infantry and do the Recon indoc in SOI and move on from there. You'll get a lot more done in less time.
:beer:
Let me know if this helps or if you guys have anymore questions.
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Thank you so much for the info. It has cleared up ALOT. Your two week training is about up right?
^ This is my goal.
^ This is my goal.
No problem. We're done now. We were supposed to do training today but it got canceled. It's ok cause what we would have done today we did last night and it was miserable! 2 1/2 hour flight down to Oregon and then back up the Columbia River into Washington over to Yakima training grounds. The training went from 9 til we got back at 4am. We flew the whole way with windows open and no seats in the MH-60 there, and then flew back on a CH-47 back in which we had seats but it was so crammed you couldn't move. My ass and legs went numb in like 10 min and then my body went numb from the cold haha. It was like 35 degrees out last night. So I'm glad we didn't do that again, but being out in Yakima was cool. It actually felt like a completely different country out there. If I had to guess what the Middle East was like that would be it.
...And we did a midair refuel behind a C130... sketchiest thing I've ever experienced!!! The crewmen said while we were refueling our blades were like 15ft off the tail of the plane and there were two 60s trying to refuel at once. I was watching the other one try to connect and they were all over the place and so were we. They ended up having to wait until we got done so they could use our line. The plane was literally right next to us!
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