Howdy all,
Looks like my adventure to join the Army is coming full circle. As one can tell by my signature, I am a former Marine. It all started back in 1992. I was finishing high school and knew I was going to join the military, only I didn't know which branch it was going to be. What I did know was that I wanted to go into the combat field.
So I went the Marine Corps recruiter and asked to take the ASVAB, which of course he was more than willing to help me out with. Scored a 99 AFQT, thought...wow...that's awesome, I should be able to get any job I want in any of the branches. Navy SEAL's here I come, right? Nope.
First medical exam at MEPS, learn that my vision is worse than a bat's. That meant I needed a waiver no matter which branch I would decide on. Talked to the Navy SEAL recruiter who tells me, "Sorry son your eyesight is too poor for SEAL's" I asked him what if I got PRK done, he tells me it's not acceptable nor waiverable. Sidenote, it is fully acceptable today, along with LASIK.
I walk over to the Army recruiting office and meet with then SSgt. Blas and Corporal Rolando. They both tell me I won't be able to do Rangers or SF but I would be allowed to go Airborne Infantry. That was still good to me, what's more fun than jumping out of a perfectly good airplane? Well...maybe jumping out of a perfectly airplane into a large body of water to do a lil scuba.
Anyways, I sign up and we had to do a med waiver for my eyesight. Now this was back in '92 so things took a lot longer to process without computers. We waited six months with no word on the status of my waiver. Come to find out that they never got it, or so they say. We do another waiver and send it up again. Few months go by and it comes back, good to go...or so we think.
I go to MEPS to ship out. Do the physical and then wait for orders...hour goes by, two hours go by...4 hours later as I've watched everyone that came well after me leave already with their orders, the First Sgt. calls me in. This whole time not a person has said a word to me mind you. He tells me I can't ship out for a minimum of 6 more weeks b/c we did not wait long enough after the waiver came back. Well be an immature 17yr old I was steamed beyond all hell. I told him, and I do truly regret saying this now, "Fuck off!" and took off for home.
Luckily in San Diego, MEPS was in downtown. I had the Battalion CO call me trying to get me to come back. But I was pissed and walked right back into the Marine Corps recruiter's office and told them to sign me up. I go through bootcamp no problem, during infantry training however, I twist my lower back severely while on a 15mi. hump with full load and weapon, about 110lbs. About 10 of us went down during this weird accident coming down a ridge. I ended up in the hospital for about a week. I get released to light duty and the command in their infinite wisdom assign me to the school's mailroom, which consists of heavy mailbags and lots of boxes...hmmmm...wonder how I ended up back in the hospital?
Get back and command thinks, gee that was a bad idea to put him in the mailroom so let's assign him to the armory. Let's see...armory=heavy weapons which in turn=fractured clavicle from another Marine dropping a M2 barrel onto my shoulder from about 5ft up and once again hurting my back as I dropped to the floor out cold. Ended up back in the hospital...again. Anyone starting to see a trend here? Get out again and they assign me to the mailroom. The mailroom again??? Didn't they learn the first time??? Nope. And yes you guessed it, back in the hospital again.
This time however, the Navy doctors tell me enough is enough, 1 year of light duty. Upon learning of this, command sends me back to get boarded out since this was during the Clinton cutbacks. I beg and plead for covelescence leave to no avail. I get boarded out as an E-3.
I take 11 months to recover and went through the San Diego Regional police academy. I was a police officer in San Diego from 10/96 till 03/05. Left the department and moved to Florida to be closer to my wife's family.
Tried to do something other than law enforcement b/c after meeting the peace officers around here where I live in Florida, there's no way that I'd ever want to be one, not to offend the good ones that I know are out there somewhere.
Now at the ripe ol' age of 30 with enough life experience for a few people my age...I've decided to go back into the military and join the Army. This is after talking to the Navy/Marine Corps and being told I'm too old to do any of the jobs that interested me.
So after talking to my wife, former Ohio NG and my cousin, former DT in the Navy, it seemed like I was destined to join the Army in the end. :D If everything stays good, then I'll be shipping out to Warrior school in January at Fort Knox and then onto Fort Benning for AIT, Airborne and RIP.
Hope this intro post wasn't short or underinformative...hehe
New person intro
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mickeynguyen
- USMC Veteran
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- Joined: November 16th, 2005, 3:46 am
New person intro
H & S Bn. SAC Co. SOI '94/'95
USMC
USMC
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Bell
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Mom in Texas
- Tadpole
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The Holmchicken
- Ranger
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fireranger
- Ranger
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mickeynguyen
- USMC Veteran
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- Joined: November 16th, 2005, 3:46 am
Yeah, I know Ranger EarthPig. I was reading someone elses intro post that was long and nicely separated into paragraphs. I decided to go for the "Shock and Awe"...lolEarthPig wrote:Ya know....they made paragraphs for a reason. Welcome aboard and good luck with your Army path.
RLTW
EP
H & S Bn. SAC Co. SOI '94/'95
USMC
USMC
