Shady Recruiter!!! Need some clarification - PSEB or Affiliation? OCS?

[ProudMilitaryWife]

Hi there:

I thought I would post some questions here, since I'm not having any luck dealing with the recruiter who is "sincerely trying to help" my husband. My husband trusts this guy and thinks being a good soldier means following orders, trusting your team to have your back and not asking a bunch of "silly" questions. He's mostly right - but I've never been a "good" military wife and I don't follow orders worth a ****. Especially not when I think someone might be trying to take advantage of MY team. So, I'm asking the silly questions.

My husband is a Marine, E-5 (MOS 6672 - Supply Clerk, was the NCOIC of his unit for almost three years) in the last 10 mos of his IRR. The 8 yr committment ends 9/2007. He misses the military camaraderie, but wants to stay in the same place (and I have a high level job that I would be stupid to leave) so is seriously considering joining the Guard, because of that and the higher bonuses & SLRP. He has exemplary service records from the USMC, has 98/128 credits required to graduate and will be completing his BA in Business in 4/2007, courtesy of VA-VocRehab.

He wants to apply for ARNG OCS and hopes to attend next summer, but we're getting a major bunch of confusing BS from the recruiter he's been working with. They've said that his Marine MOS transfers into 92A (Automated Logistical Support) but are trying to get him into the "Try One" as a 92W (Water Treatment) and then to re-enlist during the year, saying that he won't get the full bonus if he chooses a 6 year enlistment. I'm all for my husband enlisting again, but I want to make sure that his goal of attending OCS and the bonus money are hard-wired for him, and not just take the word of some smooth-talking, woman-bashing recruiter. Can you tell I don't like the guy? Maybe it's because he's treated me like a brainless bimbo since day 1 - or it could be that he tried to trick my husband into signing the enlistment contract without reading it or having me present, by telling him he'd faxed me a copy and I had already inspected and ok'd it.

Here are the questions I have:

Is my husband affiliating, since he's under IRR in the USMC for another 10 mos, or Prior Service/Broken service? Which bonuses/payment schedules (lump or 50/50) would he qualify for? I can't get a straight answer from these guys!

My husband is planning a career in Supply Chain, so 92A or 92Y would be the MOS that would fit best - both are critical, according to the info we've seen. Why are they trying to move him into 92W? He'd have to be completely retrained, versus hitting the ground running.

On the "Try One" I've been told that he won't be eligible to even apply to OCS until after the full year of service is completed - he's met all the reqs for OCS - shouldn't he be applying DIRECTLY to OCS, rather than going in as enlisted? Are these guys trying to pad their numbers by getting an enlisted man this year and a OCS candidate next year? They won't give us the contact info for the state Officer Strength Manager and none of the other recruiters will talk to us because we've been "marked" by this guy.

The "Try One" isn't eligible for any bonuses - affiliating or PSEB. If he were to re-enlist 2 mos into the "Try One", would he be eligible for any bonuses, and if so which ones will he be eligible to receive and when will they be paid?

HELP! I'm getting so frustrated with this whole process and this manipulative recruiter, I'm thinking of telling my guy to just call the Marine Reserves instead!

Thanks in advance.

A Sgt's Wife

[matthew.ritchie]

This is a rather tangled situation, and I cannot comment on all aspects of it. I can state a few main points:
1. If you do not have confidence in your Recruiter, get his boss involved. Ask for his NCOIC to review what you've been told, and either confirm or correct it. You may also ask the NCOIC to connect you with another Recruiter, if there's just too much bad blood at this point.
2. There are at least a dozen different ways your husband can enlist, and each one has its advantages and disadvantages. I am certainly not an expert on enlisted incentives, so I will not comment specifically, but I can state that oftentimes gaining one incentive means a sacrifice of some kind -- e.g., to get a bigger bonus one must enlist for a longer period. I also know that the fact that your husband hasn't completed his eight-year MSO is a factor in the bonus regime. Please note that an OCS enlistment will have few, if any, available incentives. Perhaps the Recruiter is trying to develop a plan to maximize your husband's incentives by having him enlist as a traditional Soldier, and then apply for OCS later. Again, I cannot comment on the specifics of the situation, but I recommend that your husband make some decisions about what is most important to him (e.g., OCS ASAP, or delay OCS a year or two if it means more $$), and then let the Recruiter develop a plan that meets his priorities.
3. A Recruiter only gets credit for an enlistment. I don't know of any incentive to a Recruiter to get him to enlist as a Traditional Soldier versus as an OCS candidate. If your husband enlists, then the Recruiter gets his credit; if he joins OCS later, the Recruiter is not involved, since your husband is already a Soldier.
4. I'd be glad to give you contact information for your state's OSM, but I can't determine what state you're in. I'm very surprised the Recruiter won't let you contact the OSM, which is another reason you need to have a conversation with his NCOIC. Perhaps he isn't aware of the OSM, and is ashamed to admit it.

[sgtblack82]

Wow:

The Major touch on most of your situations its seem. To add OCS would be difficult right off the bat seeing your husband is an enlisted soldier, the grace period is not a year its 6 months, which means after being mos'q he would wait 6 months then his unit would schedule him for ocs, you can do it with a recruiter but like the officer said, you wont get many incentives. The recruiter doesn't seem to be working for you so your husband not obligated to stay with him move on, to the NCOIC or another recuriter. Even if you go to the marine reserves, they will say the similiar thing about ocs. An you mention AGR, he wouldnt get a slot in agr and ocs, he need to be an officer then try for agr, or be enlisted go ocs and then look for agr. The recruiter seem to being trying to gettign your husband to enlist and a regular soldier to get him the prior service bonuse 15,000 which is not in a lump sum. If he went ocs and then tried to get put in a 92a spot its not only going to hurts his bonus, because the army funding all this training on top of a bonus they see it as what can he do for us, not what can we do for him. The 92w thing is probaly becaus your state needs that mos bad, and there pushing it. As for the serive contract, your re-signing not re-enlisting, and your going from one component which is alot different from another, so having the remaining comitment in the IRR makes, a recruiter less excited because he knows your husband wants to stay in and he knows he already in so there no need for him to jump to it, is my guess.

[andrew.tischner]

Well i am going to try and take it from where the major left off.

ok there is a couple things that your husband can do.

Affiliation Bonus= he qualifies for this because he has MSO ( or IRR) time remaining, it is a $20,000 bonus for 6 years, 50 percent when affiliated, 50 percent 3 years later, has to stay in same MOS he is qualified for.


Prior Service Enlistment Bonus= Up to a 15,000 dollar bonus for 6 years, he can enlist in any of the critical MOSs from state and the NGB( national Guard Buerua) this also is a 50 percent payment after he is MOSQ ( trained in the new job) and 50 percent 3 years later


He does not qualify for a Re enlistment bonus as he currently is not in the service so he does not qualify for a $15,000 lump sum bonus.

Try one, he enters in for 1 year, no bonus, can change MOS. Can then Re enlist after the year ( on current policy) for the 15,000 dollar enlistment bonus lump sum.


He can enlist for the State OCS program, this he does not talk to a OSM as the major talks to. Mostly the OSM talk to prior officers, not enlisted wanting to become officers.

The state OCS program or enlistment option 09S , now enlisting in this option means your husband is NOT elligable to recieve ANY bonuses or entitlements from SRIP ( selective reserve incentive program). so no bonuses, the state OCS is a 16 month long course 1 weekend a month.

These are the options for your husband, the info can be found for OCS in the

Enlistment Criteria Manual Fiscal Year 07 chapter 3 para 3-5

The bonuses can be found on SRIP Policy FY 07 dated 1 october 2006 good through december 31 2006 Policy Number 07-01

Any more questions please feel free to contact me

Also Sgtblack82 is incorect on the fact that he cannot go OCS right off the bat, he can with the 09S enlistment option, also i do not know why they are pushing 92W other than it might be closer to your home than other MOSs. Also AGR can be from enlisted or officers not just officers, but you cannot apply to AGR till you are already in the national guard. Also "technicaly" you cannot take a bonus if you are enlisting for the purpose to go AGR or Mil Tech , as it states on all bonus contracts.

Also Remaining IRR time does not make a recruiter less excited, and most of the time a soldier with IRR time is actualy easier to deal with than a non prior individual. Basicaly in recruiter world a enlistment is a enlistment is a enlistment.

Also at any time you can switch recruiters, its actualy quite simple. You simple write a letter/email to the recruiters Area Team leader requesting for one reason or another to change recruiters, That team leader will make it happen, The team leader probably would not mind hearing your story/concernes as the team leader is a very experience recruiter ( usualy 10 plus years in recruiting).

So i add once more any questions please feel free to contact me

[SGT Whitaker]

Ma'am the specialist that is listed here from New Jersey actually gave you all the information you need.. Great job soldier.. Only thing about the change of recruiters you dont have to write a letter but merely get the number and call him to change if that is necessary..

[andrew.tischner]

Well thats just probably things that are different from state to state, everyone has there own way of handling those situations

[jumper82]

the other thing to consider is that he is the Chapter 31 Voc-Rehab program - meaning, he would need at least a 20% disability, or 10% with a severe employment handicap. It is a possiblity he will require a waiver.

[jmac]

I also am considering joining the Reserve. I have a college degree, no prior service, and 12 years of large sales team management experience. I have two reasons for wanting to join: 1) Always wanted to serve my country ( but still want to be here for my family) 2) looking for the challenge. With this being said I will be taking a big financial hit by taking the time for training so obviously I want to maximize my payout as much as possible. I have a few questions:

• Is there any bonus for signing up for OCS program? (I want to be an officer & move up the ranks but the recruiter told me it would be best if I signed up as enlisted as an E-4 then right after basic declare for OCS but I was reading that you would have to be sponsored and it takes a while to get in therefore delaying my opportunities. Is that true?)
• I also read that you will be moved to a E-6 rank after being accepted into the OCS program. I am trying to calculate what my total pay out will be for the time I am in Basic and AIT and OCS with BHA and other suppliments like Dependant care, MOS, and other. Can you help me make since of this?
• Ok, say I went in OCS right from signing (instead of enlisted) I was told I would not be paid as much as an officer that had an MOS, I understand that, but could I not go back and go to a school for a specific MOS after OCS and therefore make me a more creditable officer and get paid more?
• Can I volunteer more days during the year as active duty and would it increase my chances of getting promoted, increasing pay, or getting points towards retirement?
• I am sure there is a qualification phase before you are able to get promoted in the service. Is it harder to get promoted in the reserves? How much does it rely on years of service or current rank or is it based on performance?
• What MOS lend more opportunities to getting a higher bonus, paid more, or getting more opportunity for promotion?