Duty Stations

[USMarine3521]

going to boot camp in june and going to soi etc....anyway i have all of that taken care of but my only concern is my first duty station...

My recruiter says we get a "dream list" thats what Marines call it if im not mistaken, where we choose our first duty station..

Soooooo....any former Marines want to tell me about some of the cool bases???

and if your army/navy/af or even foreign military then of course tell me about some of those duty stations anyway :D

thanks

[ibstolidude]

going to boot camp in june and going to soi etc....anyway i have all of that taken care of but my only concern is my first duty station...

My recruiter says we get a "dream list" thats what Marines call it if im not mistaken, where we choose our first duty station..

Soooooo....any former Marines want to tell me about some of the cool bases???

and if your army/navy/af or even foreign military then of course tell me about some of those duty stations anyway :D

thanks under the above Bold I speak..

I am not a Marine and certainly do NOT aspire to tell you anything of value about the USMC, except GO TO DLI-FLC! It isn't a duty station, it is a school (atleast for most). I have NO idea what Marines go there, I have no idea how they get the tdy, but for the love of pussy GO TO MONTEREY! (bad news the Marines in every class I attended there have been officers, other classes/courses had enlisted, but mine did not....and they were attaches, advisors, liasons (those officers)...etc. - at that time Enlisted Marines were at the DLI)

GO, young man, GO!

[USMarine3521]

what MOS does this school teach??

[ibstolidude]

what MOS does this school teach??
It is the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center.
Sorry, but I have no knowledge about which USMC specialties attend.
It is in Monterey CA just south of the old/ex/one time-home of the 7th ID - Light Fighter, FT Ord.

[FallenAngel]

29 Palms California is the biggest military base in the world....but it's in the middle of the f*cking desert.

My choice would be Camp Pendelton. It's just north of San Diego. That means access to TJ or beautiful Orange County. LA is about an hour and a half/ two hour drive to a great night-life.

And talk about the ladies. Ask He219 about the fine ladies who frequent the Newport Beach area. And just like most girls...they flock to men in uniforms. :D

[Flagg]

I've got 3 mates who've been to Monterey for language training.......all really enjoyed their free time there....I heard nothing but good things.

As far as Marine duty stations go...NOT being a Marine myself, but having mates who are/were......Okinawa is not a place any of them enjoyed AT ALL....but that's only second hand info.

I just spent a couple of days with an ex-Marine, current Navy mate working out of Japan down here in NZ for a visit, he gets to fly around with a 2 star to most US Asia Pacific bases......he speaks highly of Japan(lots to do, and much cheaper than traveling there as a tourist), but he also thinks Okinawa isn't exactly fun..no women...and not much to do except drink, fight, and scuba dive...according to him.

[James]

If you are an 0300 and you choose East Coast, you will get Camp Lejeune, NC. (I've never been there).

West Coast, Camp Pendelton or 29 Palms.

Overseas (at least in 1993) equated to Hawaii for 0300 (Infantry) Marines. All the infantry deployed to Okinawa were on 6 month deployments - there were no such units stationed there permanently.

I was in the 7th Marines (29 Palms), and in all honesty I liked it there more than at Camp Pendelton. IF YOU GO TO 29 PALMS though, make sure you have your own vehicle.

I've only spent a brief amount of time in Hawaii, and never at K-Bay, but it seems like a nice place to be assigned. ;)

On a seperate note re: DLI - enlisted Marines with an 0200 MOS (I can't remember specifically) for interrogator-translator attend school in Monterey.

[USMarine3521]

thanks guys, i went to pendelton yesterday, looks like a great place to be with LA, TJ, and OC (my hometown :D ) close by and DISNEYLAND! any state with disneyland is the shiznit (actually i hate disneyland now been there about 500x)......

my order would be something like:
1.pendelton
1.hawaii
2.29 palms
this way i can stay close to family and friends.

these are the only ones i care about, anyone know the chances of getting youir first choice??

and about the language school in monterey....im 03 so i dont i will be going there...oh well

[TriggerPuller]

You might as well put down on that dream sheet the Playboy mansion cause it doesnt matter what you want you go where the Corps needs you.....period!! I was in both the 3rd Marine Division(okinawa) and 1st Marine Division(camp pendleton) and 20 countries in between. When I was stationed at Pendleton it was cool because Iam born and raised in Los Angeles(Santa Monica) and I could get home every weekend if I wasnt in the field or overseas!

TP

[XASA]

I attended the DLI in Monterey in 1966--it was the Defense Language Institute West Coast then--and there was a Marine corporal who had reenlisted for the German class we were in. He was assigned to the Marine Security Battalions-- don't know what they're called now. I have to agree it was a great school in a fantastic location.

As a soldier, I didn't enlist for a foreign language but for what was then called the Army Security Agency. I was slotted for language training as a result of entrance test scores (I believe it was called the ALAT test but it's been almost 40 years). So, unless you have the capability to learn a foreign language I don't think you can enlist to study one. Check with your recruiter.

[ibstolidude]

(I believe it was called the ALAT test but it's been almost 40 years). So, unless you have the capability to learn a foreign language I don't think you can enlist to study one. Check with your recruiter. - the test now is the DLAB - defense lang. aptitude battery.

[JMooch]

Do a Pro/Con worksheet:

Pendleton:
1) Cool places to escape to: +
2) Chances for, uh...female companionship: +
3) Located near TJ: +
4) Located in CA: -
5) Cost of living sucks ass: -

The Stumps
1) In the middle of the ****ing desert: -
2) Hotter than a motherf**ker: -
3) Chances for, uh...female companionship: -
4) Cost of living (not as bad as Pendleton but there's nothing around): -
5) Close to Palm Springs (rich female companionship!): +
6) Close to Joshua Tree National Park (excellent rock climbing!): +

Lejeune (Camp Swampy)
1) Chances for, uh...female companionship (unless you like short, dumpy, ugly chicks): -
2) Cost of living: +
3) Cool places to escape to (except Myrtle Beach): -
4) Too cool in the winter, too hot in the summer: -

Okinawa
1) Chances for, uh...female companionship: -
2) Chances for good libo: -
3) Things to do (unless you like reading, lifting, drinking or diving): -
4) No escape for two years now (unaccompanied tours): -
5) Cheap booze: +

So let's see the tally:
Camp Pendleton: +1
29 Palms: -2
Camp Lejeune: -2
Okinawa: -3

There you go. Looks like Pendleton is it. Keep in mind like TP said, the Marine Corps will put you where it needs you.
Also, if you go to either Pendleton or Lejeune, you'll be on an Iraq rotation most ricky-tick. If you go to Oki, kiss your sanity goodbye because when you aren't at NTA, you'll be drinking and jerking off till you're blind.
Semper,
Mooch

[USMarine3521]

Do a Pro/Con worksheet:

Pendleton:
1) Cool places to escape to: +
2) Chances for, uh...female companionship: +
3) Located near TJ: +
4) Located in CA: -
5) Cost of living sucks ass: -

The Stumps
1) In the middle of the f*** desert: -
2) Hotter than a motherf**ker: -
3) Chances for, uh...female companionship: -
4) Cost of living (not as bad as Pendleton but there's nothing around): -
5) Close to Palm Springs (rich female companionship!): +
6) Close to Joshua Tree National Park (excellent rock climbing!): +

Lejeune (Camp Swampy)
1) Chances for, uh...female companionship (unless you like short, dumpy, ugly chicks): -
2) Cost of living: +
3) Cool places to escape to (except Myrtle Beach): -
4) Too cool in the winter, too hot in the summer: -

Okinawa
1) Chances for, uh...female companionship: -
2) Chances for good libo: -
3) Things to do (unless you like reading, lifting, drinking or diving): -
4) No escape for two years now (unaccompanied tours): -
5) Cheap booze: +

So let's see the tally:
Camp Pendleton: +1
29 Palms: -2
Camp Lejeune: -2
Okinawa: -3

There you go. Looks like Pendleton is it. Keep in mind like TP said, the Marine Corps will put you where it needs you.
Also, if you go to either Pendleton or Lejeune, you'll be on an Iraq rotation most ricky-tick. If you go to Oki, kiss your sanity goodbye because when you aren't at NTA, you'll be drinking and jerking off till you're blind.
Semper,
Mooch

what's wrong with being located in CA? i love CA :) thanks a lot guys for the help

[James]

Regarding CA - people who aren't from there often don't like it.

Aside from my active duty time, I will NEVER live in CA again. I might visit, but I don't know. Way too liberal (restrictive) for me.

[AFG]

Regarding CA - people who aren't from there often don't like it.

Aside from my active duty time, I will NEVER live in CA again. I might visit, but I don't know. Way too liberal (restrictive) for me.

aint it the truth :lol:

at least we have the govenator!!!

[JMooch]

Just like James said, I was there on active duty. I enjoyed while I was there (I was single at the time), but I would never live there now.
Semper,
Mooch

[Johnnyringo]

Definitely need a vehicle for 29... only tattoo shops and ****ty bars on the strip for jarheads. You'll be harder than the average grunt (if that's your MOS) because of all the lovely sand you'll get to hump through! Have fun BOOT!

[Johnnyringo]

What month are you shipping? Usually that'll tell you which unit you're going to...

[rawkitheart]

my aunt lives in the hills south of camp pendelton. sometimes from the backyard you can see blackhawks take off and occasionaly at night me and my uncle go out with his night vis telescope and watch for night training.

then on the beach when we surf cobras and blackhawks fly by the beach all the time, like only 40 yards off the shore and 2o yards above the water. its really neat. that and on the way back from our beach to the camp you fly by a nudie beach...

[rawkitheart]

You might as well put down on that dream sheet the Playboy mansion cause it doesnt matter what you want you go where the Corps needs you.....period!! I was in both the 3rd Marine Division(okinawa) and 1st Marine Division(camp pendleton) and 20 countries in between. When I was stationed at Pendleton it was cool because Iam born and raised in Los Angeles(Santa Monica) and I could get home every weekend if I wasnt in the field or overseas!

TP

actually... in the sanfernando valley, theres the old van nuys airport, used by the airforce now i believe for select purposes (it might be an alternate landing field for shuttles...). occasionally they test missles above the field for countries looking into buying american weapons.

anyway, from there the mansion is only like a 20 minute drive. plus its not hard to get a job if your interested. my mom worked there for 3 years during college putting together hefners private photo albums. of course she never went to any of those infamous sleep overs... but she says the cookies were yummy.

[USMarine3521]

What month are you shipping? Usually that'll tell you which unit you're going to...

June

[Johnnyringo]

Rough guess would be 2/5 and that's really just a guess. OIF kind of messed up the rotations.

[USMarine3521]

Rough guess would be 2/5 and that's really just a guess. OIF kind of messed up the rotations.

What does 2/5 mean??

[Ratamacue]

Rough guess would be 2/5 and that's really just a guess. OIF kind of messed up the rotations.

What does 2/5 mean??

2nd Battalion, 5th Regiment.

[FallenAngel]

Rough guess would be 2/5 and that's really just a guess. OIF kind of messed up the rotations.

What does 2/5 mean??

umm....that means 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines (assuming you're 0300).

That would mean Camp Pendleton.

Global Security site on 2/5th Marines.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usmc/2-5.htm

[USMarine3521]

Rough guess would be 2/5 and that's really just a guess. OIF kind of messed up the rotations.

What does 2/5 mean??

umm....that means 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines (assuming you're 0300).

That would mean Camp Pendleton.

Global Security site on 2/5th Marines.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usmc/2-5.htm


awesome! exactly what i wanted...but i thought pendelton is 1st Marines

edit: oh nevermind im thinking 1st Marine Division