Posted on Mar 1, 2019
Prior service Marine Infantry Enlisting as an Army 18X candidate after being out for five years. What to expect?
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Gentlemen, I’m prior service Marine 0311 Rifleman
E-4, I was active for 5 years. I left active duty in 2013, I am 28 and re-enlisting in the army on an 18X contract. I started the paperwork with the recruter this week and waiting on it all to be submitted so I can go to MEPS. I was told that some regulation had changed and now a full basic is required for prior service guys and I have now read something about the army changing AIT for infantry extending it an additional two months. The recruiter literally had to look it up in front of me and seemed confused as to what exactly had changed with regards to prior service. So my question is what to expect by way of boot camp, the length is it different for prior service guys ect.? I’ve skimmed forums and seen conflicting information. I’m perfectly happy starting over at day one of basic I’m just wanting to know what to expect specifically by way of time periods to know how to set up my personal obligations finances ect while I’m gone. I’ll be leaving for basic sometime the beginning of May. I appreciate any up to date insight as it seems allot of changes have been made over the past year or so. Thanks again gentlemen.
E-4, I was active for 5 years. I left active duty in 2013, I am 28 and re-enlisting in the army on an 18X contract. I started the paperwork with the recruter this week and waiting on it all to be submitted so I can go to MEPS. I was told that some regulation had changed and now a full basic is required for prior service guys and I have now read something about the army changing AIT for infantry extending it an additional two months. The recruiter literally had to look it up in front of me and seemed confused as to what exactly had changed with regards to prior service. So my question is what to expect by way of boot camp, the length is it different for prior service guys ect.? I’ve skimmed forums and seen conflicting information. I’m perfectly happy starting over at day one of basic I’m just wanting to know what to expect specifically by way of time periods to know how to set up my personal obligations finances ect while I’m gone. I’ll be leaving for basic sometime the beginning of May. I appreciate any up to date insight as it seems allot of changes have been made over the past year or so. Thanks again gentlemen.
Prior Service
18X: Special Forces Candidate
Posted >1 y ago
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Feel free to message me for specifics if this isn’t everything you need:
Basic and AIT are not separate for Infantry in the Army, if you go, it’s called One Station Unit Training, or OSUT. There is not a big delta between Army and Marine Infantry concept, you’ll have an advantage at having done rifle training at 500M, Army does 50-300M pop-up ranges; your fundamentals will serve you well. Road marching is road marching, be ready for 15 minute mile pace, they will progress from 2 miles to 25 over the length of the course. It’s an achievable course of training for high school kids, as a proper prior grunt, it will be easy, you already know what you’re made of.
All other training is what you’d expect; for specifics, look up “Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad” and “The Ranger Handbook”, I recommend The Army Publishing Directorate (APD) for most current updates.
18X comes and goes as a program, they have a super high wash-out rate when it’s on because most non-prior service kids just plain aren’t ready. Be phenomenal at land-nav, be physically and mentally prepared for whole days on the March with a heavy ruck. Know the stuff well in those two pubs, they will no-kidding expect you to already be an expert. When 18X isn’t on, most dudes are already experienced SGT, SSGs, the best from their units, passing selection.
There is a LOT out there about that, I have my favorites, but I won’t weigh in too heavy on that.
For fun video, Surviving the Cut is like 1.99 on YouTube for a couple hours about SFAS, it’s a little dated, but it’s pretty good as an overall content.
This is pretty general, I know. Again, feel free to reach out if you want some specific stuff.
Barring that, good luck, good for you for stepping up!
Basic and AIT are not separate for Infantry in the Army, if you go, it’s called One Station Unit Training, or OSUT. There is not a big delta between Army and Marine Infantry concept, you’ll have an advantage at having done rifle training at 500M, Army does 50-300M pop-up ranges; your fundamentals will serve you well. Road marching is road marching, be ready for 15 minute mile pace, they will progress from 2 miles to 25 over the length of the course. It’s an achievable course of training for high school kids, as a proper prior grunt, it will be easy, you already know what you’re made of.
All other training is what you’d expect; for specifics, look up “Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad” and “The Ranger Handbook”, I recommend The Army Publishing Directorate (APD) for most current updates.
18X comes and goes as a program, they have a super high wash-out rate when it’s on because most non-prior service kids just plain aren’t ready. Be phenomenal at land-nav, be physically and mentally prepared for whole days on the March with a heavy ruck. Know the stuff well in those two pubs, they will no-kidding expect you to already be an expert. When 18X isn’t on, most dudes are already experienced SGT, SSGs, the best from their units, passing selection.
There is a LOT out there about that, I have my favorites, but I won’t weigh in too heavy on that.
For fun video, Surviving the Cut is like 1.99 on YouTube for a couple hours about SFAS, it’s a little dated, but it’s pretty good as an overall content.
This is pretty general, I know. Again, feel free to reach out if you want some specific stuff.
Barring that, good luck, good for you for stepping up!
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SPC Paul Byler
Thanks for taking the time for such a detailed response. I’ll just plan on being gone for 14-22 weeks out of the gate then and roll with it. I’ve actually seen the entire surviving the cut and is what got me wanting to go back in. I’ve had a solid government contracting job since got out (let my x-wife convince me to get out) but the divorce went though end of last year and I’m still just young enough to want to see what I’m made of. I’m working on getting back into fighting condition and repeating the entire basic/ infantry school actually sounds appealing. I’ve just read and been told so many different things wasn’t sure what I’d actually be doing prior to starting SFAS. Thanks again for the reply.
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All the 03 series guys I've been in with that joined late last year just skipped all of osut. It's if you were another most that you have to go through.
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SPC Paul Byler
Thanks for the info, that’s exactly what I had been told right up until yesterday when I started the paperwork.
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SGM Bill Frazer
Wrong Answer, there is a time limit of being out in order to miss/by-pass OSUT/AIT. It was 3 years at one time, then 5 yrs, and IO think it changes back to 3 yrs out of service.
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Are you able to give any updates on how things went for you? I'm prior Marines myself and have been out of the game for a little over 5 years, but having the same itch you had to get back in. My plan is to also go 18x route. I'm prior 0321 (not sure if previous MOS has any impact on OSUT situation). My recruiter is telling me that I'll attend a 2 week integration course and head to selection from there, but all the information that I've been finding online points to that information being incorrect. Appreciate any feedback
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