Posted on Feb 17, 2018
Why has my Marine Corps OSO stopped responding to my emails or phone calls?
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A little background information:
1) About to graduate with a B.S. in Biochemistry from a respectable state flagship university.
2) I'm currently enlisted as a sergeant, E5, in the USAR as a 68W (Healthcare Specialist)
Situation: I had previously contacted all the branches in regards to commissioning after graduation, and received a lot of interest from the Marine Corps. In December of 2017, an OSO had contacted me via phone and we had a good conversation in which he expressed that I sounded like a viable candidate. He sent me the "Marine Officer Questionnaire", I filled it out, and responded as he instructed. This is when it went downhill, as he never responded to my phone calls or called me back in response to my voice mails. He hasn't responded to my emails as well. I waited until this past week, and again sent him an email requesting some form of contact/information from him in regards to my potential application.
What makes it even weirder is that I routinely get emails from the Marine Corps where I'm clearly listed as a poolee, and am invited to attend officer recruitment events.
Why would my OSO be ignoring me? Is there any way I can remedy this? I recently turned down pursuing the Air Force due to a two year waiting period between swearing in and shipping out, so I'd like to see this issue resolved.
1) About to graduate with a B.S. in Biochemistry from a respectable state flagship university.
2) I'm currently enlisted as a sergeant, E5, in the USAR as a 68W (Healthcare Specialist)
Situation: I had previously contacted all the branches in regards to commissioning after graduation, and received a lot of interest from the Marine Corps. In December of 2017, an OSO had contacted me via phone and we had a good conversation in which he expressed that I sounded like a viable candidate. He sent me the "Marine Officer Questionnaire", I filled it out, and responded as he instructed. This is when it went downhill, as he never responded to my phone calls or called me back in response to my voice mails. He hasn't responded to my emails as well. I waited until this past week, and again sent him an email requesting some form of contact/information from him in regards to my potential application.
What makes it even weirder is that I routinely get emails from the Marine Corps where I'm clearly listed as a poolee, and am invited to attend officer recruitment events.
Why would my OSO be ignoring me? Is there any way I can remedy this? I recently turned down pursuing the Air Force due to a two year waiting period between swearing in and shipping out, so I'd like to see this issue resolved.
Marines
Commission
Recruiting
Prior Service
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 11
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Contact USMC Recruiting and make an inquiry. They should let you know status. You are owed at least that. You should understand that OSO's are on the road a lot, making trips to colleges and elsewhere. Their big rush season is coming with graduations. Not making excuses, just saying to be patient and make proper inquiries. There are many potential reasons why OSO is not responding - emergency, he's been relieved and more. If he's been replaced it will take time for his replacement to get up to speed. Maj Bell offers the proper COA. As to contacts, locate their web presence for info and go from there. Good luck.
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I am not saying there is a valid reason for turning you down or breaking contact, but even if there was; there is no reason for not calling you and telling you personally. It shows a lack of moral courage and reflects badly upon the Marine Corps.
If there is no valid reason, that also reflects badly on the Marine Corps. It is simply unacceptable.
My sincere apology and a buck won't buy you a loaf of bread, but I do offer my apology on behalf of the Officers of the Marine Corps.
Send one more message, explain that you do not understand the lack of communication, but that you will be happy to take up your package with your OSO's reporting senior. Give the OSO a timeline for when you will by-pass, make it long enough to account for the possibility of leave or a family emergency that has removed the OSO temporarily from the lines of communication. Then by-pass the OSO, on the date you said you would.
If there is no valid reason, that also reflects badly on the Marine Corps. It is simply unacceptable.
My sincere apology and a buck won't buy you a loaf of bread, but I do offer my apology on behalf of the Officers of the Marine Corps.
Send one more message, explain that you do not understand the lack of communication, but that you will be happy to take up your package with your OSO's reporting senior. Give the OSO a timeline for when you will by-pass, make it long enough to account for the possibility of leave or a family emergency that has removed the OSO temporarily from the lines of communication. Then by-pass the OSO, on the date you said you would.
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SGT (Join to see)
Thank you, Sir. I'll do just that. How would you advise getting ahold of the reporting senior?
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Maj John Bell
SGT (Join to see) - Chances are a recruiter on the enlisted side can tell you who the OSO's reporting senior is. The OSO's reporting senior is probably somewhere in the recruiter's chain of command or there is a common person at some point in the chain of command. At least that's the way it was 30 years ago.
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Congratulations, SGT (Join to see) I will expect great things from you in service of the branch you commission into. There are alot of things that go behind the scenes. A part of being an officer is learning to stand up to enlisted. There is a point where they are not your peers. They are your subordinates. You can conduct yourself in a calm, respectful man AND you can get in someone's face to inspire action. That's a skill that is very necessary as an officer. We're not meek. Are we, Sergeant Kulow?
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