Marines- Has anyone gone back in after they got out?

[blackfang]

A little background on my situation. I spent 8 1/2 years active duty, did MSG and got promoted to Staff Sergeant. In 2002 I wanted to get out go into the reserves and pursue my hobby cars. So I got out in Jan 2003. Jan 2004 I went into the Army Reserves being the MC does not have a reserve component for my MOS. I got out of the Army Reserves this year. I have been wanting to go back in all year long.

Has anyone done a PSEP process or do you know of anyone that has done it successfully? Anybody work on the Active Reserve/IMA slot before?

I am meeting a lot of resistance from the local recruiters to do a SNCO PSEP. Everyone states that the Corps is overfull and is not and has not taken PSEP's and the last one this RS has gotten through was 2 years ago. A MSG buddy of mine who was a career recruiter and now is an OPS Officer at an RS in another state and he is telling me a completely different story. He said they are taking them and it is pretty easy but time consuming to get back in and those recruiters are just being lazy and do not want to do the work. Personally, I think the recruiters are being lazy as well. I am going to sidestep this wall. No sense trying to go through it when I can go over it. I spoke with a Prior Service Recruiter and she said I could try to go into the Reserves but as a Active Reserve/IMA slot being I can't latmove at my rank. I would need to find a reserve unit that would accept me even though I have a different MOS. As a SNCO, they just need to find billets for me and not units with my MOS which is impossible being a 5831 is only AD. No problem. I have an MSG buddy is on I&I duty and is the OPS Chief at a nearby unit, so that could help me out.

Then once i get my PFT/CFT, Swim Qual, Rifle/Pistol Qual, Gas Chamber current and get re-acclimated then I could put in to be augmented back to Active duty. It would be a lot easier that way being I would be in a different scenario than what I am in now. Right now I need two waivers to get in now as a reservist(prior service, and being off contract).

Now I have to drop 25-30 pounds and get my running down.

 

[Mustang71]

not in the Marines but any reasons why you want to get back in? money? liked the career?

 

[blackfang]

I miss it. I got out to pursue another career/hobby and now I am bored of it. I spent 6 years in the reserves and that did not fill the void. A lot of friends are still in and I have 14 1/2 years of total time. I am looking at retirement as well.

 

[usmcrebel]

have you tried getting on with an infantry unit in the reserves? If you could do that then it shouldn't be to hard for you to go back to active.

 

[blackfang]

have you tried getting on with an infantry unit in the reserves? If you could do that then it shouldn't be to hard for you to go back to active.

I would have to latmove and as a SNCO who already did that it would be impossible. Plus there is not an Infantry unit near me. I told the PSR I want full-time and what my goal was. She advised me that going into the reserves and going into an Active reserve/IMA slot(they work full time and receive AD benefits) will allow me to do this because I can augment back onto AD as i won't need waivers and already in the Marines.

 

[usmcrebel]

I would have to latmove and as a SNCO who already did that it would be impossible. Plus there is not an Infantry unit near me. I told the PSR I want full-time and what my goal was. She advised me that going into the reserves and going into an Active reserve/IMA slot(they work full time and receive AD benefits) will allow me to do this because I can augment back onto AD as i won't need waivers and already in the Marines.

that's kinda what i was talking about doing, but since im not in that realm of things i wasn't sure how it worked.

 

[blackfang]

Yeah that is the only way I can do it being i do not have to change my MOS. I just fill a billet. If I was doing the SMCR where I drill 1 weekend a month that would be much different and would require a latmove which I can't do.

The key she said is finding a unit that will take me.

 

[Mustang71]

hope everything works out. I am currently thinking about joining the military after finishing community college and whether or not I want to go to a 4 year school(I don't really want to). lets hope we both find solutions to our problems

 

[blackfang]

Yep yep.

 

[SonicDTR]

We are reducing numbers last I heard, I know several guys getting the 90 day early out due to it.

Good luck with whatever you do. I'll be getting out in a few months!

 

[blackfang]

Thanks. I keep hearing that. That is why I am trying to get an AR slot being that is different and I am not an Active Duty Marine.

 

[blackfang]

Well There are no AR slots for a Staff Sergeant. I am going to have to go IMA. Now I have to get my OMPF's from the Marines and Army. Shockingly with no PT at all this year I am only 1% over the bodyfat regs. I am giving myself until January 3rd to drop 20-30 pounds and get everything from both branches and submit my packet. Then of course with the wait as it might be another 2 months or so until I hear back I will PT more to get my 3 mile back down.

 

[blackfang]

Update:

I got my MBS and found a missing FitRep which happened to be my last one. Luckily my old CO is on my FB and he was able to write me one. That goes into the mail tomorrow. My pSR has requested my OMPF from Quantico. I checked on all my Army documentation and everything is in order. Since the beginning of December and with my PT I have lost 11 pounds so far.

I am going for an IMA mob site which will get me orders for a year or two. I talked a buddy who is a PSR in another state and he says my packet should be good and my 2 waivers shouldn't be a problem being he has gotten people in with 5 waivers.

 

[JTStreet]

Have you considered government contracting? Former Marine here. I miss the relationships I built while I was in the Corps; however, my quality of life back then isn't remotely comparable to what it is today. You will make more. . .a lot more. . as a government contractor.

If you want to know more, PM me. I'll grab a copy of your resume, and I'll see if my company (they have offices everywhere) has anything relative to your skill set. You having a military background and a security clearance (You were MSG, so I'm assuming you have TS / SCI, and possibly even Yankee White) will get your foot in the door virtually anywhere.

S/F

 

[blackfang]

I appreciate that. I have thought about it and have been waiting to hear back from Northrup Grumman on a military trainer job since Nov16. With all of my time and having 14 1/2 years in, I would be foolish not to finish it out and then go for a contracting job.

I had a TS/SCI but I got off MSG duty in 1999. I held a Secret clearance for the Army Reserves from 2004-2010.

 

[JTStreet]

I appreciate that. I have thought about it and have been waiting to hear back from Northrup Grumman on a military trainer job since Nov16. With all of my time and having 14 1/2 years in, I would be foolish not to finish it out and then go for a contracting job.

I had a TS/SCI but I got off MSG duty in 1999. I held a Secret clearance for the Army Reserves from 2004-2010.

I didn't realize you had that much time in service. (I thought I only saw 8.5 years.) You're right - it would be foolish not to tough it out for another 5.5 years, and have that extra paycheck, benefits, etc for the rest of your life.

 

[blackfang]

Yep. I will be looking at contractor jobs when I retire though.

 

[blackfang]

Update-

My FitRep has been through an admin review and is completed. It should hit the system by Friday. I have lost a total of 14 lbs Since the beginning of this thread(i could have lost more bu thanks to 2 holidays in a week).

Still waiting on my PSR to see if my OMPF is good to go and if all of my background checks have come back so we can fire off the packet.

 

[Mach1USMC]

I came back in under PSEP 10 years ago. I was also IMA from 1994-1998.

PSEP for me was a goatrope because I came back in in Okinawa. There was only one recruiter here and he was a serious POS. He lost my package 3 times delaying me coming back in by over a year. Because I did a lot of ADSW (not sure what it's called now) I was supposed to keep my rank (Sgt at the time) because it had been less than a year since I was on AD. Due to the recruiters negligence I went over the 1 yr off of AD mark and had to go to the N. Board of Corrections to get my rank back- took another year. A big PITA but worth it. The recruiter ended up getting relieved for cause and his Officer got a NPLOC over it. Anyhow, I have a Sgt working for me that came in PSEP 2 yrs ago. and one of my fellow SNCO's here was a PSEP Marine too. If anything I'd say just keep following up and tracking progress. Once submitted it could be as long as 6 weeks but it's usually much shorter. It all depends on strength of MOS etc.... Hopefully you won't lose all your TIG.

IMA was awesome in my opinion. Had I been able to get promoted in the Reserves I never would have come back AD. I could work when I wanted, for how long I wanted, for who I wanted, and where I wanted. Best kept secret in the Corps IMO. Only drawback is when you retire out of the Reserves you don't collect until you are 63 (unless you are AR) AR is another good program but it also has it's limits such as you can't go over 20 yrs and you do 3 yr contracts instead of 4. (and yes to all you "snipers" out there I know there are exceptions)

 

[blackfang]

I appreciate your info/experience. I will lose my time in grade. Then again I don't want a 10 year TIG either.