Question about Marine MOS

[Rhythm of Life]

I've always wanted to enlist in the Marines and I will be graduating college soon with a degree in Art Photography. I was looking at being a Combat Photographer in the Marines (4641). I'm certain my GT scores will be high enough but I was wondering what this ACTUALLY entails. Will I have a chance to go see combat or would I be taking pictures of officer advancement and be around bases.

[Unit74]

I wouldn't go that route at all.


With a BA/BS you need to go Officer. All officers except pilots go in open contract. Once you complete OCS to are assigned an MOS based upon the needs.

If your dead set on going enlisted I'll bet my next check you will think back and wish you had listened to that clown on Calguns who said you should have gone Officer. Specially when your doing something you really hate for an NCO who has no clue what's they are doing.

[Grassninja]

I wouldn't go that route at all.


With a BA/BS you need to go Officer. All officers except pilots go in open contract. Once you complete OCS to are assigned an MOS based upon the needs.

If your dead set on going enlisted I'll bet my next check you will think back and wish you had listened to that clown on Calguns who said you should have gone Officer. Specially when your doing something you really hate for an NCO who has no clue what's they are doing.

+1.

[freds4]

I've always wanted to enlist in the Marines and I will be graduating college soon with a degree in Art Photography. I was looking at being a Combat Photographer in the Marines (4641). I'm certain my GT scores will be high enough but I was wondering what this ACTUALLY entails. Will I have a chance to go see combat or would I be taking pictures of officer advancement and be around bases.

A friend of mine was killed in Iraq by an IED while performing that very duty; I have known others that never left CONUS. It could go either way.
In my opinion the Marine Corps is a calling, you should join because you want to be a Marine. Whatever comes after that is what you make of it, there is plenty of opportunity to change jobs if you like, especially with a high GT.

[kwest10]

you are only GUARANTEED your MOS unless you're a reservist. And not all MOS's are open to reservists. You might think you're getting 4641 out of MCT then they give you your orders and you get 46XX outside of 4641...A/V Tech Cleaner of jizz off TVs. Now you're pissed. I don't know how many "Combat Engineers" I saw get shipped of the Bulk Fuel school when they thought they were going to be EOD.
"But Sgt. I'm supposed to be 'Combat Engineer'"
"you are...combat BULK FUEL engineer, now gimme 5 dolla on pump 2".

[Rhythm of Life]

I wouldn't go that route at all.


With a BA/BS you need to go Officer. All officers except pilots go in open contract. Once you complete OCS to are assigned an MOS based upon the needs.

If your dead set on going enlisted I'll bet my next check you will think back and wish you had listened to that clown on Calguns who said you should have gone Officer. Specially when your doing something you really hate for an NCO who has no clue what's they are doing.

+1.

Yeah, I know, **** rolls downhill.

I have a bunch of family who are serving/served and that's the first thing they told me when I brought it up way back in high school. They, like you, said if you don't listen you'll regret it. If this MOS seems like it won't be what I would want based of off people's experiences then OCS would be my path.

A friend of mine was killed in Iraq by an IED while performing that very duty; I have known others that never left CONUS. It could go either way.
In my opinion the Marine Corps is a calling, you should join because you want to be a Marine. Whatever comes after that is what you make of it, there is plenty of opportunity to change jobs if you like, especially with a high GT.

Sorry about your buddy man.

Its good to know that I have a chance of being stuck in America, but do you happen to know what type of shoots the guys you knew did in the US? Shooting anything other than personal portraits would be ideal in my mind.

you are only GUARANTEED your MOS unless you're a reservist. And not all MOS's are open to reservists. You might think you're getting 4641 out of MCT then they give you your orders and you get 46XX outside of 4641...A/V Tech Cleaner of jizz off TVs. Now you're pissed. I don't know how many "Combat Engineers" I saw get shipped of the Bulk Fuel school when they thought they were going to be EOD.
"But Sgt. I'm supposed to be 'Combat Engineer'"
"you are...combat BULK FUEL engineer, now gimme 5 dolla on pump 2".

Being a reservist isn't the route for me, so that shouldn't be an issue.

________________

Thanks for the responses guys.

[haiedras]

Last I remembered, Combat camera in conus was like being the school paper photog. Any sort of event going onbase? Combat camera there to take pictures for the base paper, the base website, etc. I did remember having to go to the CC guys every so often to get some stuff ginned up on photoshop or something like that, which was nice.

If I remember though, you're a base asset that gets tabbed out to the division or MEF as required, and then filtered down as necessary to the smaller units. Depending on how long you plan on being in, I'd also take a look at the career progression for the 46 field. Might be nice for the first few years, and then not so much as you reach into the SNCO/middle management ranks.

[kwest10]

Being a reservist isn't the route for me, so that shouldn't be an issue.

________________

Thanks for the responses guys.

then it IS an issue for you. Active duty is NOT guaranteed their specific MOS. You will be get 46 but it might not be 4641. Look under the 4600 MOS codes and there will be more than one code and you could get any of them based on the needs of the Marines, not what you want.

[Rhythm of Life]

Last I remembered, Combat camera in conus was like being the school paper photog. Any sort of event going onbase? Combat camera there to take pictures for the base paper, the base website, etc. I did remember having to go to the CC guys every so often to get some stuff ginned up on photoshop or something like that, which was nice.

If I remember though, you're a base asset that gets tabbed out to the division or MEF as required, and then filtered down as necessary to the smaller units. Depending on how long you plan on being in, I'd also take a look at the career progression for the 46 field. Might be nice for the first few years, and then not so much as you reach into the SNCO/middle management ranks.

Good to know, thanks.

then it IS an issue for you. Active duty is NOT guaranteed their specific MOS. You will be get 46 but it might not be 4641. Look under the 4600 MOS codes and there will be more than one code and you could get any of them based on the needs of the Marines, not what you want.

Oh damn I misread, that sucks then.

[CavTrooper]

Air Force has Combat Camera as well, might wanna check them out. Never saw a Marine Corps cameraman in Iraq, but there were a bunch of the Air Force guys around. Maybe its a bigger field in the Air Force?

[NoahH]

Air Force has Combat Camera as well, might wanna check them out. Never saw a Marine Corps cameraman in Iraq, but there were a bunch of the Air Force guys around. Maybe its a bigger field in the Air Force?

+1. Had two AF Camera guys attached to my platoon for a deployment, looked like a good deal from what I could tell.

[CRM2004]

Air Force has Combat Camera as well, might wanna check them out. Never saw a Marine Corps cameraman in Iraq, but there were a bunch of the Air Force guys around. Maybe its a bigger field in the Air Force?

I worked with 1 combat camera guy at Camp Fallujah. Never did ops. Never left the wire. Took pictures of sandstorms, the flag, and people who got promoted for new ID cards. He hated his life, but at least he got combat pay for it.

The others saying that MOS' aren't guaranteed - That is COMPLETELY true. I signed my contract to be an 03XX Infantryman with a 4 year contract... What did I get? A 5 year contract as a 2847 Telephone Systems/Personal Computer Intermediate Repairman. What did my recruiter tell me when I went home on boot camp leave? "Your GT and Electronics scores were too high for the Marine Corps to waste the manpower on a doorkicker." To top all that off, I deployed to Iraq as an 0627 Satellite Communications Operator/Maintainer.

That being said - Jobs are never guaranteed in the Marine Corps.

[Rhythm of Life]

Air Force has Combat Camera as well, might wanna check them out. Never saw a Marine Corps cameraman in Iraq, but there were a bunch of the Air Force guys around. Maybe its a bigger field in the Air Force?

+1. Had two AF Camera guys attached to my platoon for a deployment, looked like a good deal from what I could tell.

I'll have to look into the Air Force, I didn't realize they had that job as well.

I worked with 1 combat camera guy at Camp Fallujah. Never did ops. Never left the wire. Took pictures of sandstorms, the flag, and people who got promoted for new ID cards. He hated his life, but at least he got combat pay for it.

The others saying that MOS' aren't guaranteed - That is COMPLETELY true. I signed my contract to be an 03XX Infantryman with a 4 year contract... What did I get? A 5 year contract as a 2847 Telephone Systems/Personal Computer Intermediate Repairman. What did my recruiter tell me when I went home on boot camp leave? "Your GT and Electronics scores were too high for the Marine Corps to waste the manpower on a doorkicker." To top all that off, I deployed to Iraq as an 0627 Satellite Communications Operator/Maintainer.

That being said - Jobs are never guaranteed in the Marine Corps.

Well I hope that wouldn't happen to me. I'd hate to think that I was getting one position only to learn that it was taken away because I'm too smart.

[CavTrooper]

I worked with 1 combat camera guy at Camp Fallujah. Never did ops. Never left the wire. Took pictures of sandstorms, the flag, and people who got promoted for new ID cards. He hated his life, but at least he got combat pay for it.

The others saying that MOS' aren't guaranteed - That is COMPLETELY true. I signed my contract to be an 03XX Infantryman with a 4 year contract... What did I get? A 5 year contract as a 2847 Telephone Systems/Personal Computer Intermediate Repairman. What did my recruiter tell me when I went home on boot camp leave? "Your GT and Electronics scores were too high for the Marine Corps to waste the manpower on a doorkicker." To top all that off, I deployed to Iraq as an 0627 Satellite Communications Operator/Maintainer.

That being said - Jobs are never guaranteed in the Marine Corps.

ooooh... thats dirty.

Army MOSs are written into your contract and are 100% guaranteed unless you bolo your MOS school.

[CavTrooper]

I'll have to look into the Air Force, I didn't realize they had that job as well.



Well I hope that wouldn't happen to me. I'd hate to think that I was getting one position only to learn that it was taken away because I'm too smart.

The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps all have pretty much the same MOSs, the difference is pretty much where they work.

For Combat Camera, I know Army, Air Force and apparently Marine Corps has em, but the Air Force guys were the only ones I ever saw outside the wire.