MATSG Pensacola and other stuff

[airwinger]

Just had a couple of questions
1) How long is the wait down at P'cola(API and primary)
2) Does having a TBS physical save you any time/agony down at NOMI
3) Do you have to live in the BOQ
4) Who gets picked to go to Vance and Corpus(big question since my girlfriend wants to apply to colleges near me
5) Does going to IOC kick you back on the awaiting line, or do you jump right into where you would have been

Anyway I'd be very grateful to get some gouge on this.
semper fi,
airwinger

 

[Pat1USMC]

1) Right now the wait is considered "short". My Company graduated TBS June 12. There were a bunch of Lieutenants that were allowed to go straight into API, but this meant no leave time. For everyone else, we checked in on July 7. I was damn lucky and I got into the first class of API, and i started the 19th of July. Right now, there are guys from my TBS class slotted to start the end of September. It all depends on your rank at TBS. Thats what we're told, but somehow i got into the first class, and i was 180-something out of 240.
2) can't really say anything about the physical. We barely got a physical in Pensacola.
3) You definitely don't have to live in the BOQ. Most people can't anyway
4) As far as i can tell you, since I'm SNFO and didn't have to worry about where i was going to Primary, the choice is really not up to you. You can pick your choice, but that doesn't mean you'll get it. Plus, you don't know where you're going until you get to MATSG. But i know plenty off guys who have traded with each other anyway...
5) IOC will definitely kick you back. About 10 weeks to be exact. The guys that went to IOC from my company won't finish IOC until i finish API. Are you at TBS airwinger? I'd like to know your opinion on going to IOC after you complete TBS.

Hope this helps, let me know if you need more info,
later

 

[airwinger]

Hey Pat1,
Yeah I'm at TBS, with Charlie company, you must have been with Alpha huh. Do you know a Lt. Webb, tell him "warrior waikenda" said what's up.
Thanks alot for the responses. I go back and forth about IOC, on the one hand my knees are f**ked up, but on the other, I'd really like to do all the cool stuff they do. Plus, if you ever do a FAC tour, you can get to command a company(we had an NFO from HQMC tell us he commanded an LAR company during his FAC tour)
Actually my big fear is being sent to Vance. Corpus vice Whiting I don't care but I'd definitely avoid Vance if I could.
So how's API so far and how's life post TBS?

 

[Pat1USMC]

airwinger,
Yeah i do know Lt Webb, not sure where he is right now...
As far as API and post TBS, its like 400% better now. API is tough and it will really make you study, but its fun material and stuff you want to learn. A normal day is swim at 0700, classes from 1000-1200, lunch for an hour, and then class till about 1500. Some days we'll be out of there at 1100, some not until 1600, but never later than that. Its great though, and the Pensacola area is very nice.
If you don't have a lot of flight hours already, chances are you won't get Vance so don't worry about it. And guys are telling me Corpus is supposed to be pretty nice anyway, its just that it sucks to have to move.
Good luck with the rest of TBS. And i hope you make the right decision about IOC. But if you already have trouble with your knees, I wouldn't chance it.
Later

 

[Rainman]

first of all don't believe anything Pat1USMC says. . We all know he's unstable. .(wait. ..that was just b/c O-RING drove him crazy)

i'll just add that the TBS physical saved many of us a lot of time on our physical. .just did blood pressure and eyes.

The officers @ Officer Student Control want lts with lots of flight hours for Vance.

Most of us got our choice for Corpus or Whiting. .and like Pat said. . with enough motivation you can find someone to trade with.

Semper Fi

 

[Banjo33]

Our guys from Alpha that went to IOC are here now. They checked into MATSG over the weekend. They'll be starting API this week and next week. So, no there isn't a wait or anything. I hear IOC is a lot of fun, but two or three guys from our company got hurt -- so it's definitely something to think about. Good luck!

 

[DBLang]

So is it hard to go to IOC first.? Or is it something to be avoided?

 

[Rainman]

Originally posted by DBLang
So is it hard to go to IOC first.? Or is it something to be avoided?

It's up to your CO. He gets so many slots, so he pretty much bases it on rank; but still interviewed everyone. We had six slots.

 

[Banjo33]

I think all of those slots filled up, but few people wanted them. It was more of a "if you want to go, you can." If you've got the motivation after finishing TBS, then by all means, it's not a bad deal! You better be ready for it though! Good times but very demanding!

 

[DBLang]

Hmm. What exactly do they have you doing?

 

[airwinger]

We had 4 slots for IOC and pretty much anyone(at least top half of the SNA's/SNFO's that wanted to go is getting to do so.
As far as what they have you doing "The first rule of IOC is don't talk about IOC, the second rule..." but we do pick up some gouge about it. There is an underlying theme of sleep and food deprivation. They do a lot of weapons work(you fire a LOT of 240G/SAW/.50 cal and Mk 19 rounds. Have a week of patrolling; a week of mortars; a week of weapons platoon weapons-SMAW, 240G,mortars; and of course the 10 day war. Plus there are the joys of the combat endurance test the details of which are some of the best kept secrets in the Corps.

Anyway more power to you if you choose to go.

 

[DBLang]

sounds like 'fun'