USMC unit: how to find Navy OSO?

[vxc961]

OK, I'm happy to get more specific via PM, but for now...

I'm trying to go SELRES, and hoping to join a USMC unit which has detachments around the US. Unit A is 300 miles away, and has a robust Navy detachment. Unit B is right down the street, but just started as a unit this FY, so the Navy det is EMPTY.

-According the USMC TO&E, the unit is authorized a few CWO3's and Corpsmen.
-I've met with the unit and taken the PFT w/them, and they're trying to figure things out on their end.
-I've called BUPERS, and one of the community managers finally told me "just talk to the OSO, and he can can change things so you (an O-4 URL) can fill that Navy CWO3 billet".
-The community manager suggested I contact the general JOAPPLY email address, which I did right away. (I'm sure they'll get right back to me...)
-I've called the XO of the local NOSC to see if he might be able to shed some light on it, since I imagine the NOSC in city "A" would be responsible for the Navy det assigned to city "A", but no response yet.

Sorry for being vague. The OTHER USMC unit has been great, so I'm trying not to step on their toes. If the closer one doesn't work out, I'll gladly do the commute.

Thanks in advance, and if it's any consolation, I do feel a little sleezy even asking...

 

[Gatordev]

The OSO (also referred to as the PM in some communities) is the guy sitting at a desk on the ECH III staff for whatever community your det is part of. If there's an OIC/CO, I'd talk to that person and they can work with the OSO. That said, the OSO's hands can be tied depending on how the billet is coded. If the billet is coded specifically for a CWOx, then the OSO's hands may be tied, or at least bound loosely. He can submit a billet change request to recode the billet. It's not unheard of, there just needs to be justification.

I had to do something similar with my PM when trying to get an E-7 into the billet. The billet was hard coded for a production rate and the E-7 was not one, so we had to get it changed to "any rate." You can do the same thing with paygrade, assuming it gets approved.

 

[vxc961]

Thanks Gatordev. There's no Navy det per se...ALL the Navy billets are vacant. The Marines are being awesome w/me, but they don't really know how to handle the Navy side of things either (I'm working with the I&I and the selres XO).

 

[Gatordev]

Ahh. I am not smart on Marine Reserve business, so can't offer much. I'm sure on paper, it's similar to the Navy, but how stuff actually gets done is different. I'm sure it involves 25% fewer resources.