OT I got screwed over

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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> War In The Pacific - Struggle Against Japan 1941 - 1945 >> OT I got screwed over

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OT I got screwed over - 11/5/2004 9:16:46 PM

Embark

Posts: 138
Joined: 10/5/2004
Status: offline

I know that this is a forum for WITP but I have to vent out in some way or another. That being said, here we go.

I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps 4 years ago. I have always had a love/hate relationship with this gun club but when reenlistment time came up I had a choice to make. After several weeks of talking with my wife and thinking things through I finally decided to re up. But this was under the stipulation that I get sent over to Japan for 3 years with my wife and my kid. Ok so from then on things were going great. I was excited about getting to live in a country that I had longed to see for a long time. Fast forward to yesterday. I signed all my papers and swore in again vowing to serve my country for another 4 years. I am thinking that everything is peachy and I am making plans to go to Japan. Well this morning I get my orders to go over there. Again I am excited and looking forward to it. That is untill I look at the orders more closely. I am supposed to go over unaccompanied. Meaning that I am going to have to leave my wife and kid here in the states while I live in Japan for 12 months. I am thinking to myself WTF? This isn't what I asked for. I specifically said 3 years accompanied tour on my reenlistment package.

So I talk to my SNCO's and they try to call my monitor to get things set right. Problem is that it's friday and HeadQuarters Marine Corps is already secured for the evening. So here I sit stressing the hell out wondering how I am going to tell my wife that there is a good possibility that I have to go over there alone. Or even if I should tell her anything untill I am 100% sure of what exactly is going on.

_____________________________

The tragedy of war is that it uses man's best to do man's worst.
Henry Fosdick

Post #: 1

RE: OT I got screwed over - 11/5/2004 9:29:44 PM

pasternakski

Posts: 6565
Joined: 6/29/2002
Status: offline

FIGMO. It's your family, but I suggest that you sit down with your wife and talk the situation over with her. Amazing the strength and support that wives tend to bring to their relationships with their military husbands.

Best of luck to ya, partner, I hope they get it straightened out. I have seen in your prior posts how much you love the little gyrene.

(in reply to Embark)

Post #: 2

RE: OT I got screwed over - 11/5/2004 9:36:58 PM

Tophat

Posts: 460
Joined: 8/6/2002
From: Cleveland,Ohio
Status: offline

take it easy for now and calm the hell down! Wait till monday to get things squared away,don't mention this now simply because you might get things in an uproar and come to findout it was a paperwork snafu. Look,both the Army and marines are looking to retain experienced people "if at all possible". I'm thinkin your odds of getting things workedout to your advantage are better than even.

(in reply to pasternakski)

Post #: 3

RE: OT I got screwed over - 11/5/2004 9:49:10 PM

Embark

Posts: 138
Joined: 10/5/2004
Status: offline

Yeah I appreciate you guy's support. I shouldn't get all worked up but it's just that since I been in I have spent much more time away from my family than I have with them. With the war and all that going on it's been back to back deployments and time spent on other bases prepping for deployments. So I thought that this would be an opportunity for us to get away from that for a little bit. They don't usually pull the Marines over in Asia to support the stuff going on in Iraq. So I was thinking that I would finally get to stay in one area for an extended period of time. I am calmed down a bit now but I sure hope everything gets worked out on monday.

_____________________________

The tragedy of war is that it uses man's best to do man's worst.
Henry Fosdick

(in reply to Tophat)

Post #: 4

RE: OT I got screwed over - 11/5/2004 9:49:41 PM

Kwik E Mart

Posts: 2447
Joined: 7/22/2004
Status: offline

12 months overseas to play WITP without interference? <drool, gurgle>

i played CIV2 almost nonstop during my off-time on the USS Carl Vinson between 12 hour watches....ah, happy times

seriously, hope things work out....unaccompanied tours are definitely tough pills to swallow

(in reply to Tophat)

Post #: 5

RE: OT I got screwed over - 11/5/2004 10:16:52 PM

Feinder

Posts: 6589
Joined: 9/4/2002
From: Land o' Lakes, FL
Status: offline

One of my younger brothers is a Marine. After having completed his two floats in the Med as a platoon Sgt, he was stationed at Paris Island, at a cushy admin job. Perfectly fine with him to finish out his enlistment (he's been in 7 years, one remaining). Frankly, I think he p1ssed somebody off, because he was expecting he last posting to be either a continuation of the Admin at PI, or a recruiting job. Had sent out applications to the nearby colleges, got accepted, and then it ends up, he was deployed to Japan/Korea, without his wife. Surprise! (sucks)

He's about 2/3 of the way thru his deployment. Official posting it to Oki, but they spend time most of their in Korea putting sensors in the ground to listen for... big rabbits. Gotta be tough on he and wife, being separated for a year, but we talk to both of them, and they're doing ok. He actually got about 3 weeks off (just now), and they're all their time together, not coming down here (I can't say I blame them!). I thinks that's just the way things go sometimes tho. Some folks have an easier time of being apart, some don't.

Anyways. I guess the point of this is to say, "It happens. I hope it works out for you that there -was- a SNAFU somewhere, and your wife will be able to accompany you. But if not, just get yourself a pack of post-it notes, and write "365 days to go... 364 days to go... 363 days to go..."

-F-

_____________________________

"It is obvious that you have greatly over-estimated my regard for your opinion." - Me

(in reply to Embark)

Post #: 6

RE: OT I got screwed over - 11/5/2004 10:37:16 PM

Embark

Posts: 138
Joined: 10/5/2004
Status: offline

The thing that is most disturbing about the whole thing is the fact that there is one man up at HQ Marine Corps that controls where everyone within that MOS goes. So for every Marine that is an 0431 Embarker like myself, there is one person who tells em where they are going to. Imagine how many people's orders he puts in a day. So you get him on a good day and maybe he can hook you up and send you where you want to go. Get him on a bad day or piss him off somehow and he can send you to Guantanimo Bay Cuba(you can't ever leave the base while you are in Cuba) or somewhere similiarly crappy.

_____________________________

The tragedy of war is that it uses man's best to do man's worst.
Henry Fosdick

(in reply to Feinder)

Post #: 7

RE: OT I got screwed over - 11/5/2004 11:12:56 PM

Twotribes

Posts: 6929
Joined: 2/15/2002
From: Jacksonville NC
Status: offline

Depending on who your assigned to in Okinawa, you may spend a lot of time in the field, preparing for the "next" exercise. I dont know what is done in Korea now, been to long since I was in Okinawa ( they canceled the major deployment exercise while I was there in the early 90's) but depending on MOS and unit you can play a lot in the field.

I was Comm Company HQ BN 3rd Mar Div and one year we spent 6 months preparing for an exersize ( our CO was a perfectionist and didnt think anything was ever good enough) basicly for 4 months of that time we spent monday to Friday in the field, came out Friday night/Saturday morning spent Saturday cleaning and preparing equipment for next week , Loaded up on Sunday and departed to the field either Sunday night or early Monday morning. To do it all again. Then after all that a week before the exersize, the Marine Corps Cancelled it.

(in reply to Embark)

Post #: 8

RE: OT I got screwed over - 11/5/2004 11:27:57 PM

Embark

Posts: 138
Joined: 10/5/2004
Status: offline

I am actually going to Iwakuni not Okinawa.

_____________________________

The tragedy of war is that it uses man's best to do man's worst.
Henry Fosdick

(in reply to Twotribes)

Post #: 9

RE: OT I got screwed over - 11/5/2004 11:59:24 PM

Warfare1

Posts: 658
Joined: 10/20/2004
Status: offline

Sit tight until Monday or when you know for sure.

No sense worrying about something that is beyond your control for now.

As the old saying goes:

"Always get it in writing"

Best of luck

(in reply to Embark)

Post #: 10

RE: OT I got screwed over - 11/6/2004 12:05:35 AM

siRkid

Posts: 6650
Joined: 1/29/2002
From: Orland FL
Status: offline

Do you have anything in writing? I sure hope so. I don't know how the marine corps works but in the Nany we could find someone to swap with. Maybe you can use that as a fall back plan.

Good luck with you. I retired because of orders like those. Mine was a 2 year tour in Iceland without the family. It was not a hard choice, I retired and stayed with the family.

_____________________________

Former War in the Pacific Test Team Manager and Beta Tester for War in the East.

(in reply to Embark)

Post #: 11

RE: OT I got screwed over - 11/6/2004 1:13:00 AM

Cav Trooper

Posts: 237
Joined: 9/7/2004
From: Clinton, South Carolina
Status: offline

Don't say a word to your wife just yet. In Germany when I was with the 3/4 Cav 3rd ID, I recieved orders to Ft. Stewart Ga. They had just become the primary RDF unit to the Middle East. Okay, I contacted DA Armor branch, and worked out a deal. I would extend enlistment for one more year, and get Ft. Bliss again, where my wife was living at the time. Thought great...but when I got to Ft. Bliss, I ended up over in the ADA Command Group instead of the CAV for my final year in service. Okay...I made the mistake of bumping into the CW3 in charge of the WOFT (Warrant Officer Flight Training) recruitment program at Bliss, he remembered that I had extensive computer and software skills. Hooked me up in a Command Group briefing cell without letting me know, and when I came off PCS leave, I ended up over there. Looking back at it, was a great punt job for my last year, working an Auditorium setup (lights, video, computer presentations, audio..etc...and I was just an E4 Promotable CPL)which was not too shabby. The ACR Command Group wasn't too happy about it since I had worked for them during my first tour, was M1A1 / Command experianced, and they knew that I could handle responsibility and a track very well, but lost the arguement. Two points:

First off, there is alway a way to work out a solution to your situation. Contact your detailer with your paperwork and be diplomatic about it. You'll probably get your assignment.

Second, let's say for a second that it doesn't work out the way you wanted it, well you'll still survive it. I ended up being assigned to Germany (3/4 Cav) just two weeks after becoming engaged, (talk about bad timing). Got deployed in Dec 92 to Germany unaccompanied, married Aug of 93 (she came over for 14 days at Christmas to visit), rotated out in Dec 94. Saw her for a total of 34 days out of two years. Came home, marriage was fine, was like I wasn't even gone.

So long story short: Don't say a word, get with your Top, talk to the detailer, hope for the best prep for the worst, and know that your marriage will more than likely survive (probably be stronger) with out any problems. All in all, I feel for ya man...

_____________________________

3rd ACR Tanker
3/4 US Cav Trooper
Brave Rifles

"Professional soldiers are predictable; the world is full of dangerous amateurs."

(in reply to siRkid)

Post #: 12

RE: OT I got screwed over - 11/6/2004 1:16:24 AM

Grunt

Posts: 111
Joined: 5/17/2004
From: Idaho, USA
Status: offline

Former Marine here. I feel for ya, man. Agree with all who say, don't get too worked up until you can get to the bottom of it. It's good you have your SNCO's on your side. But ultimately we all know it's the "good of the Corps" that prevails.

Semper Fi

(in reply to siRkid)

Post #: 13

RE: OT I got screwed over - 11/6/2004 3:51:46 PM

Posts: 35
Joined: 8/14/2004
Status: offline

Send me an email brother. voelkerte@hqmc.usmc.mil

Can't guarantee anything, but maybe. If you choose not to send an email, Happy Birthday anyway!!!

_____________________________

"They were all enemy. They were all to be destroyed."
-W. Calley

(in reply to Embark)

Post #: 14

RE: OT I got screwed over - 11/7/2004 8:12:41 AM

afspret