There’s only 1 thief in the military, everyone is trying to get their shit back

Did my five years and I’m proud of what I did even if my body was failing me near the end. What I’m not proud of is getting home and seeing everyone got fucking old on me most of my grandparents have either died while in or died since I’ve been out, it’s been about a year or their health is severely declining. I mean hell even my own dads having health issues and when I went to Paris island he was healthy as a horse, my little brother ain’t little no more he’s a full on fucking adult. I don’t know this is some bs bitching I get it but fuck, maybe if I would’ve done even one cool thing I could defend my time in service but I didn’t do shit to support the marine corps if anything I was more a failure and burden than a supporting member due to weight issues and lacking at my mos but that happens in my field. I guess my question is has anyone else felt this shit? I guess if there’s one good thing to come out of everything I’ve finally gotten my ass back in shape probably best shape I’ve been in in my life actually have debated on rejoining but am honestly of belief that my body’s way too fucked at this point. Genuinely believe I need therapy or imma lose my fucking mind over this shit but therapy’s like for the navy or some shit so I don’t thinks that’s much of an option.

Yesterday I had four appointments at the VA hospital so I was there most of the day.

Like I always do, I spent my waiting time talking to the old guys. I'm 66, so that lets you know what I mean by old guys.

I talked to three Korea Vets; one was a POW for two years. One Marine served during the occupation of Japan, then Korea.

Five Vietnam Combat Vets. One was one of the first Marines in the country, two were there for Tet, and the last guy was on the second-to-last helicopter out of the country. One did three tours over there.

Finally, one WWII Vet. He was so delighted and surprised that someone wanted to talk with him that he had tears in his eyes. He was a door gunner on a B17 and flew 27 missions over Germany.

I like to let these heroes know they are not forgotten.

If you're in the VA system, take a minute and ask these men how their day is going.

It is still ok to ask, "Are you Man-Lady or Lady-Lady?"

Asking for a Shipmate on the USS Lincoln.

Vid is a lil old

Hello, I have a question and I figured this might be the best place to ask. I have a friend that I’m suspicious of. Not just because of what he’s told me regarding the marine stuff, but because of many other things he’s told me.

He says he’s in the marines and a part of a special task force. Twice this year he said he was enlisted to take part in a 1-2 day mission. Both times were in Iran. He said he flies out of Camp Pendleton and is in Iran to complete the mission for one or two days and then they fly him and the rest of the task force home after. Does this sound like something the marines would do? Fly someone to Iran for a day or two then send them home?

Thank you.

I’m a Corporal with four years in the Corps, going on five. I recently PCA’d to a new unit and there’s a Gunny here who’s not in my MOS at all. Dude reads up on the manuals and now acts like he knows my job better than I do. He’s extremely nitpicky—corrects me on tiny things and talks like he knows every single thing I do word for word. It’s starting to get under my skin because I actually do this job every day, while he’s just reading about it. I get that he’s a Gunny and I’m supposed to show proper respect, but it feels like he’s stepping on my lane hard. Has anyone dealt with something like this? How do you handle a senior who micromanages or acts like an expert in a field they’re not in? I want to stay professional but I’m getting frustrated. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks, devil dawgs.

Served from 20-24’, and I always wanted tattoos but never settled on designs and I’ve been out 2.5 years now and want to get something to commemorate my service.

Miss the good times of the MC everyday and forget all the bad times like a bad ex, but I’ve been battling back and forth internally if it’s weird to get a motto tat after I got out.

Would love to hear if others got a motto tat afterwards and what you got.

Thanks in advance fellas 🤙

Not really, just a coincidence. Washington Monument in the background.

Anyone else notice Google Maps doesn't consider any of the roads on Camp Lejeune to exist anymore?

The USS Abraham Lincoln (5000 Marines and sailors) has been out to sea for more than 250 days! ⚓️
After that kind of extended deployment, you’d think the crew would get a nice, quiet first port visit to relax and recharge.
Nope… their first stop is Pattaya Beach, Thailand. 😂🇹🇭
What could possibly go right—or wrong—on this first port visit? 😂🍻🌴
Welcome ashore, Lincoln! You’ve earned it! 🇺🇸⚓️

Joe Cantafio joined the Attention Now Podcast to share the incredible story of taking his music to Iraq to entertain our U.S. troops serving far from home. 🇺🇸🎸 Joe talked about what it meant to stand in front of America’s service members in a combat zone and use music to bring them a piece of home, even if only for a little while. It wasn’t just another performance—it was about showing appreciation, lifting morale, and supporting the men and women who were putting everything on the line. Much respect to Joe Cantafio for stepping forward and bringing music, encouragement, and a little bit of home to our troops in Iraq. Semper Fi!

what am i in for as a 2841 (radio tech), are there any opportunities to do cool stuff or is it just gonna be sl3 forever?

Obviously the "presidential salute" largely began with Reagan and presidents, as civilians, are not expected to return military salutes. That said, why do saluting protocols with respect to the president seem to differ between branches?

The airman's salute corresponds directly to the president but the marines remain in their position. Why the difference?

I just want one for my keychain. People who know will know and give me a nod and maybe a handy if I'm lucky, everyone else will wonder what the fuck it is, and I want it that way. I see a website that's selling them for like 35 bucks, I don't need a real one. I was wondering if anyone could make a 3D printed copy or some such thing. Thanks!

2 weeks ago now I ended up getting 2 tickets in one week 🫥. One was for doing 14 over going downhill and the other was for improper usage of my seatbelt. I had it slung behind my back. My command spoke to me and my OIC and Gunny are pushing for a Company Level NJP. And I was eligible for Cpl this month and just checked and it now says I’m non recd. Does this mean they’ve already routed up my NJP and I just have to wait for my trial? My Plt Sgt had me make a Slideshow on Speeding and I got it done in a week and also had me take some driving courses prior to my NJP which most likely will happen. I’m just a little confused and some help would be appreciated.

What’s the daily lifestyle look like for combat instructors? How are the hours? Time between on and off cycles? Etc.

Am I turning homo?

medboard, meb, IDES, peblo, peb

*This is intended for the active duty contingency of medboards, some of this still applies to reservist / guard boards after it is all said and done, but there are some unique rules like VR&E eligibility among other things.*

Hey guys, a couple years ago I posted a thread discussing the medboard process hoping to help people that searched this stuff. Lo and behold most of the answers to the questions I gave are what AI chatbots spit out now, so I figured I should make a follow-up. Here's that old thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/USMC/s/xew9Wz4SI9

Crossing my fingers and hoping most folks that needed to hear what I said in that thread found it when they needed to. There isn't much info on the "what happens after" stage, so I figured I'd share my story and what helped me keep afloat. It may not apply to everyone, but there are some unique pains that come after this process that I want to document here.

U Signed the Mothafuckin' Contract

Obviously this is from a USMC perspective, but everything from this point on is generic information that applies to all branches. Could be a little different for Coast Guard since they're DHS, but I'm gonna assume a similar or identical way out.

At this stage you just signed the contract confirming the PEB's findings. If you heeded my advice you would have applied for VR&E before exiting service, but there's almost always a lag time between signing the PEB's findings and your separation / retirement date. If you haven't signed up, do it now. As long as you sign up while active and you're facing a medboard, you are guaranteed enrollment in the VR&E program. While technically not an education program, it is effectively a way to get some degrees under your belt without touching your GI bill.

Medical retirees

This applies to both medical discharges and retirees: the day after discharge go into VA.gov and sign in. Enroll into VA healthcare via the 10-10EZ form (just google VA.gov 10-10EZ). Once you do that, establish your primary care by seeing the doc and getting some bloodwork done. Do this once a year, it maintains your emergency room coverage benefits. This means if you end up in the emergency room, you can call 8447247842 to report the visit within 72 hours. There's a lot of rules to this, but it's worth keeping the benefit. The rules / eligibility criteria are listed here: https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-emergency-care-at-non-va-facilities/

Update: Apparently you can sign up for TRICARE virtually now! Call TriWest or Humana directly and discuss virtual options BEFORE going in person like I go on to say in the next paragraph. You may be able to avoid going in person entirely :)

For those of you that got medically retired, it's good news but it comes paired with a bundle of annoyances out of the gate. You have to wait a week post-retirement date for DEERS / RAPIDS to see that your info updated to retired, and then you have to go into a DEERS / RAPIDS office (I recommend looking for one that does walk-ins) to get a new DoD ID. If you are married or have kids, they need to come with you to get dependent ID's.

Only after your new ID's are made can you then enroll into TRICARE. You can choose Select or PRIME, but I recommend Select because you don't need some quack's approval to see whichever specialist you actually want and need to see. Nothing pissed me off more than a doctor telling me I should see mental health before seeing pain management for my back pain.

Once TRICARE is squared away, you should be square for healthcare between TRICARE and the VA. Optionally you can look into dental and vision coverage through FEDVIP. Like TRICARE, there are monthly fees depending on the program you choose. Be sure to choose these programs carefully depending on your budget.

Now here comes the unique pain in the ass for medical retirees: you guys lose your income stream once your retirement date passes. The VA needs 2-4 months to finish your rating, and while you will get backpay to the day after your retirement, bills will still need to be paid. And remember, the VA does not pay partial months. This means if you retire on the 15th or some other middle of the month day, you will lose out on that month for backpay unfortunately.

I was at risk of homelessness post retirement. I got fucked over by the military movers and had to buy furniture all over again after the move. Between that, sleeping on an air mattress for a few months with my wife who had Saint-like patience with me, things were tough. For Sailors and Marines, if you retire and find yourself in this position, recall that the NMCRS still helps retirees. They hooked me up with a cost of living loan, which was enough for me to pay rent that month and not lose my apartment. I used this emergency loan letter to get a risk of homelessness flag on my VA file, and my VA claim was finalized 8 or 9 days after my retirement date. It saved my ass. Other branches most likely have a similar relief society that can get some short term help from the Red Cross, since that's what NMCRS did for me. I paid back all the money when I got back on my feet.

Medical separations

This applies to both medical discharges and retirees: the day after discharge go into VA.gov and sign in. Enroll into VA healthcare via the 10-10EZ form (just google VA.gov 10-10EZ). Once you do that, establish your primary care by seeing the doc and getting some bloodwork done. Do this once a year, it maintains your emergency room coverage benefits. This means if you end up in the emergency room, you can call 8447247842 to report the visit within 72 hours. There's a lot of rules to this, but it's worth keeping the benefit. The rules / eligibility criteria are listed here: https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-emergency-care-at-non-va-facilities/

You guys, while potentially facing some disappointment that a retirement wasn't in order, face less hardship out of the gate. There is a lump sum payment waiting for your bank account once you're out, and it really helps bridge that gap between the VA finishing your rating and your separation date. I must warn you that, aside from a few 0% DoD edge cases, that money is to be paid back in the form of 10 to 20% equivalent of VA pay per month sent back to the DoD. This will happen every month until it is paid back in full.

No interest collects on this debt, nobody will knock your door down for it, it will just be taken from your VA pay each month and there is no options to change the amount. I imagine if you wanted to pay it off you could, you would just need to call DFAS.

VR&E

For those of you that weren't able to get a job lined up post service, that's okay. It's hard to do that unless you are very proactive prior to separation. I would actually advise that anyone on the younger side that goes through a board explore VR&E before returning to work. More credentials can't hurt in the job market.

You can apply for VR&E during your board at any time, but I suggest doing it towards the end of your board because if you don't begin school within 6 months of being accepted you will be dropped and if you get dropped after service you lose your guaranteed enrollment into the program. Here's the online signup page: https://www.va.gov/careers-employment/vocational-rehabilitation/apply-vre-form-28-1900/introduction

And here's the IDES rules on VR&E: https://www.va.gov/resources/accessing-veteran-readiness-and-employment-through-ides/

After you apply your VR&E counselor will reach out to you for interview. This is typically the acceptance or denial decision, but ideally you applied while active, so this will simply be an acceptance and terms of service comversation. You have to choose a career you want and decide what degree will best help you get into said career.

You'll have to apply and get accepted into the college of your choice after you sign the contract of the program with your counselor. You can see particular information about your desired school (like outstanding complaints from other veteran students, monthly housing allowance rates for in person attendance, and veteran student population) here: https://www.va.gov/education/gi-bill-comparison-tool/

I should mention it's very important you sign up for the GI bill to receive monthly housing allowance at the GI bill rate. You can apply for the GI bill here: https://www.va.gov/education/apply-for-gi-bill-form-22-1990/introduction IF YOU DISCHARGED OR RETIRED THROUGH IDES, YOU GET 100% OF THE GI BILL REGARDLESS OF TIME IN SERVICE!!!!! APPLY!!!

Once you've applied, send your CoE (certificate of eligibility) to your VA counselor's email. They will ensure you are paid at the correct monthly housing allowance rate. Sometimes it may take some time to receive your CoE. Ensure your mailing address is accurate in case they mail it to you physically.

Once you're all setup and enrolled, you'll go to college as you and your counselor agreed upon and you'll go to college for free, get paid for it, and likely live off of that money. Your job will become going to school and doing well.

FAFSA

FAFSA is awesome. If you are enrolled in VR&E and participating, make sure you do FAFSA each year. Chances are you qualify for the maximum benefit possible from PELL grants. Grants are money you can pocket and not think twice about. Just keep in mind it IS taxable income if you don't use it expressly for school shit. The way it works is you'll apply, get your award letter from FSA, then accept the grants through your college. The college will then get those funds from FSA, and since VR&E already paid your tuition balance, that money will be refunded to you. Many colleges force you to do college tuition refunds through BankMobile, they SUCK so I highly recommend you route your money through USAA and do NOT open a bank account with BankMobile.

And no, this is not illegal or immoral in any way. So long as you pay taxes on it, the government does not care.

Conclusion

That's sort of it for post service shit. After you get squared away between a job or school, or both if you're up for it, you just take it day by day and try to make life as pleasant as possible.

I hope this helps some of you guys. I know this isn't going to be super relevant to like 98% of Marines or troops, but this is for that 2% of you almost on the other side of an annoying ass system designed to chew you up and spit you out. Hang in there. If I can do it, anyone can.

Just like my last thread, if you have any questions feel free to comment or DM me directly. I still respond to that other thread years later and I've heard just about every story about medboards.

I’m sure this has been covered plenty but I’m still unable to find a way to get a dd214 member 4. I need it for employment. I don’t even remember seeing this form as all I have in my “military paperwork folder” is a dd214 member and service forms. Does anyone know how to obtain it? Apparently my job needs it to say member 4 at the bottom right.