AboutJason Grabill Expertise Questions relating to US Marine Corps; rank, awards, uniforms, career choices. I can also help people spot and expose fakes (people pretending to be Marines or have awards they didn`t earn).
Parachutist: MOS 9962: Got my wings in August of 1984
Intelligence Specialist: MOS 0231 10 years working as an Intelligence Analyist
Field Radio Operator: MOS 2531. Served as a Platoon Sergeant in a Communications Platoon assigned to MEU Service Support Group 24 (Special Operations Capable)
Publications I was an Editorial writer for Marine Corps Times from 1998-2000.
Awards and Honors Kosovo Campaign Medal w/1 star
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with 4 stars.
Numerous other unit awards. I was on duty on 9/11 at HQMC, near the Pentagon, and responded to that location to try and lend a hand if needed...
Question Jason, my son is 23 years old and has one on line class to finish and he is off to basic training in November. He will have a 4 yr degree from a private college where he also played 4 yrs of baseball and one year of football. He was arrested his junior year at school for having a very small amoutn of pot in his car with his teamates. He had his case continued without finding and served a 6 month probation to have the casrt dismissed. He is being told that he cannot use his 4 yr degree to further himself at this time into becoming an officer and will have to apply to officer candidate school about a year later due to his waiver. Any comments or suggestions on his path forward. It was obviously a stupid college error on his part but now it seems he is paying a great debt by not being able to utilize the education money spent on it. Also will there be any MOS's he will not be able to get due to the arrest and will this haunt him his whole marine career? Help a concerend father... Thanks..
Answer Michael:
I find it difficult to believe that the Marine Corps wouldn't accept him initially as an officer with only this minor offense on his record. Did he talk to an officer recruiter who told him this, or a regular enlisted recruiter? I'd talk to an OSO if he has not done so already. If he has, and that's what he's been told by the OSO, then I'd encourage him to apply to OCS once he's completed recruit training. I don't think there will be any MOS's he can't apply for (or get assigned to), as they are all based on class standing.
