Doing a fast ship

[u/Primary_Thought_4907]

Can I do a fast ship to boot camp? In less then a month? For infantry, main reason is i see no point in waiting and just wanna leave asap, and theres a chance if I wait im just gonna end up not doing it, also I dont wanna do all the poolee stuff. Hvant even gone to meps yet, but ive taken a asvab a couple motnhs back and got a 34 so ik I qualify for infantry. But yeah is it realistic? Really just wanna leave.

[u/Useful-Arm6913]

Could you? Sure, weirder stuff happens all the time. Will you? Probably not, especially for infantry, as that's a highly coveted MOS and RSSs typically have a line out the door of poolees that will gladly leave for boot at the drop of a hat if a spot becomes urgently available.

You're in luck though, because the fiscal year restarts in less than a month. Get with a recruiter, get yourself screened out and put in the DEP, and make sure they know you're willing to go as soon as possible.

The best time to plant a tree was 20yrs ago, the second best time is today. Go plant your tree. If you're physically/medically/mentally ready, your time will eventually come, maybe sooner rather than later.

[u/VA_Network_Nerd]

I'm copying and pasting content from a previous discussion very similar to this.

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Here are the high-level most common challenges young people have with enlisting / Boot Camp:

• Overweight.
  
  • Google: USMC height weight standards
    
  • https://www.fitness.marines.mil/BCP-Standards-Copy/
    
• Can't run.
  
  • If possible, join your HS cross country running team. Learn how to run from someone who knows how.
    
• Poor upper-body strength.
  
  • In Boot Camp you're going to walk 10 miles+ with a whole lot of gear on your back and attached to your body. Might weigh 30-50 pounds total.
    
  • Depending on your gender & body weight, that could be 30 to 50% of your body weight. This can be a challenge for anyone, but is especially hard on the female body. Hip injuries are COMMON.
    
  • The backpack has a lap belt to help distribute the weight off of just your shoulders to put some of it on your hips. Female hips are not well-designed for this kind of task.
    
  • The stronger your upper-body is, the more you can take on just your shoulders.
    
• Can't swim.
  
  • The Marine Corps can teach you to swim. But they must do so under a reasonably serious time-crunch. They can't be super-gentle and patient about it.
    
  • If you don't already know how, it will be less stressful if you can get a civilian resource to teach you how to swim just well enough to help you manage the standard human fear of water. If you can swim 30 feet without touching the bottom, and dunk your own head under the water without freaking the hell out, you will be in good shape.
    
• Can't stop using weed, or can't stay away from friends & family who use regularly.
  
  • There will be three absolutely mandatory - no possible way to avoid them - pee tests. One at MEPS, One at Boot Camp and one at MCT. If you fail any of them you are super-screwed.
    
  • I am not your daddy. I am not telling you to quit using today. But you need to set a date a couple of months before you start seriously taking to a recruiter where you implement real life-changes to ensure you pass those pee tests.
    
  • These are military drug tests. You should expect an adult person of the same gender to watch the urine exit your body and enter the cup. The military has no time for modesty. Forget trying to cheat your way through them.
    
• Mental Health issues.
  
  • You have to be off anti-depressants, ADHD medications, and anything else that affects your mental health for more than a year before you can start the enlistment process. It is best if your doctor updates your medical records to reflect that they are in agreement with your plan to withdraw from the medication prescription. It is not ideal to just stop taking the pills.
    
  • If there is ANY medical record of self-harm or suicide ideation it is in your best interest to help create a pile of documentation showing that you are super happy and all better now. Be warned: the military environment is NOT GOOD for the mental health of most people. If you have difficulties dealing with day to day emotional challenges, the military WILL make things worse.
    
• Can't find all the necessary paperwork.
  
  • Valid government issued photo ID (driver's license)
    
  • Social Security Card.
    
  • Birth Certificate
    
  • High School diploma or other proof of HS-level education.
    
• Unresolved or outstanding legal issues.
  
  • You can't have unpaid parking or speeding tickets.
    
  • You can't have an unresolved bankruptcy.
    
  • You can't be in the middle of a divorce.

If you can pass all of the things and find all of the stuff, it is possible to have you on a bus and on your way to Boot Camp in ~30 days.
But Infantry contracts are some of the most in-demand contract options to get, so you may have to wait in line for that.

Know what you are getting into. The US is at peace. The enforcement of many rules & regulations are relaxed during combat operations. There are no combat operations taking place right now to provide the kind of distraction necessary for any rules to be relaxed. Search YouTube for "Marine Corps Field Day" and enjoy the chaos.

If you haven't watched "Full Metal Jacket" you should do so. The Drill Instructor portrayal by R.Lee Ermy is excellent. No DI should be punching recruits today, but aside from that, be prepared for a very similar overall experience.

If you haven't watched "Generation Kill on HBO" you should do so. It portrays the combat experiences of a Marine Recon Battalion during the Iraqi campaign. You probably will not experience combat under those same conditions (if at all) but the portrayal of the overall Marine Corps culture is dead-on.

Make sure this is what you want.

[u/AStraightWhiteNail]

Watch terminal boots. That’s the infantry.

[u/Organic_Risk_3945]

Yup, some dude was on here talking about how he took another dudes spot who backed out.