How long has MOS been around?

[Cameramonkey]

63B. I never finished boot camp due to a bad knee and dont by any means consider myself a vet. I didnt earn that title. Not by any stretch. It just didnt work out. I just had a short "vacation" at Ft Lost in the Woods. (I want a refund!)

So if a "washout" can remember his MOS 25 years later without actually employing it in the field, surely a combat vet can recall it.

That crap makes me angry.

 

[freekforge]

One of his best humble-brags is that while he was there, not a single VC made it to England.

I know a guy that was in the air force and then the coast guard. When he was air force all he did was drive a pick up truck with a plow mounted on it. He says if any russian tried to invade his post he would "plow em over" cracks us up every time he says it. Then he went coast guard and made a boat load (see what i did there...boat, coasties never mind) of rescues.

 

[Alpo]

I was in the Seabees. We had ratings. Navy guys were swabbies or squids. Marines were grunts, never would call one a jarhead as marines were better than a rosary when the SHTF.

It's a known fact that none of the above would ever talk to anyone in the army or elevated freight hauling disciplines. So, I don't know anything about MOS other than for computer chips.

My rating was UT. Which is supposed to be anything to do with utilities. It also means that what I actually DID generally had nothing to do with utilities. I did wear gaffs and climb things alot.

 

[red_zr24x4]

63B. I never finished boot camp due to a bad knee and dont by any means consider myself a vet. I didnt earn that title. Not by any stretch. It just didnt work out. I just had a short "vacation" at Ft Lost in the Woods. (I want a refund!)

So if a "washout" can remember his MOS 25 years later without actually employing it in the field, surely a combat vet can recall it.

That crap makes me angry.

This ^ is my story to a tee, except
11B and Ft. Benning 20 yrs ago

 

[luger fan]

USMC 0311/ 8541

You a 'Hollywood' or 'P.I.' Marine?

 

[KLB]

63B. I never finished boot camp due to a bad knee and dont by any means consider myself a vet. I didnt earn that title. Not by any stretch. It just didnt work out. I just had a short "vacation" at Ft Lost in the Woods. (I want a refund!)

So if a "washout" can remember his MOS 25 years later without actually employing it in the field, surely a combat vet can recall it.

That crap makes me angry.

I'm in the same boat. Stress fractures in both shins got me a medical discharge the week I would have graduated from AIT in 1986, and I still remember that I was a 19D.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Did your dad get his Russian training at the Presidio of Monterey? I think they've been training linguists there that long.
I did basic at Ft. Jackson, Columbia, SC. Tank Hill, old barracks in '86. Presidio of Monterey for 47 weeks of Russian Language training. San Angelo, TX at Goodfellow AFB for AIT. Then 2 1/2 yrs in West Germany, back when there was an east and west variety. Came home in January of '90 just before the wall came down.

After his basic training at Lackland AFB, (Where he was "flight leader"!) he went to Syracuse University for his language training. It certainly wasn't 47 weeks long. Then off to merry olde England for a few years. I'm half-convinced that I have at least 1 half-sibling in England somewhere.

 

[Grump01]

62F

 

[BE Mike]

My father, a WWII vet, was Signal Corps. He knew a fellow in the local American Legion Post who was always telling war stories. The old vet passed away and my father said he was telling the widow about how she must be so proud of his WWII wartime exploits. The widow looked at my father and said, "He played trumpet in the band and never left the states!" One just never knows. Many times when thanking an old man, wearing a "Viet Nam Vet" cap, for his service, I like to ask where he served just to see if he is legit. I haven't found a poser yet.

 

[mellowwetto]

You a 'Hollywood' or 'P.I.' Marine?

Boot camp in San Diego. MCT & Infantry school in Pendleton. 2/2 in Lejeune. So a little bit of both I guess

 

[Kutnupe14]

My father, a WWII vet, was Signal Corps. He knew a fellow in the local American Legion Post who was always telling war stories. The old vet passed away and my father said he was telling the widow about how she must be so proud of his WWII wartime exploits. The widow looked at my father and said, "He played trumpet in the band and never left the states!" One just never knows. Many times when thanking an old man, wearing a "Viet Nam Vet" cap, for his service, I like to ask where he served just to see if he is legit. I haven't found a poser yet.

There are far less Vietnam Vet fakers than there used to be. The American public generally don't remember the battles, places, and it's simply too difficult to pronounce the names.

 

[Throwsstones]

Started as a 12B second MOS was 91P. I wanted something I could use in the real world.

 

[actaeon277]

I don't know about MOS, but I know the naval ratings system has been around since the 1840s.
It has been updated over the years, adding and subtracting ratings as technology changes.
There was a couple months where the Navy listened to some "efficiency experts" and got rid of it.
This change was SO HATED, and so affected morale NEGATIVELY, that the Navy brought it back.
And NOTHING the Navy does, if for a few months, so that tells you how bad it was.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Navy_ratings

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/12/21/reversal-navy-brings-back-beloved-ratings-system.html

 

[actaeon277]

I don't know about MOS, but I know the naval ratings system has been around since the 1840s.
It has been updated over the years, adding and subtracting ratings as technology changes.
There was a couple months where the Navy listened to some "efficiency experts" and got rid of it.
This change was SO HATED, and so affected morale NEGATIVELY, that the Navy brought it back.
And NOTHING the Navy does, if for a few months, so that tells you how bad it was.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Navy_ratings

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/12/21/reversal-navy-brings-back-beloved-ratings-system.html

The white house received a petition, with over a 100,000 signatures against going away from the rating system.
There are less than 300,000 enlisted.
So that tells you how bad it was.

 

[Libertarian01]

Thanks for all the responses. I figure the guy was just blowing smoke as he offered up in conversation that he was 101st. Nobody had ever done that before that I recall. That set of my suspicion which prompted me to ask his MOS.

I was 0311, basic infantry USMC. I was medically discharged and never went to fleet.

The guys I have taken to the VA were obviously vets, and I'd normally ask which branch they served in. I remember one guy was a real hoot, a very nice fella. He was WWII era by his age, and I had asked which branch he was in. He responded with "Air Force." At which point I followed up with, "Was that the 'Air Force' or the 'US Army Air Corps?" He really lit up. He said most folks don't remember the Air Corps. He said, "That's right. When I joined they gave me a brown suit and when I got out I was in a blue suit." Neat way of looking at it.

I know a bit about military history but not enough to know the detail work, thus my question. Why someone would want to offer up a story about what they didn't do is beyond me. I think everyone who has done a good job in life should be proud of what they have done. Folks that build things, that fix things, that make life easier for the rest of us all contribute in very unique ways. To my thinking just doing your best is reason enough to take pride in your accomplishments.

Regards,

Doug

 

[Cameramonkey]

Thanks for all the responses. I figure the guy was just blowing smoke as he offered up in conversation that he was 101st. Nobody had ever done that before that I recall. That set of my suspicion which prompted me to ask his MOS.

I was 0311, basic infantry USMC. I was medically discharged and never went to fleet.

The guys I have taken to the VA were obviously vets, and I'd normally ask which branch they served in. I remember one guy was a real hoot, a very nice fella. He was WWII era by his age, and I had asked which branch he was in. He responded with "Air Force." At which point I followed up with, "Was that the 'Air Force' or the 'US Army Air Corps?" He really lit up. He said most folks don't remember the Air Corps. He said, "That's right. When I joined they gave me a brown suit and when I got out I was in a blue suit." Neat way of looking at it.

I know a bit about military history but not enough to know the detail work, thus my question. Why someone would want to offer up a story about what they didn't do is beyond me. I think everyone who has done a good job in life should be proud of what they have done. Folks that build things, that fix things, that make life easier for the rest of us all contribute in very unique ways. To my thinking just doing your best is reason enough to take pride in your accomplishments.

Regards,

Doug

They lack self esteem and feel that they dont have enough to offer up in real life to be cool. They envy those that do have something really cool to offer up and want to be as cool as they are.

 

[PappyD]

19E 5P armor crewman M60A1 (like the last class at Ft Knox to be trained on the M60A1...next group - 19K M1 Abrams)
5P parachutist did my 5 jumps and was sent to a non-airborne unit...still cool though

3rd jump command? "Sound off for equipment check!"

1st Stand up!
2nd Hook up!
3rd sound off for equipment check
4th Stand in the door! after that it was all a blur....how fast can we get these guys out of the plane!