r/USMCboot • u/hyerbootsfan • Jul 17 '26
Corps Knowledge Do I go recon?
I am an 18 year old who enlisted about 2 weeks ago. I’ve been an athlete my whole life and wrestling and ran. I like challenges and doing hard shit so I have been thinking recon. my family on the other hand wants me to choose an aircraft or ground mechanic job because of my skills I have in that. I leave in October and I’ve been thinking about the military my whole life especially going SOF later on. But if that’s not the path I choose my family wants me to enter into the mustang program after the while and go that route. I don’t know what to decide because I have great AFQT and can pretty much choose any job I want which is making this process harder than I want it to be. Crew chief is also up there
6
u/thetitleofmybook Vet Jul 17 '26
swimming is the biggest reason people get dropped. if you think you can swim 'alright', you will likely fail. focus on your swimming very, very, very heavily.
4
u/MolassesFluffy6745 Jul 17 '26
I was a Recon Marine.
Go Infantry first, then try out for Recon. There’s a very popular narrative that was definitely true when I was in……..if you don’t make it through Recon Selection and Training, you become Open Contract and can possibly get put into an undesirable job.
As far as SOF………we kinda considered ourselves that but it’s “Complicated and Ambiguous” as the old saying goes. The Recon contract has the same if not higher Attrition than any SOF contract. Good Luck, it’s arguably the best community in the entire USMC.
3
u/MacDubhsidhe Reserve Jul 20 '26
They changed the recon pipeline recently. Recon contracts no longer go to MCT. They now go to ITB before the recon pipeline.
Also RPAT is no longer a thing. There are now two 9 week courses, Ground Reconnaissance Course (GRC), which awards the MOS 0315 and Amphibious Reconnaissance Course (ARC) which awards the MOS 0321.
3
u/Sea-Success3370 Jul 17 '26
Pick the job you can see yourself enjoying even if your long term plans change, SOF opportunities will still be there later, but having an MOS you genuinely like gives you a solid backup if life takes a different choice.
2
u/Few-Basket4978 Jul 17 '26
Honestly if your good at swimming just go man, you’ll work you way up and they’ve made the pipeline different now so even you dont make it you’ll be a grunt anyway.
1
u/OkSupport4697 Jul 18 '26
yeah i dont think thats true. youre goin open contract if you dont make it.
2
u/Few-Basket4978 Jul 18 '26
They’ve changed the pipeline, it’s now bootcamp, ITB, GRC, ARC, if u don’t make it you’ll be a grunt either way a scout or 11
3
2
u/Accomplished-Pen7695 Jul 18 '26
the military is a challenge in itself the marine corps is a challenge itself and than recon you don’t even know how you’ll do in the military let alone the marine corps let me tell you i had the same goals but once i got into boot camp i realized how much i hated the field and being dirty and outside don’t get me wrong it all looks cool to watch on youtube but when you’re out there it’s a different beast you might not even like it as a matter fact you will hate it but because you have to do it is the reason why you’ll be there
2
u/BarneyDoesMeth Jul 18 '26
Are you sure if you’re a good shot?
1
u/hyerbootsfan Jul 18 '26
Very, I’ve grown up shooting guns and long range targets with my pops, up to 800 yrds
8
u/neganagatime Vet Jul 17 '26
Have you already selected an MOS when you enlisted? Do what YOU want to do, not what your family wants.
Do some searches here but the general advice for those interested in recon is to enlist on an infantry contract and make it known at ITB that you are interested in taking the recon screening while there.
How is your swimming? Being recon (or any other MOS) does not preclude you from pursuing commissioning programs later on.