• Allie and Ryan

    Allie & Ryan

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    Allie & Ryan

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    Allie & Ryan

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    Allie & Ryan

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    Allie & Ryan

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Gee, thanks USMC

Why is it whenever I go to the barracks I hear guys (and girls) complaining about how they hate being in the Marines? How they cannot wait to EAS and get out? They are just counting down the days until they can get out of there.

There are so many of those.

Yet my husband who loves being a Marine, wants to make a career out of it, works so incredibly hard, has a tremendous amount of pride and dedication... is getting screwed?!

It frustrates me to the point I want to just break down and cry. But I can't. Because that won't help Ryan at all.

No answers from the career planners at all. For my husband to remain in the Marine Corps would take an act of God at this point. Every single thing is full or there just is not time for him to go before a huge board and be told no.

So he went to the Army. He looked at this program they have called From Blue to Green. He got excited about it again. He contacts a recruiter who says... only Special Forces are getting accepted at this point. Which we think is untrue (especially after talking to the army guy who lives above us) and he just wanted to go home early and not deal with it.

Now what???

Air Force? Navy? Nonmilitary life? Prior service recruiters??

My husband wants nothing more than to be a Marine. He wants to continue to serve his country and keep doing what he is doing. But he can't. Yet there are hundreds of people in the Corps that would gladly take an instant EAS date if it were to be offered to then. Ryan never thought when he joined the USMC he would have to worry about job security. Ever. My husband graduated high school and was in boot camp three days later. He has wanted nothing more than this since he was thirteen years old. That was when he decided to join and has never once wavered on that. He has no idea what else he can do besides military service. There are no degrees to fall back on. This is his life. He wants it to be his career.

Pardon my language in this sentence, but this is fucking ridiculous.

I can see how it is upsetting him, how hard he is trying every option possible. I can see how he is keeping himself strong and positive regardless, but I am failing to do the same. I can go to a recruiter today and enlist with no problem, but he can't stay doing the job he has done so well for five years.

I have been praying and praying. I keep praying and hoping and wishing and it is doing absolutely nothing. I've never experienced a hopelessness or worry of this magnitude. That bothers me. Especially since it is for the one I love the most.

We need a miracle here. The rest of my husband's career is depending on it.

14 comments:

  1. I'm sorry this is happening. Just remember that God has a plan and even though you may not understand it or even see it at this point there is a bigger plan. Everything will work out how it is supposed to. My prayers are with you both.

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  2. Keeping you both in my prayers. He is so lucky to have you by his side!

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  3. I am so, so sorry for you and your husband. I will continue to pray for both of you. I completely agree about the all the Marines who say they can't stand it. Most of those people just joined because they wanted them to pay for there schooling.. yet they still complain! It's very frustrating.

    Hoping for the best for you two!!

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  4. I agree that God has a plan. I know it is so hard and I agree that it is ridiculous. Sometimes when things are so difficult and just not working out the way I want, it helps me to think that maybe it's just not meant to be. God has a bigger plan and doesn't close one door without opening another. I've been feeling discouraged lately (mostly career related) and if you have time to read it, this article by Joel Osteen really helped me:
    http://www.guideposts.org/prayer/god-answers-your-prayers-different-ways?cid=SM_FB

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  5. First of all, I want to say I am so sorry for you and your husband. I hate that. It seems to me that, more and more, I see all the deserving people get the short end of the stick. It's frustrating me to no end that there can be people who don't deserve something to get it, who don't need it but get it, who don't want it but have it when there are so many who I believe SHOULD and OUGHT to have it. The most deserving never seem to get what they truly deserve and it breaks my heart. I'll be praying for you two, and I hope that some sort of resolution occurs (and soon!)

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  6. I'm so sorry that this is happening to you dear. I know that if my husband was re-enlisting that he would be going through the same turmoils. He would be denied or just be told "No" all the time. Just keep in mind that whatever happens is meant to be that way and maybe if it doesn't go the way you want it to right now, he might end up in the Marines later on. Try to keep your head up and hope for the best. I'll be thinking of you :)

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  7. If he wants to stay in the service, and the Marines won't keep him... he needs to be up the Army's ass in more ways then one. When I joined back in 2005 one recruiter told me one thing, and another (at another office) told me something completely opposite. I'm sorry he's having such a shit time trying to stay in :(

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  8. My husband sees the USMC as his job, and nothing more. He wants to get out so he can support his family better. We EAS next year and my husband is getting out because he can do the exact same thing he does now, as a civilian and make 4 times more money. In Afghanistan, he worked alongside civilians who were making millions of dollars, while he was barely getting fed and wouldn't sleep for days. They were doing the exact same thing. So not all Marines who want to EAS are doing it for trivial reasons! My husband would probably stay in if the civilian opportunities weren't so good.

    Sorry for my spiel!

    You and your husband do not deserve this, at all. The Marine Corps seems to have a backwards way of dealing with things. I will be praying that everything works out for you!

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  9. I am so sorry Allie. I know some couples that are going through this on the officer side of things as well. I agree, it is f*ing ridiculous. You guys are in my thoughts.

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  10. I'm sorry this is happening. It happened to us, too. We went to the Army for hope and they told us they were not accepting any prior service members above E-2. The positions weren't available, and they weren't allowing Rank Reductions just to get in.

    So we got out. And it is frightening and scary, but my husband joined the Police Department (another secret desire of his) and even though we're just getting started... all over again... it's working out. So have faith and trust that the Lord has a plan for you and it will work out for you too.

    Good luck, I'll be praying for you.

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  11. Oh girl! I am so sorry :( When Jacob got out and started talking to a prior service recruiter we went through hell and back, they wouldn't take any prior service marines. So he went to the Army and they said they couldn't take anyone either... We have done the exact same thing that you are doing and I and Jacob both know exactly what you are going through!!! I am here for you girl. We almost went to talk to the airforce but we got lost and ended up going on an adventure than finding the office.

    It took me months and months and months after he got out to loose hope in the fact that he would get back in. Even when he was reserve I was making him ask every week if that guy could find any open full time positions for him. It was hard for me to accept him truly joining the civilian world and I hate to say how hard it was because I don't want to scare you but once the dust cleared and we realized that this was the plan that god put us on we started doing so much better.

    Keep fighting for it though, you still have time to try every angle and talk to more than one recruiter, but when all is said and done it will work out the way it was intended to and I'm here if you need me, Jacob too!

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  12. Keep fighting, keep pushing, keep pressing. Tell him not to give up. I agree with Bonnie - you'll get different stories depending on who you talk to.

    Good luck!

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  13. I'm so sorry about everything you guys are going thru. It really is horrible that you're right, there are so many service members who complain about their jobs, and then there are people like your husband who would gladly step in and take their place. Keeping my fingers crossed for you guys. Hang in there and hopefully that miracle will come.

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  14. Sounds so frustrating. Praying for you both.

    Thanks for linking up and have a great weekend :)

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