Poolie Connolly
08-29-2008, 04:43 AM
Hey Ya'll.
I am Poolie Connolly. 28 years young from Sonoma County, Ca.
Enlisted at MEPs San Jose 20080819. 5'9", 148lbs., BMI 21 (Normal), Body Fat %6 (Athlete), BP 118/76 (normal), Ears 5/5 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 5/5 (Good), Eyes 20/400 (Bad, Bad, Bad), ASVAB 90/99, DLAB 86 (Boooooooo), GT 110+, EL 110+.
No college except for community college classes in Astronomy and Physics (both passed with C+, insane stuff, a simple test of myself at early twenties to be sure my mind wasn't fried by a very colorful youth).
All my knowledge is self taught, computers, technology, electronics, crafting (I thank Legos, Dungeons and Dragons, Tandy 1000 EX, and Nintendo Entertainment System). My physical discipline learned via the web, nutrition sites, weight lifting sites, etc. No money for a gym membership, started with situps and pushups and moved to free weights and finally a bench with fancy attachments for leg work, curls, and pull downs.
Shipping to MCRD San Diego, 20080915
Now based on those stats, I got offered to take the DLAB which I sucked at apparently and scored 86. To be honest, those that have taken this test may know, on the first part they ask you to answer some truthful questions which are mostly your own opinions and cares, and lets just say I really didn't want to do linguistics because that doesn't seem, how do I say, exciting to me. Seems like the sort of stuff I do at home, computers, technical work, reading, learning, puzzles, etc.
I enlisted to go have adventures and get out of the rut my life has become. I trained my ass off, alone, I have no friends in NorCal, except my girl and daughter, and a bench, and a lot of motivation to go from 250lbs at age 25, smoking like a chimney and drinking like a fish, to 148 lean pounds and hardly drink (still smoke though).
Then I went to the office, met my recruiter, and said I wanted to be a marine. Was sent to MEPs two days later, sworn in after all the stuff, and shipping soon. Never asked or coddled into learning about an MOS, since pretty much I wanted infantry but all day I kept getting asked by the staff "With scores like yours, why do you want infantry?"
I found out about open contract and then a day later my recruiter called, told me to go to MEPS for the DLAB and I could snag a 15k enlistment bonus. I didn't join the Marines for the money, but I also didn't really want to learn a foreign language. I went and took the test, and even though I didn't care, I still felt kind of bad to have done so terrible. If I wanted money, I would have went Army.
Anyhow, I do PT days now until my ship date. I can keep up like a champ with the 17-22 year old young men, even though some are way fitter, maybe just younger. And a very motivated young lady who pretty much is the only fem in my pool who I respect. I suffer through the more overweight young men aged 17-25 in my PT pool and the weaker young women to catch up with us in runs by doing push ups at stop lights and all sorts or crud that makes me fearfully understanding of the platoon blanketing Pvt. Gomer Pile in FMJ.
I am not as smart as like 2 people in my PT pool (one scored 99/99 on the ASVAB and another 95) but I am not as... uneducated as the rest, lowest being a young man who is going to be doint a culinary MOS.
Don't let that fool you though. I don't settle for second best. I strive and pull myself to be better. I will be better.
But the thing is, my recruiting Sgt., he is not interested in discussing about my possible MOS choices, he is cool, but to get serious, he won't with me, he sits others down and flips through a big book of jobs and has them write down three choices. I never did that, I am shipping soon, I don't know where I am needed other than the failed linguistics option. I am just wondering if like either my recruiter is not worried about me because I am fit and smart enough for most things, or if like maybe I need to make a more concentrated effort to talk to him about a MOS. I tried once, he said "Connolly, what's wrong? You got a ship date? Ya. What's up? Nothing sir, just.. Good to go? Good to go...."
I mean, I don't know what to do other than go sign my contract for whatever on ship day and take off. I want to know about the BAH for my daughter for one thing. I also want to do lasik out of boot in December since I get 10 days and the holidays before MCT. Other than that, I am good to go. Still, makes me feel sort of floating around. Even though pretty much the highlight of my week is my two PT days, I always feel like they are very coddling to the weaker guys and the slower guys, and I feel dusted, being that I just want to ask a couple serious questions and not be coddled or talked to like a moron. Maybe that's just the way though lol. And on the day before ship, I will probably end up finding out everything in a 2 hour chat. That would make me happy though.
Anyone know what is going on or have an opinion or similar experience as a poolie?
I am Poolie Connolly. 28 years young from Sonoma County, Ca.
Enlisted at MEPs San Jose 20080819. 5'9", 148lbs., BMI 21 (Normal), Body Fat %6 (Athlete), BP 118/76 (normal), Ears 5/5 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 5/5 (Good), Eyes 20/400 (Bad, Bad, Bad), ASVAB 90/99, DLAB 86 (Boooooooo), GT 110+, EL 110+.
No college except for community college classes in Astronomy and Physics (both passed with C+, insane stuff, a simple test of myself at early twenties to be sure my mind wasn't fried by a very colorful youth).
All my knowledge is self taught, computers, technology, electronics, crafting (I thank Legos, Dungeons and Dragons, Tandy 1000 EX, and Nintendo Entertainment System). My physical discipline learned via the web, nutrition sites, weight lifting sites, etc. No money for a gym membership, started with situps and pushups and moved to free weights and finally a bench with fancy attachments for leg work, curls, and pull downs.
Shipping to MCRD San Diego, 20080915
Now based on those stats, I got offered to take the DLAB which I sucked at apparently and scored 86. To be honest, those that have taken this test may know, on the first part they ask you to answer some truthful questions which are mostly your own opinions and cares, and lets just say I really didn't want to do linguistics because that doesn't seem, how do I say, exciting to me. Seems like the sort of stuff I do at home, computers, technical work, reading, learning, puzzles, etc.
I enlisted to go have adventures and get out of the rut my life has become. I trained my ass off, alone, I have no friends in NorCal, except my girl and daughter, and a bench, and a lot of motivation to go from 250lbs at age 25, smoking like a chimney and drinking like a fish, to 148 lean pounds and hardly drink (still smoke though).
Then I went to the office, met my recruiter, and said I wanted to be a marine. Was sent to MEPs two days later, sworn in after all the stuff, and shipping soon. Never asked or coddled into learning about an MOS, since pretty much I wanted infantry but all day I kept getting asked by the staff "With scores like yours, why do you want infantry?"
I found out about open contract and then a day later my recruiter called, told me to go to MEPS for the DLAB and I could snag a 15k enlistment bonus. I didn't join the Marines for the money, but I also didn't really want to learn a foreign language. I went and took the test, and even though I didn't care, I still felt kind of bad to have done so terrible. If I wanted money, I would have went Army.
Anyhow, I do PT days now until my ship date. I can keep up like a champ with the 17-22 year old young men, even though some are way fitter, maybe just younger. And a very motivated young lady who pretty much is the only fem in my pool who I respect. I suffer through the more overweight young men aged 17-25 in my PT pool and the weaker young women to catch up with us in runs by doing push ups at stop lights and all sorts or crud that makes me fearfully understanding of the platoon blanketing Pvt. Gomer Pile in FMJ.
I am not as smart as like 2 people in my PT pool (one scored 99/99 on the ASVAB and another 95) but I am not as... uneducated as the rest, lowest being a young man who is going to be doint a culinary MOS.
Don't let that fool you though. I don't settle for second best. I strive and pull myself to be better. I will be better.
But the thing is, my recruiting Sgt., he is not interested in discussing about my possible MOS choices, he is cool, but to get serious, he won't with me, he sits others down and flips through a big book of jobs and has them write down three choices. I never did that, I am shipping soon, I don't know where I am needed other than the failed linguistics option. I am just wondering if like either my recruiter is not worried about me because I am fit and smart enough for most things, or if like maybe I need to make a more concentrated effort to talk to him about a MOS. I tried once, he said "Connolly, what's wrong? You got a ship date? Ya. What's up? Nothing sir, just.. Good to go? Good to go...."
I mean, I don't know what to do other than go sign my contract for whatever on ship day and take off. I want to know about the BAH for my daughter for one thing. I also want to do lasik out of boot in December since I get 10 days and the holidays before MCT. Other than that, I am good to go. Still, makes me feel sort of floating around. Even though pretty much the highlight of my week is my two PT days, I always feel like they are very coddling to the weaker guys and the slower guys, and I feel dusted, being that I just want to ask a couple serious questions and not be coddled or talked to like a moron. Maybe that's just the way though lol. And on the day before ship, I will probably end up finding out everything in a 2 hour chat. That would make me happy though.
Anyone know what is going on or have an opinion or similar experience as a poolie?