How long did you wait for TBS?

[Malice 1]

I am curios how long some of you had to wait from your college graduation to the time you went toTBS.

I was in the PLC program. I graduated from college in december, and I won't get commissioned untill 4 june. Then, I get to sit around and wait some more untill I get orders to TBS. No one has any ideas what class I might actually get into.

All my credit card are approaching MAX, and my bills are suffocating me. All the decent paying jobs around here want a 12 month commitment from me. How long did you guys work crap jobs while waiting for your active duty?

Did everyone go through this, or is my OSO office a "high speed low drag" operation?

 

[E5B]

I feel your pain. Us PLC guys are the bottom of the barrel when it comes for getting picked up for TBS. I commissioned in July and didn't start TBS until the end of Nov (alpha Co). I was lucky and picked up some ADSW orders which allowed me to work at Quantico from Sept-Nov. We were in the same boat financially, so going on Active duty a little early in Sept really helped.

If you're huring for cash, USAA does starter loans for newly commissioned officers. NMA (Navy Mutual Aid) does the same thing. I used them both to pay off a few bills and start some investments (IRA & kids college fund, etc). The NMA works in a life insurance policy into your loan, not a bad deal.

 

[KBayDog]

Don't be afraid to work multiple crap jobs - any money is better than no money. The last thing you need is to let the debt pile up - it will bite you hard if you do. Also, TBS can get expensive, and you will only get further and further into debt if you don't nip it in the bud right now.

 

[nocal80]

I commissioned april 13th of '02 and started in Fox co in september '02. My OSO had told me it was going to be until Alpha or Bravo in Nov or Dec, but they needed air crontracts for Fox. I worked at home depot for three months, being in the same situation as you regarding finding a good job. It was a little morale sapping to be driving a forklift around when I was motivated to start my career. I know its frustrating, but in the long run it won't make much of a difference. Take advantage of the time you have left at home or college or wherever and hang out with your friends and family because you'll be pretty busy once you start for the next several years.

 

[E5B]

Infamous TBS dues

Don't be afraid to work multiple crap jobs - any money is better than no money. The last thing you need is to let the debt pile up - it will bite you hard if you do. Also, TBS can get expensive, and you will only get further and further into debt if you don't nip it in the bud right now.

Definitely!

Don't take on any more debt than you can handle, but the loans are there if you need them for uniforms, just getting started...etc

Good call about TBS getting expensive. That is something I rarely read on here that should be posted more. There are constant monthly "dues", money for MRE's, Birthday Ball, Mess Night, SPC's beer fund, etc etc.

Am I missing any? It seemed like everyweek our financial rep (or whatever he was called) was asking for more money.

 

[KBayDog]

Let's not forget some of the things that are not covered by dues (which are anywhere from $40-$60/month, depending on the company), such as:

*T-shirts
*laminating (over $40 just for the notebook!)
*3" binders
*pens/pencils/highlighters/etc
*CHOW (don't get suckered into the BOQ trend of eating at a different restaurant every night)
*Mandatory Fun days/nights

I am sure there are more, too. Expect to show up to TBS with at least $200 or so in small bills (the finance guys never have change) just to make it through the first few days.

 

[BigWorm]

*3" binders

Yeah, those things cost 10-20 bucks a pop. After buying 3 of them, (E5b, I'm sure you remember our motivating platoon commander when we checked in, with that wierd thing on her face) she tells us that we are probably going to have to buy some more, so that we can all have matching binders. Talk about gay, who’s going to pay $60 for matching folders. She got a pretty quick FU from the Platoon.

There is a lot that you can get away with ie one kid didn't laminate his platoon commanders note book, and kept it in a plastic bag. That will save you 40 bucks, you will never look at it in the field, and now it is also 1/3 of the size. Although when you get your maps, take care of those bad boys and get em laminated, you’ll be screwed without them.

The O-club membership – don’t pay for it until you find yourself wanting the benefits. They say its mandatory, but I have yet to hear of one person that was chewed out by anything higher than a 2nd Lt for not buying it.

The bottom line is 2nd Lts are in charge of 2nd Lts, and they are all trying to impress the SPC so they can get their MOS. When they say you “have to buy this” it doesn’t really mean you have to.

 

[NavyOCS]

Your not paying for rent, and chow is cheap, right? Is it possible to put money under your mattress and actually save money while at TBS or no? I know it depends on if your driving an 05 mustang gt and paying for a ring and a house and all of that jazz. But I will not have many financial obligations while there as far as that stuff goes.

 

[KBayDog]

I knew I'd need the 3" binders, so I grabbed a few that my college was throwing out & brought them to Quantico. Never had any problems, even though they were all mis-matched. They went into the dumpster (along with the contents) after TBS ended.

The O-Club thing is just as advertised - the lieutenants wanted lists/reasons why some of us wouldn't join. The captains didn't care. Same with the notebook - got it laminated, and only used it once in the field. (Funny story - the one time I did use it - FEX III, when I was a squad leader - I figured I'd use the fireplan sketch in the back as a guide, since they wouldn't give us bum gouge, right? I basically traced it...with just minor variations for my situation. It kept getting kicked back, because the captain who was our AI said it was garbage!)

The bottom line is 2nd Lts are in charge of 2nd Lts, and they are all trying to impress the SPC so they can get their MOS. When they say you “have to buy this” it doesn’t really mean you have to.

Greater truth has never been spoken.

 

[KBayDog]

Your not paying for rent, and chow is cheap, right? Is it possible to put money under your mattress and actually save money while at TBS or no? I know it depends on if your driving an 05 mustang gt and paying for a ring and a house and all of that jazz. But I will not have many financial obligations while there as far as that stuff goes.

Even though TBS is a financial kick in the pants, there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to sock away a good chunk of change. Thanks to the schedule, at least, your drinking will be somewhat limited. There's a few grand right there.

 

[Crowbar]

I was MECEP and I waited 3 weeks, yes weeks, between graduation and beginning TBS.

Anyway, I had to get in on this whole financial discussion. When you get your maps, the only one that needs to be laminated is the Land Nav Special. The others ones you only use in class, and after the written test you can toss them. If your student staff is a bunch of ****tards like ours, they will tell you to have all five laminated. Don't waste your money. And don't waste money on that stupid little $6 laminated ops orders for moron flip notebook. Every person I've ever seen try to use one of those stutters and stumbles through their entire order and goofs the whole thing up. Just learn how to do the damn things and save your six dollars for something more useful.
Nobody cared if we didn't go to Gen Mattis's dinner/speech except the student staff. Nobody cares that we don't all have helmet bags, especially the SPCs. And there are some billets where you could get stuck spending money out of your own pocket for the glorification of others. For instance, our platoon MCMAP rep just had to pay to have over 40 logbooks printed at Staples just so the company MCMAP rep could say that every person in the company had a logbook.

Bottom line, TBS will affect your bottom line. Thank God I have a wife with a CPA license and a good job because the only way all the stupid little spending has affected me is by making me mad at the stupocity of it all. Good luck at TBS, it will test your patience. I think somebody pegged it a while back when they said that TBS doesn't fit the typical "Hurry up and wait"......it's more "Wait around...now hurry up!"

 

[KBayDog]

And don't waste money on that stupid little $6 laminated ops orders for moron flip notebook. Every person I've ever seen try to use one of those stutters and stumbles through their entire order and goofs the whole thing up. Just learn how to do the damn things and save your six dollars for something more useful.

Amen. I just laminated a blank piece of paper so that I could use an alcohol pen on it. You either know the op order or you don't - the AIs will see right through it if you try to stutter your way through it with those stupid flip books.

our platoon MCMAP rep just had to pay to have over 40 logbooks printed at Staples just so the company MCMAP rep could say that every person in the company had a logbook.

That is just plain silly. Those things are supposed to be issued by the MACE - there is no reason to go spend $$ to print your own logbooks! If every person in the company didn't have a logbook, the rep should have taken it up with the MACE.

"Not everybody in the squadron has helmets. I'll make everybody fork over $1000 so we can buy our own."

 

[brd2881]

Thanks to the schedule, at least, your drinking will be somewhat limited. There's a few grand right there.

I have heard of some dudes with $2000 tabs at the Hawk, so I know that drinking can be done. You also gotta love that Mike Company leadership, quality I tell you, they are doing the Corps some real good.

 

[Malice 1]

Ok, $6 here, $20 there.... I am not bothered by that pocket change type stuff.

I am concerned that I will be entering TBS with a huge debt on my shoulders because admin in slower that hell.

At any rate, Your overwhelming responses have brought on further questions from the resident noob.

-What is the housing allowance for brown baggers? I googled myself a pay scale this morning, and it showed me that I can expect about $650 per month for dependent housing. Last summer at OCS, however, I heard in our outproccessing TBS class that dependent housing allowance was like $1300(I think)? which one do we actually get?

You guys keep talking about binders. What is stopping you from going to Wal mart and buying 3 black 3" binders for like 2 bucks each? Are you buying empty binders or do they come loaded?

WTF is a $1000 bag?

 

[E5B]

If you are married I'd suggest trying to get base housing for many reasons:

1. No first/last months rent
2. No deposits (now that most bases are "privatized housing" a few ask for pet deposits".
3. Very safe community
4. Wife will have a built in support network
5. No utililities to pay (just phone, internet and cable)
6. Pet friendly

Don't believe the standing rumor that housing takes months to get into. I heard the same garbage and walked in the housing office the day I got to Quantico and walked out with keys. If you live in housing you won't be getting BAH. Make sure you take into consideration the time it'll take to get your first paycheck, or if you do decide to live out in town, the time it will take for your BAH to start. It may take several weeks, maybe even a paycheck or two.

Most don't know about Navy/Marine Corps relief society. This is a non-profit organization that offers free financial planning and interest free loans for emergency purposes. If you absolutely find yourself in a bind and can't make ends meet they are always happy to help. Keep in mind, they'll gladly accept a lump sum reimpursment or they can deduct a little at a time over a spand of 3-6 months. I've heard of buds using them when pay issues are hosed up, then when pay finally comes around, just pay them back and you're even.

It'll be rough once you finally get on active duty and start getting paid but hang in there, it'll work it's way out.