Military DEP.

[Ezachulator]

So, I'm currently in the Delayed Entry Program for the Marines. I've lately been thinking of trying to get released from it to join another branch, but I'm not entirely sure how it works.

Do any of you have an experience with this?
If so, maybe you can answer some questions that's been crossing my mind.

How exactly did you go about doing it?(I heard you could just write a letter or something)
Did your recruiter give you a hard time or threaten you with a fine or jail time or anything?
What did you tell him your reason was?
Did you tell the recruiter of the other branch you were trying to get into that you dropped out of DEP? Or was he/she already aware?
Did you have to redo MEPS/ASVAB?
Do other branches recruiters hold this against you?

I know I had some more questions but they've slipped my mind so if you have any other information for me that you think would be useful feel free to add that in.

[Beavis]

A wild Poolie appears!

[apatheticalex]

This is based mostly on reading various forums and not first hand experience leaving DEP. I have read extensively about the process because I am currently in the process with another branch and will be having a MEPS appointment in a few months.

1. Telling your recruiter as soon as possible is definitely the best option. You can not show up on your boot camp date and be kicked out, but that will definitely look bad to recruiters for other branches.
2. The recruiter may be angry however unless they are bad at fulfilling quotas they typically would prefer you not join if you are not in it 100%. They could potentially threaten you with jail/fine, but it is only a threat. It is not against the law to leave DEP.
3. N/A
4. They will know, every recruiter for every branch uses essentially the same computer system for processing applicants as long as your social security number is the same your file will be available to the next recruiter. You may have to request that the Marines transfer or unlock your file for the next branch
5. ASVAB no unless you want to, MEPS is likely.
6. Other branches will likely hold this against you, you will definitely have to prove yourself to them because they would not want to waste their time just to have you flake again. Keep in mind that all branches are being a lot more picky because they are being forced to reduce their size. Army/Airforce may consider you, the coast guard probably wouldn't as they are very very picky.

[Beefsquatch]

So, I'm currently in the Delayed Entry Program for the Marines. I've lately been thinking of trying to get released from it to join another branch, but I'm not entirely sure how it works.

Do any of you have an experience with this?
If so, maybe you can answer some questions that's been crossing my mind.

How exactly did you go about doing it?(I heard you could just write a letter or something)
Did your recruiter give you a hard time or threaten you with a fine or jail time or anything?
What did you tell him your reason was?
Did you tell the recruiter of the other branch you were trying to get into that you dropped out of DEP? Or was he/she already aware?
Did you have to redo MEPS/ASVAB?
Do other branches recruiters hold this against you?

I know I had some more questions but they've slipped my mind so if you have any other information for me that you think would be useful feel free to add that in.

I don't personally have experience with this, but I know some guys that backed out of joining so I may be able to help you.
I also want to join after helping my mom get back on her feet and get some more college credits. So I've read up on a lot of things concerning the enlistment process.

1. The guys I know just talked to the recruiters
2. They try to pressure you not to, talk you into going on with it, ask you why and maybe tell you some things but they can't threaten you with jail time. It's not illegal.
3. You have some other things you would like to take care of before joining, you just don't want to join right now, many reasons you can tell them.
4. You have to tell them, but I'm sure they would see it anyway when they look you up.
5. No
6. They might see it as a commitment issue, you would have to show them you won't waste their time like you did with the Marines.

Be sure you really want to go along with whatever branch you are going to join, and pick the mos you want. If you back out in boot camp your chances of reenlisting would be slim to none. I think it would be none actually. A couple of questions I wana ask out of curiosity.

1. Why don't you want to join the Marines anymore?
2. What branch do you want now and why?
3. What mos were you going to choose in the USMC and what mos are you going to choose now in the other branch?

[Ezachulator]

Thanks for the replies so for!

To Asseymcgee:
1. Well, I rushed my decision for joining them without really doing any research. But since then, I've read quite a bit and talked to a few people about the Marines and from I understand it'll be extremely miserable if you're not doing it for the right reasons. It's a rather hardcore lifestyle for a while, so you really have to want to be a Marine to make it. As I don't really care about that, I just think I'd absolutely dread being in there. May not seem like a good reason to some I suppose, but I'm planning on making a career out of it and I don't want to hate what I'm doing.

2. I'm leaning towards Air Force or Navy, whichever one will take me really. I don't really have any one reason for choosing those. I really just want to join the military to get the discipline, confidence, and experience that one would get from it and the Air Force and Navy seems to be a good choice for that without being overly extreme. I really don't have a whole lot of knowledge about the military, this is just what I've gathered from reading some stuff and talking to people. I figure I'll figure most things out as it goes.

3. I don't know what my MOS was going to be in the Marines, I was waiting until after I took the ASVAB to see what MOS' I qualified for then talk to my recruiter about them but he kinda dodged it so I think I'm on an open contract. As for the MOS I want in the Navy or Air Force, I'm probably just gonna do the same and wait til I see what I qualify for. I really don't know what kind of job I want though, not too familiar with half of the stuff I saw on the list.

---------- Post added 2012-11-05 at 09:02 PM ----------

@Assey; were you friends able to get into another branch after being released? Or were they just straight getting out of the military?