15TH MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT (SOC)

PATH TO BECOMING A VIRTUAL MARINE

The path to become a Virtual Marine is not a difficult one but it is lengthy. Recruits must go through a process longer than most realism units to become a full-fledged member of the 15th MEU (SOC) Realism Unit, however it is self-rewarding, and has been successful in eliminating those who are not truly dedicated to becoming a productive member. Those recruits who complete the process become full members of possibly the greatest Marine realism unit in existence, and can be sure their comrades next to them are as dedicated as they are. Under 17 See Cadet Corps

ENLISTMENT

The first step for any prospective recruit is to check our requirements and make sure you meet them. As a reminder: There are no exceptions to our age policy, and most inquiries to this particular policy are met with silence. If you have other questions, however, such as those regarding concerns about training times or current available jobs, please be sure to get in contact with a recruiter either on our Teamspeak or via PM on our forums. A list of recruiters can be found here. After checking you meet the requirements, and having any concerns addressed, you need to register on our forums and submit an application. If you need help with the application or registration, see a recruiter. Once your application has been submitted please remember to be patient. Our staff is very vigilant, but this is still a hobby for all of us and real life always come first. Most applications are approved within 24-48 hours, however. Denials typically only come from those who are dual-clanning (see our MULTI-UNIT POLICY), underage, or have been barred from rejoining our unit. If your application has issues (such as a non-realistic name or missing Player IDs) your application will be flagged with [NEEDS APPLICANT'S ATTENTION] in front of it, so be sure to keep your eye on your application. If all of your fields are correct, however, your application will be accepted and you are cleared to move on to Phase One of your training.

TRAINING PHASE ONE: RECRUIT TRAINING

After your application has been accepted, you will need to sign up for a Recruit Training class. A list of classes can be found on our forums under the board 'PHASE ONE: Recruit Training'. We have multiple instructors teaching throughout the week at various times, so you are sure to be able to find one to fit your schedule. Recruit Training is a one day session, usually no more than two hours, designed to introduce you to our unit and the United States Marine Corps in general. You will learn some customs and courtesies unique to the Marine Corps and our unit, some history of the Marine Corps and our unit, an overview of our structure and what we as an MEU do, an introduction to our sections and their call signs, as well as an introduction to some of our policies and procedures and some ACE features you will need to know going in to Phase Two of your training. At the end of your Recruit Training class you will fire on an offial Rifle Range, which will be graded and recorded, a key first step on the way to your first promotion within the unit (every promotion requires a valid rifle range score). After this range you will pick your path into the unit: An infantryman, a pilot, an armor crewman, or a corpsman. These will be introduced to you by your instructor as well as a general overview of their duties. Once you have picked your path, your rank in Teamspeak will be updated accordingly (infantrymen and armor crewmen will receive the rank of Private, corpsmen the rank of Hospitalman Recruit, and pilots the rank of Student Naval Pilot Candidate). Your forum access will also be updated, and this will open you up to more general areas of the forum, as well as changing your name for the first time on the forums, and assigning you a rank avatar and a short signature. This is done automatically by our Personnel Staff and can take up to 48 hours, though it is generally done within 24 hours of your completion. Patience is a key point here. If your access has not been updated, however, contact your Recruit Training instructor and they will assist you.

TRAINING PHASE TWO: SCHOOL OF INFANTRY: MARINE COMBAT TRAINING

After completing Phase One you must sign up for Phase Two. This can be done in the 'PHASE TWO: School of Infantry' board on our forums. School of Infantry is a unique training process, based off the real world Marine Corps training, and this is where the showing of true dedication comes in. There are three training schools within School of Infantry, each one designed for a certain set of MOS. Each one has a different length, and you only have to attend the one designated for your MOS, but you have to complete all of the courses within the class that you sign up for and they must be in order. There are multiple classes with different day sets and times, so you are sure to find something to fit your schedule. So if you, for example, sign up for Class 001 who holds their classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2000 CST, you must go to Course One on Tuesday at 2000 CST, then Course Two one Thursday at 2000 CST, then Course Three on Tuesday at 2000 CST, etc. You may not switch classes or skip classes. If you miss a class, get with your instructor for a makeup or you may have to being the training phase from the beginning. If you have difficulties with meeting the full class structure due to work, school, or other priority situations, please meet with your instructor or the Chief Instructor and they may be able to work something out with you. After graduating from School of Infantry you will receive your 15th MEU (SOC) tags in Teamspeak, and you will have your forum access expanded to the areas of the forum related to your MOS. This is done automatically by our Personnel Staff and can take up to 48 hours, thought it is generally done within 24 hours of your completion. Patience is a key point here, again. If your access has not been updated, however, contact your School of Infantry instructor and they will assist you. Once you have received access, you will need to report in the necessary threads to be assigned to your specific team and finalize your introduction to the unit. It is only after you have completed School of Infantry that you receive a 15th ID (Personnel use only), and can begin accruing Time in Grade, promotion points, and credit for NCO Courses for promotion.

TRAINING PHASE TWO: SCHOOL OF INFANTRY: INFANTRY TRAINING BATTALION

Occupational Field (OccFld): 0300 Basic Infantryman Military Occupational Specialties (MOS): 0311 Rifleman, 0331 Machine Gunner, 0341 Mortarman, 0351 Infantry Assaultman Those wishing to join the infantry will enter the longest school within the School of Infantry: The Infantry Training Battalion (ITB). ITB is a four-course school, stretched over two weeks (two courses a week). These courses are taken with other infantry recruits, and are no longer than two hours. They are designed in a squad-sized format, intended to introduce you to the squad element. Privates will rotate duties as team leaders over their classmates, and will teach you all the elements of being a full Virtual Marine rifleman. You will be familiarized with all weapons infantrymen use, receive an overview of enemy weapons and vehicles, be introduced to procedures for radios, medical, and ACE equipment, and be introduced to the Marine Rifle Platoon structure. You will learn tactical formations, combat movement, communicating within a team, and the fundamentals of fire and maneuver. Urban combat, basic land navigation, and operating in a convoy will all be introduced to you. The final course will be a field training exercise, where you instructors will go over everything you have learned and allow you to apply them practically before graduating. Graduation from Infantry Training Battalion will qualify you for every basic MOS within the 15th MEU (SOC) Realism Unit except for corpsman, and you will become a full-fledged member within the unit, privledged to the title of Virtual Marine and all the rights for our Virtual Marines as dictated by our Policies and Procedures. All of our Infantry Training Battalion instructors are current or former Non-Commissioned Officers who have spent time within the infantry units (most are current infantry NCOs).

TRAINING PHASE TWO: SCHOOL OF INFANTRY: FIELD MEDICAL SERVICE SCHOOL

Occupational Field (OccFld): HM-0000 Hospital Corpsman Military Occupational Specialties (MOS): HM-8404 Hospital Corpsman Those wishing to become a corpsman (the Marine medic) will enter a basic tactics and medical care course. Technically a part of the Navy, we have stretched a bit in the realism aspect to make sure our corpsmen are fully and properly trained by going through the Field Medical Service School (FMSS). FMSS is a two-course school, stretched over one week. You will learn the basic elements of being a rifleman such as weapons familiarization, land navigation, and basic tactical formations and maneuvers. You will be introduced to radios, medical, and ACE equipment. You will also be introduced to the Company Medical Team, and learn all the fundamentals of being an effective medical expert within the unit. Graduation from Field Medical Service School will qualify you for only becoming a corpsman, and you will become a full-fledged member within the unit, privledged to the title of Virtual Marine and all the rights for our Virtual Marines as dictated by our Policies and Procedures.Field Medical Service School instructors are current qualified corpsmen, and are experienced and dedicated members of the unit.

TRAINING PHASE THREE: ADVANCED INDIVIDUAL TRAINING/FLIGHT SCHOOL

Advanced Individual Training (AIT) and Flight School are the Third Phase of your training cycle, however this is not formally spelled out. Ground personnel who are not 0311 Rifleman will be required to attend their specific MOS training, which is given by their superiors once they have reported in. These are typically no more than two hours in length, depending on the MOS. These must be completed prior to promotion to Lance Corporal, and should be completed as soon as possible. Flight School is the formal training structure for all student pilots. This is administered by the official Flight Instruction Staff contained within our Aviation Combat Element, and may be completed at any pace (basically as fast as you and the instructor can get through it). The courses of Flight School will introduce you to the Aviation Combat Element and integrate you as a member as a whole before taking you through basic flight courses in helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, airfield and airspace procedures, and finally specific training in your chosen aircraft. All fully pilots are commissioned officers within the unit, which carries its own weight of responsibility (just as in the real Marine Corps). However a student must spend at least 120 days within the unit before they may receive a commission, and must pass Flight School and The Basic School (our officer training school).