Intro!

ReidBreiling

Wow, so I have been a lurker here for a while. My FI has been talking about re-enlisting into the Marine Corps for a while now and we finally decided it is what is best for our family (we hit a wall with him getting a steady job...not for lack of trying... just very hard to get anything right now out here). FI was in the Marines for 4 years (was a Sgt), then got out.

Anyway, I'm 26, he's 25 (26 in Sept). He has been talking about doing I&I Duty when he goes back. I will be very very honest and say that, I know very little about USMC but I am trying to learn as we go. And he does his best to explain things to me.

LetsHikeToday

Hi and welcome to the board. When is he going to try to get back in? My only advice for you is to call your second ceremony a vow renewal. If you get married, it's a real wedding. By all means, throw a great party after but make sure guests know you're already married and they are at a vow renewal or religious ceremony.

iluvmytxrgr

It's always nice to hear every other day that so many of us didn't have "real" weddings.  Thanks for the reminder. 

kyrgyzstan

Are you sure they'll let him back in? Good luck! Trying to reenlist as an E5 is rough. FI did it after getting out and getting recalled, but it took a year (seriously), and it was a rough time, and he lost ALL his time in grade (he got to keep his TIS) because by the time he got back in, he had been out a year. That actually ended up being the best thing for him, since he lat moved and boat spaces for him picking up E6 would have been more difficult if he had kept his TIG. I didn't think they were taking E5 reenlists at the moment, since they're having no problem with retainment. If you ever need advice/to vent dealing with recruiters, feel free to find me on the boards. It was a very difficult year the year FI tried to get back in. Probably the most difficult of our relationship. Oh, and if AT ALL possible, see if he can contact the prior service recruiters as opposed to the regular ones. 

Your real wedding is when you get married, not when you wear a fancy dress. Some people have vow renewals, but the time when you get married is your real wedding, however you choose to do it. 

kyrgyzstan

Oh, and definitely get a new SN and take your first names out of your bio/siggy. Even without the first names though, you need a new SN. You can't change it, you'll have to request this one be deleted.

ggirl2001

Ditto what everyone else said. Please be careful of the words you are using to describe what you want. When you say real wedding, you are implying that everyone  that did not have the big dress etc, did not have a "real wedding". I understand that might not be what you meant, but thats what it looks like to probably 99% of the people on this board. Your real wedding is the day you go to the JOP and become married,  you will be having a vow renewal then.

ReidBreiling

Wasnt trying to offend anyone...

KendallR10

If you've been lurking you would know how this board feels about that

kara811

Did OP edit the post? I don't see anything about "real" weddings.. I hate it when people do that! 

ggirl2001

Yes she did take out the part about real weddings. I think she is just excited and did not realize what she is saying. Thats why everyone was trying to explain it to her. I don't think anyone was trying to put her down or offend her, but rather explain what her words implied.

kara811

I should phrase what I said better, I meant I hate it when people edit their posts and don't put ETA or it's been edited. And it's even ruder when they DD. And I don't think any of you said anything offending. 

Anyway to the OP, Hi and Welcome! 

firsttimersluck

Nothing wrong with not knowing anything/much about the USMC... Even the most knowledgeable have things to learn. This board comes in handy for those things you don't know!
Welcome to the board and good luck on getting him reenlisted.. it's a tricky thing right now with our gov't going through all kinds of cuts. -_-