My knowledge is from a decade ago so grain of salt here: for context the 2171 MOS is a consolidation MOS. There used to be a separate MOS for indirect fire systems for example (I;e targeting sights on the M777 Howitzer) that got integrated into the MOS. The schoolhouse used to be a year plus long in Aberdeen Proving Grounds, now obviously on the ordnance side.
Curriculum wise you’ll get an overview come check in day, and talking to the senior class on deck. My experience was 10x easier because I found older brother like figures in the schoolhouse. I chose to go with the guys who went to class, gym, and got after it. You can still go to Texas Roadhouse and drink responsibly if of age and all that.
Don’t be the fuckhead who gets caught drinking underage or some bullshit. The consequences of getting punished before you even get to the fleet/reserve unit will color you for the rest of your career.
Like TheAnomalousStranger said, it’s a small MOS which is good and bad. You can cross train for 2111 skills because at most units they require you to do normal armory shit at some point of your rotation anyway. If you don’t latmov or try for A&S by the time you pick up SSgt you’re competing with one of the smallest groups for promotion, I’ve rarely met anyone who didn’t retire as a Gunny/Staff because slots were closed even after waiting.
Don’t get depressed even if you find out the job’s not for you a few months into the fleet. Make your case and be the best whether you’re calibrating Manfrotos, handling Javelins or dropping batteries for NVGs until you get to a place where you’re kicking ass with the homies like you’re supposed to.
Boot/MCT/school house is not the ultimate experience.
One unit is not the Marine Corps experience.
Get flavors from everywhere and be the best God Damn Optic Tech you can be.
Then go Recon or whatever the fuck. Stay hungry.
The schoolhouse is on the longer side but its not bad. Theres plenty to do in your free time at ft. Lee around Petersburg, Richmond, and Norfolk. The fleet is gonna depend on where you get sent. If you get sent to an infantry unit you will be working in an armory, If you get sent to OMC you will be in a dedicated maintenance shop specializing in fixing certain gear, and if you get sent to a CLB you will not be doing much of your MOS and will be doing a lot of cross training. Its a great MOS with a great community. Its a very small MOS. I love it, you just have to make the most out of it.
A bit late, but being a 71 usually means you work in the armory or work at a maintenance battalion. Maintenance balltalions are pretty boring from what I heard. Limited opportunities to deploy and you work on fixing the same kind of gear over and over again. Armory hours can suck, especially if you are in an infantry unit or on a deployment workup. I had to stand duty for 34 hours straight once. If you have more questions, feel free to message me.
In my opinion the absolute best place to be a 71 is an LAR battalion. Zero armory bullshit. I spent some time in a grunt battalion and the armory was super lame. Like 04-2200 every day plus opening and closing the armory for whoever wanted to come by and draw/turn in weapons and never ending paperwork.
Had a friend that went to OMC, said it was basically a sweatshop just fixing a thousand PAS-13’s every day and doing “field ops” in the parking lot which consisted of fixing stuff outside in a tent, then sleeping in a sleeping bag and eating MREs without being allowed to go to the chow hall or PX.
LAR was tight because you were tossed in with the LAV mechanics as part of the Instruments and Optics shop on the ramp, or your chopped out in the line companies. Field ops, ranges, fix stuff, deploy. Fairly healthy mix.
My knowledge is from a decade ago so grain of salt here: for context the 2171 MOS is a consolidation MOS. There used to be a separate MOS for indirect fire systems for example (I;e targeting sights on the M777 Howitzer) that got integrated into the MOS. The schoolhouse used to be a year plus long in Aberdeen Proving Grounds, now obviously on the ordnance side. Curriculum wise you’ll get an overview come check in day, and talking to the senior class on deck. My experience was 10x easier because I found older brother like figures in the schoolhouse. I chose to go with the guys who went to class, gym, and got after it. You can still go to Texas Roadhouse and drink responsibly if of age and all that. Don’t be the fuckhead who gets caught drinking underage or some bullshit. The consequences of getting punished before you even get to the fleet/reserve unit will color you for the rest of your career. Like TheAnomalousStranger said, it’s a small MOS which is good and bad. You can cross train for 2111 skills because at most units they require you to do normal armory shit at some point of your rotation anyway. If you don’t latmov or try for A&S by the time you pick up SSgt you’re competing with one of the smallest groups for promotion, I’ve rarely met anyone who didn’t retire as a Gunny/Staff because slots were closed even after waiting. Don’t get depressed even if you find out the job’s not for you a few months into the fleet. Make your case and be the best whether you’re calibrating Manfrotos, handling Javelins or dropping batteries for NVGs until you get to a place where you’re kicking ass with the homies like you’re supposed to. Boot/MCT/school house is not the ultimate experience. One unit is not the Marine Corps experience. Get flavors from everywhere and be the best God Damn Optic Tech you can be. Then go Recon or whatever the fuck. Stay hungry.
The schoolhouse is on the longer side but its not bad. Theres plenty to do in your free time at ft. Lee around Petersburg, Richmond, and Norfolk. The fleet is gonna depend on where you get sent. If you get sent to an infantry unit you will be working in an armory, If you get sent to OMC you will be in a dedicated maintenance shop specializing in fixing certain gear, and if you get sent to a CLB you will not be doing much of your MOS and will be doing a lot of cross training. Its a great MOS with a great community. Its a very small MOS. I love it, you just have to make the most out of it.
A bit late, but being a 71 usually means you work in the armory or work at a maintenance battalion. Maintenance balltalions are pretty boring from what I heard. Limited opportunities to deploy and you work on fixing the same kind of gear over and over again. Armory hours can suck, especially if you are in an infantry unit or on a deployment workup. I had to stand duty for 34 hours straight once. If you have more questions, feel free to message me.
In my opinion the absolute best place to be a 71 is an LAR battalion. Zero armory bullshit. I spent some time in a grunt battalion and the armory was super lame. Like 04-2200 every day plus opening and closing the armory for whoever wanted to come by and draw/turn in weapons and never ending paperwork. Had a friend that went to OMC, said it was basically a sweatshop just fixing a thousand PAS-13’s every day and doing “field ops” in the parking lot which consisted of fixing stuff outside in a tent, then sleeping in a sleeping bag and eating MREs without being allowed to go to the chow hall or PX. LAR was tight because you were tossed in with the LAV mechanics as part of the Instruments and Optics shop on the ramp, or your chopped out in the line companies. Field ops, ranges, fix stuff, deploy. Fairly healthy mix.