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My Request For Separation


Guest $iLk
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I thought this might need it's own thread. I appreciate everyone who helped me decide on this, and I appreciate the concern and good advice that everyone has shown me. Here is a copy of the letter I will shortly be forwarding:

quote:

Michael Daniel Cooper

***** *** **

****** ** *****

(Address censored, if you want to write me, PM me and I'll give it to you I'd rather not have Shirley write me saying HAHA FANBOY! )

January 15, 2002

Commanding Officer

USMC Recruiting Station Mobile, AL

And

Montgomery MEPS ÔÇô MAFB-GUNTER ANNEX, AL 36114-3110

Dear Commander,

I am currently a member of the Marine Corps Delayed Entry Program scheduled to enter active duty on February 11, 2002. I am requesting complete separation from the Delayed Entry Program and the Marine Corps. I enlisted in the Delayed Entry Program on November 29, 2001 at MEPS Recruiting Station in Montgomery, where I was recruited by SGT Andy W. McGill. Since my entrance into the DEP, I have revaluated my status in life and the factors that led to this decision:

In the event you are unaware, I am currently married and have two children. One of the reasons I initially enlisted was to be sure I could take care of them. Taking care of them financially is no longer the situation. In any event I will be able to care for them financially, but the factors that cannot get past me are being able to maintain a healthy family relationship and emotional relationship with my wife and children that I believe would be better represented without the daily life of the Marine Corps. ThatÔÇÖs to make a long story short. There is no way I can adequately describe the emotional strains and factors that led me to believe they would be better off if I wasnÔÇÖt to continue my current enlistment plans, and the many advisors (both military and civilian) in my life that pointed out the emotional hardships I would likely face in the Marine Corps, and caused me to ultimately revaluate my decision.

In addition, in the past month I have had a complete change of career plans. I had planned on becoming a network technician at the time of joining the Marine Corps, but now I have decided to work for a sheriffs department. IÔÇÖm currently lined up to work for Pearl River County SheriffÔÇÖs Department as of last week. They plan to provide me with further training on the job. With this job I will still be able to make a healthy amount of money, more than is reflected on the US Military base pay chart for 2002, and after living expenses are said and done, my financial situation should be on par with the situation I would enjoy in the Marine Corps ÔÇô in addition I would be able to give the attention to my family that I know they deserve and that I want to be able to give them. I am also actively seeking part-time work in addition to this in order to be able to further augment my salary, something I believe I would not be able to enjoy in the Marine Corps. Regardless, the ÔÇÿfamily timeÔÇÖ that I am seeking would be better implemented through my

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current plan of working in Mississippi, as well as the opportunity to work towards the financial situation that I desire in life for my family.

I joined the Marine Corps without properly evaluating everything. September 11, 2001 gave me the justification for ignoring my other feelings on the matter and continuing with the high school fantasy of becoming a soldier. I can say without a doubt that I wasnÔÇÖt thinking completely clearly in regards to this situation, because I knew that some of my concerns for my family would be met by the military (financial and such) while ignoring the fact that I could better serve my family by cultivating a healthy relationship at home, not abroad. The Marine Corps doesnÔÇÖt need me per seÔÇÖ so much as my family needs me at home doing those things I believe a loving father and husband should do. On the surface I understand that my situation may seem ideal for the financial security offered by the Marine Corps, but the different hardships and problems that I have experienced in my time as a father and husband is something IÔÇÖm not sure anyone can understand as well as I do, yet I feel powerless to ultimately convey these feelings in this writing. Suffice to say that I do not believe the United States Marine Corps is the place where I am best suited to care for my family. I intend to finish my higher education, and work towards developing a healthy relationship with my family and working towards a good financial situation. I joined the military in the hopes of serving my country, but as our Commander in Chief, George W. Bush believes, service begins at home. In our communities and in all walks of life, people do their duty. The best place for me may not be as a soldier. It may be as a policeman, it may be as a fireman, it may be as a doctor, an employer, a community volunteer, a teacher, I donÔÇÖt know. The erroneous belief that only the military are serving America shouldnÔÇÖt have been the prevailing thought in my mind after seeing the heroism displayed by everyday Americans, called to duty to defend our great Republic during that day of infamy in September. In my own mind I have glorified our military to the point where I didnÔÇÖt see the big picture of everyone that makes up America. I am a man of honor, and I realize that I took an oath to the Marine Corps. I have also taken an oath to my family that supercedes this oath, and my belief in the divine creator is not so foolhardy as to believe that He will not understand my decision to care for my family first and foremost. This decision has nothing to do with Patriotism, it has everything to do with how I believe my family would best be served.

Other reasons that exist but arenÔÇÖt the focal part of my decision are as follows;

ÔÇó Changing financial situation after everything said and done and I was laid off from work.

ÔÇó Inability to properly exercise after developing an infection in my toe in November, I was on antibiotics since then and the infection never went away, I recently had surgery on my toe and got half of my toenail removed. Doctor says it will be healed in six to eight weeks, well past my current ship date.

ÔÇó Lack of motivation of charting out the four years of my life in one single income block. IÔÇÖd rather have the ability and even the risk of attempting to earn more money in another career field.

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ÔÇó IÔÇÖve got the intelligence to do what I want to do. My decision on what I want to do is uncertain as far as specifics. But specifically I understand that I do not want to join the Marine Corps right now.

ÔÇó Marital concerns (non-specific because itÔÇÖs personal)

ÔÇó There are general concerns that are too numerous to list, basically reasons such as ÔÇ£am I sure this is what I want?ÔÇØ, ÔÇ£can I guarantee that ________?ÔÇØ and personal concerns.

I respect our men and women in uniform, and if given better circumstances I wouldÔÇÖve liked to join them. Perhaps if I were single, or had no concerns besides the selfish ones that guided my decision to join anyway. I have every hope that the Marine Corps will survive without me. I may look back and think what if? But as for right now I know that my place is with my family, and working towards the future that I want to give them, not the future I looked at giving myself ÔÇô one of selfish desires of carrying out some high school fantasy. I regret my awakening came this late, but the fact of the matter is that it has come. I believe in my heart that this is the right thing to do, and that this is the best decision I can make for me and my family.

Therefore, I request separation from the Delayed Entry Program and the Marine Corps, and I hereby request prompt processing of this separation request. In the event that this separation request has not been fully processed on the date I am scheduled to report for active duty, I request an extension in my delay status until my separation request has been finally decided.

Sincerely,

Michael Daniel Cooper

SSN# ***-**-****


Any thoughts?

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Looks like you made the right decision $iLk, and the letter looks good to me, but I am sure that Gallion and Aramike will have some things for you to edit, they are MUCH better at such thing then I am!!

Good Job my friend, good job!!

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quote:

ÔÇó There are general concerns that are too numerous to list, basically reasons such as ÔÇ£am I sure this is what I want?ÔÇØ, ÔÇ£can I guarantee that ________?ÔÇØ and personal concerns.

Delete this entire line.

Other than that, looks ok to me. Read up on the USMC Recruiting Manual regarding DEP Separations. Make sure that you quote the chapter and verse of the USMC DEP Separation regulation.

To Wit:

Under the provisions of USMCR ?????? (or what ever USMC regualtions are known as, Army uses AR, AF uses AFR, etc.) Chapter X, paragraph y.z, I, (state your name), apply for DEP Separation for the following reason(s):

List the Main reason first (physical inability to perform - the toe thing ) followed by other reasons.

Wise decision IMO

Also, you may want to get a lawyer to peruse the letter before you send it out.

quote:

Looks like you made the right decision $iLk, and the letter looks good to me, but I am sure that Gallion and Aramike will have some things for you to edit, they are MUCH better at such thing then I am!!

hehehe, yea Jaguar, I survived several legal wranglings with the Army; a Chapter (had to much fun in my younger days); a QMP (younger days caught up with me); and got a $7k debt to government written off because they (the government) screwed up

TTFN

[ 01-15-2002: Message edited by: Gallion ]

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What Gallion said. Signing into any gov't institution is probably the most binding agreement one can make, which is the very reason that there are legal ways of separation. Make sure to recite the location of the escape clauses along with your reasons that apply.

It won't be too difficult I don't think.

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quote:

Have you signed on the dotted line and raised your right hand and taken the oath?

He shouldn't have yet. At least when I went I took the day Before Shipping out to basic. You do sign a Contract entering Into the delayed enlistment program. I have heard of several occasions where people have seperated from the DEP(with minimal hassle). At this point the military has not spent any money on him(except his Processing at the MEPS, Medical exam, ASVAB...).

In any case, I wish you luck $ilk. Let us know how it turns out.

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You do swear in when you go into the DEP since you are, at that point, technically a servicemember in Individual Ready Reserve. However whether or not $ilk has sworn in to the DEP is a mute point. There is a manner in which to seperate and he has thoroughly researched it as he stated on a seperate thread. As someone who is prior service and going back some of what has been said sounds like whining. But, I respect his decision not to go foward. I am also of the (radical I admit) opinion that if he is married he never should have been allowed to enlist in the first place. I think someone in an early thread, who may have been quoting, said something like,"Combat is a young man's fantasy and an older man's nightmare."

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$ilk,

I just read the other thread. Oh boy.

Since the SC questioned the new thread, I decided to post my answer here.

Number 1: Forget going to the recruiting commander. That will get you nowhere.

Call the Judge Advocate Generals office. I guarantee the problem will be handled by those folks.

Number 2: Gather all the evidence you can find before you call JAG.

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