Former Marine needs help

[papajohn]

Here's the deal. I dropped out of High School to join the Marines when I was 17, 1981. While at Camp Pendelton I attended a High School completion course and received a Diploma (not a GED). This diploma was destroyed in a fire at my parents house several years ago. I never really gave it much thought as I have never been asked for it. Now I have a job that starts on 7/18 at Ft Sam Houston and they need a copy. My DD214 has the "not a high school graduate" checked. I spent a couple of days on the phone with the VA and Headquarters Marine Corps in Quantico trying to get it sorted out. I finally got in contact with and have been working with a very nice lady at HQMC in the office that makes changes to DD214's and she is trying to help. She had to request a copy of my service records from NPRC. She called me on Friday and said that they had sent the records to someone else in Quantico, someone that I had spoken to before I began working with her. She told me that they were forwarding them to her but that they had looked and did not see a copy of the diploma. When she gets the records on Tuesday or Wednesday she will check and if there is no record she will have to request the Units Diary to see if they have any record of it in there. Like I said the job starts on 7/18 so only 2 more weeks! Anyone have any ideas about who else I can call that can maybe help speed things up?

Thanks, Signed Desperate in San Antonio!!!

 

[PrayingForWar]

Here's the deal. I dropped out of High School to join the Marines when I was 17, 1981. While at Camp Pendelton I attended a High School completion course and received a Diploma (not a GED). This diploma was destroyed in a fire at my parents house several years ago. I never really gave it much thought as I have never been asked for it. Now I have a job that starts on 7/18 at Ft Sam Houston and they need a copy. My DD214 has the "not a high school graduate" checked. I spent a couple of days on the phone with the VA and Headquarters Marine Corps in Quantico trying to get it sorted out. I finally got in contact with and have been working with a very nice lady at HQMC in the office that makes changes to DD214's and she is trying to help. She had to request a copy of my service records from NPRC. She called me on Friday and said that they had sent the records to someone else in Quantico, someone that I had spoken to before I began working with her. She told me that they were forwarding them to her but that they had looked and did not see a copy of the diploma. When she gets the records on Tuesday or Wednesday she will check and if there is no record she will have to request the Units Diary to see if they have any record of it in there. Like I said the job starts on 7/18 so only 2 more weeks! Anyone have any ideas about who else I can call that can maybe help speed things up?

Thanks, Signed Desperate in San Antonio!!!

Speed things up in the gov't? Good luck with that. I'd say try and find a place giving the exam ASAP and take it again. I do know a lot of records are kept in IPERMS, but I don't know if records from the 80's would be there, or if the Marines/Navy even uses that system.

 

[buzzsaw]

I haven't played with those people in over 10 years so my evaluation could be off if they have changed the rules. Here goes anyway. Contact base edu. office at Pendelton, they should know what organization provided the course and will have the records. It is very unlikely (from my past experience) that the USMC actually did the training, in all probability they had a local edu. unit conduct the training for them. That is the outfit which will have a record of the training etc. even if they are no longer providing that service or they may have relinquished custody of the records to someone else (usually the State, ie California). I would start with the Pendelton Edu. office but will lay odds the they won't be back in the office until at least Tues. July 5. Good luck and hope this helps.

 

[Gunslinger]

This would go through AFIT in the Air Force. Air Force Institute of Technology. Does the Corps have anything similar? Wherever you took the test would have the records available. Can you see if Pendelton still offers that training, as buzzsaw suggests, contact their edu office? That may be the best place to get an address. Good luck and semper fi!

 

[jbone]

I hope you get this worked out fellow VET. But but in case you don't I think BHO may have some folks that are good at producing documents in a pinch.

 

[buzzsaw]

This thread went silent all of a sudden and I'm sitting here wondering if any of the suggestions were helpful? (or acted upon???)

 

[hermannr]

I would suggest you lay out what has happened, and what you are doing about it, with the new employer. Ask for a probationary deferral on proof of education...There is no reason for them to not do so for you.

Most employers have a probationary period (like 6 months) where they can let you go for any reason/no reason, without reprocussions. (you cannot sue them) Use that time to your advantage.

Sounds like you have someone actually trying to help you at the USMC HQ, that is a big plus, but work the new employer waver angle at the same time, just don't drop the other ball if you get a waver...it will show you are reliable.

BTW: congratulations on actually obtaining a deploma while in service, that vouches for your reliability and perserverance too.