I realize that this won't happen any time soon, but I am interested in how one goes about assignments after graduating from school. I want(think) to serve in a marine unit and also do a 1-year AEGD. Is it possible to apply to AEGD in my senior year, serve as GP at a base (Camp Lejeune, Pendeleton, etc.) for 1 year, then do AEGD, then finish out the remaining 2 years at the same location?
Also, can anyone describe what green-side entails vs blue-side? Thanks!
The plan you've described won't fly with the navy. Do the AEGD right after dental school, which is really the best way to do the AEGD when you first join the navy. With the way assignments work in the navy, what ends up happening is if you don't do the AEGD right out of school, then you won't be doing it at all.
If you do the AEGD and you are green side, you would be doing the AEGD at a Marine base (not a navy base), and spend 2 years more based out of said marine base. For the remainder of your obligation, you will have to work it out with the detailer on your next base assignment. At that point you have the opportunity to switch from green to blue. For me, I had only one more year left in my obligation, so I simply asked the detailer to keep me on board one more year while I finished up. He agreed, because it's cheaper for the navy to keep me around than move me across to the east coast.
GREEN VS BLUE
Green side means that you are assigned to a dental clinic and you are responsible for the dental care for all military personnel located within a marine base, or with a specific marine unit. If you deploy, you will deploy with marines and will have a different deployment experience than if you were to be put on a ship and sent out to sea.
Keep in mind that even if you are assigned to the green side, you still might end up on a ship for the duration of your deployment.
MARINE = My Ass Rides In Navy Equipment.
As far as physical training goes, you're still held to Navy standards, not Marine standards, so you won't be running the Marine physical fitness tests, etc.
Can't think of anything else right now because it's past my bedtime...
