What's your story

[MunkyVsRobot]

The question is basically as the title states, what is your story. How did you get to where you are today referring to being in the dep and enlisting in the Marines. Im not looking for the typical I wanted to be a Marine since I was a fetus not everyone on here could have wanted to be a Marine since the day they became a sperm.

My story starts probably back in '02, I was graduating from high school and I hadn't the slightest inkling of what I wanted to do with my life after college, sort of your typical high schooler. I had considered enlisting in the services I was looking to go Air Force and be an MP.

I had pretty much decided that the Air Force was not for me and I bailed, I kind of wanted to be my own person and do my own thing for a while. I had been doing what everyone else had been telling me what to do for 18 years I wanted to go do what I wanted to do for a while.

I pretty much just sat around for a year or so hanging out with friends while I still could and worked, I eventually headded off to school I drove with a friend of mine down to AZ where I was from about 03 - '04 till about the very end of '06. I got to have my college fun of drinking and partying and being an all around asshat.

I ended up coming back to my hometown because I didn't have the greatest experience in AZ so I went back to where my family was. I ended up working in the field I went to school for (Automotive) I had been to a few dealerships and such just working and doing basically what I had done before now I was just using the skills I learned in school.

I eventually found a girl and ended up getting married to her in about '09 we got married and we were living on our own and life seemed like it was actually goin pretty *****in'. We ended up hitting some rough spots and I thought the marriage was pretty much finished (I'm not the type of person who gives up easily I dont know if I am just thick headed but I don't like hearing no or I can't) so I decided I'll think about enlisting.

My thought process on the whole subject was if my marriage is going to be over I'm going to get as far away from her as I can possibly get, I didnt like my job and I figured enlisting would help me travel and give me more confidence and all that jazz. I figured I'd go with the Marines because I wanted a challenge and I didnt want to join a branch that everyone could join. I know a few Marines and I work with a few aswell so it seemed like something that was pretty bad ass.

When I first started talking to my recruiter I was a bit sketchy about the whole subject I still wasnt 100% sure that this is something that I wanted to do Im kind of an old guy (at that time 26) and I wanted to save my marriage (which seems to be looking up) but I figured id at least go foreward as if I was going to enlist and see how the road would take me I could bail at any point if I wanted to so there wasnt anything to lose.

I ended up talking to the recruiter and looking over the pros and cons of enlisting and over the first 2 or 3 weeks I just went there and had a Q&A session with him investigating the Corps seeing if this is something that I would like to do. Then I ended up signing up to take the ASVAB's so I could see what jobs I qualify for I wasnt interested in getting shot in the face so I was looking for a POG position, the entire time I had been researching MOS's and the like seeing what interested me in the Corps (It is 4 to 5 years of your life after all) and I ended up taking the ASVAB's after being out of high school for 9 years id say a 69 on the ASVAB's without having studied is pretty bad ass.

I eventually hit the MEPS and waited the entire day to get my butt checked and get all that good stuff done, and then went back a few weeks ago to do my DLAB which took all day.

All I can say is all this lead up to me and my enlistment, from the time between January and today I went from not being sure as to wether this was something that I wanted to doing anything I can to achieve this and not being able to wait to step into those footsteps at MCRDPI. I now pretty much eat sleep drink Marine right now. I am always on this site, Im researching for my MOS, checking out Vids for Boot and other things I am also excited to talk to people and tell them I am enlisting. I am super moto about my decision and how ever this road takes me I know that when I finally earn that title as Marine that will be one of the proudest moments of my life and an Achievement that no one can take away.

Once I sign my contract im sure ill be jumping for joy and probably hurt myself or something.

So now that you have read my entire life story Im hoping some of you people can share your similar stories bout your journey to here and eventually the yellow footprints at MCRDPI or MCRDSD

[domheu117]

Wow... you must be bored lol. I share your pain though. Being done with school and unemployed kinda leaves you with a lot of free time. All I do now, as I wait for my ship date on 20110606, is go on this website and watch Marine Corps Documentaries.

I guess I'll join in on ranting about ones life story. Where shall we start? This may sound a little cliche but the reality of me going into the Military became very evident on 9/11. I am a native born New Yorker and have lived all 20 years of my life in the Borough of Queens, right over the 59st bridge two seconds from Manhattan. I was lucky not to lose any family or friends in the attacks, I have many that worked there and in the area, but it still had a tremendous effect on me.

I was 10 years old on 9/11 and still remember every second of that day. My middle school class watched all the drama unfold from our classroom window... After that day me and my brother vowed to go into the military to serve our country and protect the U.S. from attacks like this happening ever again. In High School both me and my bro tried getting into the United States Military Academy (USMA or West Point). My brother got in and I didn't. He's much smarter than me lol.

I go to SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx and absolutely hate it, its a Para-Military school. Long story short my bro was kicked out of West Point in his Junior year and is now at MCRD PI. I will be joining him next month; I can't F****** WAIT.

[Rose47]

My story starts about 4 months ago. I'm currently a senior now and when I decided I was joining it was in december. I first thought about the Marines after a friend of mine enlisted and I decided this was what I wanted to do( I had already been accepted to college but I knew it was not what I wanted to do) . But at the time I was lazy, unmotivated, overweight, didn't care about anything and was just going with the flow. So i started eating better and running everyday. Since I realized that I wanted to be a Marine more than anything I found my motivation to loose the wieght to enlist. When I first started talking to my recruiter he pretty much didn't think I was going to enlist becuase i would have to loose 40 pounds to DEP in but I did 4 months later and DEP'ed in a few weeks ago and im still loosing weight now. 4 months ago I was at my heaviest weight of 233, coudn't do any pull ups or even hang from a pull up bar for very long, and I could only do 25 crunches in 2 minutes. But now I'm at 189 lbs, 4 pull ups and 60 cruntches in 2 minutes. Some days I still can't believe that I'm going to be a Marine one day becuase I used to always wish I could join one but I never thought I could find the determination. Now I have alot more confidence, determination, pride and alot more self respect. Looking back talking to a recruiter was the best decion of my life to date. Sorry for ranting on so long if you read the whole thing.

[IHaveEGA843]

Good stories, I remember 9/11.....Watching it in english class half asleep, something that I had bits and pieces of but I'll never forget where I was and what I was doing. <br />
<br />
Well my journey is kind...

[jeonpaolo]

My story starts in the late 90s/early 2000s when I was small around 6-8. I had a neighbor who was a Master Sergeant. He used to tell me stories about his time in the Corps and show me his challenge coins and everything. 9/11 hit and I was around 10 miles away from Ground Zero. Seeing people in despair that following week because of 9/11 got me thinking about the military. Later on in 7th grade, my favorite teacher was a Marine in Vietnam. He got me thinking about it seriously. My Freshmen and sophmore year I got demotivated a bit and wanted to do other things. Then Junior year I got extremely into it and decided for sure I was going to join. Spoke the a recruiter later that year, signed my contract that summer and now I here I am in my senior year waiting to ship out to boot July 11 :)

[Allenl0968]

Ya'll have some good stories. My story started in my childhood. I had a uncle who was a Vet in Vietnam. He did 3 tours in Nam. I always liked hearing the stories from him. I started watching stuff on the military all the time. On 9/11 I was in 5th grade and watched on TV. I really wanted to join and do some good for my country. I wanted to keep stuff like that from happening again.

After 8th grade I kinda became demotivated from becoming a Marine. I just kinda wanted to do something different.

In 10th grade I thought started thinking about it again until I met a girl who didnt want me to join.
A month after we started dating my brother joined the Marines and left for boot. I was very proud of him but I changed my mind because I wanted to be with her. We dated the rest of my high school career. I dated her and changed my mind to want to become a Georgia State Trooper. I applied with the State Patrol as a dispatcher and got hired in Nov. 2009 right after high school. I eventually got engaged to this girl in June of 2010.

In Oct 2010 we broke up because she cheated on me. Can't trust noone these days apperently.

Up until this point I was lazy. I just had started going to the gym but wasnt really focused on it. I started thinking about the Marines again and I seen how happy my brother was with it. I decided to go talk to a recruiter about the Marines. This was in Nov 2010. At the time I was 6'0 267.7 pounds. The recruiter told me I had to get down to 227. I was determined and was not letting anything hold me back from my dream. I started working out everyday. I lost the weight and got back with the recruiter. I Dep'd in two weeks ago at 218 pounds and I leave 20111205 for MCRD PI.

Deciding to Join the Corps was the best thing that has ever happened to me. It gave me a dream and a goal to better myself and my country. I cant wait to be a Marine. I eat, sleep, breath the Marines. Definetly Know this is what I was supposed to do from the beginning. I just took me a little longer to realize it. I wish I would have done it straight out of high school

[domheu117]

Wow... you must be bored lol. I share your pain though. Being done with school and unemployed kinda leaves you with a lot of free time. All I do now, as I wait for my ship date on 20110606, is go on this website and watch Marine Corps Documentaries.

I guess I'll join in on ranting about ones life story. Where shall we start? This may sound a little cliche but the reality of me going into the Military became very evident on 9/11. I am a native born New Yorker and have lived all 20 years of my life in the Borough of Queens, right over the 59st bridge two seconds from Manhattan. I was lucky not to lose any family or friends in the attacks, I have many that worked there and in the area, but it still had a tremendous effect on me.

I was 10 years old on 9/11 and still remember every second of that day. My middle school class watched all the drama unfold from our classroom window... After that day me and my brother vowed to go into the military to serve our country and protect the U.S. from attacks like this happening ever again. In High School both me and my bro tried getting into the United States Military Academy (USMA or West Point). My brother got in and I didn't. He's much smarter than me lol.

I go to SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx and absolutely hate it, its a Para-Military school. Long story short my bro was kicked out of West Point in his Junior year and is now at MCRD PI. I will be joining him next month; I can't F****** WAIT.

To add to my rant, since I'm bored. Something that definitely contributed to me joining the Marine Corps was the fact that my old man is a former Marine. He joined way back in 1980 and fought in Beirut, Grenada. He received the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat. He was hit by shrapnel in the right leg. Everyone in his squad was killed during a missile attack. He was the only survivor.

Throughout our child hood my father would always tell us stories of his experiences in the FMF and Marine Corps as a whole. How it was to be in a firefight and the pure adrenaline rush of it. Getting the chance to explore the world. Along with all the great experiences of joining the Corps he would always be sure to include some horror stories that he had experienced, like the one I just previously stated. His main idea was to PUSH us away from the military namely the Corps. I guess his efforts had the complete opposite effect lol. His stories always amazed me and my brother.

I originally attempted to join the Air Force, Air National Guard. They were the ones I took the ASVAB with and had my first trip to MEPS with. I was going in to become a TACP (Tactical Air Control Party). My unit was going to be all the way up in Syracuse. This would have been longer than a 6 hour drive for me. The date for me to leave to Basic would have also interfered with my last year of college and would have set me back a whole year. Every single one of the recruiters were lazy and unmotivated as well. I would usually know more about my MOS and things available in the USAF then my recruiter. This completely de-motivated me and once my bro joined the Corps I knew what I was supposed to do.

Again, I eat, sleep, and breath MARINE CORPS. All I do is PT, study my general orders, and spend time with my girl friend lol. I can not wait to ship out to boot camp and become one of the Few and the Proud.