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Tennessee Top
11-14-13, 03:02 PM
How do DI's pick the guide/squad leaders at initial pick-up these days? Take volunteers, ask about NROTC experience, just observe, etc.?

Besides the guide/squad leaders and contract PFC's, are there others who graduate PFC?

EastofWest18
11-14-13, 05:41 PM
In 2011 they asked a ton of questions to pick guide, squad leader, and scribe. The main leadership positions were given to Marines that had been in NROTC at first, but switched around throughout. In the end of the day, none of the original squad leaders were in billets, the first guide was a squad leader, and the guide who we graduated with was a medical drop from another platoon who had been on the Island for about 8 months (he was also the honor graduate).

Scribe was picked differently. After picking the other leadership positions they asked who had any college. They then asked who had a degree. Then who had a B.A. There were finally two of us, and they picked me because the other guy had a slight accent and they said he wouldn't spell anything right. The other guy was (is) actually really smart though, and probably would have done just as well. They ended up using me for all sorts of administrative work for during my 13 weeks during my "free hour".

Rocky C
11-14-13, 05:46 PM
Great question Top and Great info Dan :thumbup:.
It will be very useful on the forum.

Thank you.

SGT7477
11-14-13, 06:42 PM
Times have really changed,lol, Semper Fidelis.

m14ed
11-15-13, 01:42 AM
Scribe was picked differently.
they asked who had any college.
They then asked who had a degree.
Then who had a B.A.

There were finally two of us,
they picked me because the other guy had a slight accent
they said he wouldn't spell anything right.
The other guy probably would have done just as well.
They ended up using me for all sorts of administrative work for during my 13 weeks during my "free hour".


do tell....

things change
and looks like much more PC...

ours picked the best penmanship in the platoon
who could present rosters that could be read
anyone...
AND didn't need a dictionary.

Mongoose
11-15-13, 06:28 AM
I didn't get past 10th grade. However, I was 1st squad leader throughout bootcamp. But.......the Platoon Commander got pizzed at me the week before graduation and releived me of that position.

03GyRene
11-15-13, 09:41 AM
I was squad leader, but one day we were heading off to a class where we were learning how to make field expedient stretchers out of a poncho, etc...anyway, I was so busy making sure my squad had their ponchos that I forgot mine. :confused:
oops. My DI was POd and I got fired...Oh well...such is life...from head of the line to end of the line in about a minute! lol.

m14ed
11-15-13, 09:57 AM
I was squad leader, but

I got fired...Oh well...such is life...
from head of the line to end of the line in about a minute!



Unless you're "LeadDog"-
the scenery Never changes...

madsox
11-15-13, 01:15 PM
Heh. I'm not Old Corps by any means, but our scribes and squad leaders and such were picked (as far as we could tell) by the classic "I need a volunteer - you. You're squad leader." method - p1sz off the Drill Instructor? You just got fired. Or hired, depending on how bad a mood he was in at the moment.

:evilgrin:

Old Marine
11-15-13, 05:35 PM
I usually picked a guide who was a feather merchant from the rear of the platoon. By doing that they never did run away with the cadence. Hired and fired many guides who could not hack it. Put a squad leader in CCP the day before graduation because I caught him smoking in the handball court by 2nd Battalion.

Kegler300
11-15-13, 05:38 PM
I didn't have any leadership positions while in boot camp and still graduated as a meritorious private ...

Rocky C
11-15-13, 05:39 PM
Hahahahaha....

silverdollar
11-16-13, 06:19 AM
All we had was guide, the tallest boot.

madsox
11-17-13, 08:31 AM
I didn't have any leadership positions while in boot camp and still graduated as a meritorious private ...

I see what you did there!

8-)

MunkyVsRobot
11-17-13, 11:45 AM
The way my DI's did it was the guide was the tallest guy in the PLT who thought he could drill. the squad leaders were people who had decent IST scores and thought they could drill.

TonyK22
01-07-14, 09:33 PM
I'm pretty sure I was "fired" twice as a squad leader. Test scores were one reason why my SDI put me up there and my good looks was another.

Deduke
01-08-14, 01:21 PM
When our DI's picked us up (in 1969), we got to the barracks and found that we were short about 6 footlockers. SSGT Jones said that he needs 4 volunteers to find some lockers, you, you, and you. I tore out of the squad bay, got outside, and thought, "Now what?" I took the others to the nearest unoccupied barracks and grabbed lockers. When we got back I reported Mission Accomplished. He said "Outf**kingstanding. You are now first squad leader". He never did mention anything about the lockers holding somebody elses gear, and nobody asked. I held first squad leader all the way through.

madsox
01-08-14, 09:56 PM
I held first squad leader all the way through.

That is a focking GREAT story, I just about laughed my rear end off! Leadership from the start, that's what that is - semper fi, bro!

dukesix
01-18-14, 07:53 AM
I was not appointed to ANY leadership positions in boot camp. I couldn't wait to get OUT of there!