Question

[wildbill1704]

Does anyone know if we have any time to write letters in basic, and if so are our letters read by someone before the mail them out?Also after graduation are u aloud to go home with family or do u still have to stay and receive orders then they will bus us home or what happens?

[stemperfi]

you will have time to write letters; and NO they do not read them before they go out.

[wildbill1704]

well thanx stemperfi that clears up that qouestion for me. But will there be time every day?

wildbill

[thedrifter]

Subject has been talked about already.....

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13668&highlight=letters+bootcamp

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7959&highlight=letters+bootcamp

The Drifter's Wife

Ellie

[Namvet67]

You will have some time to write letters but not right away. My mail wasn't read, however if it appeared to have something in it other than a letter...then the rules changed. Make sure you inform those who write to stick with plain basic envelopes. Nothing that will stand out or have the smell of perfume etc.

[Super Dave]

You have a little free time in the evenings, but you also have other things to do. Get uniform ready for the next day, study your knowledge, clean your rifle..etc etc etc. Tell your friends/family to write all the time. You will not be able to write as much as they do but those letters are better than GOLD!!

[HardJedi]

as for going home from boot, you get ten day's leave if you want it, and you make your own arrangements for getting home and back for MCT.

[Marzyn]

Supposedly, you are given 1 hour of free time each day of the week Mon-Fri during bootcamp, during this time you will be able to watch educational TV, "MCTV" I believe they call it, Marine Corps TV, and/or write letters home and receive mail, mail call. I'm pretty sure the only civilian item you're allowed to bring to basic is an address book. Not to mention the fact that your very first day (or should I say night) there in Receiving you are given a pre-written letter to sign & send home with instructions on how to reach you.

If you have a relative or friend in the military, have him/her send you letters with stuff written on the outside like "Yea, my DI was a dick too." or perhaps "Does your DI walk & talk like a girl?" It's guaranteed to get you plenty of extra PT :)

Not to mention the fact that your very first day (or should I say night) there in Receiving you are given a pre-written letter to sign & send home with instructions on how to reach you.
Also, once you graduate you are allowed 10 days leave and then are shipped to Camp Lejeune, NC (for east coast people anyway, dunno about west coast) for 58 training days in SOI for Infantry MOS's or MCT for certain basic non-combat MOS's.

Don't take all I say to be the Gospel because I could very easily be wrong, but I'm 99.9% sure :)

Semper Fi
Joe

[HardJedi]

Television? they have TELEVISION IN BOOT CAMP NOW???? JEEZ! what'snext? a playstation? :D

[Marzyn]

i dunno actually, Jedi, that's just what i read :o

about.com, it was an article on surviving Parris Island boot written by a Marine who had just graduated, supposedly. This is all speculative though, it could have been written by some guy out in australia for all i know lol

Semper Fi
Joe

[thedrifter]

If you have a relative or friend in the military, have him/her send you letters with stuff written on the outside like "Yea, my DI was a dick too." or perhaps "Does your DI walk & talk like a girl?" It's guaranteed to get you plenty of extra PT

I do believe Marines, that some special care packages should be sent to poolees that feed this info to his fellow poolees.....;)

The Drifter's Wife

Ellie

[HardJedi]

LOL yeah, go ahead and have someone post your addy when you are at bootcamp Marzyn :D

[sgt.lane]

I went to boot in 81 and we had MCTV. Not every night maybe twice the whole time I was in Boot (HOLLYWOOD). You had better paid attention as well.

[HardJedi]

huh. well, we didn't have no MCTV in 91 when I went. ( also san diego)

[thedrifter]

HardJedi I guess You weren't Special like Sgt.lane.....;) :D


Ellie

[GySgtRet]

TV yeah we watched TV at Parris Island.....With our elbows on the deck we contently watched the drill instructors...Where is your recruiter at to answer your questions????? I strongly sugesst that you get with your recruiter ASAP as in now to get your questions answered...!!!

[enviro]

I watched TV in 94 just like the Gunny did. 60 recruits watching TV and not a damn thing on worth watching.

[Sgtusmc0621]

Hey I did't get no T.V , I graduated in 98 at parris island. Yes you usually get a hour every night to wright letters take of your gear and stuff.

Ben

[yellowwing]

1983, "Congress and the Mothers of America dictate that we must let you watch TV. Okay, ladies, what do you want to watch tonight?"

All of us maggots in the squad bay yell, "THE WAFFLE, SIR!"

And the Drill Instructor then proceeds to turning to the UHF test channel, which displays only a blue screen with a white waffle design.

(Perhaps that is where I got my affinity for John Kerry?) :banana:

[Marzyn]

I've talked with my recruiter quite a bit, he's trying his best to get me in as fast as possible, problem is, it's coming up to the end of the fiscal year and he can't promise me an Infantry job, or even active duty marines, i may have to join Reserves & go active as soon as possible after that, or wait till about november

joe

[Pel]

how long have you been dep'ed in? thats odd

[mississippiboy]

It is my understanding that infantry is a guaranteed enlistment option. If that is want you want then I say go for it. I have heard some things about going reserve and then active in some other threads. If reserve is what you want then by all means go for it, but I have been told by my recruiter and read in different threads that is is a lot harder to go from reserve to active duty than it is just to wait for the opportunity to go active. It doesn't sound right to me that there would be less spots available. The last I heard the fight is still going on with the war on terror. I don't think you will have any problems finding a spot in the Marine Corp as an infantry man at all. If active duty is what you want then keep trying for it and it'll happen. Have you taken your ASVAB? If so did you make the required score to get into the Marines? Just curious. That would be the only reason I could think of that the recruiter might tell you that other than if you may have had an injury that may require waivers, but that still shouln't be a problem. I went through several waivers to finally get to enlistment. Keep hope up I am sure you'll be able to get in.

[Marzyn]

Well, I'm kinda ashamed to say that I dropped out of school in the 10th grade, personal reasons and such, I'd rather not elaborate here but it was sorta necessary. I recently got my G.E.D. however, but the Marines only accept a set number of GED recruits per year and as such I'm not guaranteed to get my MOS :/

i've taken the online ASVAB tests at military.com and marchtosuccess.com and did well on them, (btw, GED's have to score 50 or above to pass, higher than a person with diploma)

I'm also fine w/ the physical, but alas :/ I kinda screwed myself 3 years ago.

But I will make it into the Marines, even if I have to go reserves & then active or if I have to wait for a while. There's nothing in this world I want more than to be a Marine.

semper fi
joe

[mississippiboy]

The GED explains it a little better then no I understand more about why he said that you may have to wait for an opening. Keep on trying for it and good luck with getting in. I took a paper ASVAB the last time, but before that 2 years ago I went to the MEPS and took the ASVAB on the computer. Just study up for it when you get the chances I made a 91 on mine the last time I took it. Maybe you'll get a 99. Make as high as you can on it and it should help you along the way as well. Good luck.

[thedrifter]

Info on the GED

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=935


The Drifter's Wife

Ellie

[Sparrowhawk]

Originally posted by Marzyn
I've talked with my recruiter quite a bit, he's trying his best to get me in as fast as possible, ... he can't promise me an Infantry job, ....
joe


With your GED, I guarantee you'll get infantry. LOL

They no longer have TV, everyone is issued a laptop with a DVD player and you're able to get the regular channels via satellite.

Below is a pic of they look like...

[Marzyn]

rofl sparrow, your sarcasm and wit are unmatched :p

Thanks for the help/thread Ellie and the words of encouragement Mississippi, I'm praying I get in soon

Semper Fi
Joe

[Tom Hansen]

In 1979 we did not see a TV unless it was in one of the adds in the Sunday paper we got to read.....


tom hansen

[cjdoyle]

this is PFC Best
i just got out of boot three months ago
you will get time to write home but not for the first two weeks
they dont read your mail that you send but when you get mail
and it feels heavy they will check it but they dont read it.