View Full Version : Wartime/Peacetime Bootcamp
Namvet67
12-28-04, 04:13 PM
What do you think? Now that we have what appears to be a sustained war going on....Drill Instructors ramping up a little more? I went through boot in war time and it was geared towards keeping us alive by making it hell. Do you think a change is taking place? Do you think there is a difference between wartime and peacetime bootcamp? I think so!!!
drillinstructor
12-28-04, 07:58 PM
Yes Bootcamp does go through its changes along with the times we are in. The attention to detail during the field week and crucible week is stressed, stressed, stressed. Classes taught and taught, gas chmber is longer and more intense, and we prac app the patrols more often......kill kill kill em all
Namvet67
12-29-04, 10:01 AM
If anyone would know, it would be you drillinstructor. Looks like you will be producing some leaner,meaner combat ready Marines. Now more like the bootcamp I remember. I'm sure these future Marines won't be coming out of boot with remarks like: It wasn't as tough as I thought it was going to be. Kill,Kill,kill is still ringing in my ears after all these years. Thanks for you contribution to the Corps Gunny. Semper Fi
jinelson
12-29-04, 12:18 PM
I went through boot camp in 1967 and the Nam was stretching the Corps resources to the max, so they shortened boot camp to I believe 8 weeks. I believe it was more challenging because our beloved Drill Instructors had to instill the same training as the 13 week cycle but at an excellerated rate. What say you out there?
Namvet67
12-29-04, 01:21 PM
You are right jinelson...boot was reduced to 9 weeks when I went in (Feb 67)....excellerated rate...up earlier and to the rack later.
May of 67 here...that nine weeks felt like 24 hour days of drill, drill, drill and with a little drill thrown in for fun. When we were resting, we had to run and do them damn squat thrusts or push-ups! I grew to hate that particular form of exercise! I must have done a million push-ups...no wonder my arms still hurt!!!
Originally posted by jinelson
I went through boot camp in 1967 and the Nam was stretching the Corps resources to the max, so they shortened boot camp to I believe 8 weeks. I believe it was more challenging because our beloved Drill Instructors had to instill the same training as the 13 week cycle but at an excellerated rate. What say you out there?
Aug - Oct 1965 here.
8 week training for me.
Condensed training to fill shortages in WESTPAC.
As gbudd said.....Kill, Kill, Kill is still ringing in my ears and I'm still trying to catch up on shut eye.
I posted on this subject once before and asked if anyone knew what we 8 or 9 week trainees really missed out on.
yellowwing
12-29-04, 09:24 PM
Our SNCOs in '83 poked fun at us 'boots.
"There was no 'marching to the chow hall, 'marching out to the rifle range...They RAN our d*cks into the dirt the whole time!"
greensideout
12-29-04, 09:48 PM
Bootcamp---war time---quick time---what did you miss?
Did you wash your own gear?
Did you do bucket drill?
Did you dye your shoes and boots?
Did you have hand to hand combat training?
Did you march to church on Sunday?
Did you clean weapons that were already clean?
Did you spend most of your time learning close order drill?
Wondering---I was pre-war.
Blindside8162
12-29-04, 09:52 PM
Two of our drill instructors had combat experience in Iraq/Afghanistan so they really pounded the concept of situational awareness and attention to detail into our heads. They also told personal stories of buddies they had lost because of stupid mistakes. I belive we will benefit greatly from what we have been taught.
not sure what a "bucket drill" is. the rest of it sounds familiar from 1969.
Originally posted by greensideout
Bootcamp---war time---quick time---what did you miss?
Did you wash your own gear?
Did you do bucket drill?
Did you dye your shoes and boots?
Did you have hand to hand combat training?
Did you march to church on Sunday?
Did you clean weapons that were already clean?
Did you spend most of your time learning close order drill?
Wondering---I was pre-war.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
And
Yes
Sounds the same to me too.
yellowwing
12-29-04, 10:36 PM
...concept of situational awareness and attention to detail into our heads.
It sounds like they were interested in training to save your lives!
Dammit, if you read between the lines of CNN and FOX, you can tell that there is a professionally trained and determined foe in 'The Sandbox'.
There has been more than a few Marine Corps sniper teams that have suffered casualties to counter-sniper tactics. That is a definate finger print of intense Syrian or Iranian training.
Kill the b*stards and get your ass and the asses of your platoon 'mates home safe!
Semper Fi!
wing, wouldn't ya think that at least part of the Iraqi military was well trained? The same military that we summararily dismissed.
yellowwing
12-29-04, 11:02 PM
What would be their motivation? The Saddam banner they served under is gone.
Who is motivating and financing these counter sniper teams?
That is the current threat. All idealogy aside, who is paying these guys to kill Marines.
Namvet67
12-30-04, 09:27 AM
After reading all of the above...I still believe that wartime bootcamp is different than peacetime. The pressure is on the Drill Instructors and that is passed on to the recruits. The Drill Instructors (in wartime) know that there is a good chance most of his recruits will stand the test in combat. Trained right ..better chance of living..trained wrong..better chance of death. That kind of pressure is what really makes the Drill Instructors meaner than hell. It is for the good of the recruit and the conscious of the DI...and the future of the Corps. OORAH
Sgt. Smitty
01-03-05, 11:45 AM
My sentiments exactly gbudd......not only did we wash our own uniforms, do bucket drills, we didn't dye our shoes and boots...we spit shined them all, we had hand to hand against another platoon in our series, cleaned and re-cleaned clean weapons, not too much time on close order but some, and yes, kill - kill - kill still rings in my ears today also. That's why i like hunting season out here...I can go and LEGALLY KILL SOMETHING again with our govts. knowledge and blessing. Strange how ya look at things nowadays...............
Namvet67
07-09-07, 11:20 PM
Bump
greensideout
07-10-07, 12:09 AM
Vietnam '62. Any questions?
Semper Fi
yellowwing
07-10-07, 02:12 AM
Two and a half years after we started this little dicussion, our Drill Instructors are still doing a damn fine job! :usmc:
redneck13
07-10-07, 03:30 PM
:evilgrin: :flag: I went thru Diego, June 66. They had shortened boot from 12-13 weeks to 8. And I can guarantee ya, nobody got any slack at all. Then from boot, went to ITR. And I can tell stories about that "hell hole" and those dasturdly handler's thatda make you wanna find 'm and beat their aces in the ground, including some high rankin' STAFF NCO'S. Then I was a Drill Instructor, 73-75, and it was back to the normal time, or more, my brain is fuzzy about that. I though before 75 came around, directed my instruction's on "KEEPIN' YOUR ACE ALIVE" JUST in case some went, which I don't know, I just hope I hope I instilled in them, how to be a "LEAN MEAN-GREEN FIGHTIN' MACHINE." SF. Carry on you blessed Maggot's.
Sgt Jim
07-10-07, 06:46 PM
sounds like the same boot camp to me,PI Oct 6 1969 ,3 BN PLT3057
sparkie
07-10-07, 06:57 PM
'69 July - August PI... lost 3... one went head first 3 story building. one turned the head red, don,t know if he lived. one woke up with a bayonett in his chest,,,self inflicted.
Good old P.I. '69 facing 'Nam. Remember the draft?
Namvet67
07-10-07, 07:13 PM
Sure do remember it. Served with several draftees in Nam. Only difference was they only had 2 year enlistments while the rest of us had 3 or 4 year enlistments. It must have been hell to be sent to boot camp because the goverment said so. The Corps made 4 draft calls between November 1965 and March 1966, accepting over 19,000 draftees in 1966. The next draft call came in April 1968, after the Tet offensive and again in May. There was another draft in December 1968 and the final call was in Feb 1970.
sparkie
07-10-07, 07:18 PM
When I did the med thing in Cleveland, they lined all the draftees up on one side of a big room, I was on the other side watching.
They went down the line with a marker... 1,2,3,4,Marine, 1,2,3,4 Marine.
shoulda seen some faces.
USMCmailman
07-10-07, 07:47 PM
Parris Island Nov. 1967
13 weeks of pure HELL, But I'm still here!
Nam---1968 Tet offensive, hand to hand------the training had to be good !
I have a Purple Heart----the other guy is DEAD !!!! Enough said! :evilgrin: