Male and Female Marines

[Tegan]

I dont understand why male Marines have such a hard time dealing with females joining. All my Marine friends(all male) have been calling me and yelling at me for signing. My best friend, a LCPL, totally agrees with my joining and he says that some guys feel it threatens their masculinity. I know that I will probably run into more guys that act like this, but these people are (were, lol) my friends and I supported them when they joined. My bf, PFC,is now dealing with some kind of problems in his head about me joining, he is really aggressive now towards me.(he even broke one of his buddies collarbones!) My brother, LCPL, thinks its cool that i joined. Do you think that my bf is worried about fraternization?
All in all, its motivating for me to do this, just to prove all them wrong! What are your opinions on this subject? Anything, good or bad, is welcome. Rebs, BC1, jinelson, roulette.. thanks for your motivation!

[GySgtRet]

Once upon a time there was this thing called "Women's Liberation". I myself have no problem working with women or for women, as far as the liberation of women I am all for it. However, I also think that it has torn down the ground that women had made. For instance, back in the 70's at Camp Pendelton there was a female mechanic in my unit. I was a Sergeant at the time and in charge of a few Marines including a female Marine Lcpl. A male Marine trying to assist the female Marine tried to carry her toolbox for her. This set the female Marine high and to the right like a popup flare. I had never heard of a sound like this female Marine made at that time. It was a shame that she lost her composure at this action because she was a very excellent mechanic. At that point forward at least in the unit that I was in at the time male and females were not permitted to associate with each other. This seemed extreme to me at the time as I know that it was. When I asked around I was asked not to ask about it ever again. Maybe there was something of a personal nature to it? I am not sure? Anyway, females make as good a Marine as males do. However, in the Corps of today males and females must pull their own weight. If you have a problem with that then you probably should not join the Corps.

There is also the feeling of females in combat. The desert is a testbed now for that. I know one thing, if a female Marine were to be in my unit at the front and in a fighting hole, I am not sure how I would take it if the most darstic of things were to happen to her. I have three daughters and well, I hope that you get the picture.

Please do not let this deter you from joining the finest organization in the world.

[Joseph P Carey]

Originally posted by Tegan
I dont understand why male Marines have such a hard time dealing with females joining. All my Marine friends(all male) have been calling me and yelling at me for signing. My best friend, a LCPL, totally agrees with my joining and he says that some guys feel it threatens their masculinity. I know that I will probably run into more guys that act like this, but these people are (were, lol) my friends and I supported them when they joined. My bf, PFC,is now dealing with some kind of problems in his head about me joining, he is really aggressive now towards me.(he even broke one of his buddies collarbones!) My brother, LCPL, thinks its cool that i joined. Do you think that my bf is worried about fraternization?
All in all, its motivating for me to do this, just to prove all them wrong! What are your opinions on this subject? Anything, good or bad, is welcome. Rebs, BC1, jinelson, roulette.. thanks for your motivation!

Maybe, they have seen some of the Female Marines in training, and they feel you are going to be able to 'Kick their butts" if you have too! Besides, they are not the only Marines in the house any longer! Good luck Girl! You go Girl!

[KingDonkeyPunch]

He probably isn't worried of you finding someone else while you two are apart, he is probably terrified. I have nothing against female marines, and believe that they do play an important part in operational readiness. Yet I would never let my wife or girlfriend ever join while we were still together. I have been in the corps for a little while now, and know what happens when you throw a woman into a unit full of male marines. Unless there is some serious will power there I have never heard of before, sooner or later something is probably going to happen. I can totally understand why he isn't as keen as he once was for you to join. But hey, that is your call alone to make, and you said you wanted to be a marine. Dont let him or anyone else dictate what you want. As anyone on this site will tell you, if you want it bad enough, you can make it happen.

[bobang]

HEY IF YOU CAN TOTE A GUN AND DO EVERY THING A MALE GRUNT DOES IN COMBAT THEN GOOD FOR YOU.BUT, DON'T GO CRAZY IF YOU BEEN OUT IN THE FIELD AND MAY ALSO DIE, SO WE HAVE A
BETTER THAN BUDDY RELATIONSHIP, ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY IS NO!

[Tegan]

yes, i am aware of risks of being in combat. I am not afraid to be in combat, I mean thats one of the reasons we have millitary, right? I have been around Marines enough to know that it will be hard to be in a relationship with my bf. I also know that guys have a hard time doing it also. I am not going to let a male, especially my bf, dictate me on what I want. It has taken me 2 years to finally come around and sign. I am motivated about joining and believe that I can do as good a job as any male Marine.

bobang, I know about Grunts and how they feel about other Marines (POGs), I used to date one. He is still my friend and has told me alot about what he has learned. This Marine (0311) is my number one supporter so far, because he doesnt feel intimidated by my joining. He is glad that I finally did it, and wants me to succeed.

SO, all in all, I am aware of all the problems I will run into being a female Marine and I am not scared. It is motivation for me to prove males wrong, it has been my whole life. I know that we will (almost) be treated like equals in the military, and I am glad to take the challenge.

[bobang]

TEGAN I DID'NT MEAN THAT WOMAN SHOULD'NT JOIN ANY SERVICE
ONLY THAT YOU CAN EXPECT THE SAME THING YOU DO AS IN CIVILIAN LIFE. THE GOOD AND THE NOT SO GOOD. LIKE I SAID IF YOU CAN GRUNT YOU ALRIGHT WITH ME AND NO NEED TO PROVE IT JUST DO IT.LIKE I SAY IF YOU PUT THE LEFT FOOT OUT THE RIGHT FOOT IS COMING RIGHT BEHIND YOU. GOOD LUCK AND SEMPER-FI
BOBANG

[Tegan]

Thank you bobang for your comments. I will take your comments and remember them as they are some of the best advice to me so far. Thank you:)
Tegan

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

DISCLAIMER--I DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT I AM ABOUT TO POST. THIS ACTUALLY IS FROM A FRIEND!!

A friend of mine (a former grunt with 2/1) uses the following logic when explaining why women shouldn't be allowed to be Marines.

All Marines are riflemen first
Women are not allowed to be riflemen

Thus, women cannot be Marines.

[hrscowboy]

OH yeah here we go lets open up a can of worms, I can hear this now..

[bobang]

as we write to each other in the safety of our homes,offices,etc.
there are women and men marines that are standing in harms way,some dying[as has already occurred] some wounded. if you happened to be in transportation and get ambushed,i'm positive
that who ever can fight ,will. remember,once we swear that oath
and wear the uniform and wave that marine corps flag......
enough said.

[Joseph P Carey]

Originally posted by Echo_Four_Bravo
DISCLAIMER--I DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT I AM ABOUT TO POST. THIS ACTUALLY IS FROM A FRIEND!!

A friend of mine (a former grunt with 2/1) uses the following logic when explaining why women shouldn't be allowed to be Marines.

All Marines are riflemen first
Women are not allowed to be riflemen

Thus, women cannot be Marines.

You do realize that HRS is correct, 'the can of worms' has been opened!

When we talk of mankind, do we only speak of men per se? Or, is it both men and women we speak of? And, when we say Rifleman, are we only talking of men with rifles?

Let me see now! A woman can be an expert with a rifle, or a sharpshooter with a rifle, and even a Marksman with a rifle, but yet the term man as in rifleman, like man in mankind can not be meant for both?

Warning: Do not get too technical or else you might end up being a rifleperson. I liked being a rifleman, let's include the women in the classification, before we regret it entirely.

[CHOPPER7199]

TEGAN, JUST GO GET IT DONE, JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHERS BEFORE YOU HAVE. GOOD LUCK ON THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFE TIME.

[c5down2]

KingDonkeyPunch.

Well, I read your post. I must say my first reaction to your not allowing your significant other joing while you were in kinda upset me. My first thought was who are you to tell her what she can or cannot do. Then the red haze began to clear and I tried to see things from your point of view. If I may, here is my point of view coming from a female Marine of 12 years. Before I joined at the ripe age of 17, I myself had a lot of gainsayers telling me for various reasons why I should not do it. Even some guy who liked me told my brother, also a Marine, that he didn't want me to join and therefore I shouldn't. Well, as you can tell, I did it anyway and it was the best most rewarding experience of my life. Being a female 1391, bulk fuel specialist, there were times when I was the only female on deck. My Marines would have followed me anywhere and do anything asked of them. It wasn't because I was female, it was because I was Marine and the principles i stoof for. As with any situation to lump all females in with the ones who don't deserve the title. Same goes for male Marines. There are always some in every bunch , no matter the race, gender, color or creed. Agreed?
However, and Tegan lsiten up, it IS how you project yourself when you get out in to the Fleet once you graduate bootcamp. You want to be looked at as a ho, act like it, I saw it many times at Geiger, too many times. The attention is flattering but when you're the only meat in town of course it looks like a gourmet feast. If you want to be respected, earn it. I hope this helps and doesn't offend anyone but just thought I would add my thoughts.
Semper Fi to all.

[tntmondy]

Having been a female marine, and spending my life working in an all male enviroment I can tell you this, If you want it go for it. There will always be naysayers no matter what you want to do, tune them out, they don't matter. They have their opinion you have yours, go for it. The biggest thing that all Marines hate the most male or female is whiners and non-hackers. All Marines have to prove themselves, females have to prove themselves that much more, it can and has been done.

[MillRatUSMC]

Do it for yourself, no one else! there's been a great deal of words of wisdom from male and female Marines.
Yet the bottom line, its your decision, no one else can made it for you.
So you won't have to face, I should have, so where later in your life.
As another Marine said "You go Girl!".
Yet your a young woman, and you have made decisions on relationship by now.
So we'll leave all the negatives go, on male vs female Marines.
Fraterization, at this point in time, has no bearing on your decision.
So why would anyone say that you now, it will come to play only when you become a Marine.

Semper Fidelis/Semper Fi
Ricardo

[THATFEMALE]

Tegan dont even waste your breath. There's a reason why they say," THE FEWER, THE PROUDER." Sadly, you'll run into alot of males who don't exactly agree with females in the military. Disregard what they have to say. If when you wake up all you can think about is how much you want to be a Marine,then do it. You don't have to prove anything to anyone. Take it from me because I spent many months trying to prove myself until I figured it out. Remember your goals is all I can tell you. Don't worry about the whole guys thing right now, everything will fall into place when it's time. Echo Four Bravo, you shouldn't have even posted that crap!. Can't speak for the rest but I'm darn good with my riffle and I'm prepared to take out anyone who threatens our livelyhood! Point is Women are already in Combat. Dont worry hrscowboy, "I'm not gone yet!" Semper FI Marines :marine:

[PTWARRIOR]

ARE YOU REALLY SURE YOU ARE READY FOR COMBAT? GOOD MARKSMANSHIP IS NOT ALL A MARINE NEEDS TO BECOME READY FOR COMBAT.IT IS VERY VERY NECESSARY BUT IT'S NOT ALL I THINK YOU'RE SPEAKING WITH ALOT EMOTION.

[THATFEMALE]

I'm ready for whatever the Marine Corps calls me to do. I know very well that there is much more to combat then good marksmanship. For the last month or so, I've been training alongside a few grunts and tankers as a part of a detachment and I've seen and heard alot. If I'm speaking with any emotion at all, it's only the dedication to "God, Country, Corp", that you sense. Semper FI Marine.

[BOOGIEMAN44]

TEGAN...
I HAVE BEEN SITTING HERE READING ALL THE LETTERS AND ADVICE TO YOU, YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE, LET ME SAY THAT AGINE, THE ONLY ONE, WHO CAN SAY, I DO... SO HELP ME GOD, THERE ARE GOOD POINTS AND BAD POINTS, IN THESE LETTERS, NOW YOU MUST MAKE UP YOUR MIND, DO I GO, OR STAY THE HELL HOME?? MY ADVICE IS WATCH THE MILITARY CHANNEL WHEN THEY SHOW, THE MAKING OF A MARINE, PHASE I, II, III, THEY SHOW BOTH MEN AND WOMEN GOING THROUGH BOOT CAMP, AND THEN MAKE UP YOUR MIND, DO I GO OR STAY HOME?? NOW WITH THAT SAID.. MY WORDS OF WISDOM... I HAVE TO AGREE WITH GYSGTRET, I DONT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WOMEN IN MY BELOVED CORPS, I BELIVE IN WOMENS LIBERATION, IF A WOMAN CAN STAND BESIDE ME AND HOLD HER OWN, THEN I'M ALL FOR IT, AND THE ONLY TIME I HAVE A PROBLEM, OR WILL SAY ANY THING ABOUT IT IS WHEN, NOW I SAID, WHEN, SHE CAN'T, THEN I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT, NOW IT IS UP TO YOU, DO YOU SHOW ALL THOSE WHO DON'T BELIVE, RIGHT OR WRONG, OR THOSE OF US WHO DO BELIVE, RIGHT OR WRONG? GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR DECISION, I'M SURE WE WILL ALL BE WATCHING...

[Joseph P Carey]

Originally posted by PTWARRIOR
ARE YOU REALLY SURE YOU ARE READY FOR COMBAT? GOOD MARKSMANSHIP IS NOT ALL A MARINE NEEDS TO BECOME READY FOR COMBAT.IT IS VERY VERY NECESSARY BUT IT'S NOT ALL I THINK YOU'RE SPEAKING WITH ALOT EMOTION.

PT,

With all due respect, how ready were you for combat? I realize that you had a week of combat in Desert Storm, but, really, how ready were you?

When I grew up, I heard the horrors of war, as well as the camaraderie of combat from my Dad, who went all through the South Pacific and beachhead landings.

When I went into the Marines, I was in Garrison with the 8th Marines as well as on different cruises, and mock assault landings on different shores from the Mediterranean to the Arctic Circle. I thought I was ready, when my first day came to be shot at, but no where in the psyche is anyone really ready for the total confusion of Battle.

The shouting of different orders being lifted into the air, the pieces of metal and patches of ground whizzing past your ears, the sight and the sound of bullets tearing up ground all around you, and the having to recognize the sounds of which rifles were which, enemy or friend, and where the enemy was.

My first day in combat, was my first day in my unit, I was brought to my unit at the Battalion LZ on the back of a Marine Mule that had just run me in from the tarmac of the airfield at Chu Lai hitting every bump in the sandy roadway at speeds greater then that machine was supposed to travel, that after I had gotten off of a plane and seen the Regimental CO, Col Peatross, as a replacement, and told that my unit was embarking on a mission, I had better hurry or I would miss them.

I was introduced to my Squad Leader and my Fireteam Leader as I was boarding a helicopter going to Quang Nai, some miles south of Chu Lai.

There was no climitization to get used to the humidity or the heat of the tropical land I was now in. I knew nothing of the men that I would soon place my life in their hands. I did not even know if the rifle I was issued upon arrival at the Battalion area would even fire when I got into combat.

But, when I got there, and the bullets were screaming past my helmet, and the sounds of explosions and the rifle fire, and when the initial shock wore off, my training came into being, and, much to my surprise, I conducted myself well!

Who are you to say that these people will, or will not, be able to conduct themselves in the manner of a Marine, male or female, when their time comes. It is all in the training, kid! All in the training! Pedigree will always show through when you're a Devil Dog!

[hoytarcher45]

My advice from the small amount of experience I have in the Corps is this:

There is a major possiblility that you will feel things are harder for you being a female Marine. This may or may not be true, BUT know what your getting yourself into and DONT COMPLAIN ABOUT IT!!! The Marine Corps is made up of mostly males.

When I was in MOS school I became good friends with a few female Marines. All they ever did was ***** about how much harder they had it. I'm not trying to argue about whether thats true or not, all I'm saying is just know what your getting in to.

Thats just how I feel. Correct me if I'm wrong. After all I'm still a young buck and I've got a lot to learn myself. Semper Fi.

[Tegan]

Thanks everyone for your wisdom! With all of that said, and a nice long drive from oregon to home in wisconsin, alone, i had alot of thinking time. My bf has turned his back on me and I have decided that I am NOT going to take his attitude towards my joining! Some of his buddies have been calling me and harassing me about my decision and that only adds fuel to my fire. I want to be better than them, I know I dont have to prove myself to anyone. My motivation is beating my brother and boyfriend at everything now, that is whats going to be going through my mind everyday in bootcamp. My old bf, grunt with 3/1, has been nothing but a supporter to me since I told him. I think my bf right now has some insecurities about the possibility of his gf being better than him. Which is weird, because dont you lose all your insecurities when you graduate bootcamp??


As for being ready for combat.. I am not afraid of going anywhere for My Country. I will not complain, I joined the Marines knowing that combat is a possibility. I am so motivated and I can't wait to get to boot.

[Osotogary]

Personal observation. Tegan, you mentioned that one of the reasons you wish to join is "beating my brother and boyfriend at everything now, that is whats going to be going through my mind everyday in bootcamp." I have never been in your shoes before, per se, but my gut feeling tells me that you are then joining for the wrong reasons. To better yourself...absolutely! To prove to yourself that you can do it...absolutely! But just to prove a point to your brother and boy friend....rubbish. So you prove your point that you are now better than your brother and your boyfriend. How long do you think that will last? Do you think your brother and your boyfriend are going to dwell on your accomplishment(s) for an undetermined period of time and shower life long accolades on you? They will move on just like you will.
I suspect that you will have enough to focus on through Boot Camp and your stay in the Marine Corps while improving yourself. Cancel out the negatives in your life. Acknowledge their presence and learn from them but move on in a positive fashion. Take care now.
Gary

[yellowwing]

I too see a pattern of including your boyfriend in all of your posts. You have to get serious on preparation for Boot Camp. You know by now it is serious business. They not going to ask you about your boyfriend. They are going to test everything about you and your character.

[BOOGIEMAN44]

TEGAN:
GET YOUR BOY FRIEND OUT OF YOUR HEAD... IF THATS THE WAY HE FEELS, HIS PROBLEM, NO LONGER YOURS, IF YOU GO TO BOOT CAMP WITH HIM IN YOUR HEAD, YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND A LONG TIME IN THE PIT... HE, YOUR BOY FRIEND, SHOULD NO LONGER HAVE A PLACE IN YOUR LIFE, IF HE HAS A PROBLEM, I AGREE WITH OSOTOGARY, NOW YOU NEED TO DO THIS FOR YOUR SELF, AND NOBODY ELSE, BECUSE, IF YOU DO JOIN THE BEST TO IMPRESS SOMEONE ELSE, YOU ARE JOINING FOR THE WRONG REASON, IF YOU DO JOIN, REMEMBER, IN ABOUT 3 MONTHS, YOU WILL HAVE MORE BROTHERS ANS SISTER THAN YOU CAN COUNT,
I WISH YOU THE BEST...

[Tegan]

Thanks for the last 3 or so replies. I know it sounds like I am only doing this to prove to my brother and bf that I can do it. NO, I am not. I am getting serious about bootcamp and I am cleansing myself of people that are making it harder i.e. my bf. I know that I dont need his bs before leaving.

I am not joining to impress anyone. I am canceling out the negatives also. I am focused and getting more ready for bootcamp everyday. This bf of mine is only a little distraction, and hopefully by the end of the day, he won't be anymore.

Thank you for making those observations, because they were things that I hadn't thought about yet.
Tegan

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

OK, I made it clear that I did not believe what I said. I am proud to say that the best officer I ever came in contact with was a woman Marine. Several of the female Marines I worked with (comm bubbettes) were outstanding Marines, far surpassing their male counterparts.

All of that being said, it isn't the "man" part of the word rifleman that my misguided friend is talking about. He is talking about t ahe 0311 MOS. Riflemen. The heart of the Marine Corps. His view is women cannot serve in that MOS, so they cannot be riflemen, and every Marine is supposed to be a rifleman first.

All of this being said, I am sure that the female Marines aboard this site will agree with the following comment. Men will be tougher on women. Once one woman Marine has done something stupid around them, it seems as if they lose confidence in all women to be Marines. However, this is a temporary situation. Once they see you work and see that you are dedicated and well trained; able to perform your job well under stress; and generally you act like a Marine when you need to act like a Marine-- most of the problems will begin to disappear. Sure, there will always be the few that will not accept a female as a Marine. But most are happy to have someone that takes their job seriously, is able to perform, and doesn't cause any problem. Once you convince everyone that you won't be a problem child, you will be viewed the same as every other Marine. It is sad that you'll have to prove yourself moreso than a male Marine-- but you'll get there. And then, you'll be in a great position. You'll be a Marine that everyone knows they can trust.

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

Tegan, let me add something else. In all seriousness, get rid of the boyfriend. If he isn't going to support you, in all that you do, find someone who will. Life is too short to deal with idiots in your life. There will be plenty of men to pick from later, so go ahead and drop the bad one now. It will just give you more time to PT and get ready anyway.

[Osotogary]

Roll reversal, Tegan. What if your boyfriend was seriously thinking about joining up and you were opposed to it for various reasons some of which would be your insecurity, jealousy, or just plain being possessive etc. Would you do your best to be negative to his joining up or would you be supportive?

I still get the funny feeling that you need your boyfriend more than he needs you. I have been there and done that.

I don't know how many times I had waited for someone to be supportive of me when I should have just continued on by myself and opened up new vistas of personal experience. I was almost totally dependent on other people for support but that came to an end, thankfully, when I figured out that I had wasted a whole lot of time just waiting on others. I was, basically to some degree, living by their schedules not mine. It was good to recognize my insecurities, deal with them and move on to a more positive plateau, a plateau that I feel alot more comfortable living.

If you answered the first question about the roll reversal in a positive way and were able to say, "By all means, join up if that's what you really want to do", even though you might have some personal insecurity issues to deal with...you have what appears to be the self confidence to guide you to the next experience of your life.

I wish you well. And, by the way, it took some stuff to put your ideas, feelings, doubts and aspirations on an open forum like this. You've done good.

My compliments to you.

[Joseph P Carey]

Echo Four Bravo,

My sense of humor is wry, to say the least, Please excuse me if you took my remarks as anything other than good fun with words and PC!

E4B: "All of that being said, it isn't the "man" part of the word rifleman that my misguided friend is talking about. He is talking about t ahe 0311 MOS. Riflemen. The heart of the Marine Corps. His view is women cannot serve in that MOS, so they cannot be riflemen, and every Marine is supposed to be a rifleman first."

[yellowwing]

I am canceling out the negatives also. I am focused and getting more ready for bootcamp everyday.
That's what we need to hear, Devil Pup. Get Some!

[TazMatt]

Tegan,don't worry about what the people say about every Marine is a rifleman first and then their regular MOS whatever it may be. I for one was not a rifleman first because I first didn't qualify with the rifle during boot camp.I still was given orders and shipped to Geiger for ITR and then on to another duty station at Camp Lejeune and stayed in the Corp for four years before reenlisting for another two years. My Mos was supply and I did my job well enough to get promoted to Sgt within three years .During this time I went to the rifle range and qualified .All this to say do what you think is best for you and don't worry about anything else do your job and everything else will fall in place.
SGT.Matt U.S.M.C.69-75

[Tegan]

THANKS! For all your comments. we called it quits. His attitude towards my joining was poison to me.

E4B- I do have more time for PT!:) I go out for a motivating run every morning and a 13 mile bike ride at least 2 times a week, plus working out when I can.
I have made my statement to my friends and everyone else around me that if they cant handle it or if all they want to do is argue with me, they are gone. I do not need that before bootcamp.

osotogary
--Roll reversal, Tegan. What if your boyfriend was seriously thinking about joining up and you were opposed to it for various reasons some of which would be your insecurity, jealousy, or just plain being possessive etc. Would you do your best to be negative to his joining up or would you be supportive? --

This ex bf of mine is the second Marine I dated. I knew both guys before they joined and I was supportive in everyway I could be to them. I was glad they were doing something that they wanted to do. I drove them all over the place while on leave.. took them to pool functions.. met their buddies in California and in Missouri. I would never be negative towards someone doing what they want to do because I wouldnt want that attitude towards me. I told my ex in an email that it was a huge slap in my face because I was his number one supporter and he turns his back on me. I know he has some problems with not having a girl waiting for him at home now, but there are plenty of other girls that he had his eye on.
Enough of that.. In summary, the bf is gone! I feel relieved and I think I am going to go for a run.
Thanks E4B, yellowwing, Joseph P Carey, tazmatt, osotogary for your thoughts. They helped:)
Tegan!!
p.s. I'm in a real motivated mood now!!

[bobang]

TEGAN YOU GOT YOURSELF TOGETHER AND YOUR DOING THIS FOR
YOUR SELF AND NO ONE ELSE,THATS THE SPIRIT OF THE CORPS.
REMEMBER,WHEN YOUR CLIMBING THAT STEEP HILL,YOU JUST PUT
THE LEFT FOOT OUT AND THE RIGHT ONE WILL FOLLOW.
GOD BLESS AND GOD SPEED.
SGT.LUCIO 67 68 VIET NAM
1/3 MARINES
0331- GUNS UP!

[Osotogary]

Tegan-
Good for you and your decision(s)
I was just throwing some thoughts out towards you. Often times, to find out where a person stands, both negative and positive questions are asked to find out how a person is prone to feel. Glad to hear that you're stepping tall. Good for you.
Gary

[GySgtRet]

Tegan,

A very large step for you to be able to makeup your mind. Independent thought will take you aa long way in the Corps. It is too bad that even with you supporting both of the former bf they cannot return kind.

Good Luck