Recruit Crud

[Accord]

I just finished reading the new book "The Few The Proud" which is basically Drill Instructors in their own words. Well the book mentions something called "Recruit Crud" and a lot of recruits get it and when they do they just suck it up, but it doesn't really go into any detail about it beyond that.

What is recruit crud? Is it some sort of sickness? What are the symptoms of it? How can I avoid getting it while i'm at boot camp?

Thanks

[hunter06]

Recruit Crud sucks. You basically just get real sick. Imagine a real bad cold. Believe me every recruit gets it at one point or another. The Drill Intructors even get sick from the recruits.Yea most everyone sucks it up and just deals with it. Only the week ones would go to BAS.

[kovanfleet]

its like the flu and can get bad if you have a weak imune system. no way to avoide it, every one gets it eventualy.

[Camper51]

Contrary to what the new privates said, not everyone gets the crud. I did not get it when I went through all those centuries ago. (when we had quonset huts not those huge barracks)

Anytime you have many people crowded into confined spaces (barracks, classrooms, showers, chowhalls) there is bound to be someone who is sick and will pass the crud to someone else.

If you are in good shape, healthy, and not prone to coming down with the latest bug going around you will probably not get the crud. If you are susceptible to every bug that comes near you then you can expect to come down with something.

What do you do? Most suck it up but some get sick enough they need to report to sickbay and be treated. It has to be your choice since only you know your body well enough to know if you can make it through the day without collapsing.

What can you do to avoid it? Nothing, except not join, which would not be a smart move in my opinion...

[PerXes]

If you do get sick enough that you want to go to BAS or wherever those people went, make damn sure you ask your Senior Drill Instructor if he has anything that can help you out with it. Some do, some don't. But for christ sake, ALWAYS go to your Senior Drill Instructor with anything pertaining to health before you go to a corpsman, or whoever else you may think can help you. Your Senior Drill Instructor is first in your chain of command, and he is the one you always see first, no matter what.

[aang]

Yeah, our whole platoon got the crud after returning from Edson range. Didn't last too long though. We just sucked it up being that we were getting ready to graduate in a few weeks anyway.

[Old Marine]

The sea story that all recruits get the Crud is wrong.
I had a Recruit Platoon in 1967 when we were living in tents while they were building the new barracks at MCRD, SD and I could not figure out why the recruits did not have the Crud. I called the Guide into the Duty Hut and asked him why and he said that the whole platoon was drinking their Listerine mouthwash. Sounded good to me and each plt after that one did the same and no crud. Listerine is nasty tasting, but better than the crud.:evilgrin:

[christine_06]

recruit crud sucks, you feel real sick and miserable for a long time, it's just from the environment and so many people living in a small area, it's nothing too big.

[PerXes]

The sea story that all recruits get the Crud is wrong.
I had a Recruit Platoon in 1967 when we were living in tents while they were building the new barracks at MCRD, SD and I could not figure out why the recruits did not have the Crud. I called the Guide into the Duty Hut and asked him why and he said that the whole platoon was drinking their Listerine mouthwash. Sounded good to me and each plt after that one did the same and no crud. Listerine is nasty tasting, but better than the crud.:evilgrin:

I've heard of this..in fact, I actually gargled Listerine when my throat hurt, it helped a lot. Stopped short of drinking it though :).