When Do You Stop Taking "It"?

[Books]

Right, I will try to word this as carefully as possible...

So, in recruit training the D.I.'s don't respect the recruits because they aren't Marines, and they are trying to toughen them up. During graduation, it seems that these new Marines become respected by their D.I.'s and everyone is happy. However, from what I've heard about SOI, these new Marines go right back into the blender of **** and the "gung-ho-ness" of boot camp is a little lost. Obviously, I don't talk from experience, but I have read a lot (books and on here, like Accord's greeting from SOI) and it seems that the instructors are just as ornery and uncaring as those at recruit training. In a military career you will always have someone telling you what to do, and probably being a hardass about it, but when does a Marine stop being treated like a shamed sheep and instead feels more welcomed into the brotherhood as a part of it instead of as a punching bag? When they get to the fleet? When they become old NCO's?

Do you understand what I am saying? That definately was not worded so properly.

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

It depends on your unit and the way things work. When you get to the fleet you will be treated as a boot. With my MOS people were assigned one by one to units so there wasn't a large group of people coming at once. Four of us went to my unit and we didn't get any new people for about a year. So, we were the boots the whole time, and there were only two of us in each company. So we were the target of everyone. It was probably 6 months or so before things were "normal"

In an infantry unit things are different. They work on cycles, so many boots will go to a unit just before the senior guys get out or move to a new unit. It is a cycle. Usually you'll be treated pretty harshly at first and it will let up over time.

I guess the best answer is to say a few months after you get to the fleet things will be nice. Before that you'd best stay on your toes.

[rvillac2]

It's not accurate to say that we (as a group) don't respect Recruits. They treat them the way they do as a matter of indoctrination and tradition. We care very much about the future of our Corps and each Recruit represents that. Call it Tough Love to the n'th degree.

Marines don't get treated like 'shamed sheep.' They get treated like Marines. Are NCO's tough on non-rates? Hell, yes. Is it a necessary part of their training? Also yes. By nature, pvt's, pfc's and l/cpls mess up. It is our duty to correct them and to do so in a way that minimizes the chances of the same mistake happening again. Marines, officers and NCO's alike, alike who are sadistic or otherwise out of line, are surely to get a stern talking to by the 1st Sgt or SgtMajor.

It's true that there will always be someone superior to you. It is also true that you will not ever be alone in your rank. You will always have a fellow Marine to comiserate with, laugh with, and succeed with. These will be your brothers/sisters and when your career is over...you WILL miss them.

The fact of the matter is this: There are always going to be more 'cool' and squared away NCO's than there are a'holes.

[Zulu 36]

Basically, when new, you've got to prove yourself. Yes, rank and experience does reduce the time you need to prove yourself. But with more rank you have to prove yourself to peers, seniors, and subordinates.

As an NCO, your subordinates can be the hardest to prove yourself to. They don't want some moron leading them into combat. At least subordinates won't (shouldn't) call you "Boot."

Not every unit is the same, but you can expect to be addressed as "Boot" for awhile by the more senior non-rates (who are no longer "the boot" because you came). With hard work and a squared-away attitude, the other non-rates become friends and your NCOs won't rag you very much for very long.

The teasing is a test. Take it with a good attitude and it eases up pretty soon. Resist and it lasts longer and gets harder.

But remember, you hold the entry-level job. Swabbing decks, trash and police details, etc, is normal work for non-rates, not harassment.

I don't remember being harassed too much at my first fleet unit. Some "boot" this and that, a little "FNG" (F*cking New Guy), but not much. In my second unit (TAD from the first), I was kind of kept at arms length because I was a truck driver and the rest were aviation types, plus I was a young PFC.

About two weeks after reporting in I was standing duty driver. Late at night, one of the avionics guys was drunk and shoved his arm through a window. Tore his lower arm up badly and ripped an artery open. I did some basic first aid and had to put a tourniquet on his arm. Then fireman-carried this guy (about 6'2", 210lbs, I was 5'11", 160lbs) down a long flight of stairs to the street and had to heave him into the front seat of my 2-1/2 ton truck. All that PT does have a reason.

I got him to sick bay and carried that big bastard into the clinic and woke the duty corpsman. We worked on him together and got the bleeding controlled.

The Marine was taken to the hospital for surgery. He had three tendons completely severed, with a fourth partly severed, the torn artery, and several severed veins. The doctors got everything put back together and he eventually had 100% function again in the hand. Rather amazing actually.

I went back to the barracks, and had to clean out my truck, shower, and change uniform. While getting the stuff to clean the truck, a group of the avionics guys came out, helped me clean up, and thanked me for helping "Tex."

I was no longer at "arms length." I had proved myself all within an hour. Everyone in the squadron knew my name and I was completely accepted as a full-fledged Marine. No more "boot," or "Hey, driver."

"Tex" and I became good friends too. He called me his "Little Yankee buddy."

By the time I got to my third unit, I was a corporal and a Vietnam vet. No more "boot."

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

Wow Zulu, sounds like a N.A.M. citation to me.

And rvillac is right. The rough treatment serves a function. You will understand it when you look back on it. At the time you may not really get it, but you will soon enough.

[Quinbo]

It is every infantry sergeants worst nightmare to tell a squad to take the hill and have a boot turn around and ask why. There is a reason for every aspect of training and the training stops the day you sign your DD-214

[Marine84]

Hell, even us women go through the same trash - it gets harder for US when we get in the fleet though. You have to prove yourself first. It's mainly a "head" thing - the harder somebody pushes you and tells you that you're a piece of scum from the bottom of the barrel, the harder you push YOURSELF to prove them wrong.

[killerinstinct]

it will always be there and find ya when you arent prepared..

http://www.bbspot.com/Images/News_Features/2003/05/green_weenie.jpg

[Kegler300]

It won't stop until you retire or EAS...irregardless of your rank.

[Old Marine]

A recruit is lower than whale **** and that is on the bottom of the ocean.

After you get the EGA, you will always have someone telling you what to do and if you don't like that you better find another branch of the service to join.

[Marine84]

Yep....................you take it til you die.