Heat Case

[Brian F]

Hello, I've heard that some people pass out from the heat during boot camp. What happens if you become a heat case? Are you dropped and sent home? I've just always been curious.

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

You get a thermometer put in a very bad place, you're given IV fluids, and then when you recover you're sent back into training- where your DIs will wear you out for not drinking enough water.

[davblay]

Dang Brian, you don't live far from my Island do you? Rekon they'll let you come home in the evenings and week ends?:confused:


NOPE!

But seriously, drink a lot, and I mean a lot, of water. They will supply all that you can drink while you are there. We don't play with the heat!

[Marine84]

Brian - just drink your water...................the temperature doesn't vary THAT much between Columbia & Parris Island but you'll be WAY more active at Parris Island.

[Zulu 36]

You MUST drink plenty of water and MUST eat your meals. Failure to do that is an express ticket to sickbay. A second go-around will probably put you in Office Hours for an officer-style a**s-chewing. Officers can be as proficient at yelling as Drill Instructors, just before they take away some of your money, or cut a stripe before you even get to wear it (assuming you're a contract PFC).

Back in the semi-Old Corps (1971), pushing water drinking wasn't as strong as now. The series commander took all four platoons on a "little" run at Edson Range on the Sunday before we started snapping-in week. It was a borderline Black Flag day and the lieutenant was about 6'6" tall. He led the run. Needless to say, the rear platoons were sprinting (we were third platoon in line). It was so bad the drill instructors were complaining loud enough for recruits to overhear.

My platoon's King Rat was a tough little guy, no quit in him. Evidently he went into heat stroke and never stopped running until his brain began to shut down. When he fell, he hit his head on a rock causing a laceration that didn't bleed like it should have. Even I knew he was in heat stroke.

The SDI and I took turns (that's how exhausted we both were) fireman carrying the Rat about 500 yards to the nearest barracks (not ours), burst in on a platoon and went straight to the showers and started trying to cool the Rat off. The other DIs called an ambulance.

Things had gotten so bad out on the run that the ambulance showed up with no corpsmen, only one Marine driver. I had to ride the back while the Rat stopped breathing repeatedly. I'd pat him in the face to start him up again. I didn't know much better then but it worked.

It was very, very close. The docs saved the Rat's life, but he suffered brain damage mostly due to heat. Too bad, he was a real loss to the Corps and a good guy.

I must have looked like death warmed over too because the corpsmen made me lie down and stuck an IV in me as well. Sickbay ended up looking like a BAS during an attack, minus all the blood.

The SDI went to find our platoon and was probably going to kill the series commander, but the series gunny finally got the Lt to stop, release the platoons and got the lieutenant out of the way of the other DIs. Recruits were strewn all over the place. The fire department was called out to hose off platoons of overheated recruits and help with heat casualties. What a mess.

There was a Congrint after that, including a hearing at MCRD SD before we graduated. The DIs were not kind to the series commander. It was his last series. They didn't relieve him in the middle of things, per se, as he was getting a Silver Star for valor in Vietnam at one of the Friday parades (no longer done). However, the company commander watched him very closely until the series graduated. So the Lt. was brave, but stupid. Likely a career ender too.

Drink plenty of water and eat your food.

[Quinbo]

Staying hydrated is all it takes to not become a heat casualty. No pop, no soda, no red bull... lots of water. A heat casualty is considered more likely to become one again. You will recieve a page 11 entry in your SRB if you become one.

We were taught that we have an inner canteen and when it is full you are more proficient at everything from not nodding off in a class to carrying your own body weight 20 miles. How do you keep your inner canteen full? Drink water and lots of it. If you wait until you are thirsty to drink water then your inner canteen is probably empty.

[Marine84]

And don't worry about it making you have to have a head call every 30 minutes if you drink a lot. Your body will use it to cool you down by sweating it out and you won't have to go to the head any more often than what you do now.

[MKinney]

DO not forget to get sodium into your system. Anyway way you can, even if it means filling a spoon full of salt at the table and eating it like that. For every canteen of water you have, try to have at least a spoonful of salt.

[Brian F]

Thanks, I appreciate the responses.

[SlingerDun]

If you wait until you are thirsty to drink water then your inner canteen is probably empty. I agree with this 110. Even if your aware and rehydrate but stay engaged in whatever activity made you thirsty in the first place it doesnt have the same effect as if you had started out "topped off". Sometimes it almost seems like its to late no matter how much i drink i still feel crummy if i wait to long. Heat exhaustion leading to heat stroke is freakin miserable, i've teetered between these maladies three times but not in the Corps. It was from shoeing bad horses in the direct sunlight and waiting until sure enough thirst set in. The first time 19 years ago started with a rippin hangover. The perfect recipe for a heat and hard work ass kickin. Dizzy and nausea (a good time to stop what your doing and doctor yourself) Head and body aches, vomitting, general stomach flu like symptoms for about 5 days but i've known other farriers who felt "off" for two weeks or more. Medical experts say you are more prone to these maladies once initiated. It's true, its alot easier. But now were smarter right?

--->Dave