View Full Version : What to really take to MCT?
mudvayne
04-15-08, 03:05 PM
I leave for MCT next Monday and I just got all my trash unpacked. I had 2 seabags loaded full of junk from boot camp. My drill instructors told me to take every thing I was issued to MCT with me but I don't see a reason to take all my dress and service uniforms. I thought I would leave my dress blues here and the all weather coat and the wooly pully. And maybe only take a set of bravo's and charlies with me and of course my alpha blouse.
Should I just load my seabag down with all my skivvies and my deserts and woodland cammies? most of the stuff we were issued in boot camp was never used. I'm just trying to make for a lighter load and less stuff to worry about getting lost or stolen once I get down there.
What else should I expect at MCT? Do they still treat us like sh!t? Do we still only get the 1 hour of freetime in the evening? Is the majority spent in the field? The reason I'm asking all these questions now is because everyone said different things down at boot camp. All answers appreciated.:flag:
Well they should have given you a list. I brought camies, my uniform bag(You are gonna need the other **** for MOS) You will need to make like 15 grunt rolls, marking kit. etc etc. Bring a couple sets of civies for MOS school. All i needed i packed in one sea bag.
SgtChase
04-15-08, 03:30 PM
Well, its been a while for me but I would highly recommend you bring your full issue of uniforms. I know when I got to MOS school, we had a motivated Sgt in the class as "class commander" who enjoyed conducting wall locker and/or junk on the bunk inspections. I think the blues are up to you unless you were issued them at boot for honor grad or whatever.
As far as my experience at MCT, they don't treat you like sh!t per say, you're treated like Marines. Albeit young, immature, boot Marines. We stayed on mainside for the first day or two and then spent the rest of the time in the field. Don't expect too much free time. The free time you'll get will be to eat chow, take baths with baby wipes, and sleep. The rest of the time will be training and humping. Don't worry though, you'll have a blast - at least I did.
Zulu 36
04-15-08, 03:47 PM
Take all of your issued stuff with you just like your DIs told you to. Add a couple sets of civvies. That's it.
If someone at MCT got a wild hair to inspect all of your crap (like with SgtChase), guess who will be going to cash sales to buy, out of pocket, all the stuff they're "short"?
davblay
04-15-08, 04:03 PM
As a Marine one rule you will learn to live by is this, "ALWAYS TAKE ALL YOUR CHIT WITH YOU EVERYTIME YOU MOVE", it's better to have to much crap than to not have enough, believe me. you might have an inspection and what ever you are short you WILL buy out if your pocket for that inspection, or you will fail it!
Just out of curiosity, if your DIs told you what to take.....where's the question here? Do you have a reason to believe he lied to you about it? Why would he?
Marines live out of thier sea bags ya know! Get used to it!
Semper Fi,
Dave
249gunner
04-15-08, 04:07 PM
BALACLAVA!
sneak one in you wont regret it.
Camper51
04-15-08, 04:20 PM
I leave for MCT next Monday and I just got all my trash unpacked. I had 2 seabags loaded full of junk from boot camp. My drill instructors told me to take every thing I was issued to MCT with me but I don't see a reason to take all my dress and service uniforms. I thought I would leave my dress blues here and the all weather coat and the wooly pully. And maybe only take a set of bravo's and charlies with me and of course my alpha blouse.
Should I just load my seabag down with all my skivvies and my deserts and woodland cammies? most of the stuff we were issued in boot camp was never used. I'm just trying to make for a lighter load and less stuff to worry about getting lost or stolen once I get down there.
What else should I expect at MCT? Do they still treat us like sh!t? Do we still only get the 1 hour of freetime in the evening? Is the majority spent in the field? The reason I'm asking all these questions now is because everyone said different things down at boot camp. All answers appreciated.:flag:
Rule number one in the Corps is you d*mn well better have every single piece of gear issued you when you check in to ANY base or school. Inspections can come at any time for any reason. Unless you are Mr/MS moneybags and can afford to buy stuff at cash sales for the unexpected inspection. They won't wait for you to have it shipped to you, you have to have it NOW!!!!!!!
As to what to expect. Well don't anticipate anything, just go with the flow. You are no longer a recruit and you will no longer be treated like one, however, you will still be expected to follow orders and follow them instantly. That part will never change throughout your career, no matter what rank you attain.
You will have free time but if you are in the field, forget it, you aren't going anywehre with it.
I had Khaki uniforms issued when I was in bootcamp. We were told we would never wear them since the Corps was phasing them out. Well I never did wear mine but I sure had to have them for inspections for the next TWO years until they were finally phased out. In fact I had to buy additional uniforms because the greens went to a lighter fabric and we had to purchase those for inspections as the new uniforms were phased in. Happened again when the sateen green utilities were phased out and the woodland camoflage was introduced to replace the sateen.
Life's just full of surprises and you deal with them as they come along...
You will be treated as a Marine, no more, no less. You are a man now and will be treated like one. You f*ck up you will be punished, you do good and you will be rewarded. You are no longer a civilian so get used to taking orders, even stupid ones. Yeah stupid ones. There will be lots of things you will be told to do that you do not like or agree with, TOUGH, you aren't a scummy a$$ed civilian anymore and mommy ain't gonna be there to help you out or bail your butt out either
davblay
04-15-08, 04:25 PM
Rule number one in the Corps is you d*mn well better have every single piece of gear issued you when you check in to ANY base or school. Inspections can come at any time for any reason. Unless you are Mr/MS moneybags and can afford to buy stuff at cash sales for the unexpected inspection. They won't wait for you to have it shipped to you, you have to have it NOW!!!!!!!
As to what to expect. Well don't anticipate anything, just go with the flow. You are no longer a recruit and you will no longer be treated like one, however, you will still be expected to follow orders and follow them instantly. That part will never change throughout your career, no matter what rank you attain.
You will have free time but if you are in the field, forget it, you aren't going anywehre with it.
I had Khaki uniforms issued when I was in bootcamp. We were told we would never wear them since the Corps was phasing them out. Well I never did wear mine but I sure had to have them for inspections for the next TWO years until they were finally phased out. In fact I had to buy additional uniforms because the greens went to a lighter fabric and we had to purchase those for inspections as the new uniforms were phased in. Happened again when the sateen green utilities were phased out and the woodland camoflage was introduced to replace the sateen.
Life's just full of surprises and you deal with them as they come along...
You will be treated as a Marine, no more, no less. You are a man now and will be treated like one. You f*ck up you will be punished, you do good and you will be rewarded. You are no longer a civilian so get used to taking orders, even stupid ones. Yeah stupid ones. There will be lots of things you will be told to do that you do not like or agree with, TOUGH, you aren't a scummy a$$ed civilian anymore and mommy ain't gonna be there to help you out or bail your butt out either
Very well put, SGT, very well put!
egbutler1
04-15-08, 04:50 PM
Like all the Marines have pretty much said already bring all of your issued gear with you, no matter where you go. I don't know how many inspections I had during my 4 years just cause they wanted to do inspections even in Iraq (but i held those inspections and were on weapons and PPE). I don't know how much money i spent on gear i didn't bring with me or lost. Keep all your dress uniforms pressed and squared away with ribbons and devices according to the specifications. Have everything marked correctly and arranged in your wall locker according to that manual you get in boot, or that manual you can get from the cash sales too. It will get better in the fleet but always keep you stuff squared away, nothing sucks more than failing a JOB or inspection because you don't have something. It will normally result in some long field days and a whole plt hating on you. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
Cpl Rains
04-15-08, 11:06 PM
Bring your cammies and all your trash with you!
When you get off the bus there you will be drug tested again and processed for MCT.
You will spend a day or two on mainside and then be sent out to the field for the remainder for the time. Learning Land Nav, close combat and so much other grunt stuff. It was outstanding.
We ran out of "blanks" so our platoon sgt made us scream "douchey.. douchey" at each other during field exercises.
Have your ears and eyeballs open.. because you will be taught by the best.
I miss it
u pretty much take everything u still have from bootcamp..thats it
AL49BGN
05-06-08, 10:48 AM
Take What You Were Issued.Its Been A While For Me But I Do Remember Foot Locker And Locker Inpections.Listen To Your DI's They Just Want To Help You They Will Not Steer You Wrong.
MarineNCO
05-06-08, 12:07 PM
If it was in your Seabag from Bootcamp it needs to be in your Seabag when you arrive at SOI. I work at SOI-E. Won't say where *evil grin*. But if you are lacking you wil lhave to come out of pocket. Don't be the one I see running around with a boonie cover when everyone else is wearing an 8pt cover.
WebbM88
05-03-09, 02:16 AM
BALACLAVA!
sneak one in you wont regret it.
Not a bad idea... maybe I'll bring some turtle cheesecake. I leave in three days to MCT. I don't know why I am looking on here I figure we left with three bags, our body bag, sea bag, and war bag. I know we better check in to MCT with our body bag, sea bag, and war bag. They probably won't notice if I sneak in a cheesecake, unless it gets on my alphas. Then I'll be fu***d from the moment I report in! Semper Fi!
JWDevilDog
05-03-09, 07:10 AM
Honestly, mudvayne, I don't know why this question was even brought up. Like one of the other Marines stated, do you have reason to doubt what your DIs said? Those are the men that made you into a United States Marine, and you are doubting something they told you?
If you want to carry less gear, fine. But aren't you a Marine? Aren't you used to humping it out with 100~ lbs on your back? The "seabag drag" is a dance you are going to be doing many times in your Marine Corps career (even if it is only four years long), so you better get used to it.
Oh, and while we were on mainside, our company was instructed to drop all our dress uniforms off to get pressed and dry-cleaned while we were in the field. When we came back to mainside after our training, we picked all our gear up, so they were relatively ready for MOS school (never ready enough, of course!).
Oh my God the seabag drag...
When we were going through customs on our way bag from Iraq, I had a flight back, a seabag, my ILBE pack, my laptop bag, and my daypack. They were all LOADED. And I had my motha****in rifle!
For those of you familiar with the "freedom zone" I pretty much went from the clearing barrels to the x-ray machines kicking my 70lb flight bag. with my ilbe and seabag on my body and laptop and daypack in my hands.
And this kid is *****ing about bringing all his uniforms...what a joke. Maybe he wont bring his flak jacket to iraq so he doesnt have to carry it.
osborned
05-03-09, 11:45 AM
I took everything I was issued, ended up not using half of it, of course. Checked in in Service Alphas, then put them away and never wore them again, not even for graduation. Also took my blues, but again, only because they were issued. I knew we wouldn't wear them.
As for extra stuff, it really depends on what time of year you're going to MCT. When I went in December at Pendleton, and I remembered how cold it'd been during the FEX just a couple months before that, so I brought some really surreptitious UnderAmour ColdGear. Don't try bringing UA gloves, they're "unauthorized" even though UA makes fire-retardant stuff now. If you need gloves, try to pick up an "authorized" pair at the PX there the first break you get. Anything the PX sells is "authorized", or close enough no one cares. My ColdGear really helped me when we did nothing but sit in metal bleachers in the rain for hours on end waiting for something to happen. It's expensive-ish, but worth it.
devildame
05-10-09, 08:37 PM
I know the original poster of this thread is already out of MCT by now, but for anyone else still wondering, YES take all your issued ****. You will go straight from MCT to school, and there you will have uniform inspections and JOBs. I don't think anyone's parents want to ship you a sea bag of stuff you should have brought anyway.