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PinkCowgirl
09-04-08, 11:48 AM
Hi there!!!

My future Marine is leaving Monday...and...I'm lost. Any help or information would be greatly appreciated. We haven't been together too terribly long...but....I'm pretty sure we're sticking together for quite a long time. :)

He's headed to Parris Island and I know he'll mail me when he gets there so I can start writing him letters...and so far I've learned I can send him basic handwritten letters or cards from hallmark....I've heard debate about pictures, (I ONLY MEAN CLEAN ONES) some people say they can't have them, some say they can, some say it depends on the drill instructor...

Pretty much anything anyone can tell me about boot camp and life thereafter...would help.

I've got Air Force family....so...I know nothing about the Marines. At all. You cannot possibly give me too much information. :)

cantonmark
09-04-08, 12:05 PM
There is a tremendous amount of information on this site. You should also try RecruitParents.com. My son started the Crucible this morning at PI. Good luck with your recruit.

yellowwing
09-04-08, 12:15 PM
Welcome Aboard Courtney! Letters are big thing in MCRD. Keep writing to your Marine, it really does make a world of difference. I do believe pictures are allowed, just don't try to send candy or cookies.

PinkCowgirl
09-04-08, 12:16 PM
Welcome Aboard Courtney! Letters are big thing in MCRD. Keep writing to your Marine, it really does make a world of difference. I do believe pictures are allowed, just don't try to send candy or cookies.


Yep, already got that note. But I heard you can send things like tylenol and icy hot? Yes? No?

yellowwing
09-04-08, 12:20 PM
Yep, already got that note. But I heard you can send things like tylenol and icy hot? Yes? No?
NO! He has all he needs now. Just keep in touch with him. :thumbup:

PinkCowgirl
09-04-08, 12:23 PM
NO! He has all he needs now. Just keep in touch with him. :thumbup:

Gotcha. So...stupid question...but can I send TOO MUCH mail? Seriously....I write a LOT....like...there's a good chance I'll be sending him something at least every other day. And then there's his mom and brothers and other friends too. Should I limit myself...or?

yellowwing
09-04-08, 12:31 PM
Can never send too many notes. My mom sent one every day when I was in back in '83.

Chumley
09-04-08, 12:44 PM
Gotcha. So...stupid question...but can I send TOO MUCH mail? Seriously....I write a LOT....like...there's a good chance I'll be sending him something at least every other day. And then there's his mom and brothers and other friends too. Should I limit myself...or?

Boot Camp is very restrictive. There is almost zero free time for the 13 week duration, so don't take it too personally if your recruit is not able to return as much mail as you send him. That said, with so little free time, letters from home are VERY appreciated. Keep in mind that any pictures you send to him may be viewed by others, so if you are shy, you should keep pictures to a minimum and clean. If you are not shy, his new companions and DIs will be glad see those pics too. The only personal space is the inside of a footlocker, which is pretty full with the items issued to him, so anything other than mail is usually in the way. If he's got a fav sports team, make sure to send him updates.

Also, I'm sure you are planning to attend his graduation ceremony. Don't miss that opportunity!!!

Good luck to you both!
C

PinkCowgirl
09-04-08, 12:57 PM
Boot Camp is very restrictive. There is almost zero free time for the 13 week duration, so don't take it too personally if your recruit is not able to return as much mail as you send him. That said, with so little free time, letters from home are VERY appreciated. Keep in mind that any pictures you send to him may be viewed by others, so if you are shy, you should keep pictures to a minimum and clean. If you are not shy, his new companions and DIs will be glad see those pics too. The only personal space is the inside of a footlocker, which is pretty full with the items issued to him, so anything other than mail is usually in the way. If he's got a fav sports team, make sure to send him updates.

Also, I'm sure you are planning to attend his graduation ceremony. Don't miss that opportunity!!!

Good luck to you both!
C

I've already got the sports thing covered. No worries. Thanks for all the info. It helps. :)

SupChf
09-04-08, 01:30 PM
Howdy Pink. Do not send any form of medication even if it is over-the-counter. Medical will give him what he needs, when he needs it. Everyone is correct. Every Recruit looks forward to mail call. The more mail he gets the better. Always keep your mail upbeat and informative. Let him know what's going on, especially if you live in a small town. Wait for him to let you know about pictures and "treats" before sending. Every platoon is different. Give him support and he'll be just fine.

There are a lot of good Marines on this website that will give you accurate information. Don't be afraid to ask!!!

Take care,
Kurt

AL49BGN
09-04-08, 01:40 PM
Welcome Aboard,you Can Never Send To Much Mail.pictures Are Allowed But Do Not Send Him Any Icyhots Or Tylenol.like The Other Marines Have Stated Do Not Get Offended If Recieve As Much As You Send Because He Will Be Limited On Time To Write You.

PinkCowgirl
09-04-08, 04:36 PM
Thanks everyone!!!! I'm looking forward to learning more about the Marines as my guy becomes one.

I'll live if he can't write me, I understand he's got very limited free time, but it will make me feel better knowing I'm lifting his spirits and keeping him going.

I've got a ton of funny stories to tell him, things he doesn't know about me, and several friends that want to write him as well. My goal is to make him smile and laugh and keep it positive.

Thanks again!!

Mikewebe
09-04-08, 05:24 PM
Welcome you came to the right place. Pictures are allowed they can't deny the mail. But Keep in mind the DI's will put you on the Hog Board. It doesn't matter what you look like, they still call it the hog board. My mom sent pictures of a friend of ours who was a female bodybuilder and boy did I get crap over that. Good luck to you and your recruit and feel free to ask whatever;)

JRHD72
09-04-08, 06:48 PM
Welcome Aboard Courtney! Letters are big thing in MCRD. Keep writing to your Marine, it really does make a world of difference. I do believe pictures are allowed, just don't try to send candy or cookies.
sEND HIM 1 STICK OF CHEWING GUM!!!!!

SupChf
09-05-08, 02:47 PM
Oh yes the Hog Board.....that brings back some memories.........Didn't know they still do that......

MotherGoose
09-05-08, 02:53 PM
Oh yes the Hog Board.....that brings back some memories.........Didn't know they still do that......

I didn't realize that they do that in boot camp in this day and age.

@PinkCowgirl: in this case, you should get a 100 friends to send him pics:marine:

SupChf
09-05-08, 03:07 PM
Wish someone would have done that for me when I went through......

jrhd97
09-05-08, 05:13 PM
Wish someone would have done that for me when I went through......
What, give you one stick of gum? :scared: ...................... Oh I get it, a picture :bunny:

Krystal8226
09-06-08, 06:09 PM
Hi I was in the Marine Corps. I got out a few years ago though. I can tell you a few things that you are able to send. If you wanna know you can message me if you want

Jusaskme
09-06-08, 06:35 PM
I was in two platoons in one we couldnt have any candy or cookies or energy bars or nothing like that, then in the other one if you got it and it was the SDI's night she would say you had X amount of time to eat it all then throw away what you couldnt eat and swallow in that amount of time. We could get icy hot and tylonal to.

DobbinsBlythe
09-16-08, 08:39 AM
When my husband was in boot, he asked for vitamin C and for powerbars. There were a lot of recruits who were getting pneumonia (my husband one of them) in his platoon. Powerbars were a special treat.. but we had to send enough for the whole platoon. If he really needs or wants something and is allowed to receive it, he'll probably ask for it. I sent TONS of pictures of everything: me out with my friends, his family, my family, our pets, scenery of our favorite places, interesting things that went on while he was gone and pictures of his precious firearms :D

He will love anything and everything you send him, so don't hold back. There was three weeks I didn't get a letter back, but when I did, it was all about how much my letters every day meant to him.

Try to make em smell nice too... one of the things he said was "Your letters remind me of what home is like. They smell sweet just like you, and that gives me a moment of peace away from this place where the smell of blood and sweat is all you get."

In a place where they have little to no time to really reflect and think about home, for you to give them a piece of it gives them a reminder that they'll be home soon.

ringoffire
09-16-08, 09:01 AM
I just wanted to say welcome...and you came to the right place for info. My husband went thru boot a while ago...then he was a DI in 2000...Letters, letters, and more letters. Everyone's right on the meds, he'll get what he needs. One story my husband tells is that a recruits mom would send him cookies, homemade, but the SDI would take them and eat them. So on Graduation Day his mom brought his SDI cookies. Anyway, it does depend on the platoon.

Feel free to message me if you need to....

bulldogjoesmom
09-17-08, 03:10 AM
Hi Pink,
I wrote to my son every day (2003 MCRD)!!! He never complained. Didn't get many back but, that was okay. I agree - don't send anything unless he asks. Graduation will fill your heart and make you sooooooo PROUD! My son, Joe just deployed for the 1st time.......having a rough week. I plan to start writing, he said once a week will be good. Ha! He just doesn't want to bring them back! Good Luck and Thank You Both.
Give your guy a hug from a, Very Proud Marine Mom OX

Okay JRHD72....tell me about the gum.....:)

PinkCowgirl
09-17-08, 10:47 AM
Thanks much!! I'm just waiting on that first letter. If he doesn't have much time to write, then that's fine. I'm just going to try and keep his spirits up and send him news from home and stuff. :)

davblay
09-17-08, 10:51 AM
Thanks much!! I'm just waiting on that first letter. If he doesn't have much time to write, then that's fine. I'm just going to try and keep his spirits up and send him news from home and stuff. :)

For what it's worth, he hasn't sent me his address either, so he must be real busy, as i would epect you to hear before I do. Sometimes it is in the third week on the Depot before I hear from them.

Dave

UsmcMotorT
09-20-08, 08:23 AM
Pictures are good to go.

Just remember to put stickers on the outside of the envelope. Also, if you could put on lipstick and seal the envelope with a kiss would mean a lot.

Do this as soon as he's allowed to get mail, it will be a huge moral booster :D

PinkCowgirl
09-22-08, 09:09 PM
Pictures are good to go.

Just remember to put stickers on the outside of the envelope. Also, if you could put on lipstick and seal the envelope with a kiss would mean a lot.

Do this as soon as he's allowed to get mail, it will be a huge moral booster :D


Ha. Ha. Ha. Or not.

And I got my first letter today. *sigh*

bucksgted
09-22-08, 10:39 PM
Chris just graduated 9/12 - - When I ask him if his platoon had a hog board, he didn't know what I was talking about. He got pics from his girlfriend, used "recruit laminate" (scotch tape) and put them in his Bible. Don't know if his Bible was worn from reading or looking at the pictures. LMAO

On the letter thing, we were fortunate. We didn't get that many letters, but his girlfriend called us each night after 2100 to share her letters with us - - well --parts of them anyhow! The good news of all this, her cell phone has free time after 2100, so she did the calling. On the days she didn't get a letter, we still shared memories. Just talking to her was our link to Chris till the next time.

Phantom Blooper
09-23-08, 06:52 AM
As a side note.....when you send news from home send the positive things..there is nothing he can do about the negative or mudane...except worry.

This will effect his training.

The same holds true if he is ever deployed ...to a far away land...which is a fact of Marine life...for any period of time!

Good luck!:evilgrin:

davblay
09-23-08, 07:44 AM
Chris just graduated 9/12 - - When I ask him if his platoon had a hog board, he didn't know what I was talking about. He got pics from his girlfriend, used "recruit laminate" (scotch tape) and put them in his Bible. Don't know if his Bible was worn from reading or looking at the pictures. LMAO

On the letter thing, we were fortunate. We didn't get that many letters, but his girlfriend called us each night after 2100 to share her letters with us - - well --parts of them anyhow! The good news of all this, her cell phone has free time after 2100, so she did the calling. On the days she didn't get a letter, we still shared memories. Just talking to her was our link to Chris till the next time.

I hope my letters didn't bore him to much! Glad he made it and give that Marine a hug from this old Jarhead.

Semper Fi,

Dave

davblay
09-23-08, 07:48 AM
Ha. Ha. Ha. Or not.

And I got my first letter today. *sigh*

Looks like 0ld Josh has plenty of people writing to him, that's good! Him being 26 Y-O in boooot camp will make it a little more tolorable for the old guy, I assure you. He will do well as ling as he stays motivated.


Give him my best, if you think about it, in your next letter to him.

Dave