Best Advice for Poolee's, don't quit...!

[Siggs]

Hey Poolee's,
I just graduated from recruit training 20090424 and I just had a quick word of advice to give to future recruits. This was definitely the hardest challenge I have gone through in my life, and there was plenty of times I wanted to quit and join the army instead. But once you have gotten used to it and realized why you are there, it becomes easier to deal with because you become motivated and determined to earn that EGA. I fractured my fibula really bad during rifle week and didn't find out till 2 days before the crucible. Lucky enough I got to go on the crucible and I managed to get through it even though it was very very tough. I have never been so proud of myself for becoming a US Marine. I wouldn't trade the title for anything in the world! Now even though I got to go back to Parris Island because I'm a grad hold for my leg (will be going into BMP), I still will stay motivated and get better so I can go to MCT and get the job done. I wish you poolee's and future recruits the best of luck, and remember with motivation, determination, and the right mindset, you can accomplish anything you want!

-Pvt Siggins

[Army MP]

Hey Poolee's,
I just graduated from recruit training 20090424 and I just had a quick word of advice to give to future recruits. This was definitely the hardest challenge I have gone through in my life, and there was plenty of times I wanted to quit and join the army instead. But once you have gotten used to it and realized why you are there, it becomes easier to deal with because you become motivated and determined to earn that EGA. I fractured my fibula really bad during rifle week and didn't find out till 2 days before the crucible. Lucky enough I got to go on the crucible and I managed to get through it even though it was very very tough. I have never been so proud of myself for becoming a US Marine. I wouldn't trade the title for anything in the world! Now even though I got to go back to Parris Island because I'm a grad hold for my leg (will be going into BMP), I still will stay motivated and get better so I can go to MCT and get the job done. I wish you poolee's and future recruits the best of luck, and remember with motivation, determination, and the right mindset, you can accomplish anything you want!

-Pvt Siggins

I keep hearing Marines on the forums saying Marine Corps Boot Camp is getting soft nowadays...... is this true?

Tell us how things are, and tell some stories Marine. I would love to hear them.

[Siggs]

I keep hearing Marines on the forums saying Marine Corps Boot Camp is getting soft nowadays...... is this true?

Tell us how things are, and tell some stories Marine. I would love to hear them.

Marine Corp recruit training is in no way shape or form soft. The people who say that are either former Marines who went through recruit training when it was tougher, or civi's who have never done it before. Its a very tough and challenging 3 months, and you will never be treated softly at all. Here's one story, our chow hall was a 2 minute walk from our squad bay, and one afternoon we were jacking up drill, instead of a 5 minute march to the chow hall, it turned into an hour and a half run, we would run back and fourth and if one person started to walk we had to sprint. This happens all the time during recruit training, if one person in your platoon wants to slack off all the time, expect stuff like this on a regular basis. Now if you consider that soft then you must be crazy!

[Army MP]

Marine Corp recruit training is in no way shape or form soft. The people who say that are either former Marines who went through recruit training when it was tougher, or civi's who have never done it before. Its a very tough and challenging 3 months, and you will never be treated softly at all. Here's one story, our chow hall was a 2 minute walk from our squad bay, and one afternoon we were jacking up drill, instead of a 5 minute march to the chow hall, it turned into an hour and a half run, we would run back and fourth and if one person started to walk we had to sprint. This happens all the time during recruit training, if one person in your platoon wants to slack off all the time, expect stuff like this on a regular basis. Now if you consider that soft then you must be crazy!

Thanks for clearing that up Marine. How much weight did you lose or gain? What was the biggest weight loss in the company? I went from 210 to 164 (Army Basic Training). Back at 210 now hahaha (5 1/2 years later).

[Siggs]

Thanks for clearing that up Marine. How much weight did you lose or gain? What was the biggest weight loss in the company? I went from 210 to 164 (Army Basic Training). Back at 210 now hahaha (5 1/2 years later).
I gained 15 Ib's during recruit training (135 to 150). The biggest weight loss of the company that I knew was a recruit who went from 210 to 158 (52 Ib weight loss), quite amazing!

[Army MP]

Also another question I had, is the Boot Camp now 12 weeks long instead of 13? On the Marines.com website it says 12 that's why I ask.

[jacobkilgore]

Also another question I had, is the Boot Camp now 12 weeks long instead of 13? On the Marines.com website it says 12 that's why I ask.

I see that two...
http://www.marines.com/main/index/p/the_ultimate_challenge/making_marines/recruit_training/12_weeks_module

Jacob

[Siggs]

Also another question I had, is the Boot Camp now 12 weeks long instead of 13? On the Marines.com website it says 12 that's why I ask.
The reason why it says 12 weeks on the website because after the 12th week you're a Marine. There is still 13 weeks of training though.

[SGT VAS]

Army MP - Instead of asking a million ****** questions that you can simply find the answers to by manning up and enlisting, why don't you congratulate the Marine on his accomplishment.

Welcome to the club young Marine!:flag:

[RhodeIsland]

Army MP - Instead of asking a million ****** questions that you can simply find the answers to by manning up and enlisting, why don't you congratulate the Marine on his accomplishment.

Welcome to the club young Marine!:flag:

I was just thinking that also !!!
Job well done Siggs, :thumbup:
Semper Fi My Brother,

Rocky

[Army MP]

Army MP - Instead of asking a million ****** questions that you can simply find the answers to by manning up and enlisting, why don't you congratulate the Marine on his accomplishment.

Welcome to the club young Marine!:flag:

I would but my MSO is not up until 2010. Just wanted to get some information out of a Marine fresh out of Boot Camp.

Congratulations Marine :thumbup:

[Gunner614]

Also another question I had, is the Boot Camp now 12 weeks long instead of 13? On the Marines.com website it says 12 that's why I ask.

The first week and some change is recieving and forming, the next 12 weeks are training days.

[Zues]

I gained 15 Ib's during recruit training (135 to 150). The biggest weight loss of the company that I knew was a recruit who went from 210 to 158 (52 Ib weight loss), quite amazing!

how tall are you? i weigh 135 and am 6' and have always had a problem gaining weight :/ hopefully boot will put on some mass

[JWDevilDog]

Here's one story, our chow hall was a 2 minute walk from our squad bay,


You were clearly 1st RTBN. Oohrah, Marine. Stay motivated and keep working hard. Congratulations!

[ameriken]

how tall are you? i weigh 135 and am 6' and have always had a problem gaining weight :/ hopefully boot will put on some mass
Sounds like a problem I had 30+ years ago. When I got to boot camp at age 17, I was 6'4" 170 lbs and my goal was to get to 200 lbs. I gained about 10 in boot camp in muscle mass, and about a year later got myself to 202 when I was on Okinawa. Today, I'd love to be 202, but that would require a loss of about 30 or 40 lbs!!

Hang in there, it'll come to you. Boot camp may put a few pounds on you, but in about 15 or 20 years you may be wondering how to drop 30 pounds or so too!

Good luck!!! :usmc:

[ameriken]

Congratulations Siggs......you had the right attitude and made it! Welcome to The Few!! SF Marine.....:iwo:

[sscjoe]

Army MP, as a former Marine MP who has worked with Army Garrison MP's, as a civilian, the difference is night and day. Come 2010 if you want to continue your military career dump the Army of one and join the brotherhood.
Way to go Siggs. Welcome Aboard Marine

[Siggs]

how tall are you? i weigh 135 and am 6' and have always had a problem gaining weight :/ hopefully boot will put on some mass
I'm 6', and had problems gaining weight before boot also, now I think I'm good, just eat healthy and work out and its easy to put on pounds...

And thanks Marines for the welcome! :thumbup::flag:

[Convulsive]

I hear this a lot "just stay motivated and never quit" and I honestly think its the best advice anyone can give. I've read up on Boot Camp so much and it's impossible to get a good understanding on what its going to be like until you go through it and see how you're going to react. Congrats on graduating Marine! Hope to join you as one of the elites someday! Another piece of advice that I was told was "No matter what you do, how well you perform, or how loud you get, you will never get the DIs off your back. The sooner you realize that the better off you'll be and it will make your stay a little easier."

[RyanFling]

Some of the best advice I ever got was from a Marine on RA. He told us about how his buddy was doing the swim qual and was ready to give up and reached out for the wall. The DI push his hand away from the wall and said, "3... 2... 1..." and he passed. But he told us when we are about to quit to just think, "I'm 3 seconds away. Just 3 more seconds." And keep saying that in your head over and over and over and pretty soon you're done!
Congratulations, Marine, on becoming a member of the brotherhood. I can't wait to join you.

[mdoorah]

congrats make us all proud,:thumbup:

thank you also for the advice, I will be going to boot camp here in a couple of weeks 200900713.

Thank you once again,

Sincerely,
Poolee Frongillo

[killbodies3027]

how tall are you? i weigh 135 and am 6' and have always had a problem gaining weight :/ hopefully boot will put on some mass

Like a spittin image of me. After you pick up with your actual DI's, they'll have you all stand on line infront of your racks with your shirts off to determine the fatbodies and who needs to be issued double rations. I didn't realize it at the time, but being a double rat is the sweetest damn thing about boot camp. You literally get twice as much food as everyone else. Everyone will be begging you to borrow your double rat tag so they can get extra food too. I forced myself to eat as much food as possible, even then I was still starving at night.

I came into boot camp at 135lbs, left at 175 lbs, ripped as hell too.

[thewookie]

I came into boot camp at 135lbs, left at 175 lbs, ripped as hell too.

Impossible. I gotta call that.

[SgtLisdog58]

Impossible. I gotta call that.

I second that motion. First off it's not about the double rats cause many of my buddies were DRs and they came out the same weight if not less. I myself was in pretty good shape when I went in and lost 15 lbs (15 lbs I couldn't afford to lose either)

Also, double rats is cool and all but you still only get the same amount of time to eat your food.....if chow is cut short, guess what, you don't get more time. Most of the DRs I knew in boot camp barley finished more than anyone else.

[RayNoll]

The DIs keep you motivated during runs and exercises, right?

[atimmons]

The DIs keep you motivated during runs and exercises, right?

Ha you bet. Lookin forward to it!

[Cressler]

You finishing boot with a broken bone is just amazing that will definetly keep me motivated if someone that is physicaly in the literal sense broken can complete i will be able to also

[moto83]

Lol trust me, whether it's softer or not doesn't matter. You're still a United States Marine in the end. That means a lot and you will find that out if you ever get the chance to work with the Navy and you probably will at some point. I got out of boot 20080424 and I'm now stationed a few miles away at the Air Station. I have been on a carrier with about 3000 Navy and 150 of us. The reaction to us is quite different between sailors. Either they love us and want to be like us, or they hate us out of jealousy because their command tells them to be more like us. We do drills all day with them and from what I learned in boot and MCT I am able to immediately respond to situations 100 percent faster and more thorough than sailors as was proven and brought up by their Senior Chief. He specifically mentioned myself and two other Marines that taught a group of his sailors how to respond to a specific medical emergency both perfectly and with almost no time to react. Boot camp is in no way simple or "soft." It is flawless in creating the proper combat mindset in the right individual.

[ZombieWolf]

Congratulations! :thumbup: I'll see you on the flip side!

[EricB146]

"Keep Motivated and never quit" best advice anyone could give a Poolee. I cant wait to ship. I got to wait a year to ship since Im still in High School