View Full Version : What do you think is the hardest part about being a Marine?
d3vi1d06 4 life
10-31-09, 09:17 PM
do you think its the initial training ie. bootcamp, soi, mos school?
in my opinion, bootcamp was the easiest part. they give you three hots and a cot. they tell you where to be and they take you where you need to be. you are virtually are babysat the entire time in bootcamp. and the training is the easiest part too. thats why its referred to as basic training. soi is a little harder because you are treated like a recruit yet you bear the title of marine. its like an extension of bootcamp. mos school is the hardest of the three. you have to be places on time and you have to feed yourself. the di's arent there to hold your hand and babysit you.
the hardest part about the marine corps is being in the "fleet." you are in complete control of your life. and you have to maintain your fitness and appearance all on your own. it gets harder as you get higher in rank. when you become corporal and above the more people you are responsible for.
so all you poolees, dont think for a second that boot is the hardest part. it only gets harder as your time in the corps increases.
oorah!!!!!
sheila coker
10-31-09, 09:35 PM
:flag::iwo::evilgrin:I would say that the fleet is the hardest part when it comes to being a Marine. You do not have anyone there to make sure that you get to formation on time and yes it becomes the individual Marine's job to maintain fitness.
At the end of the day we are Marines-we are the best and we will continue to do what needs to be done hard or easy.
d3vi1d06 4 life
10-31-09, 09:47 PM
oorah to that coker. ive been reading through these poolee threads, and they are all stuck on boot camp being the hardest part. its a cake walk. they feed you three meals a day, give you 8 hours of sleep forcibly, and they take you where you need to be on time. how much easier can it be? oh and they pt you forcibly. easy day!!!
good luck doing all that in the fleet!!
ooorah!!!!
Wyoming
10-31-09, 09:54 PM
Excellent couple of posts.
tangovictor87
10-31-09, 11:12 PM
i agree with you but what you learn at boot camp serves as a foundation. there's no way i could've gone through mct or mos school without what i got out of boot camp.
MarinesFTW
11-01-09, 12:06 AM
LCpl, in the Poolee Hall, we are suppose to keep all questions to boot camp until we earn the title, and when we stray, someone seems to pounce on us, like a wolf on the baby sheep.
Alisium
11-01-09, 12:50 AM
Being around non-Marines.
usmcmsf
11-01-09, 12:54 AM
Being around non-Marines.
That is definatly the most irritating to me, some of the nasty **** they do makes me wanna rip their teeth out.
d3vi1d06 4 life
11-01-09, 10:29 AM
LCpl, in the Poolee Hall, we are suppose to keep all questions to boot camp until we earn the title, and when we stray, someone seems to pounce on us, like a wolf on the baby sheep.
hey poolee!!
i posted this topic for people like you. be grateful that i did this for you.
your lucky i aint like your recruiter and lie. just you wait till you are standing on those yellow footprints, scared to sh!t. make it to that point then talk smack. and you must stand at attenhut and scream "aye sir" when you attempt to talk smack. just remember that you are less than a recruit. and recruits are at the bottom of the ****pile.
know your place poolee!!!
Supersquishy
11-01-09, 11:19 AM
MOS school was probably the toughest part of the whole process. You were given strict rules to follow but the temptation to break them was too great for many and NJPs were handed out almost like candy. Rules that in the fleet would be laughed but in the MOS school was not, ie Alchohol and being stupid. Once into the fleet then it became like a job, for me anyways.
USCFIGHTONUSC
11-01-09, 11:43 AM
the hardest part about the marine corps is being in the "fleet." you are in complete control of your life. and you have to maintain your fitness and appearance all on your own. it gets harder as you get higher in rank. when you become corporal and above the more people you are responsible for.
so all you poolees, dont think for a second that boot is the hardest part. it only gets harder as your time in the corps increases. oorah!!!!!
I don't know about your unit, but fitness was taken care of on its own. I never had to worry about getting out of shape due to PT. And many times in the fleet we were not in control of our lives. That is what made it difficult for many, the lack of having control of your own life. I don't know what fleet you speak of when you say "you are in complete control". Perhaps it depends on your unit and unit type.
How can boot camp be the easiest when you never had freedom while there?
As time went on in the USMC it didn't get harder for me or anyone else I saw who came in with me. It actually got easier and funner. I did notice it was always harder for the new Marines.
MarinesFTW
11-01-09, 09:21 PM
hey poolee!!
i posted this topic for people like you. be grateful that i did this for you.
your lucky i aint like your recruiter and lie. just you wait till you are standing on those yellow footprints, scared to sh!t. make it to that point then talk smack. and you must stand at attenhut and scream "aye sir" when you attempt to talk smack. just remember that you are less than a recruit. and recruits are at the bottom of the ****pile.
know your place poolee!!!
With all due respect, I am failing to see where I talked any smack, I was just trying to inform you why the Poolee Hall is that way. It's also hard for my recruiter to lie to me when I dont ask him questions. If I find a question, I research it until I know the answer or until I have a good idea of what it is. So if you could please point out where I was talking smack, would be glad to correct myself with a full apology.
hey poolee!!
i posted this topic for people like you. be grateful that i did this for you.
your lucky i aint like your recruiter and lie. just you wait till you are standing on those yellow footprints, scared to sh!t. make it to that point then talk smack. and you must stand at attenhut and scream "aye sir" when you attempt to talk smack. just remember that you are less than a recruit. and recruits are at the bottom of the ****pile.
know your place poolee!!!
I think he is trying to tell you that his questions are limited to just bootcamp in the Poollee hall, and possibly wants to ask more about the Marines then just the initial training. I honestly don't see why the Poollee's are just limited to bootcamp questions, because that is just the beginning stage of 4 years in your life. After those 3 months, depending on your MOS, might change your entire course of life, or it could very well end it. So why shouldnt they let them ask more broad questions about the real Marine Corps and not just 3 months of it.
trmptplyr
11-02-09, 09:59 AM
With all due respect, I am failing to see where I talked any smack, I was just trying to inform you why the Poolee Hall is that way. It's also hard for my recruiter to lie to me when I dont ask him questions. If I find a question, I research it until I know the answer or until I have a good idea of what it is. So if you could please point out where I was talking smack, would be glad to correct myself with a full apology.
Why do you not ask your recruiter questions? Do you not trust him? I don't understand why you feel the need to do independent research on your own when you have a great resource of Marine Corps info available to you.
Lisa 23
11-02-09, 12:03 PM
With all due respect, I am failing to see where I talked any smack, I was just trying to inform you why the Poolee Hall is that way. It's also hard for my recruiter to lie to me when I dont ask him questions. If I find a question, I research it until I know the answer or until I have a good idea of what it is. So if you could please point out where I was talking smack, would be glad to correct myself with a full apology.
MarinesFTW...since Marines aren't allowed to post in the poolee forum, he posted his thoughts on boot camp for all of you poolees to read here in the "Marine Mentor" forum. So what if he spoke a bit about SOI/MCT training and MOS school.
You talked smack to a LCpl in the Marine Corps by telling him what kind of questions he should post and where. Again, this is the "Marine Mentor" forum. Boot camp questions by wannabes and poolees should be asked in the Ask A Marine forum.
I'm one of those Marines who pounce on wannabes and poolees like a wolf on baby sheep because of some of the questions that are asked. While it is great to want to know what your MOS and being out in the fleet is going to like, some of the questions asked can be answered by using the search bar or even by your Recruiter.
In my opinion, wannabes and poolees should focus a bit more on getting thru boot camp, then focusing on what life is like out in the fleet. You don't make it thru boot camp, then you don't have to worry about the fleet.
commdog7
11-02-09, 12:17 PM
I think boot camp was the hardest, but only because I learned a thing called discipline- I was able to stay out of trouble and go where I needed to go in MCT, MOS school, and the fleet.
I'm failing to understand on where his original post he actually talked smack. I think he was just emphasizing the fact that Poollee's aren't allowed to discuss anything other then bootcamp, and he...
MarinesFTW
11-02-09, 04:01 PM
Thank you LCpl. I wasn't telling him where to post anything, I was telling him why the Poolee Hall is that way. I was just trying to inform him of exactly what was going on. I really wish we could ask further questions reguarding our future but then again its never the same for everyone and for some of us, our questions would be an outdated answer in a year. I guess once we earn the title we can ask our NCO's and SNCO's.
And to trmptplyr's post, I do trust my recruiter, but its the way I am, I like finding out my own answers, I dont like asking 5 million questions that would take 3 seconds to look up. Even though its there job, getting asked non-stop questions from a kid would get a little old real quick.
Thank you LCpl. I wasn't telling him where to post anything, I was telling him why the Poolee Hall is that way. I was just trying to inform him of exactly what was going on. I really wish we could ask further questions reguarding our future but then again its never the same for everyone and for some of us, our questions would be an outdated answer in a year. I guess once we earn the title we can ask our NCO's and SNCO's.
And to trmptplyr's post, I do trust my recruiter, but its the way I am, I like finding out my own answers, I dont like asking 5 million questions that would take 3 seconds to look up. Even though its there job, getting asked non-stop questions from a kid would get a little old real quick.
Your welcome. I saw what you were trying to say, and I agree. I really think that you all should not be limited to just bootcamp questions. It's pointless, considering what ever path you choose in the Marine Corps determines what road you take for the rest of your life.
If I found out what reserves was really like, I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't try and get into college and become a pilot like I am now, I wouldn't even consider getting a commission, or have the chance like I do at this point in my life. Yes, passing bootcamp is a big part of it, but it's a small part in the big picture. The Marines on the forum sometimes go too far in trying to answer your questions, and you have to think, it really is all just on the internet, it's not in real life, you cant touch the person you are talking to, so why not just answer the questions the people ask about the Marine Corps, and let them decide wether it is the right service for them to join.
mercury2671
11-02-09, 04:38 PM
The hardest part of being a Marine is losing brothers. Boot camps tough, MOS school yea that too, but its friends not making it home that is the hardest thing of all to deal with.
Tracylaud83
11-20-09, 04:34 PM
13+ years in, Have been out almost 14 years now.
Hardest part is and always will be the "Funerals"
As a SSgt, losing one of your own was the hardest, but losing any fellow Marine is hard.
BlknGld0311
12-03-09, 08:46 PM
My honesty bothers some "extremely" motivated cohorts of mine, but I'll tell you the truth--- for ME, it's the standards.
After 5 1/2 years, it's still extremely difficult for me to not worry about being watched or looked at. Even by fellow Sergeants. I still hate being called Devil Dog, but I can't tell a 1stSgt not to do that. That would just bring about unnessecary attention.
Perfectly placed chevrons, matching shaded cammies, perfectly centered ribbons, field day field day field day...man, there's a million of em.
Still though, I've survived.
I even asked my SgtMaj (he's very down to earth, and only 7 feet across the hall from me--a very accessable resource) this same question. He said exactly this "31 years of unyielding standards can wear you out. That's why I'm getting out at 32 years" Amazing guy.
But look at it this way--- THIS is exactly why we are the best. Sometimes that means holding ourselves to so high a standard that it takes everything you've got to keep it up. Makes a man proud, wouldn't ya say?
sparkie
12-03-09, 09:06 PM
MarinesFTW,,,,,,,,I got your back. You're duin fine.
Hardest part? Memory is soft, so I have to refeer to the here and now.
For me, it's The Wall. And loosing more with age. I love my Brothers and Sisters, I regret I can't help barely a one of them.
-----
-----
One other thing as hard as hell for me,,,,,,,A dead Marine on the evening news. God knows I would go cover someones rear if I could.
Twitchell
12-04-09, 02:59 PM
But look at it this way--- THIS is exactly why we are the best. Sometimes that means holding ourselves to so high a standard that it takes everything you've got to keep it up. Makes a man proud, wouldn't ya say?
One other thing as hard as hell for me,,,,,,,A dead Marine on the evening news. God knows I would go cover someones rear if I could.
That's exactly why I'm trying to get more time in. I don't know how many Marines I've talked to, in any realm of jobs, and you just can't top the Corps experience. It's the same with me, Public Safety, Wildland Fire, what ever. Great jobs, and hard to get. But it's just not the same. Sometimes you hate it more than anything, yet at the same time would you trade your experience for a Million dollars? Seriously? I'd like to say yes, but at the end of the day, MARINES.
Juicemang
12-06-09, 02:51 PM
Being around non-Marines.
Couldn't agree more. After over a year out it's looking like I'm about to re-enlist in the Reserves. ERRR!
Rocky C
12-06-09, 03:55 PM
What do you think is the hardest part about being a Marine?
Remembering it's all about TEAMWORK!!!
Yes, we are all individuals but we function as a Team.
The backbone of every successful Unit and Mission is Funtioning as a Team.
And at the end of your active service you will see that not all function as a team.
That's why I can't deal with those who are not Marines.......
Semper Fi,
Rocky
Why do you not ask your recruiter questions? Do you not trust him? I don't understand why you feel the need to do independent research on your own when you have a great resource of Marine Corps info available to you.
I wouldn't trust a recruiter as far as i can throw him, the two i had where bolth njp loosing rank. Look get all the info u can and then decide all that homosexual country patriotic bull**** they feed u won't mean **** when your deployed away from family possibly taking fire. I love the fact that i made this decision but i was still lied to. But now that rant is done i think the hardest part of bieng a Marine is actually living up to the standard of bieng a Marine. Being Physically fit, mentoring junior marines, not lying and all that.
chili77bowl
12-23-09, 01:21 PM
hey, LCpl...how bout you cut the kid some slack...you ain't no hat, and you sure ain't a Combat Instructor...I failed to see his disrespect...but then again, you get your jollies kicking puppies on the street too, huh?
When someone corrects you and they are in the right, the proper answer would be, "Thank You"
The only thing to me that is lower than a recruit is a Lance Criminal trying to act like a big dog...so if you want to reply and talk smack to me, remember to scream "Aye, Staff Sergeant"...
Hey, kid...you're doing fine...I respect the hell outta you for correcting him.
hey poolee!!
i posted this topic for people like you. be grateful that i did this for you.
your lucky i aint like your recruiter and lie. just you wait till you are standing on those yellow footprints, scared to sh!t. make it to that point then talk smack. and you must stand at attenhut and scream "aye sir" when you attempt to talk smack. just remember that you are less than a recruit. and recruits are at the bottom of the ****pile.
know your place poolee!!!
Smitty Puffs
01-03-10, 11:18 AM
hey, LCpl...how bout you cut the kid some slack...you ain't no hat, and you sure ain't a Combat Instructor...I failed to see his disrespect...but then again, you get your jollies kicking puppies on the street too, huh?
When someone corrects you and they are in the right, the proper answer would be, "Thank You"
The only thing to me that is lower than a recruit is a Lance Criminal trying to act like a big dog...so if you want to reply and talk smack to me, remember to scream "Aye, Staff Sergeant"...
Hey, kid...you're doing fine...I respect the hell outta you for correcting him.
haha Quoted for the truth.
GuitarNineteen
01-06-10, 11:35 PM
Listen guys,the Marines is probably one of the very best organisations in the world.It lines you in with a purpose to your life like nothing else. You feel very connected,especially to the other Marines.You feel real truth,and things really matter.We're small,but special.When you need to feel a reason and you won't accept any BS, talk to a Marine. I guarantee you won't get any BS answer especially from the older ones. This is no joke. I swear to it. I have a family. Also watching as my older friends who I counted on are passing away,I'm almost 43 now. These guys are really true people. This is a family,so you will never regret it.You have my word on it. The motto of the Marines is SEMPER FI wich means ALWAYS FAITHFUL. You will never regret the decision. All the best guys.
SWATMarine
01-16-10, 11:40 PM
:flag:The hardest part of being a Marine is when you leave the Corps. You have to maintain your appearance and your fitness level on your own. You don't have a D.I. or a Squad Leader on your A**. You have to be your own Marine. When you are 40 years old and you look another man in the eye and say, "I'm a United States Marine." you better look and feel the part!
hey, LCpl...how bout you cut the kid some slack...you ain't no hat, and you sure ain't a Combat Instructor...I failed to see his disrespect...but then again, you get your jollies kicking puppies on the street too, huh?
When someone corrects you and they are in the right, the proper answer would be, "Thank You"
The only thing to me that is lower than a recruit is a Lance Criminal trying to act like a big dog...so if you want to reply and talk smack to me, remember to scream "Aye, Staff Sergeant"...
Hey, kid...you're doing fine...I respect the hell outta you for correcting him.
I have read this thread and realized this was the exact same thing that happened to me when I first joined leathernecks.com. I DEPed in Aug 6th, 2009 and have had Marines all throughout my family, so i knew what I was getting into. I had a few questions my Recruiter couldn't answer, but said he would look up. In the mean time, I decided to post a thread in the Ask a Marine forum, about the difference between Security Forces and Security Forces (PRP). I never truly got an answer, just was told my punctuation and grammar were atrocious and that I should type like i'm writing a paper for my English Teacher. I was chewed out just like MarineFTW, by a LCpl as well i believe. So thank you SSgt for sticking up for the Poolees! My recruiter just told me that i was possibly just chewed out becuase someone was PTd a little to hard in basic training. So Thank you Ssgt and Anyone else who stood up for MarineFTW and all the Poolees!
Poolee Ward
My time in the Corps was brief, so I don't have that much to compare, but, in the vein of the first part of this discussion (which phase of your time in is the hardest) I would have to say bootcamp.
I know a lot of Marines disagree with me because they felt it was easy not having to discipline yourself, but I enlisted at 22 and had been living on my own for awhile and was good at that part. What I didn't like was being super micro-managed in bootcamp. But, it was beneficial.
As time went on, I was given more freedom (you're given the rope to hang yourself with) and while still having to remain respectful and watch myself, I was also given the trust to do things on my own. Then again, like I said, my time was brief, so maybe things would've been different had I been in longer.
Old Marine
01-28-10, 03:52 PM
The hardest part of being a Marine is when you get back to the world and have to deal with the civilian population. After having everything organized for 20 years you look up and you are in the dis-organized civilian world. You immediately find out that nothing will ever be the same as you are used to having it. Its one big Chinese Fire Drill.
Juicemang
01-28-10, 04:02 PM
The hardest part of being a Marine is when you get back to the world and have to deal with the civilian population. After having everything organized for 20 years you look up and you are in the dis-organized civilian world. You immediately find out that nothing will ever be the same as you are used to having it. Its one big Chinese Fire Drill.
:flag:
Rocky C
01-28-10, 04:11 PM
I Said it Before and I'll say it Again.
What do you think is the hardest part about being a Marine?
Remembering it's all about TEAMWORK!!!
Yes, we are all individuals but we function as a Team.
The backbone of every successful Unit and Mission is Funtioning as a Team.
And at the end of your active service you will see that not all function as a team.
That's why I can't deal with those who are not Marines.......
Semper Fi,
Rocky
smh3065
01-30-10, 08:38 PM
To answer your question. Getting out.