PFC question

[waiting2ship]

Hello Marines. I just wanted to know HOW you obtain a meritorious

promotion to PFC while in boot camp? (other than referrals)

And at what point in boot camp do you receive this promotion?

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Several ways:

Honor man of the Platoon
High Shooter

Selected by DI's as having "Exceptional leadership potential" used to be one, not sure if it is now or not.

Lastly, try running a search on this section, it's likely been asked/answered before.

[MLMonk]

Squad leaders, Honor Grad, Iron Man, High Shooter, are really the only ones.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Ahh, that's right, I forgot about Iron Man. I should have been more clear, those who are Squad leaders are the one's I meant by the "Exceptional Leadership potential".

[waiting2ship]

Thanks for the replies Marines. Is iron man like high PFT?

[Komenko]

Thanks for the replies Marines. Is iron man like high PFT?
pretty much! get a score of 300 and its yours lol i've seen recruits kill the 3 mile run under 16 minutes. believe the record on the Island is 12 minutes!

[MLMonk]

pretty much! get a score of 300 and its yours lol i've seen recruits kill the 3 mile run under 16 minutes. believe the record on the Island is 12 minutes!

When I went through, we did an Iron Man competition during the final PFT. I was sadly the only one in my platoon who did it, but the other recruits during that time were doing 27+ pull ups, and 200+ sit ups with a less then 18min mile. Think it was 4 or so who were really competing with each other, but it pretty much came down to the guy who did 36 pull ups and ran a 17:15 3 mile.

[CplGiraffe]

Another way is showing leadership by taking other billets. Depending on how many spots for meritorious promotion your SDI has and how many of guide/squad leaders already have contract PFC. Scribe is one that gets promoted often because of how much work they do.

[polizei]

If you have college credits you can get mert PFC, that's what I did. If not, like the other Marines have said, billets or PFT. And don't get in trouble much...and show motivation, DI's LOVE recruits who are motivated.

I was the smallest guy in my platoon, but probably one of the most motivated, I actually got in trouble for helping other recruits out too much...lol.

[FmrSgtofMarines]

Graduate as series honor man, and or guide. Squad leaders do not get mert promotions to any rank as of 20050909 when i went to boot camp unless it was just my platoon

[cocruxified]

Yes, you basically have to stand above the rest. Don't shoot too low. For example, one of the squad leaders in my boot camp platoon had his billet throughout the entire cycle and did NOT get meritoriously promoted. I believe it was because his PFT wasn't up to par. Just put out.


Graduate as series honor man, and or guide. Squad leaders do not get mert promotions to any rank as of 20050909 when i went to boot camp unless it was just my platoon

Two of the squad leaders in my platoon got meritorious promotion to PFC. I left 20090511.

[echo3oscar1833]

pretty much! get a score of 300 and its yours lol i've seen recruits kill the 3 mile run under 16 minutes. believe the record on the Island is 12 minutes!

Dang!!, and I thought my 17:50 was fast haha. 12 Minutes thats insane!!:marine:

[FattyTheFerret]

They calculate meritorious PFC promotions based on how many total recruits the company has and how many of those are contract PFCs. I don't remember the exact formula but I think it's total recruits minus contract PFCs divided by 10. That number is then spread among the platoons depending on how many recruits each platoon has.

My platoon had enough room to promote 7, three others promoted 7 and the last two promoted 6. Mine was given an eighth because the 1stSgt also promoted the company scribe. The squad leaders in the platoon that weren't contract PFCs - plus the guide - were promoted along with a select few recruits that performed well, including the series high shooter.


Basically, be on top of your game. Even if you don't get selected for a leadership position there's still a chance if the drill instructor's see you as exemplary.

[Zulu 36]

When I went through, many moons ago, each platoon could meritoriously promote 10% of the platoon (not counting contract PFCs, of which there were very few back then as only prior-service people got them). My platoon graduated six meritorious PFCs (and one contract). All were recruits in leadership positions within the platoon.

[polizei]

Remember, it's up to 10%, but that doesn't mean they HAVE to promote all of them. I want to say my platoon promoted 5 out of a possible 6.

[Do-Or-Die]

Learn to love the quarterdeck