marine0901

bookworm74, i can tell you this. I have been training hard for the last 15 months to leave for afgan or iraq and I would not want to be apart of any other branch. I though things were weak, but i got a chance to meet other people in the army and found out that being a marine was the best thing I have ever done and i started at the age of 31. Semper FI

I didn't mean by any means to down play the physical aspect, just for me it wasn't that bad, (maybe i didn't know better) It was definately hard (that's what i expected) but i didn't find it unbearable. I joined the Corps because it's the best, and still proud of it. The term Once a Marine always a Marine is true to my stand point. And yes we had the Mother followers even back then to make sure there little boys didn't get bullied, I felt sorry for them (the recruit) because they were sort of looked down on. But I was and still am a Marine, not only in ideals, but in spirit. And i'm like you i don't want to see it softened. And on the enemies point of view they don't say please and thank you. Semper Fi

Then lets stop Voting in these liberals. With the administration we have now, look out you have not seen anything yet, its comming.

The Marines have to adapt to the Type of quality or lack of ,the ones entering, If it does not change, then there will be no one to Pass Basic. it has to lower it self. to the unchalenged. who enter, in order to sevive.When i went to Basic. Training. we where handled. as if Viet nam. was going to escalate. and they Hammered us so roughly that. 42% of us dropped out. and we never saw them again.When you have rags, all you can do is Patch it.

I'm gonna say something that might P..s alot of people off. This may be why it is getting worse. I am a Marine, I never wanted to be a female Marine, I wanted to be a Marine. I didn't want a barbie doll style O-course. And I sure as H..l didn't want them to lower the standards for me. If a female can not make it while doing what everyone else does, then they just don't make it as a Marine. After I got out of the Corps I became firefighter, eventually made captain (not a house captain, either). I had to pass all the same tests that the men did. They didn't play it down or give me easier tasks or lighter dummies to carry. Because the real world doesn't give you easier situations. I know women can still make it as Marines if they had the same run times, pull ups, and obsticles as the guys. And it would be a better Marine Corps for it. (by the way, I had to do pull-ups as a Dragon Slayer, so yes, women can do pull-ups) If they do not stop making it easy, then the Marine Corps won't be able to do anything but march in parades.

I can still remember my boot camp experience like it was yesterday,it was tough mentally and physically.I know the training is updated for the times,I hope its just as tough for the recruits,thats the only way to keep the Corps.the Best.

This Blog should stop here on who had it the Roughest, as we all did and will do hear in the future. My reply was stricktly. Due to the Different groups of young men and women, the Generations in some ways mold our military.and the Marines do not have to fight with sticks and rocks. as you can see in my pics what we trained with. emagine that! and learn to use them Profeciently. as Technoloy has changed so much that . we can reach out farther to our foes. Good luck All. E-4B

Not sure what boot camp is like now, but I did two tours in RVN in front line combat units and I would much rather have gone through a third tour in RVN than to have gone to boot camp again - if that tells you anything. By the way, I went to MCRD in Jan. 1964

Alpha 4 south, I know what you mean. I wasn't in any front line combat tho. I've seen a program on TV "Making Marines", and it just seems to me that it has gotten a little softer and a little more tame. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to take anything away from anybody but the new "crucible" or whatever it's called does seem a little rough at times.. All I know is that when we made a little foul-up it was a group punishment, and a personal foul-up, well, I spent my fair share of time in the DI duty hut doing 70 push-up when I could really only do 25 or hanging by your elbows from a wall locker for 20 minutes, or doing a large number of squat jumps. And then there's duck walking up a hill with your loaded sea bag. O well. You all still doing one hell of a job, so stick with it. Once, always, right? If I'd gotten a quater for every time I got knocked on my ass by the DI I could have retired. Bye the way, I did MCRD, San Diego, 1960. I think they quit physical punishment in "62. I'm 67 now but it sure seems like yesterday. Semper Fi

Im two years out of Boot Camp and I ll be the first to admit that it wasnt all that it was cracked up to be. I went in a little over weight but still was able to excel in every physical aspect of training. PT isnt the problem. The problem is that recruiting has lowered its standards to allow for more **** bags to join. Numbers count in the Corps. Mentally, the training is exhausting... however I expected more out of it. Just because DI's are not allowed to " touch " other recruits dosent mean that it dosent happen. I ll be the first to admit that i had an M-16 smacked into my head while marching right shoulder arms for not having tight elbows. Another recruit was kicked in the chest for not getting online on time. Pain retains discipline.. and Boot Camp has made me a full believer in that. Regardless if the Corps has gone soft on its recruit, everyday that I wake up I thank God that I have been awarded the oppurtunity to become a Marine. Semper Fi Marines

I am a Career Recruiter and have been on this duty for almost 9 years. Recruiting has NOT lowered any standards. I turn away people everyday.

Bull****! my son spent almost five months at MCRD San Diego just to be sent home with a medical.Don't tell me the Marine Corps in not concerned with keeping a steady flow of fresh bodies.I can assure you,my son did not withhold any medical information.I know ,I was there.His recruiter just failed\refused to listen.When my son stopped by his recruiters office after returning home to confront the dip****, he just played stupid which by the way came very natural and put the blame on my son.So don't feed me your friggin line of inacurate swill.

Bull****! my son spent almost five months at MCRD San Diego just to be sent home with a medical.Don't tell me the Marine Corps in not concerned with keeping a steady flow of fresh bodies.I can assure you,my son did not withhold any medical information.I know ,I was there.His recruiter just failed\refused to listen.When my son stopped by his recruiters office after returning home to confront the dip****, he just played stupid which by the way came very natural and put the blame on my son.So don't feed me your frigg'in line of inaccurate swill.

Went into recruit training in July 1958. Retired April 1978.

Marines are still the best trained and finest military outfit in the world.

In my opinion, it's the supervision after recruit training that is the problem, but I believe that it is not a Corps wide problem. It's rare.

SEMPER FI

Don't know about boot camp at Paris Island these day's-Haven't talked to anyone about anything been done any different from 1963 when I was there, the values/ combat readiness and tactics were set extremely high in 63, I also was called the P's, M's, M-F's and of course called ladies. Had no nonsense Drill Instructors- all (3) were very strict-Cpl E.E. Giles,Sgt. James Willsey and Sgt. J. D. Gardner, didn't care for them back then, I'm a better man for being in their boot camp. If boot camp is getting soft there is one problem I hope they help the recruit and that is issue something for the gnats at Paris Island, how many remember that problem.--- Cpl. James A Bevis

In my experience, training at Boot Camp is not the "end all be all" of preparing Marines to serve. Yes, it is the gateway to the Corps, and yes, it should weed out those who belong from those who don't. It should test your mind and your spirit. However, the physical aspect is of lesser importance to me. You'll be challenged physically at ITB (or MCT for you non-infantry types), and challenged even more so when you get to your unit. Your team leaders and NCO's will make darn sure you meet the physical requirements, as well as making sure you are technically and tactically proficient enough to cover the man to the left and right. To me, that's the way it should be. Boot Camp shouldn't be difficult compared to the more strenuous requirements of training and serving in a unit deploying to combat. Personally, instead of raising a stink about the training boots receive, I think more attention should be payed to units going through pre-deployment training. Those Marines are the ones that need to receive all the extra attention, time, money, and equipment we can spare.

Brothers,I went in Oct 65 and from the minute I stepped on those yellow footprints I said to self Oh my God what have I got myself into.It was hard,but I was physically fit,only 18 at the time.Sure we were cursed at,once in a while a punch here and there,a swag across the hand for not holding your rifle correct,and if you really screwed up you might get a DI's hand on your Adams Apple and squeeze a little till you almost pass out.What I'm hearing now doesn't sound like my Corp.Ignacio

1966 i went to boot camp MCRD, It was hard .Mean and Green.

I am still thanking GOD for puting the dis here,and why my mom never had any children that live,and they had 12 weeks to un**** what our parents try to for 16years,and we were goin to die in vietnam,these are some of things were said everyday,i seen them beat the **** out of atleast 4 recruits.and they would make others cry like babies,get caught in the hatch way after ****/shower/shave as half of the sqadbay count down,you go to toilet take apiece of crap wipe across lower lip leave it there all day, they had no problem square off with anyone bare knuckle,stand at atation for hours,they be on latters out side looking in the windows.catch you looking around they beat the crap out of you,sometimes you never see them again,and than 3miles run morning/3miles at nite/and pt all day or port arms force march half day.than there motavation camp.that another story,i dont know if its change cause ant been there,remember being the best and meanest at everthing, cause i wanted to come back and beat the crap out of the DIs,never did ,if you were a wantabe they eat you up,

I hear that! I almost had a private conversation in the Whiskey Locker with my Heavy. I changed my tune real quick, & by graduation time, I was dying to just see his ass on the street so I could finally push back! I respect those Marines though.

"PUSH RIGHT NOW! BULL SH!T. - LOUDER!"