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How do you go about graduating as an honor grad? Besides the obvious such as a high PFT score, knowing your general orders, etc.
Ive been told by some to stay "low key" and dont volunteer for ANYTHING, but this seems wrong. Shouldnt you show that your determined to do your best?
Here's some advice: http://www.ehow.com/how_5201902_beco...boot-camp.html
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/marin...ehonorgrad.htm
Bottom line is the Guide, Squad Leaders, house mouse and a couple others will be meritoriously promoted at boot camp graduation to the rank of E-2.
To be platoon honorman, you need to be the guide. How do you become a guide? Stand out at the beginning of boot camp as a leader. Do extremely well at your initial PFT. Don't worry about volunteering. You're not going to be in a situation where a D.I. comes out and asks for volunteers. They don't ask who wants to do what. They tell you what to do.
If you are "low key" you will not be recognized and therefore diminish your opportunity to be selected as one whom the D.I.'s and specifically your Sr. D.I. believes has potential to be Guide of the platoon. The advice to be "low key" and not volunteer is for one who wants to skate through boot camp hoping to not be noticed and not PT'd to death or worse. It works. I recall some guys taking that approach, but they were never squad leaders, guide, or other leadership positions either and graduated as privates.
You deduction that you think you should be determined to do your best is the better approach.
I was not a guide, did not graduate is platoon or series honorman. I was selected during our first PFT to be a squad leader of 3rd squad and was the only one who made it all the way through without being fired and was meritorious promoted to PFC. What did I do to get selected? Not much. I was the only guy in the platoon who could do 80 situps in 2 minutes. (Back in the day we did full situps, cross hands behind the head, fingers on the ground, all the way up till the face broke the plane between your knees.)
I didn't volunteer for anything. But I was determined to do my best at our first PFT and apparently it was enough to be recognized. Keep in mind, if you are selected for one of these positions, it does not mean you will be there at graduation. In my platoon, every squad leader, except myself, was fired two to three time, and our guide was fired, a new one appointed. He was fired, and the original one re-appointed. You maintain your leadership position by understanding it is not about you. You don't pat yourself on the back. You are there to help your men, to do whatever it takes to make sure they are taken care of. It can be tough at times but worth it.
BTW, you get a waiver for that tat on your forearm? Looks a bit large by today's standards.
Thank you for all of the words of wisdom you had to offer. I thought it would be most logical to do things to stand out and not be low key. I want to excel and push myself so others will follow my example.
As for my tattoo, yes I had to get a waiver for it. It was a quick and easy process for me, which I have heard is rare now days.
I GRADUATED HONOR MAN. I'LL GIVE YOU MY STORY:
OUR SENIOR CAME OUT AND ASKED WHO COULD DO THE MOST PULL UPS. I COULD DO 23 AT THE TIME SO I FIGURED THAT WAS A GOOD NUMBER AND RAISED MY HAND. NO BODY ELSE HAD A NUMBER BETTER THEN MINE SO I WAS INITIALLY GIVEN THE GUIDE ON. HE OBVIOUSLY TOLD ME B/C I DID THE MOST PULLS DIDNT MEAN **** AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PROVE MY SELF TO REMAIN THE GUIDE. YOU HAVE PRETTY MUCH BE THE BEST AT EVERYTHING AND SET THE EXAMPLE FOR OTHER RECRUITES. YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOUR **** INSIDE AND OUT SO WHEN YOU FINISH YOU CAN HELP THOSE STRUGGLING, BE THE FASTEST, HIGH PFT, EXPERT RIFLE QUAL, NEVER SHOW SIGNS OF STRUGGLE OR WEAKNESS. TRYN BECOME THAT IMPOSSIBLE PERSON THAT EVERYONE TRYS TO MODEL. JUST BE AN ANIMAL. DI's LOVE AGGRESSION. YOU'LL ALWAYS HERE THEM SAY "SPEED, VOLUME, AND INTENSITY." THATS NO **** THE FORMULA OF BOOTCAMP.
GOOD LUCK