What to expect at MCRD Parris Island
Hello Poolees and Wannabe's here's exactly what you can expect when arriving at boot camp.
You'll most likely be perfectly fine on the ride down there, you'll be motivated as hell, you'll feel like a tank, until you get there at the gate and the MPs check everyones ID and then tell you to put your head between your legs so you don't look around. Or it could be the opposite like me, you'll want to go home the whole way there, you can't eat at the Golden Corral because you're so nervous, but when you get to the gate you're like well I'm already here so let's do it. Then you'll finally stop.. an eerie silence will come.. then out of the middle of nowhere a Drill Instructor opens the door and starts screaming at you to get on the yellow footprints. Trust me, it's all a blur then on out. You're officially a recruit and will be treated as such. You'll be up doing receiving for about 54 hours, if you get lucky they'll let you take a 15 minute nap during the MOT. You'll get all your shots, etc. during receiving too, you'll also be eating box chow during receiving. Then you'll be put in your forming platoon, this is your new family for the next 3 months (unless you get dropped like me) . During forming you'll be taught how to make your rack, how to wake up at 0400 LIGHTS LIGHTS LIGHTS and get on line, how to do firewatch and report your post. From here until about.. Marine Week you'll be counted down for everything you do, so be fast. You'll run your IST and meet your Drill Instructors that will make you a Marine in the same day. Then you'll start training that coming week, that's when you start wearing boots. Oh that's another thing, MAKE SURE your boots fit when you get them during receiving, or else you'll be like me and get stuck with ICBs that don't fit and make your feet hurt for 13 weeks. 1st phase is about the worst thing you'll ever do in your life. You'll be treated like straight up garbage, and you'll hate your green belts, and you'll love your SDI. You'll be sick, you'll have a fever or a really bad cold, you'll be homesick.. you'll be wondering why in Gods name you did this. For right now, I suggest not going to medical because you'll most likely get over it in a few days, just keep pushing, it gets easier I promise. When you finish first phase, it goes by in a blink of an eye. You'll spend most of 2 phase on the range. You'll get messed with at the range a lot by the DIs, but it's not bad because you really won't be around them much during Firing Week. Team Week will come around, you'll either get your wisdom teeth pulled and do some Team Week, or just do Team Week. When you get back to the squad bay at 1600 you might as well take off your blouse when you walk in that hatch because you'll be getting IT'd or sent to the pit. Then the next thing you know you're 3rd phase and doing BWT. During BWT you'll be doing the Day Movement course and doing Land Nav. STAY AWAKE DURING THE CLASSES, especially the night classes. You'll be hitting the sleeping bag at 0000 and getting up at 0400 during BWT. Don't hate it too much because it's only 2 days. Then you'll be doing Table 2 Firing, which is combat firing. You'll be firing at moving targets and shooting at targets from 25 yards. Don't sweat it, it's easy. After that you've got another admin week which flies by, enjoy it because you've got Hell the next week. The next week you've got Final Testing, Final Drill and Platoon Photo, then you hike out to the Crucible. In my opinion, the Crucible is like BWT on meth minus the classes. It's hard, it sucks, you'll be tired, hungry, but motivated. When you get out there the first day you'll be like.. are you serious? This is it? It must be a joke. Then the second day of the Crucible it'll feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. The hike back is 9 miles with 3 - 4 hours of sleep (depending if you have firewatch or not) and a piece of fruit. You'll be so exhausted you could just fall over right where you are on the hike back, but you're so motivated it's not even funny. It's so weird how motivation and if you REALLY want it bad enough, can push you that far.
Just stay motivated. Semper Fi!
- Pvt. Lane