Leaving for boot camp on Monday

[DallasGuy]

Hello Marines,

I know most of you are aware of my age waiver to enlist in the Marine Corps. My recruiter advised me to get ready to ship to San Diego ASAP because of my age and the fact I'm not a polee nor in the DEP.

I'm shipping Monday, I just passed the final medical and drug exam at MEPS today and I'm ready to go. My recruiter will pick me up sometime Sunday (I don't know if he's going to take me to the airport or a hotel, I'm so excited I forgot to ask, I don't care where he's taking me on Sunday).

Monday February 28 was my last day at work and since then I have been working out, running 3 miles a day and getting ready for boot camp. I have been hanging out at the recruiting station at least two hours a day per my recruiter request and I have been helping some polees with their pullups. I have learned new Marine Corps language like "dress", "chow", "mess hall", "trousers", "trash", etc. and trying to learn everything about the Marines and boot camp these last two weeks. I'm not taking anything to boot camp except the clothes I''ll wear that day, the package my recruiter will give me on Sunday and my wallet with my driver's license, Green Card, SS Card and one debit card (just in case) along with a list of phone numbers and addresses. My recruiter said everything else will be provided at boot camp (underwear, toiletries). A polee was nagging the other day because he won't be able to take his iPod with him and won't be able to check his email or Facebook. These kids! I feel lots of sympathy for the recruiters, they have to put up with a lot of crap from these kids. But I wouldn't mind being assigned to recruiting duty if I ever switch from Reserves to Active Duty.

I kind of know what to expect at boot camp (I know, I won't know for real until I step on the yellow footsteps). I've been getting up at 5am every day since my age waiver was approved, been preparing mentally to the pressure the DI's will put on me, been working out and running daily. I know I have to memorize my rifle's serial number and recite a pledge to that rifle (I've been trying to memorize it the last two days), been studying Marine Corps history. The Marines at the recruiting station have helped me tremendously with all my questions and I have talked to a couple of Marines who just graduated from boot camp and are assisting in recruiting duty, they shared many stories about boot camp and what to expect.

I'm leaving everything in order for the next 12 months. From the mortgage payments, to the HOA fees, to monthly bills/credit card payments and who will watch my house while I'm gone. My recruiter said it could be up to 9 months between boot camp, MCT and MOS school so I'm leaving everything ready for up to a year, just in case. My job will keep my position for up to a year and it will be nice I will get paid while I'm gone (finances are not an issue for me but any amount of money helps). My recruiter also explained I have a 10 day leave after boot camp so it would be a good time to catch up with everything back home but I would rather worry about earning the title and worry about the rest later. My recruiter also explained I won't be able to take my POV to my MOS school in Camp Leujene but that's fine.

One last thing, on the thread Sgt. Lepruchan (???) closed a few days ago (about my age waiver) I would like add a couple of things:

-Age waivers are really hard to get. It has to be an extraordinary event in your life that kept you from enlisting in the Corps before age 29. In my case, the only reason why I got the waiver is because the Commander knew I only had a Work Permit prior 2010 and my Green Card was issued in 2010. If my Green Card was issued before 2009 (before I turned 29) he would have rejected my age waiver request no matter how fit and qualified I was.

-Another point on my favor was that I did NOT have any involvement with the law, not even a traffic ticket. I'm not married, no kids, have no criminal record, no tattoos or piercings, no drug and medical history and I'm financially solvent. If I had at least one of those, my recruiter and his Gunnery Sergeant would have rejected my request on the spot and my age waiver request would not have ever made it to the Commander. According to them, the Commander said 90% of his decision was about the Green Card and the rest was how clean and fit I was and the recruiters recommendation to grant me the age waiver. Once again, in order to get the age waiver, it has to be a special case and my case was one of those. With that said, I will not bring this subject again on this board unless a Marine here requests it.

Anyway, I might post here before Sunday but if I don't, hopefully the next time I'm here I will be a Marine. Thanks Marines for your time and attention. Have a great day.

P.S. I can't wait for boot camp.

[Lisa 23]

Leave the debit card home. You will not need it. Carry about $20 with you, that's all you'll need.

I'm glad to hear that everything worked out for you!
Your recruiter will be taking you to the hotel on Sunday, and you'll be leaving sometime on Monday for MCRD. The weather should be OK for this time of the year...not to hot and not to cold. Always stay hydrated.
Just remember to pay attention to your Drill Instructors. Stay strong, both mentally & physically, take recruit training one day at a time, and help your fellow recruits out...there's no I in team.

Best of luck to you on your journey to become a United States Marine! We'll expect to hear back from you in 3 months.

[SGT7477]

Good Luck, Semper Fidelis.

[DallasGuy]

Leave the debit card home. You will not need it. Carry about $20 with you, that's all you'll need.

I'm glad to hear that everything worked out for you!
Your recruiter will be taking you to the hotel on Sunday, and you'll be leaving sometime on Monday for MCRD. The weather should be OK for this time of the year...not to hot and not to cold. Always stay hydrated.
Just remember to pay attention to your Drill Instructors. Stay strong, both mentally & physically, take recruit training one day at a time, and help your fellow recruits out...there's no I in team.

Best of luck to you on your journey to become a United States Marine! We'll expect to hear back from you in 3 months.

Thank you for the advice, ma'am. As you suggested, I will just take $20 and leave my debit card home. I will take recruit training one day at a time and will do everything to help my fellow recruits.

It looks my recruiter will take me to a hotel on Sunday and then I'm flying to San Diego the next day, that's what I thought too but I was too excited I forgot to ask. Thanks for the clarification.

Thanks Sgt7477 as well.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

OUTstanding!!!!

I'll leave this one open for you...and you can eventually repost on it when you graduate!

I have no doubt there will be good stories to tell and wisdom aplenty to share when you return!

Good luck, and godspeed!

[tdrt]

Good Luck Dallas!!!! I wish you the best.

As far as your SSN, I wouldn't bring it unless your recruiter specifically tells you -- just another thing that could get lost.

And you also need to start memorizing your General Orders too.

[MarinesFTW]

SSgt, your suppose to bring it with you when you go there.

On topic, good luck man, I wish you the best of luck. It sucks in the moment but everything is worth it. Come back to us a Marine. Semper Fi

[wilsontc11]

Good luck. Memorize your general orders and ranks, thats all you need to do. Don't over-work yourself for boot camp. Be loud, fast, and motivated and you will be good to go. Those are the keys for boot camp. and if you can stay under the radar, you will be even better off.

[DallasGuy]

I'm leaving for boot camp in a few hours. My recruiter told me Saturday morning when he gave me the final instructions along with the package I have to take to MCRD that he would pick me up very early Monday morning and take me to the airport since he has to go to MEPS early in the morning. Usually, he takes his recruit(s) to a hotel the night before but since I am the only one shipping this week from their recruiting office, he and his Gunnery Sergeant decided to skip the hotel thing Sunday and take me to the airport this morning. I told him there would be plenty of friends or family willing to give me a ride to the airport, even taking a cab would not be that bad but he insisted in taking me to the airport.

I spent Friday with my friends and Saturday with my family. I'm not a big fan of having both my friends and family in the same place (I'm sure the only exception will be on my wedding day sometime in the far future) and I rejected some suggestions from both sides for a big send away party. Some of them are supportive, some are not that supportive of my decision to enlist in the Marine Corps but I am man and my decisions do not depend on what other people think, want or wish. They have to deal with it one way or the other.

I requested both my family and friends to let me spend Sunday by myself. I needed this day to make sure everything at my house is taken care of and enjoy my last few hours as an average civilian. I know in less than a day, my life will be changed forever. Got up at 5am, ran 3 miles, went to the gym, read the paper, had brunch, watched sports on TV, talked to my neighbors, took a nap and had my last vice I won't be able to taste for weeks: coffee.

I am ready, I already took a shower, got dressed, have the package my recruiter gave me on the dining table, I have in my wallet my Green Card, driver's license, SS card, and $20 in cash. I decided not to take a list of names and addresses, instead I'll mail my parents and my best friend from boot camp and they can pass my MCRD address to the rest of the family and friends respectively. I'll try to sleep for a couple of hours and wait for my recruiter to either call me he's outside or knock on the door. I'm nervous but excited as well to take on the challenge.

Thanks Marines for your time, attention, advise and best wishes. Hopefully the next time I post here which will be sometime in early June, will be as a Marine. Thanks.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

OUTstanding! Good luck on the greatest adventure of your life!

[DallasGuy]

Hello Marines,

Just wanted to let you know I am back from MCRDSD, I graduated on 20110603. Really don't have much time to post since I've been busy on this 10 day leave. Lots of things I had to get caught up back home. I will try to post before I have to leave on Monday for MCT. I am a PFC and most important, I am part of the Marine Corps family. Lots of things I have to share about my experience at boot camp, all I have to say for now is boot camp is more mental than physical, at least for this "old" guy.

P.S. Is there any way my profile can be changed from Marine Friend to Marine? Thanks.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Changed! Congrats...and welcome to the brotherhood!

[DallasGuy]

Thank you sir.

[dizark]

Congrats and Semper Fi

[Caesar Augustus]

Thank you sir.

You mean Sgt......boots lol

Congrats