2 months of Hell at PI to get an Entry Level Seperation

[nevergiveup]

Female former recruit, college graduate, successful career... and I wanted nothing more than to be a Marine! My dilemma now is.... I want to go back!

Before I tell my story, for the record, I did not just simply quit Parris Island. Yes I ran out of motivation and mentally had "checked out", but my body quit on me during this past December at Parris Island (when the DI's made us go out in 30 degree weather plus wind chill in just our civis) I have bad circulation but haven't been officially diagnosed with anything. Dr.'s suspect it's Raynauds. So I get colder quicker than anyone else, I could breeze through boot camp in the warmer months.

After seeing my Platoon graduate, pictures posted all over Facebook, and mentally returning to "normal" about 1-2 months post boot camp, parts of me want to go back. The first day back to the civilian world was weird. I missed my sisters, squad bay, and hated being alone. But I also hated Parris Island (who doesn't). Not sure if I felt more superior being a 24 year old college graduate or what, but I never seemed to keep the motivation everyone else had and when my body froze in the winter, that was it. I can go back to PI and I did not get a Failure To Adapt, but at the same time, should I risk going back if I deal that poorly in the cold?

I don't tolerate failure well and I'm wondering if that is part of why I want to go back so badly. I was going Reserves too because I wanted continue on my life path but also serve my country. Any advice/suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated.

[Lisa 23]

Military Medical Standards for Enlistment & Appointment

Heart and Vascular System


Vascular system

Current or history of peripheral vascular disease (443), including, but not limited to diseases such as Raynaud’s Disease (443.0) is disqualifying.
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joini...ry/a/heart.htm



If the doctors do suspect that you have Raynaud's, why don't you go and get tested for it just to make sure.


Being a Marine means being able to do your job in all kinds of weather....hot or cold.

[Mongoose]

Its great you want to be a Marine. How ever its not for everyone. I dont know how you can say you didnt quit. Thats exactly what you did. For what ever reason. In my day, there wouldnt be a second chance. Dont know why there is today.

[pointman2010]

Given the temperature differential within field of ops globally would the response to the cold not be counter productive and may ultimately put yourself and / or others in harms way ?

[edinberlin]

Not everyone can be a college graduate, nor can everyone be a marine.
Never look backwards, only look forward to the future.
An old Marine.

[0331 2 0369]

College graduate and no profile.

[Vandrel]

Not everyone can be a college graduate, nor can everyone be a marine.
Never look backwards, only look forward to the future.
An old Marine.

Couldn't agree more on that one. I survived bootcamp, I served my time, but today there a very slim chance I can actually pull together enough determination and motivation to get a full degree unless it's absolutely required of me, which it's not. I make more then enough without a degree, if by some odd reason I NEEDED to have a degree to make it in life then I would most certainly do so. But not everyone can actually accomplish that.

The situation for you is a tough call. If you want it bad enough then by all means, go for it, but you need to keep in mind that quitting should never be a option on anything once you step on those yellow foot prints....again. When you quit on yourself once, it'll stick with you forever. Keep your mind focused and do not let anything get in your way from the goal of graduation.

If it's cold as hell outside and your fingers and ears feel like they are dead, well....you just keep on trucking until you end up face down in the dirt....either way, someone will pick you up, but it can't be because you purposely put yourself there. The rest of the recruits you mentioned, the ones with so much motivation and determination, are the ones who had a goal. They are the ones who told themselfs that they are not going home a failure, they are only going home as a Marine.

Don't think this is a direct call out to you on a personal level but take the advice for what it's worth. We've all been through some ****ty times and believe me, there's been MANY times where I've wanted to toss in the towel over the years but most people usually look to their left and to their right at the other person next to them and then just keep on trucking till the end.

Like few out there, I still have a signed certificate (or award if you will) for my return to recruit training after being sent to MRP (or whatever it's called these days). I had a injury that dropped me back, I'm sure if I really wanted to I probably could have went home but I didn't and I stayed strong and told myself I wasn't going anywhere but to the parade deck in Delta's for graduation.

[Baker1971]

Big difference between a real medical problem and just quitting for kicks

[AAV Crewchief]

Female former recruit, college graduate, successful career... and I wanted nothing more than to be a Marine! My dilemma now is.... I want to go back!

Before I tell my story, for the record, I did not just simply quit Parris Island. Yes I ran out of motivation and mentally had "checked out", but my body quit on me during this past December at Parris Island (when the DI's made us go out in 30 degree weather plus wind chill in just our civis) I have bad circulation but haven't been officially diagnosed with anything. Dr.'s suspect it's Raynauds. So I get colder quicker than anyone else, I could breeze through boot camp in the warmer months.

After seeing my Platoon graduate, pictures posted all over Facebook, and mentally returning to "normal" about 1-2 months post boot camp, parts of me want to go back. The first day back to the civilian world was weird. I missed my sisters, squad bay, and hated being alone. But I also hated Parris Island (who doesn't). Not sure if I felt more superior being a 24 year old college graduate or what, but I never seemed to keep the motivation everyone else had and when my body froze in the winter, that was it. I can go back to PI and I did not get a Failure To Adapt, but at the same time, should I risk going back if I deal that poorly in the cold?

I don't tolerate failure well and I'm wondering if that is part of why I want to go back so badly. I was going Reserves too because I wanted continue on my life path but also serve my country. Any advice/suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated.

What happens if you get deployed to a cold weather area? Your fellow Marines will be counting on you. Will you quit then? You can't spend your entire career in Hawaii or Okinawa. Basic training weeds out the people not physically or mentally able to pack the gear required to serve in the Corps. I think you didn't make the cut.

[03Foxtrot]

If you posted this here to get sympathy, you won't from me. By your own words, you quit.... you gave up.... it was too cold or whatever. People like you will always find some reason to quit and then try to justify your actions to save face or to present yourself in a way you aren't. It seems to me the main reason boot camp is so difficult is to weed out people that don't have the heart to be a Marine. If you have the heart, you can overcome physical or mental limitations and become part of a team that refuses to fail. By the way, we Marines that did graduate from Boot Camp consider what we went through as a rite of passage and we are proud of it, we don't hate P.I. or Diego, we understand what and why we endured to become U. S. Marines. College degree or not, perhaps you do not have the desire to be a Marine.

[Quinbo]

They wear civis in boot camp now? If you meant scivvies I highly doubt you were outside wearing nothing but your underwear.

[USNAviator]

Female former recruit, college graduate, successful career... and I wanted nothing more than to be a Marine! My dilemma now is.... I want to go back!

Before I tell my story, for the record, I did not just simply quit Parris Island. Yes I ran out of motivation and mentally had "checked out", but my body quit on me during this past December at Parris Island (when the DI's made us go out in 30 degree weather plus wind chill in just our civis) I have bad circulation but haven't been officially diagnosed with anything. Dr.'s suspect it's Raynauds. So I get colder quicker than anyone else, I could breeze through boot camp in the warmer months.

After seeing my Platoon graduate, pictures posted all over Facebook, and mentally returning to "normal" about 1-2 months post boot camp, parts of me want to go back. The first day back to the civilian world was weird. I missed my sisters, squad bay, and hated being alone. But I also hated Parris Island (who doesn't). Not sure if I felt more superior being a 24 year old college graduate or what, but I never seemed to keep the motivation everyone else had and when my body froze in the winter, that was it. I can go back to PI and I did not get a Failure To Adapt, but at the same time, should I risk going back if I deal that poorly in the cold?

I don't tolerate failure well and I'm wondering if that is part of why I want to go back so badly. I was going Reserves too because I wanted continue on my life path but also serve my country. Any advice/suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated.

As was stated previously, please fill in your profile. Why would the Corp take you back? You obviously need a medical waiver, you're 25 and lack motivation. Once it's gone, it's difficult to get it back

With the Corps downsizing, there are fewer waivers being given. Who would you chose, a healthy, motivated 18 yo or a waiver needing, unmotivated, 25 yo?

You tried and it didn't work out for you. Have you considered another branch? At any rate good luck to you

[03Foxtrot]

I agree that a medical condition that precludes service or graduation, once discovered, does not make her a quitter possibly in her eyes. But her own words say she ran out of motivation and mentally had "checked out" already. If there turns out to be a medical condition that keeps her out of the Marine Corps, that is the end of it. But if it does or does not exist, it sounds to me as if she had already quit on the inside, for other reasons that are just as important to me. Having the desire to become a Marine is what they are looking for. Going the extra mile or the extra pull-up or that next patrol or night ambush, when exhausted beyond belief, this is what heart and desire can accomplish. Wanting to quit and finding fault with all but yourself, this to me implies a lack of total commitment to becoming a U.S. Marine.

[Mongoose]

Post number 2 essentially differentiates quitting from having a medical problem.
It's a crucial distinction. If you have a medical problem and it interferes, it is hardly "quitting". If you have no medical problem and you quit, then that is quitting.
Until the original poster sees a doctor, thats' about all we can say here from the perspective of a keyboard.

We see it as quitting. It may not be. But a doctor's examination would disclose it or might disclose the medical condition if there is one.

Lets put it this way Dave. There are plenty of us that had to endure things that we wanted to get away from but couldnt. She never said it caused her to pass out or caused her extreme pain. The Corps has done enough changing to suit boots. If you want to be a Marine, suck it up. If you cant then do something else to show your patriotism.

[Lisa 23]

(when the DI's made us go out in 30 degree weather plus wind chill in just our civis)

I highly doubt any Drill Instructors would make any of their recruits go out in 30 degree plus wind chill weather in just your civvies, skivvies, or PT gear (t-shirt and shorts). They would not jeopardize their careers by doing something like that.
There's something more to this story than that............


And...I for one, LOVED going through boot camp!!! .....and I'm not being sarcastic by saying that either.