Is this even possible?

[Ebecker]

My recruiter said if I go Recon I am guaranteed a shot at it. If I quit or fail from Recon school, it doesn't follow me and I will still go infantry. It isn't if I am going to struggle... I know I can do it. I will do it. I just needed to know if it is humanly possible to prepare myself like this. Thank you for your post sir, I will keep an open mind.

Your recruiter lied to you or didn't know for sure. While at 29 Palms for COMM school we had around 60 recon drop outs come over and get put into a COMM MOS. One of them was a guy I went to boot camp with. He excelled at ITB and would have made a great 0351. Now he is in a classroom training to be a 0651.

[Laskyy]

Okay so can anyone answer my actual question instead of telling me what I should or shouldn't do?

[Laskyy]

(Sorry for old thread bump)

Well everyone. I'm 22 days away from leaving for bootcamp. I have almost tripled my pull up score (I am going to try to hit at least 15 before leaving for bootcamp) a MAJOR improvement from the "5" I started this thread with. I can also max out sit ups.

I am still struggling with my running though. Unfortunately I haven't ran as much as I wanted to so my latest best mile and a half time was about 12:40. Pretty crappy, I know, but I am determined to get at least a 20:00 three mile time, hopefully less. I am also determined to get 20 pull ups upon completion of bootcamp.

I also am officially shipping with a Recon contract. (I know, some of you will disapprove of this but I can't make everyone happy).

I am going in headstrong and I will give bootcamp everything I can.

I have a few more questions though.

When I get to SOI, my GySgt told me they will prepare me before BRC? I looked around a bit, and I noticed RIP?

Can someone explain to me what RIP is? (It sounds like absolute friggin hell)

Also, me being a not so good swimmer, will this affect me in any way? (Mostly I am asking if I will get some legitimate training in swimming)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[m14ed]

don't go in with a recon contract.

I was an instructor at the School of Infantry,

and the ones that had the hardest time at BRC, were the contracts.

Go in as 03xx...the school will then give you the option of trying out.
That way if you decide that you really just want to be straight leg Infantry
...no harm no foul...

IF you are contract Recon, you can't get out of it...no matter how bad you try.

Just my advice. But it and $5 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

(Sorry for old thread bump)

I am still struggling with my running though. Unfortunately I haven't ran as much as I wanted to so my latest best mile and a half time was about 1

I am going in headstrong and I will give bootcamp everything I can.

I have a few more questions though.


Also, me being a not so good swimmer, will this affect me in any way? (Mostly I am asking if I will get some legitimate training in swimming)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Laskyy

you didn't pay attention to all the advise that was offered 7 months ago....
you didn't read or comprehend what was being said at that time..

You're a BIG BOY now,,,
Let us know how it turns out for you.
We're all interested in your results.....

we'll get an ODDS LINE in a part of the "Marines ONLY" section
while you're gone....

Good Luck Lad,,

something should tell you, you're gonna need it.....

[Laskyy]

Yes yes thank you all for the encouragement. I know the odds are very highly stacked against me but I am willing to at least try.

[Yonkers]

Yes yes thank you all for the encouragement. I know the odds are very highly stacked against me but I am willing to at least try.

A lot of the time that's all it takes. Good luck. And a lot of the information on here may not seem helpful at first, but looking back at it... it would save you a lot of trouble to learn it and take advantage of people that have gone before you. Don't do the same stupid stuff they did... use it as a base point to branch off of.

[Laskyy]

A lot of the time that's all it takes. Good luck. And a lot of the information on here may not seem helpful at first, but looking back at it... it would save you a lot of trouble to learn it and take advantage of people that have gone before you. Don't do the same stupid stuff they did... use it as a base point to branch off of.

I would sir but it seems as though a lot of the advice on here has a "You'll never be able to do it" instead of a "This is how it is done. This is what they want. Get it done"

[finharder]

I can tell you that you nneed to practice aas much water confidence as you can before you go because the water is what got most people in mart and brc. Mart is always changing but it's a kick in the butt for sure. Just never quit, they will probably try and build you up in the pool to ssome extent.

Don't let people make you think you've set out on an impossible task because its not. Use every chance you get to bbefore mart to get into the best shape possible and then Mart well prepare u more once ur there but ur gonna reall have to dig deep if u wanna put up with all of it. Make it your life now. If you have more questions about all of it feel free to ask. Good luck

[Laskyy]

I can tell you that you nneed to practice aas much water confidence as you can before you go because the water is what got most people in mart and brc. Mart is always changing but it's a kick in the butt for sure. Just never quit, they will probably try and build you up in the pool to ssome extent.

Don't let people make you think you've set out on an impossible task because its not. Use every chance you get to bbefore mart to get into the best shape possible and then Mart well prepare u more once ur there but ur gonna reall have to dig deep if u wanna put up with all of it. Make it your life now. If you have more questions about all of it feel free to ask. Good luck

This is what I have been looking for. Thank you!

Unfortunately I don't have access to a pool around here. For some reason the YMCA doesn't allow free membership. Usually all you had to do was show them your enlistment contract and they would let you use the equipment. Unfortunately for me that is not the case.

My questions are as follows: Will I have time after bootcamp to get some pool time? Will they build me up in the pool at all?

Once again, thank you for your encouraging response. It's really what I need right now. A kid getting ready to leave for Marine Corps bootcamp in 21 days reading "You are going to fail" doesn't really motivate me that much

[m14ed]

Once again, thank you for your encouraging response.

It's really what I need right now.

A kid getting ready to leave for Marine Corps bootcamp in 21 days reading

"You are going to fail" doesn't really motivate me that much....

You still can't run, ,
You still can't swim that well................. ,
What have you been doing for the last 7 months ? ,
Practicing to get better at what you can do ???

We've been there , done that, and offered the best
advise at the time..It's up to you, not us.

What you are failing to understand "Sweetpea",, ,
we shouldn't have to "Motivate" you.

IF you don't have it in you,
you're in trouble....

[finharder]

After boot u will have very little time. In soi tthe recon represenitives will c0me and give a speach and talk about stuff y'all can do and a pool tO go to on the weekends. It is going to be up to you to do it. In mart they may build you up separate from tthe main group with other new guys for a while but then it'll be sink or swim. I can not promise u they will do that but they may. How mart is run changes

[finharder]

Oh and work on your running alot

[Laskyy]

After boot u will have very little time. In soi tthe recon represenitives will c0me and give a speach and talk about stuff y'all can do and a pool tO go to on the weekends. It is going to be up to you to do it. In mart they may build you up separate from tthe main group with other new guys for a while but then it'll be sink or swim. I can not promise u they will do that but they may. How mart is run changes

Thank you very much! I am planning to do whatever it takes to get through this. I am counting on bootcamp to run me a lot and I will definitely be running before then too. I think my problem with running is a TRY too hard to breathe and I over exhaust my lungs. I am probably going to be running at my pool function this Thursday so I hope all goes well. Again, thanks for your informative post.

[thewookie]

"You are going to fail" doesn't really motivate me that much

It should. And it should be a reality check, but since you feel the need to prove us wrong, by all means just do it. But the truth is you need to prove this to yourself. All those first level schools, RIP, MART whatever new name they come up with are only the first level, and really just a gut check. So, go get some. But stop making excuses, either you have what it takes or you do not. If you fail it means you have area's to work on and maybe down the road you'll get another shot. But I think the point that was being conveyed here was IF you fail,, you will probably be in some other MOS other than the Grunts -- and IF that is the case -- your long shot just got longer.

First things first, go to and finish bootcamp.

Good luck with that.

[Laskyy]

Well major change of plans everyone. I am leaving this Sunday, and not with a Recon contract. I want to go for MARSOC and I was told by my recruiter if I go for Recon I cannot go for MARSOC. So I had to switch my job and I also pushed up my date to this Sunday.

Thank you all for your help