Advice for a recruit at boot right now.
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  1. #1
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    Advice for a recruit at boot right now.

    I have a son currently at Parris Island. He's in his 6th week now.

    There's over 90 guys in his platoon. From what I understand, that's an unusually high number. 40 - 60 is the norm?

    Anyway, in his letters he is very upbeat about all the training, likes the food, says he's doing fine and is actually enjoying the work.

    His only complaint is that there are still a bunch of selfish ass hats in the platoon who can't get with the program and that is making things worse for everybody else than it would otherwise be.

    I want to give him some advice on what he should do. But I don't know what is appropriate. Should he just stay focused on his own behavior and work? Or should he stick his neck out and try to get the screw ups in line?

    My first instinct has been to tell him to lead by example. With such a large platoon I'm worried that may not be enough. What happens to the guys who have done everything expected of them when there's a bunch of bad apples who end up ruining the whole basket?


  2. #2
    My cousin went through something similar just a few months ago. The real problem is that no matter what you do, it isn't right in boot camp. The best thing that your kid can do, is try to help out the guys that are having issues. The only way the platoon will survive basic training, is to work together as a unit. The reason that the entire platoon is punished, is because they need to realize that they need to take care of each other, or there will be hell to pay. If your kid is doing well at boot camp, then perhaps he can share some of his knowledge and insight with some of the window lickers. Tell him to stay tough, and do what he has to, to survive. A platoon must work together in order to accomplish the mission.


  3. #3
    Im assuming when you say selfish ass hats your talking about recruits. Drill instructors are commonly known as hats but that would not make sense so...

    When I went through bootcamp we started off with 87 and I think ended with 62 due to little injuries, or other reasons. I think we dropped 2 back in training that were not conforming. Those two were "rocks" when the drill instructor said right flank they would go left. They were lost, when we dropped them, the platoon was happy to no longer have to pay for them anymore.
    Well we were happy until the drill instructor made us fill like **** and opened our eyes. He had told us, that we had failed them 2 recruits as a platoon. They were having problems and no one stepped up to help them, instead of taking the little free time we had to make sure they caught up to what was going on, we just let them continue to sink . He told us that bootcamp is about team work, recruits vs drill instructor, of course we would never win, but you should support your fellow recruit from every failing or even contiplating giving up. At first we didnt look at it like that, but once he told us that, we really felt like crap and wish we were able to get them back.
    The drill instructors job is to make Marines, so their goal is to graduate as many well trained basic Marines as they can in comparison with the number they started with. If you drop half your Platoon, doesnt look good on your leadership abilities, So your son can count on them guys being around for a while.

    I would recommend telling your son to get with some of the other recruits and try to motivate them recruits not doing so well, find out whats on their mind? Have they given up on themselves already? Do they have issues going on at home they havent shared, could be some underline issue. Just getting support from a couple other recruits may be what they need.

    Let him know as well though, if those bad apples do come around great, but the drill instructors will find something else to kill them for, its their job, there is literally no right way, the drill instructor is suppose to be unhappy its what he does. So just roll with what ever comes his way and try to make the best of it. It will be over before he knows it, and he will be looking back on them days for the rest of his life and laughing at all the nonsense.


  4. #4
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    Proud POP.

    You have received some Great answers here already but I have to let you know that it is Forum Rules that you fill out Your Profile as best you can with more than your first and last name.

    For that reason I have to Lock the Thread until completed.
    Please contact any Squad Leader to Re-Open the thread once completed.

    Thank you for your understanding and I am pulling for Your Son on his quest to earn " The Title "



  5. #5

  6. #6

    Unhappy What to do for son being held back in PCP

    Hello, mom of a marine in boot camp at Parris Island. He is currently being held back because he could not complete the IST. About 4 weeks now. They told me he struggled with the pull ups. I dont understand, my son could do it while in the delayed entry program before he graduated from high school. He could to 5 now he struggles to do 2? His letters sound very positive and he says he will make us proud and graduate not to worry. I want to do something but know that it is up to him now. How long will they keep someone in PCP for this? His recuriter said he will call him and find out how he is and to say some motivating words to him. I hope I am not starting any thing for him, I hope the drill instructors dont get mad if his recuriter calls him....oh lord...


  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Squiddy74 View Post

    Hello, mom of a "RECRUIT" in boot camp .
    He is currently being held back because he could not complete the IST.

    About 4 weeks now.
    They told me he struggled with the pull ups.
    I dont understand,
    my son could do it while in the delayed entry program
    before he graduated from high school.
    He could to 5 ,
    now he struggles to do 2? ,
    His letters sound very positive ,
    and he says he will make us proud and graduate

    not to worry.
    I want to do something but know that it is up to him now.
    How long will they keep someone in PCP for this? ,

    His recuriter said he will call him
    and find out how he is ,
    and to say some motivating words to him.

    I hope I am not starting any thing for him,

    I hope the drill instructors dont get mad if his recuriter calls him....oh lord...

    Dear Lady

    Don't go off with a short fuse on this response please..

    FIRST #1

    Your son is a Recruit, not yet a Marine...

    PCP aka/porkchopplatoon, is in all probiblity
    the best move the MarineCorps can make
    for your son IF he intends to be a MARINE....

    Please consider it this way........

    While he's in PCP, they've taken him off the "Normal training Schedule"
    and placed him in a Unit specially designed to Improve apon his weeknesses
    with a group of recruits in the same situation....

    His Diet and his routine will be changed/modified from NORMAL scheduling and schooling
    to Diet and routine he needs to improve and return to a Scheduled Platoon..

    PCP is far better * ( Wouldn't you think ) than being DROPPED for being a non-hacker,.
    They haven't given up on him, IF he hasnt given up on himself..

    They dont keep porkchops any longer than they need to keep them..
    He'll get re-inserted into training as quickly as they think he can hack the load.

    Write your son, tell him... he isn't the first recruit to be sent to pcp, he wont be the last..
    neither you or he should consider PCP as punishment,,,,


    We all wish you and Him the best

    We're always willing to yell SemperFidelis
    to new Marines we haven't met yet..

    Hang in there MOM,,
    He's left the nest, It's up to him now.
    He's got to earn this title
    "MARINE"


  8. #8
    Thank you. I will keep what you said in mind and appreciate your responce. He is my recruit - Marine to be.

    Last edited by Lisa 23; 07-26-12 at 08:14 AM.

  9. #9
    Not sure where you heard that 40-60 recruits/platoon was normal. My son graduated from MCRD SD last summer and there were 87 in his platoon. Perhaps Parris Island has smaller numbers. As far as the "slackers" go they are inevitable and every platoon of recruits has them. My son's experience with the knuckleheads was to not let them get in the way of him becoming a marine. Your son's DI will probably give them some unwanted attention if they are becoming a major distraction. Some recruits will never "get it" no matter what and they most likely will be weeded out. I would tell your son to stay focused and not let the bad apples affect his motivation. As others have said there is no such thing as a perfect platoon in boot camp. DIs will always find something wrong, that's normal. Your son is halfway through boot camp, keep encouraging him and before you know it you will be attending his graduation. Something that you and your son will cherish for the rest of your lives. Good luck.

    pete


  10. #10
    The year was 1969...and two platoons of 80 men arrived at MCRD San Diego. One group of 80 came from Washington State and the other was from Texas. Both platoons had their share of whiners, crybabies, motivation issues, as well as around 10% draftees who absolutely didn't want to be there. Each platoon had their own way of solving issues with the whiners, cry babies, and motivation adjustments (blanket parties after lights out)....because we were all tired of living in the pits with some ugly dude in a smokey yelling at us.

    At graduation... Washington State had 33 in their platoon and Texas had 27. Most others were dropped back to PCP, Motivation platoon, or the medical platoon as well as a few who just disappeared and to this day...still have no idea where.

    Years later, I ran into three men who started in my platoon...two to PCP and one to Motivation. Two were Sgts with time in grade and one was a SSgt.

    These various platoons are there to give all the chances a recruit can stand to become a Marine....and most do.

    Mom and Pop....
    Write upbeat letters...talk about the plans when he comes home as a Marine. Remind him how you talked to him when he was tired, frustrated...or ready to just give up. I would not suggest blanket parties...since if caught....it could be brig time and/or dismissal. The platoon will figure out how to solve it... BELIEVE ME ON THAT ONE.

    They will be fine. Tell them to drag their butts here when they earns their Eagle, Globe, and Anchor...so we can welcome them into the family of Marines.


  11. #11
    As far as platoon size goes, I believe it depends on how many Marines are getting out. At MCRD in August to November of 2011 the average platoon size was 80-90, and that was after they created a new platoon to lower the numbers (there would have been 110-120 recruits per platoon otherwise).

    The thing about boot camp is it doesn't work for everyone. Generally, if you go to boot camp a ****bag, you will leave one. Every platoon has their fair share of them, and you will even run into them in the fleet every once in a while. No matter how good they are at putting the fear of god in you, Drill Instructors can't always fix 18 years of jacked up. The best thing he can do is stay motivated, and push through. The worst part is over, and he should be able to start to see the end of the tunnel. Just remind him that it is only 6 more weeks of the rest of his life.


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