Should MCT Be Right After Boot Camp?

[USMC 2571]

I have no personal stake in how this question is answered, having joined up in 1963.

But over the years here I've seen where many were worried about loss of motivation for starting MCT because of the 10 day leave immediately after MCRD.

And it makes sense to me that any Marine would hardly look forward to MCT after a nice ten days of complete leisure, permanently away from the drill instructor.

So I wondered, some time ago, what folks think about how it would be if MCT immediately followed boot camp.

At one time it DID. We "outposted" straight non-stop from Parris Island to Camp Geiger (part of Lejeune) for 6 weeks of Advanced Infantry Training, then went home for 10 days before reporting to MOS school.

We were therefore motivated and "in the mood"----more so than if we had been home for 10 days just before that additional training

Similar Threads:

• Boot camp in Summer vs Boot camp in winter?
• Boot camp tips? Workout plan before boot camp?
• Screw asking if boot camp is hard...do new Marines even GO to boot camp???
• Looking for a Marine station at camp Lejuene, NC for boot camp during 1962-1964
• BOOT CAMP CHALLENGE 2003 - Local community gets lost in sand at Boot Camp Challenge

[irpat54]

at first my thoughts were, no take leave first, but then after reading what you posted, I am incline to agree with your assessment, and I think it would be a great idea, and as soon as I become President,(stop laughing) I will suggest to the Commandant to do just that.. but as for me being President? don't hold your breath...LOL

but seriously, I think it would be a good idea, like I said as first I thought no, but then after reading your post, I think it would be a good idea..

[Baker1971]

Take the leave, see family and friends and get laid.

[USMC 2571]

Pat and Jimmy---good to hear from you guys again.

First, a couple of years back I got 3 or 4 PMs from guys here who had just graduated MCRD and worried "about losing the motivation necessary for MCT" after going home for 10 days prior to MCT. So that's what started me thinking about this.

Second, If someone can't get laid prior to going home, something's wrong somewhere. LOL.

[Baker1971]

Hahahaha. Good one Dave.

[FistFu68]

HaHaHaHaHa...

[USMC 2571]

Think about it. Three or four Marines in Jacksonville, outside wonderful interesting Camp Lejeune, carousing, drinking all night, just about to get into a conversation with some of the local members of the opposite sex and one of the guys says "No thanks, fellas, can't join you, I gotta wait til I go home on leave for that stuff".

[EastofWest18]

Think about it. Three or four Marines in Jacksonville, outside wonderful interesting Camp Lejeune, carousing, drinking all night, just about to get into a conversation with some of the local members of the opposite sex and one of the guys says "No thanks, fellas, can't join you, I gotta wait til I go home on leave for that stuff".

At modern MCT you don't have any contact with active duty personnel (other than your instructors) unless they post you to the Security Guard (roaming 24/7 firewatch teams to keep people there longer for individuals in MOS that have overbooked schools). That won't be a problem.

I feel that the boot leave for MCT does something important. It gives the Corps a chance to send people home and go UA or smoke pot or do something else stupid that gets discovered before the Corps spends a ton of money training them any further. Boot camp is expensive, but the fact is that the rest of our training is crazy expensive. Take Communications school. Everyone, including wire dogs, are now taught computer code by AD Marines and contractors both while waiting training and during their courses. This costs a lot of money, and is not a sole example. Give them 10 days to determine if they want it or not.

[USMC 2571]

That was just a digression re Camp Lejeune in general, in response to Jimmy (Baker1971) advising them to go home and "get laid". Like they could only do that in their hometowns.

You make a good point, though, about the 10 days also serving as another screening process----never thought of it that way.

[USMC 2571]

East of West: Do you think there's anything to what I said earlier about going straight from boot camp to MCT---because:

1. A MCRD graduate is already in a training mindset.
2 Momentum---already been trained. Head up to MCT and keep the motivation and momentum going.
3. Then 10 days leave prior to MOS school.

And I'm thinking primarily about the new Marine's mindset and momentum, not throwing this out there at all just because we in fact went straight to Geiger for 8 weeks after 13 at Parris Island.

[josephd]

Straight to MCT in my opinion but have MCT less condensed/longer and give the students a chance to have more liberties(like ITB). Train hard each day like they should and will in the fleet but secure each night and let them relax a bit

[USMC 2571]

Agreed.......

[Kegler300]

Yep, while they're still highly disciplined and in the training mode.

[Phantom Blooper]

Kegler300

Yep, while they're still highly disciplined and in the training mode.

Yep before they get laid and want to go get some more!

[EastofWest18]

East of West: Do you think there's anything to what I said earlier about going straight from boot camp to MCT---because:

1. A MCRD graduate is already in a training mindset.
2 Momentum---already been trained. Head up to MCT and keep the motivation and momentum going.
3. Then 10 days leave prior to MOS school.

And I'm thinking primarily about the new Marine's mindset and momentum, not throwing this out there at all just because we in fact went straight to Geiger for 8 weeks after 13 at Parris Island.

I think you make a very valid point, but I personally disagree with it being a better way to do things.

MCRD graduates have a recruit mindset. When my Platoon lost final drill our SDI sat us down and asked us why he wasn't angry at us and thrashing us like the other SDI were (you could hear it in our squad bay from every other bay). His answer? Being a good Marine is different from being a good recruit, and although we had lost final drill and were not the best group of recruits ever we were all going to make good Marines*. Those 10 days of decompression allow you to shed the Recruit mindset (somewhat) and begin to develop the Marine Corps mindset that you are truly introduced to at MCT.

At MCT you don't scream for no reason, you have to wake yourself up, squad leaders have real responsibility, and although you are still treated like a child you no longer have the crazy scrutiny and pre-planned movements that drill instructors place on recruits.

When I showed up to MCT I was still crazy scared like a deer in the headlights, but the 10 days off allowed me to revert to something that looked like proper customs and curiosities thanks to my training. If I had not gotten those 10 days off the staff at Camp Geiger would have had hundreds of screaming recruits reporting instead of marines.


*there was one exception, Edwards. The kid was dumb as a rock. Put clothes on backwards, didn't know left from right, couldn't remember a darned thing, and had been held back from 8 different MCRD platoons before they pushed him through with minimum passing scores in my Platoon. He was eventually given an entry level discharge after being recycled another 10 times at MCT and failing the entry test at MOS school. It was a 10 question safety test consisting of true or false questions like "should ammunition be stored near fire?" Other than him and three others who were discharged early (one for desertion, one for assault and the other for drugs) we have all been excellent Marines so far.