All poolees read!!!

[Adema1226]

If you're like me, you get on this site and when you see a thread that doesn't particularly look interesting, you skip it or skim through the posts and don't pay much attention... but if you're going to boot camp soon, please read this. It's a long read but I believe this is valuable information for future recruits.

I just got back from MCRD Parris Island. I am not a Marine. I just got back on 20150204. I worked for almost 2 years as a poolee to get to MCRD. My 1 1/2 mile started at 17 minutes, couldn't do one unassisted pullup, and barely made it to 45 crunches in two minutes.

When I got to Parris Island I did 17 Marine Corps pullups, 84 crunches, and ran the mile and a half in 12:10. Not spectacular numbers, but a huge improvement from where I started.

Let me say that I don't care where you're from or what kind of life you've lived. Marine Corps recruit training will absolutely be one of the most miserable experiences of your life to this point. You WILL want to quit, but whether you decide to stick it out or not is up to you! It is very possible you will face set-backs in training, such as illnesses or injuries, which can result in drops (getting put into a platoon behind you in training). At week 5 (swim week) I was diagnosed with pneumonia and was taken out of training for the whole week. Because swim week is a graduation requirement I was faced with dropping to the closest company behind us, which was 3 weeks behind.

I was already miserable, thought the Marine Corps wasn't for me, couldn't stand it anymore, and being told I had to be there 3 more weeks was too much for me to handle. I told them I would rather quit and go home. The first week home was great, and the other two weeks I've been home I've been miserable. I REGRET QUITTING EVERY DAY. I am keeping up with my platoon via a facebook family group, and seeing my platoon a week away from graduation is making me incredibly sick. I completely lost sight of my goal while I was at Parris Island.

When you get to MCRD and think your life couldn't be worse, remember how hard you've worked to get there, that being in the Marine Corps is a unique and gratifying experience that is worth the misery of training, and that quitting only lets your family, your recruiters, your brothers in your platoon, and ultimately yourself down.

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[Jose 716]

I know boot camp could in well be one off the tuffest but I'm welling to earn that title the few the proud I refuse too quit or leave I well stand firm In persistent. In when I make it a well be the the few the proud is I'm my vines the family warrior's heritage boot camp here I come.

[Richard C Tran]

It takes a lot of courage and humility to admit one's own faults. Especially in losing sight of becoming a Marine. Thanks for sharing OP. I really appreciate and respect that, despite the regrettable events that happened. From reading your experience it seems like you still made tremendous physical progress from the time you left for Parris Island to the final days of being there. It is sad to hear that you are not among the Marines right now.

I definitely expect there to be some pressure to the thought of giving up while at boot camp. Not giving it your all. Just getting by. Not giving it 100%. Some recruits lose sight of their goals and forget why they're at boot camp, sadly. Demotivated, uncomfortable, tired, and miserable. The mind games and the thought of giving up is a very real and very intentional part of boot camp that is used to test recruits. Keep motivated and remember why you wanted to become a United States Marine. You will make it. The thought of quitting boot camp never really came across my mind before but I have a lot more respect for how tough and rigorous the reality of boot camp really can be when I read about experiences like this.

Never give up Poolees and Recruits. Go find some time to start exercising, to start running if you aren't already, now. Get on the floor and do some push-ups while you're not doing anything, now. Even 100% isn't good enough to become a Marine. You need to give so much more and at boot camp you will realize how far you will push yourself and still not break.

Semper Fi.