How best to prepare for Recruit Training?

[Maddie Barnes]

Tennessee Top, I will post a link to it periodically as I add to it. Odds are I will still add to it after I tell my parents because it just helps me organize my thoughts to get it on a power point! So I will post with updates every now and then.
Thanks guys!

[Maddie Barnes]

So I feel like I have some idea of what day to day life will be like in Recruit Training. Whats life like after that? How is it different? What's it like actually being overseas? I often feel like the best way to prepare for point A (Boot Camp) is to prepare for point B (everything after). I believe that bring a Marine is the right choice for me however, I only really know what Boot Camp will be like. I know that there is definitely a difference between being in Boot Camp and being a Marine who is actually fighting. I believe that I have what it takes to truly fight for my country but I would appreciate insight into what it is actually like. I would like to know the man versus the myth.
I do also know that there are steps in between Boot Camp and deployment, any insight or advice on that time period would also be greatly appreciated!

I understand that this may be a hard subject for some Marines and just want to say that I am very thankful for everything you guys are doing, and I really want to join the ranks in a few years. I'm sorry if anything came off as offensive in this post, I did not intend it to.

[Tennessee Top]

Most of "life after bootcamp" depends on what your MOS (job) is. For instance, a supply warehouse job for a junior Marine often means spending your days working inside a large warehouse that's unheated in the winter and unairconditioned in the summer. You'll spend your time inventorying and cleaning the equipment stored in that warehouse. If you work at the issue point, you will hand out equipment to the Marines in your unit when they come to you. When they're done with that equipment, they'll come back and turn it back into you (where you'll clean and inventory it all over again). Seems like a boring and monotonous bean counting job to me but somebody needs to do it.

Some MOS's mean working outside with equipment like heavy equipment operators. Combat engineers build bridges/obstacles, lay minefields, etc. We just had the very first female in our history graduate from armor school and will be a tank crew member. We do have females with infantry MOS's including machine gunners. Some aviation Marines spend their time inside hangers working on aircraft repairing engines, avionics gear, etc. Other aviation Marines spend their time out on the flight line. We have linguists who go to school to learn to speak other languages. We have embassy guards overseas protecting diplomatic posts, classified information, and State Department employees. These are just a few examples of what Marines do. You may work a fixed Monday through Friday schedule with weekends and holidays off, or you may do shiftwork. Point is, it all depends on your job, your unit, and your mission.

Bootcamp is 13 weeks. Then, boot Marines go home for 10 days bootcamp leave. After that, all Marines report to the School of Infantry (SOI). Infantry Marines go to Infantry Training Battalion (ITB) for 60 days then to an infantry unit in the fleet. Noninfantry Marines go to Marine Combat Training (MCT) for 29 days. After MCT, they report to their MOS school to learn their job (linguists can be in school for over a year learning their assigned language). After MOS school, they go to their first duty station in the fleet. Most MOS schools last around 8 weeks.

Being overseas depends on where you're at obviously. Living in Japan was totally different for me compared to living in Haiti, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia. The threat level, living conditions, etc are all variables that will determine your experience.

Normally, there is a workup period before being deployed. This includes training, vaccinations, preparing legal documents, gear preparation, etc. If time allows, some Marines will go back home to spend time with their family.

[Maddie Barnes]

So, I know for a fact that I want to be infantry. I honestly knew that before I knew I wanted to be Marine. I told myself that if I were going to be be a Marine, I would be infantry. What are my odds like for actually making it to infantry? I know that you need a certain ASVAB score, do you happen to know what it would be? I know you do not always get your first choice so what are some other options that are similar to infantry?

[Maddie Barnes]

Also, this is kinda off topic but, how old do you have to be before you can sign up for DEP? I know I will need to be 18 before I can officially sign up and leave for Boot Camp (due to my graduation age) but, if I wanted the time and preparation, could I ask my parents to sign me up for DEP soon? I am 15 right now.

[Tennessee Top]

I don't know the ASVAB scored required to get an infantry MOS. That's not really important anyway because your goal needs to be to attain the highest score you can on the test.

Biggest obstacle to getting an infantry contract is actually finding one. Infantry contracts are the first to disappear (followed by intelligence) because everybody wants one. There are only so many to go around (it takes 10 Marines in noninfantry jobs to support one grunt). Once they're all gone, your recruiter can't simply pull one out of their hip pocket for you.

Other options to an infantry contract are combat support jobs like armor (tanks), artillery, combat engineer, etc.

You're correct. Active duty Marines are not guaranteed they'll get what they want (reservists are). The needs of the Marine Corps are always the #1 priority. Your needs are secondary - at best.

[Tennessee Top]

You need to be at least 17 to sign up for the DEP. 17 requires your parent's signatures. Once you turn 18, you can legally do anything you want to without your parent's consent.

You can ship to bootcamp after you have your high school diploma.

[Maddie Barnes]

So are there any programs I could join before 17? I am assuming at this point that I will tell my parents relatively soon. I figure I will give it some time to sink in and make sure that it's not just something I love for the first few weeks. I feel like once I tell my parents it will not be likely for me to change my mind. I don't think I will just "get over" this though. It really gives me a feeling of home (in a way). It makes me feel like I have found the place I belong and now I just count down the days until I can make it official. But anyway, back on point, are there any programs you know of that I can sign up for before I turn 17? At this point I am honestly willing to shove soccer aside (another reason I know this is the job for me). I have always put soccer first; before school, sleep, friends, (future) job options. The idea of putting soccer second has never been an option, until now.

[Tennessee Top]

Google "Young Marines" and see if there is a unit near enough to you that you could join.

https://youtu.be/Z20DHqstOik

[Maddie Barnes]

Okay, so I just told my brother, we generally have an agreement that anything we say to each other stays between us. So I felt comfortable telling and not worrying that my parents will get wind of it. Anyway, his reaction was surprisingly negative. I knew he would not be in full blown support but he has always left himself as neutral as far as my things go. When I told he told me that I was making the wrong decision, he said that I would not like it and he would see me at my funeral.
He is by all means allowed to have his opinion but, I was gauging how my family would react based in his reaction. I think that even though he didn't say it, he is worried about my safety. I knew I would find no one in my family to be 100% supportive but he is always the one I have turned to when I needed support. I feel a little shaken to be honest, my desire has not changed at all (nor has it in anyway, shape or form decreased), but I am questioning if this is just another phase. I know I need to just accept it and move on (and trust me with time I will) but, I honestly wasn't ready for him to say it was the wrong decision and say I was going to be killed. I know that I could be killed but I wasn't ready for him to actually say it. Needless to say, I am now much more worried about talking to my mom and even my dad (who I thought would mostly support me). I know I didn't ask a question in this post but I really needed to get it out there because that reaction was way out of the blue. I think I just need to process but I need to talk it out in order to process it and normally I would go to my brother for that. Obviously I can't go to him in this situation.
So thanks for dealing with my rant!

[Maddie Barnes]

Okay so an actual question: I had asthma when I was a kid (like before 5th grade) and I believe it was always a minor thing. I only used my inhaler right before soccer games and I have had no problems since 5th grade (it could have been before that but I can't remember when I was officially cleared). I believe that this will not be a problem but I just want to make sure. Will it be a problem that I had asthma when I was younger?

[Maddie Barnes]

So, I am just starting the power point and I am wondering how to go about a (rough) plan. I am just doing a very basic sketch of it at this point. It is something like (this is shortened):
Enlist
leave for Boot Camp
10 day leave
Go to SOI

So my problem comes at this point. I want to be infantry however I know I am not promised an infantry position. So would you recommend I write that next I go to MOS or should I plan it as if I am already in infantry? If you think I should write it where I go to MOS next, do you know if there is any time off between SOI and MOS? From what I have seen I do not believe there is a break between the two but, I just want to be sure before I put it on my slide show. I would hate to give them the wrong info.

[Maddie Barnes]

So I haven't made much yet but my first few slides are about done. I don't know if the power point will update automatically or not but if I find that the link will not shown he new version then I just post a new link every so often.
This is my first attempt to share a google slide like this so it may not work. Please feel free to comment on here or on the slides itself with any advice on what to add or get ride of.
https://docs.google.com/presentation...ef7a985d_0_114

[Maddie Barnes]

I just tested the link. It looks like you have to request permission to see it. If you would me just share it with you, via email, then just let me know what your email is. mine is rosierocks72@gmail.com

[Tennessee Top]

Send a private message to Kamauxx about the asthma. Asthma is a disqualifying medical condition but since you're no longer having symptoms you may need a medical waiver or may not. He is a former recruiter so may know.

Check your private messages folder for my email address.