A quick question for Reserve Marines.

[CHAOS27]

Hello,

I was told by one of my good friends who is a former Active Duty Marine/OIF Combat wounded Veteran that Reserve Marines are responsible for their own (for lack of a better word)..housing (ie: hotel) while on drill if they do not live close to their drill station. I have researched the matter but haven't found anything regarding this except that some units are in the field 24/7 during drill (which I hope is the case). I'm in Gainesville, FL and want to earn the title soon and hopefully join a Reserve AAV/Amtrac (Bravo Company/4th Battln) unit in Jacksonville, FL (which is about two hours away) so that I can serve my country and finish my degree in a timely fashion and hopefully apply for an OCS or OCC package in the next three to four years.

Thanks in advance to all you hard chargers for your continued service to our great Country.

Sincerely,

Rob

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

The unit I drilled with after I left active duty was an infantry unit, so you can imagine that we were in the field most drills. However, on the few occassions that we stayed at the reserve center, all Marines that lived over 50 miles away were given a room at a local hotel. Evening chow was at the local Rib Crib, where they had a list of all Marines that were to receive a free meal, which of course were the same people that got the hotel rooms.

[outlaw3179]

Same thing...except with our unit most of the time they stayed at some army barracks wich were close by. Other than that chow and hotel were paid for by the unit.

[jaredeker]

If you live over 50 miles away, you rate billeting. What form that takes may vary from unit to unit, but the individual is not responsible for it. Unfortunately, I never could figure out a way to get them to pay for my gas to drive 3 hours each way. Carpool if you can.

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

Sir, I know it doesn't matter for you now, but the fuel is a tax deduction, which is better than nothing.

[goat]

It was 1974 and we had Marines from all over Montana traveling to Billings to drill. In 1975 I moved to Helena 230 miles away. We car pooled, flew on commercial airlines, bused etc to get to drill. At that Co. B 4th Recon didn't provide any billeting. When we weren't in the field (twice a year then, once in November for the birthday ball, and once in the summer for our float trip on the Yellowstone River). We slept a local motels sometimes 5-7 to a room to cut "personel" costs. Yep boys, we where on our own and expected to pay our onw way. In fact funding was so tight I took 3rd platton to drill in Helena 2 out of every 3 months so we wouldn't loose Marines to the national guard!!

We drove our personel vehicles to the training areas lots of times becaues we didn't even have a duce and a half of our own! I hope it's better in other states, but you know I look back on those 230 miles nighttime drives through 5 winters of blizards as a good chariter building experiance.

You really get to know each other when you spend that much time traveling. I miss my men and comrads more each day.

Oh, back to the original thread, if they say so it's probably true.
-Goat

[CHAOS27]

Thanks for the replies/info. I'll do whatever it takes because sleeping in my truck or in the mud or wherever is the least of my concerns, I was just curious. The drill station is at Mayport Naval Station in Jax, FL so I just gotta make sure they billet us as far away from sailors as possible, right?

My PFT and gouge is what I'm primarily concerned with. I got to go hit the pavement, you guys have a good weekend!

Rob