Free time/Square Away Time? Difference?

[Achped]

Does the drill instructor just flat out say "Alright pukes, you've got 30 minutes to square yourself away" or "You've got 30 minutes of free time", what does he say and what do the two mean?

[Marine84]

I can't remember how it was "announced" to us but, if a DI says you got so much time to square yourself away - that means you have so much time to unf__k whatever it is that he probably just yelled at you about being f__ked up. When they say the words "free time" - it means just that however about the only things you can do with that "free time" is $h!t, shower, shave, iron your uniform for the next day, clean your weapon, or write a note back home.

[Accord]

There is no difference between square away time and free time. At night after hygiene time your drill instructor will yell "TURN TO SENIOR DRILL INSTRUCTOR SQUARE AWAY TIME" and the recruits will scream "TURN TO SENIOR DRILL INSTRUCTOR SQUARE AWAY TIME AYE SIR" and you'll be on square away time until lights out. You'll get on average of about 20 to 30 minutes most nights during first and second phase with 4 hours of square away time on Sundays. During most of 3rd phase you get zero square away time at night because you're so busy. The 4 hours of square away time on Sunday's is kind of deceiving because if you go to church you pretty much lose your 4 hours of square away time because church takes place during those 4 hours.

[PRPCoMarine]

free time isnt free. only on nights that your senior is on will you probably get time to do anything. if our heavy was on duty it was pt and get yelled at. if it was the kill hat it was destroying random footlockers and making us tear off our name tapes from everything and make mountains of gear. Then we would have 5 min of "free time" to square it away.

[killerinstinct]

pretty much is they have to follow a training schedule and there are lots of hours and gaps in it meaning...... there is a lot of time for games to play i think on sunday is pretty much the time that will seem free and even then its only 2 or 3 hours and usually spent on field day after services etc... but either way ur hygiene time before lights out is i guess you could say free time.