Boot camp at PI

[melodyr317]

Hey all my son joined the Marines last year through the DEP program. He left on July 7th for bootcamp, He has already made squad leader! i am so proud ,but he is in the 3rd battalion India company,they say that is the hardest platoon. has anyone else went through that particular platoon? I know you guys have been out of bootcamp for a while but I was just checking.

VPM of recruit Alex

[Nick Valdez]

Don't worry, your son will do fine. All the platoons make boys into Marines. There is no hardest platoon. As long as your son does what he is told and does what it takes to be a Marine you have nothing to worry about. Good luck

Semper Fi

[mikysmom]

just remember to write write and then write some more i wrote Mike everyday good luck

[melodyr317]

Yeah I am writing I know he may not have alot of time to. They have asked us to send power bars, protein bars and powdered gatorade, so of course the next day i sent 15 bars and 4 quart size gatorade containers, then after I sent it I thought I hope that doesn't get him in trouble because I sent so many........

[CplKJSpevak]

Na, It's always good to send enough, to share with the class. That's good Stuff, Glad he's doing well and like Sgt. Valdez said, all the training is real hard. No company, series, platoon or Bn. is harder than the other. But in the Corps (especially in Boot Camp) everything is a competition!

[SGT7477]

Hey all my son joined the Marines last year through the DEP program. He left on July 7th for bootcamp, He has already made squad leader! i am so proud ,but he is in the 3rd battalion India company,they say that is the hardest platoon. has anyone else went through that particular platoon? I know you guys have been out of bootcamp for a while but I was just checking.

VPM of recruit Alex

I don't care which boot camp you go through the final result is We Make MARINES.

[Wardey]

Yeah I am writing I know he may not have alot of time to. They have asked us to send power bars, protein bars and powdered gatorade, so of course the next day i sent 15 bars and 4 quart size gatorade containers, then after I sent it I thought I hope that doesn't get him in trouble because I sent so many........

I know a mother that baked almost 300 cup cakes for her son's platoon. Anyhow, when they arrived, the DI called him in and said, you have (5) minutes to eat every one of those cupcakes !!! Dave

[CHOPPER7199]

They Asked For Chit To Be Sent To Boot Camp? Wonder Whats Going On Down There? Asked? Either Things Have Changed Or Some One Never Read About Going To Boot Camp And What Not To Bring Or Be Sent. JUST AN OLD GRUNT THINKING AGAIN

[bgsuwoody]

The Drill Instructors ask for these things. They are the Seniors way to be the "good guy" at times and to give recruits before things like PT and Drill and competitions. Believe me it isn't always fun, as you can be eating a box of powerbars in a night...guess what they dont go down well...and they come up worse...in both ends. I know...believe me.

[Bdchi1]

VPM of Recruit Alex,

The young man will be fine. Does not matter if he gets in trouble for things you send him or not, because the DI will find ways to get him in trouble. All part of making them physically and mentally strong enough to carry that very heavy title: Marine!!!

Besides, anything that gets Alex in trouble in boot camp makes for good field fodder later in the FMF. Jarheads love to compare boot camp stories...whether its about the best girlfriend photo on the Motivatio Board, or about the kid that got busted with skid marks in his skivvies. So do your best to embarrass the hell out of him. Do your part to make him the strongest recruit possible)))

As far as him making squad leader already. I do hope he holds on to that position, but keep in mind that the DI's rotate those positions often. The DI's will make it look as if the squad isn't performing under your son's leadership or that your son scored to low on his pft or rifle range scores. The reasoning for the matriculation of squad leaders is simple -- spread the experience. The platoon may have 17 recruits that are leader material and the DI's will see this. They will want to get as many of them as possible some squad leader or guide time. It will be nothing personal toward your son.

To say the least, my father took every opportunity to send some rediculous contraption to me...he got a kick out of knowing that I was going to be thrashed repeatedly over his practical jokes. Needless to say, I was one well conditioned devil dog crossing that bridge off the Island. For example, he took a photo of me wearing my Don Johnson - Miami Vice suit to the local printer and had the photo blown up to an 8x10. He placed it in a huge envelope that said he would handle any DI responsible for damaging the photo. Needless to say that fatefull mailcall was the worst and longest 32 hour day I've ever experienced. He and the DI's had a great laugh about it at graduation. Thats right...my dad is a sonofabi@#!

But let me tell you this...I loved telling those stories to my fellow marines as much as I enjoy remembering their stories.

So give him hell. I'm just glad my dad didn't have PhotoShop back then.

S/F

[UsmcMotorT]

Did you just say 3rd Bn India Company?

Don't worry they'll work him and train him hard. I should know, I'm a product of 3rd Bn India Company, 3075 OORAH! (Sep 2002)

Good Morale boosters are Envelopes with stickers on the outside. Plenty of cookies and other bakery products. And if your son's bday is during bootcamp ensure to send him a balloon and confettie (in a package of course) or you can send it anyways (ensure that you anotate on the box that ballons and confettie are inside).

3rd Bn is awesome. We're in the back near Weapons Bn, he's fine the DI's can haze em all day (not really haze but put em through hell); it's good training. Good luck and hopefully he'll come back as a Marine.

[proudashellmama]

My son is also 3rd Bn India Co at MCRD San Diego. Ha ha ha, he told me NO POWER BARS, NO GATORADE.... that all the DI's eat it all anyways... now I REALLY know why. Ha ha ha... he also had his 18th bday and he said he forget it was even his bday until the afternoon. Of course we sent him cards and stuff but nothing written on the envelopes. I guess we are no fun .

You guys are hilarious.