What was your boot platoon like?

[Jeep92yj]

Out of your platoon in TW1, what was the percentage or how many completely out of shape recruits were with you?

[sparkie]

All of us,,,,,,,,,,More adapted than others.

[CplKJSpevak]

I think out of 63 about 2 or 3 couldn't pass the IST......and got dropped to the PCP. and the IST is not that hard, and average 18-20 year old should have no problems, if you do, your recruiter let you down..

[Robert Browell]

I believe the reason I made it through PI without to much difficulty was because I was in "shock" from the moment that Sgt. got on the bus 'til I graduated. I was convinced that the slightest infraction would cause a DI to either kill my young,dumb azz or at the very least maim me! So I tried to pay attention and follow orders.We didn't have a "good guy" DI ! All of them acted meaner than a constipated rattlesnake! But.................they were trainin' us for war!! The meanest of all was my Senior DI.I am sure this fine Marine Staff Sgt helped a lot of us survive! Took me a long time to realise that! By the time I figured it out,He was KIA! Now I go to the Wall as often as possible to visit old friends and to say a prayer of thanks to this Man.

[sparkie]

Amen, Brother.

[CarolinaMarine]

Seemed like we dropped 5 out of close to 70ish. Hard to remember, those days went by as blurs.

If you can believe it we dropped a handful on the PFT late in training as well.

[jrhd97]

We dropped several. We were all out of shape. Even those of us who were runners and involved in athletics. There were 2 fat bodies that stand out. 1 disappeared, I don't know how the other one hung on.

[FLRULZURSHPSCKS]

We dropped a few at IST. The most disgusting was 2 drops at final PFT. They coudln't do 3 pull ups and we had a 33 year old doing 15.

[Big Jim]

I believe the reason I made it through PI without to much difficulty was because I was in "shock" from the moment that Sgt. got on the bus 'til I graduated. I was convinced that the slightest infraction would cause a DI to either kill my young,dumb azz or at the very least maim me! So I tried to pay attention and follow orders.We didn't have a "good guy" DI ! All of them acted meaner than a constipated rattlesnake! But.................they were trainin' us for war!! The meanest of all was my Senior DI.I am sure this fine Marine Staff Sgt helped a lot of us survive! Took me a long time to realise that! By the time I figured it out,He was KIA! Now I go to the Wall as often as possible to visit old friends and to say a prayer of thanks to this Man.

Like my brother Rob said...we came up in a Marine Corps where they didn't believe in positive motivation through calm, cool communication. That just didn't happen...you had to figure out which of the DI's was less apt to backhand you if you asked permission to speak...if he said "speak", then you asked permission to make a head call!!! Usually, that was the Senior but he could be the meanest SOB of them all!!! I did not ever want that man to be pizzed at me!!!

But afterwards, during and after graduation, when they became people again...you had the utmost respect for the jobs they had and the miracles they accomplished with the sheer stupidity, (the recruits, of course), they had to work with...and we never forgot them for transforming us from young know-it-all civilian boys, and girls, into Marines, that carried the flags and legacies and answered our countries calls for duties on foreign soils into conflicts and wars. Most of all, I will never ever forget each one of my DI's for giving me a life of honor and integrity...something I could have never known or accomplished on my own without my beloved Corps.

We different generations of old Corps vets do understand how the Marine Corps has changed but one thing we could always count on remaining are the deep values and traditions of honor and brotherhood...no matter how much our beloved Marine Corps changes...!!! SEMPER FI...

[CplKJSpevak]

Jim and Bob, Good stuff Marines...thanks for the motivation!

[Danno77]

Back in 77, it seemed we were always dropping people for various reasons, Physical injuries, NJPs that sent recruits to CCP, rifle range unks, PFT drops, academic drops. We were always piking up people who had been dropped for the same above reasons and were being recycled through our platoon. Recruits saying they refuse to train" was not allowed back then. So I thought it always balanced out in the end.