Recruit dad here

[mgkusmc]

They will do a night firing course and they will also get to shoot the M249 SAW and the AT4 during A-Line. They more than likely wont stay out at Weapons, my case I think was a rare one. Either something was being done to our squadbays or someone was using our squadbays. Of course there was the usual scuttlebutt but I never heard a confirmed exact reason.

[dono]

Letter were few and far between the past two weeks. We got one today. He did qualify. Said he did not shoot as well as he had practiced, so he was just a little disappointed. But, not too much; seems like a good number did not qualify.

We're in the last month and I'm thinking about Family Day. I've heard pros and cons on bringing food as opposed to eating on base. Here's where I'd like some input. Also, someone, either on the thread or by e-mail (I forget which) said he could steer me to the good chow in the area (not the franchise chain eateries.) I'd welcome input on that as well.

We got a condo reserved for Wednesday through Friday and a vehicle rental all set. I need something large to ride five back home plus his gear.

[mgkusmc]

Letter were few and far between the past two weeks. We got one today. He did qualify. Said he did not shoot as well as he had practiced, so he was just a little disappointed. But, not too much; seems like a good number did not qualify.

We're in the last month and I'm thinking about Family Day. I've heard pros and cons on bringing food as opposed to eating on base. Here's where I'd like some input. Also, someone, either on the thread or by e-mail (I forget which) said he could steer me to the good chow in the area (not the franchise chain eateries.) I'd welcome input on that as well.

We got a condo reserved for Wednesday through Friday and a vehicle rental all set. I need something large to ride five back home plus his gear.

I'm gonna be down at Parris Island/Beaufort next week for xmas I'll get the lowdown on all the good places to eat from my rents and let you know ASAP.

[4myson]

dono, I just wanted to thank you for posting your questions and experiences through this. I have read through the posts and have learned a few things about what to do and not do. I am the mom of an 18 year old son who is currently a senior and will be reporting for boot camp July 17th. Like your son, my son will be going into the reserves so he can attend college. This experience is going to be harder on me than it wil be on him. When I learned that the only communication will be letter writing, I looked at the recruiter and said "You realize you are killing me, right?"
Wishing you and your son the very best.

[dono]

The letters have slowed down a lot. Maybe two in the last two weeks. Last one he was ragging on me a little. Seems that his SDI was somehow bringing ME up to him in their interactions. As I mentioned way back upthread, his SDI reached out to me, via e-mai, and offered to answer any questions. I asked a few generic ones, but the one and only time I asked about the recruit personally was when I saw in a letter that he had been coughing up blood and the corpsman said that was "normal." That scared me a little, so I e-mailed the SDI to maybe check him out. That was the only time.

I have since discontinued that communication. But, I intend to ask the SDI why HE felt it appropriate to inform the recruit of our communication if I see him at graduation. I'm not really angry with him, jist a little disappointed.

edit: I did also ask about qualifying and he responded to that, which I appreciated and told him so.

[mgkusmc]

The letters have slowed down a lot. Maybe two in the last two weeks. Last one he was ragging on me a little. Seems that his SDI was somehow bringing ME up to him in their interactions. As I mentioned way back upthread, his SDI reached out to me, via e-mai, and offered to answer any questions. I asked a few generic ones, but the one and only time I asked about the recruit personally was when I saw in a letter that he had been coughing up blood and the corpsman said that was "normal." That scared me a little, so I e-mailed the SDI to maybe check him out. That was the only time.

I have since discontinued that communication. But, I intend to ask the SDI why HE felt it appropriate to inform the recruit of our communication if I see him at graduation. I'm not really angry with him, jist a little disappointed.

edit: I did also ask about qualifying and he responded to that, which I appreciated and told him so.

I wouldnt worry about it too much, he's definitly not the only recruit who has been ragged on for parents sending emails to SDI being concerned, it was prolly just for a little more motivation and more than likely it wasnt made into a big deal....prolly just a small comment like "You gonna cry in a letter to your dad again like how you were coughing up blood" (thats just an example of course) its usually just to get a rise out of the recruit and usually if the recruit doesnt get ****ed off and complain to the SDI about it or argue with him (which your recruit sounds pretty squared away so it doesnt sound like that happened at least) then its usually dropped and not divulged into deeply. Also this is a good sign cause it shows that the SDI is reading the emails he is getting from the parents and that he is taking it into consideration. Nothing to worry about.

[ecom]

When I first went to Camp Pendleton from MCRD, I was coughing up blood also. I was told this was a result of the air in Camp Pendleton being a lot dustier.

I was coughing a lot and there were streaks of blood in my phelgm. I was told that the blood was there because I was coughing a lot and irritating something in my respiratory tract; not because of an infection.

[DIUSMC]

To the parents of any Marine Corps recruit. For the good of everyone, PLEASE stay out of the training! There is no need to know every step that the recruits take. Every other branch of the Armed Forces encourage the "interaction". The Marines DO NOT. We as Marines look out for our own, we train, we fight, we look for support from each other...NOT the home front. There is NO REASON for communication with any of the Instructors, even if you did not initiate it! The Marine Corps are considered ELITE for a reason, please don't tarnish that. I feel I am qualified to throw that in, I certainly have spent enough time training them.
Happy Holidays, Semper Fi.

[SGT7477]

To the parents of any Marine Corps recruit. For the good of everyone, PLEASE stay out of the training! There is no need to know every step that the recruits take. Every other branch of the Armed Forces encourage the "interaction". The Marines DO NOT. We as Marines look out for our own, we train, we fight, we look for support from each other...NOT the home front. There is NO REASON for communication with any of the Instructors, even if you did not initiate it! The Marine Corps are considered ELITE for a reason, please don't tarnish that. I feel I am qualified to throw that in, I certainly have spent enough time training them.
Happy Holidays, Semper Fi.

You said it all brother no such things as e-mails in our time, just something more to **** the SDI off.

[AAHMarineDad]

To the parents of any Marine Corps recruit. For the good of everyone, PLEASE stay out of the training! There is no need to know every step that the recruits take. Every other branch of the Armed Forces encourage the "interaction". The Marines DO NOT. We as Marines look out for our own, we train, we fight, we look for support from each other...NOT the home front. There is NO REASON for communication with any of the Instructors, even if you did not initiate it! The Marine Corps are considered ELITE for a reason, please don't tarnish that. I feel I am qualified to throw that in, I certainly have spent enough time training them.
Happy Holidays, Semper Fi.

DIUSMC Sir,

I totally agree with you. My personal feeling is that my son's DI had better things to do than answer my (civilian) questions.

Also my son made it quite clear to Mom & I that, "WHAT HAPPENS ON PARRIS ISLAND, STAYS ON PARRIS ISLAND!"

I had total respect for that. I wanted him to become a Heart Breaker and a Life Taker.

I knew as did he, the training would be tough. When Mom & I went to his graduation, we gave all 3 of his DI's a bottle. I personally shook each of their hands and thanked them. I told them as tough as you were on my son that, that trainig might some day save his life or allow him to save the life of a brother Marine.

Just a humble opinion from this Devil Dog Dad.

[mltryman]

dono,
is ur son going to boy scout camp or Marine Corps boot camp?
that is a retorical question by the way.. i seriously doubt u are gonna confront his
drill instructor about any thing.. give ur son a break stop jeesh.. it's time to let him spread his wings insted of having you constantly breathing on tha back of his neck.. you make me sick.. let him be.. stop baby sitting seriously.. or you are just gonna create a Marine who is weak and never left the nest. wow i'm so glad i am don't have a dad that hovers over me like you do your son, let him grow and stop babysitting him.. he is not is day care ne more.

[DIUSMC]

The DI's have an incredible schedule. When assigned as a Series Guunery Sgt. if I had knowledge of personal contact between an Instructor and a parent of a recruit that Instructor would be cleaning the filters at the pool. Some Marines have a hard time filling the "hat". Good luck to you sir, and my best to your son.
Happy Holidays, Semper Fi.

[3rdBNmachine]

Just a heed of warning. When i was on the island, there were recruit moms from guys in my platoon posting stuff their sons sent them on forums like this and our senior drill instructor caught wind of it when one of the recruits told a fib to his mother about "harsh" treatment and certain higher ups were notified. Drill Instructors and Senior Drill Instructors want to keep their business on their deck, no where else. The mother of the recruit in my platoon put our platoon number online and the senior drill instructor then googled it and saw business that was occuring on his deck, posted all over the web. BLASPHEMY! Everything from the contents of our box chows to the quaterdeck session (OOOoOOOoHhh the quater deck :-D ) we got smoked for a good 3 days over that. regular trips to the beach ( we called the sandpit a beach session) so be carefull, because a drill instructor will consider it treasonous and disloyal if they catch wind of their business beign spread about to non platoon members. The chain of command is sacred. What battalion is your son in? I wish him the best and it's comforting being on the other end of Parris island and seeing that the world doesnt really stop when your there and familys can track you to see your progress and there are places of support such as here. Good luck!

[SGT7477]

Get rid the the frickin computers, problems solved.

[dono]

Just a heed of warning.

I thought I was very clear that up until now, I did not post any squadbay business. Hell, I have no clue. My son does not share it with me! I am not toally clueless on such. I appreciate the post.