Just Got Back

[JesseGlenTurner]

My Top 3 Tips

1. When in the chow hall take napkins and use them as toilet paper because in receiving and when changing houses they will have none. Luckily I figured this out fast
2. Tell people to shut up in receiving and be very loud so that the drill instructor can hear you. This will most likely make you the guide.
3. Volunteer for everything. It will suck at first but then it will give you a high billet and in the end of boot camp it will get you promoted.
4.

[yellowwing]

Congratulations Marine! Let us know if you picked up any rank. Semper Fi

[TJR1070]

Congratulations Marine! Welcome to the Brotherhood.

[SGT7477]

Congrats, Semper FI.

[Black Heart]

OO rahh Marine

[Smitty Puffs]

Congrats Marine.


ANyways, I completely disagree on the whole making yourself noticed part. Being a guide or squad leader is completely pointless and the only thing it helps to do is inflate your ego and get you noticed so you get messed up more. The only reason I say this is because 17 year old kids fresh out of high school do not make good leaders. I have yet to meet one yet with the maturity to not let his feelings or pride get in the way of what needs to be done.

Boot camp is probably the easiest training you'll do in the Marine Corps if you just keep your mouth shut, keep your ears open, and stay to yourself.

[Majesty305]

My Top 3 Tips

1. When in the chow hall take napkins and use them as toilet paper because in receiving and when changing houses they will have none. Luckily I figured this out fast
2. Tell people to shut up in receiving and be very loud so that the drill instructor can hear you. This will most likely make you the guide.
3. Volunteer for everything. It will suck at first but then it will give you a high billet and in the end of boot camp it will get you promoted.
4.

Ahahehe The napkins in the chow-hall saved my Butt plenty!!
during rifle range/team week they HELP!!

but you tend to adapt to dumping during free time or lights out.

[Enigmatic]

Congrats Marine.


ANyways, I completely disagree on the whole making yourself noticed part. Being a guide or squad leader is completely pointless and the only thing it helps to do is inflate your ego and get you noticed so you get messed up more. The only reason I say this is because 17 year old kids fresh out of high school do not make good leaders. I have yet to meet one yet with the maturity to not let his feelings or pride get in the way of what needs to be done.

Boot camp is probably the easiest training you'll do in the Marine Corps if you just keep your mouth shut, keep your ears open, and stay to yourself.

I don't know about that...when the morning reports were first being done on MOL and I was one of the first trained on how to use it....I thought that was pretty easy training

[Wyoming]

My Top 3 Tips

1. When in the chow hall take napkins and use them as toilet paper because in receiving and when changing houses they will have none. Luckily I figured this out fast
2. Tell people to shut up in receiving and be very loud so that the drill instructor can hear you. This will most likely make you the guide.
3. Volunteer for everything. It will suck at first but then it will give you a high billet and in the end of boot camp it will get you promoted.
4.

No offense there Private, and welcome to the Corps, but your tips, #2 & #3, it appears they don't always work.

I think your #4 is the best - STFU!

I only 'voluinteered' for 2 things. 1st, to join the Marines, and 2ndly, once when I was in the RVN.

[wargrudge]

My Top 3 Tips

1. When in the chow hall take napkins and use them as toilet paper because in receiving and when changing houses they will have none. Luckily I figured this out fast
2. Tell people to shut up in receiving and be very loud so that the drill instructor can hear you. This will most likely make you the guide.
3. Volunteer for everything. It will suck at first but then it will give you a high billet and in the end of boot camp it will get you promoted.
4.

Welcome to the Marine Corps Private. Don't get me wrong, trying to offer some advice to others is some good stuff, but as has been pointed out already your advice is a little misleading.

Tip #2 won't necessarily happen. While being loud is a good thing, and it will keep you from getting a nice little IT session everyday because you will obviously be "putting out", you may not even get squad leader, let alone guide. Loud is a good thing, but there's still the physical aspect of the job. You could be the loudest person there, but the majority of the time the DI's are gonna pick the most physically fit recruit to stick as the platoon guide.

With tip #3 you make it sound like a guarantee. Just because you volunteer doesn't mean they have to give you a billet at all. Furthermore, having a billet does not automatically get you a promotion. Happened in my platoon, happened in other platoons, and I'm sure it still does: Squad leaders don't get that PFC chevron because of some little thing. Instead they gave out his meritorious promotion to a recruit of ours who went through the entire Crucible with a fractured leg, and never complained about it once.

Just my thoughts on your advice.