General Orders

[benw2200]

Believe me, once you've screamed it about 40 times at the top of your lungs for your Drill Instructors, it will be even harder to forget..

[Chumley]

The point is that if you are asked, you should know them. You may not be specifically quizzed ever, true, but you better know WHAT TO DO when you are on duty.

The General Orders should guide your actions in reality. In understanding them, you will know what to do if, for example, you catch some turd stealing MRE's from your supply area in the dark of night. You will Challenge the turd because have Taken Charge of your Post and you Were Especially Watchful and you did not Quit your Posted assignment. You will call the CPL of the Guard to find out who will come to claim the body once you have addressed the turd appropriately. You will Report the incident to your NCO and SNCO, and you will Pass on to your Relief that there is one less turd to be dealt with.

While you may not formally utilize these General Orders per se, you will have the basic knowledge of what to do in order to be an effective sentry.

Last point is, The Marines in your unit are counting on you to be effective when you are on Duty. Do not be the POS who can't answer another Marine what your General Orders are. Catch the wrong Marine on the right day and you'll be sorry that you can't answer one of the most basic pieces of knowledge a Marine is taught in Boot Camp. Might as well not learn to fire rounds on target either, get it?

General Orders are the mere base of your military education. When you deploy in a hostile environment the lighthearted scenario I used above may have dire implications to the Marine Sentry and your Brothers who count on your basic abilities.

[NoRemorse]

You poolees should thank CPL Chumley by dropping to the deck in the prone position and pushing it away from yourselves until you're soaked in sweat.

His post exemplifies one of the easiest ways to remember something; create a story or scenario about it. Learn the first two words of each General Order and then create a story with them like the CPL did and you'll have an easier time remembering them and applying them.

[Smitty Puffs]

I don't find boot camp to be stupid at all, it teaches you to become Basic Marine, How to Follow Orders and Not be a complete dumba$$ Just a thought

I despised boot camp. Not because I was a **** bag or I got quarterdecked all the time, it was actually the complete oppoosite (DI's never knew my name). I hated it because it felt too much like they were just pushing us through and when they taught us anything useful it was basically "Hey heres the info, we taught you it, now cross another lesson learned off the ol' checklist". The only time I ever felt like the DI's were actually trying their hardest to make sure we retained something was when we drilled, and drill is pointless after you leave boot camp and go on to be a grunt. I learned a crap load of more useful information at SOI then I ever did at boot camp.

[echo3oscar1833]

I despised boot camp. Not because I was a **** bag or I got quarterdecked all the time, it was actually the complete oppoosite (DI's never knew my name). I hated it because it felt too much like they were just pushing us through and when they taught us anything useful it was basically "Hey heres the info, we taught you it, now cross another lesson learned off the ol' checklist". The only time I ever felt like the DI's were actually trying their hardest to make sure we retained something was when we drilled, and drill is pointless after you leave boot camp and go on to be a grunt. I learned a crap load of more useful information at SOI then I ever did at boot camp.

Well Im sorry your Boot Camp experience did not pan out as you might have thought it would. However before you go on and tell the Poolees, and Wannabes around here that boot camp is stupid, because of how you saw it and experienced it. Take a minute to think about what your saying, by telling Poolees, and Wannabes that your Marine Corps Boot Camp sucked. It does not give a good impression towards what they need to accomplish in the three months that they are going be there. You say Drill is pointless, Drill, whether you think it does or not has its uses after boot camp. It promotes good order and discipline, and the ability to follow simple orders as directed by your superiors. You talk about the checklist factor of boot camp. Thats how it is and will always be, remember the DI's, who sacrifice alot to come to the drill field have alot to accomplish with each cylce in three months. Dosn't mean they don't try to teach you, they just don't have the time to individually teach everyone, every minute. It is up to you the recruit to absorb it and learn it. Its not the DI's responsibilty to hold your hand, and make sure you learn it. Thats why they recylce recruits if you don't learn it in time, there is a chance you will get a second shot at it. Sounds like to me you wanted more individual attention in Boot Camp than you actually got.

[Chumley]

I don't know about you Smitty Puffs, but I was glad I was a Smith....blended right in with the other 2 Smiths and the DIs barely knew which one I was...me and the dark green Smith, Cleon were good to go ...I was pretty glad about it when Firewatch rotations were handed out.

For all the negatives ( by the way Boot Camp IS supposed to suck ) I'll bet that you learned to shoot pretty thoroughly, you learned to respond to direction immediately and perform capably without hesitation while under extreme stress, you learned how to be a team player, no matter who your teammates are, you learned that when you work hard you odds of success go way up, and most importantly, you Earned the right of Passage to be a Marine. You may not have gotten all the direct attention you felt you needed, but the truth is if your DI's saw you as needy, you would have caught their eye more often. Apparently they saw you as a recruit who needed less attention, and for that you should actually be happy with yourself and recognize that you passed their strict scrutiny with acceptable performance. That's not something to dismiss. The glass is half full Bro!

SFi
C

[Zulu 36]

I despised boot camp. Not because I was a **** bag or I got quarterdecked all the time, it was actually the complete oppoosite (DI's never knew my name). I hated it because it felt too much like they were just pushing us through and when they taught us anything useful it was basically "Hey heres the info, we taught you it, now cross another lesson learned off the ol' checklist". The only time I ever felt like the DI's were actually trying their hardest to make sure we retained something was when we drilled, and drill is pointless after you leave boot camp and go on to be a grunt. I learned a crap load of more useful information at SOI then I ever did at boot camp.

I can tell you that the reason you learned "a crap load of more useful information" at SOI is because of the basic grounding you received in boot camp. I can almost guarantee that you wouldn't have understood or absorbed even half of what you got at SOI if it wasn't for your boot camp experience.

You're still young and inexperienced. You will learn to appreciate boot camp with time. Boot camp was Step One of a multi-step learning process. SOI was Step Two. You are now in Step Three. Learning never stops throughout your Marine Corps career, or through life.

All I know is I wasn't in Vietnam for long before I appreciated my drill instructors much more. I was more than happy to buy one of them a few drinks when I ran into him on Okinawa a couple of years later. It was kind of the same experience as learning mom and dad weren't so stupid after all.

A member of this group you should PM and discuss this with is Accord. He has seen the elephant and is about to do so again. I'll bet my paycheck that he has a greater appreciation of boot camp now than he did just after graduation (although I don't remember him whining and crying about the futility of it back then). Accord is also a lot closer to you in age and rank than I am (I am a retired Air Force Master Sergeant, not just a former Marine Sergeant). My combat experience was long ago and Accord probably still has dirt from the 'Stan in his boots. Perhaps you will listen to him better.

[Smitty Puffs]

Well Im sorry your Boot Camp experience did not pan out as you might have thought it would. However before you go on and tell the Poolees, and Wannabes around here that boot camp is stupid, because of how you saw it and experienced it. Take a minute to think about what your saying, by telling Poolees, and Wannabes that your Marine Corps Boot Camp sucked. It does not give a good impression towards what they need to accomplish in the three months that they are going be there. You say Drill is pointless, Drill, whether you think it does or not has its uses after boot camp. It promotes good order and discipline, and the ability to follow simple orders as directed by your superiors. You talk about the checklist factor of boot camp. Thats how it is and will always be, remember the DI's, who sacrifice alot to come to the drill field have alot to accomplish with each cylce in three months. Dosn't mean they don't try to teach you, they just don't have the time to individually teach everyone, every minute. It is up to you the recruit to absorb it and learn it. Its not the DI's responsibilty to hold your hand, and make sure you learn it. Thats why they recylce recruits if you don't learn it in time, there is a chance you will get a second shot at it. Sounds like to me you wanted more individual attention in Boot Camp than you actually got.

Im not going to switch my point of view around just to make poolees feel better about boot camp. Im aware of the reasons for boot camp and what its ment to accomplish, but its done in such a manner that a lot of ****bags make it through. I was honestly ashamed to have graduated with a handful of the kids that I did. And yes, they were KIDS, and by no means should they have been Marines. It was disgusting. And ill tell you poolees the same damn thing. more then likely you are going to see people earn the title that dont deserve it, garauntee it. Make sure you're not one of them.

Seriously though, when was the last time you were out in the field and shared your boot stories? never, because its a sin amongst grunts to talk about boot once its over with. I became Marine at boot, no questions asked, but that doesnt mean that it made me the successful Marine I am now. It gave me the foundation, yes, but other then that it felt rushed.

And, wanted more individual attention? Who the hell are you to assume that? Im perfectly fine with where I am in the Marines and wouldnt change anything ive done for the world. Boot was a baby step, and thats all. This conversation isnt about the attention I got from DI's.

Boot camp is what you make it. You CAN learn all those things you mentioned, like team work and discipline, but who's to say I didnt possess those qualities before Boot Camp? As far as I see it, boot camp just polished them, it didnt give them to me.

[echo3oscar1833]

Im not going to switch my point of view around just to make poolees feel better about boot camp. Im aware of the reasons for boot camp and what its ment to accomplish, but its done in such a manner that a lot of ****bags make it through. I was honestly ashamed to have graduated with a handful of the kids that I did. And yes, they were KIDS, and by no means should they have been Marines. It was disgusting. And ill tell you poolees the same damn thing. more then likely you are going to see people earn the title that dont deserve it, garauntee it. Make sure you're not one of them.

Seriously though, when was the last time you were out in the field and shared your boot stories? never, because its a sin amongst grunts to talk about boot once its over with. I became Marine at boot, no questions asked, but that doesnt mean that it made me the successful Marine I am now. It gave me the foundation, yes, but other then that it felt rushed.

And, wanted more individual attention? Who the hell are you to assume that? Im perfectly fine with where I am in the Marines and wouldnt change anything ive done for the world. Boot was a baby step, and thats all. This conversation isnt about the attention I got from DI's.

Boot camp is what you make it. You CAN learn all those things you mentioned, like team work and discipline, but who's to say I didnt possess those qualities before Boot Camp? As far as I see it, boot camp just polished them, it didnt give them to me.

This is not the place for an argument, im going to stop this before it goes to far and the MOD's step in. I sent you a PM

[Petz]

Well Im sorry your Boot Camp experience did not pan out as you might have thought it would. However before you go on and tell the Poolees, and Wannabes around here that boot camp is stupid, because of how you saw it and experienced it. Take a minute to think about what your saying, by telling Poolees, and Wannabes that your Marine Corps Boot Camp sucked. It does not give a good impression towards what they need to accomplish in the three months that they are going be there. You say Drill is pointless, Drill, whether you think it does or not has its uses after boot camp. It promotes good order and discipline, and the ability to follow simple orders as directed by your superiors. You talk about the checklist factor of boot camp. Thats how it is and will always be, remember the DI's, who sacrifice alot to come to the drill field have alot to accomplish with each cylce in three months. Dosn't mean they don't try to teach you, they just don't have the time to individually teach everyone, every minute. It is up to you the recruit to absorb it and learn it. Its not the DI's responsibilty to hold your hand, and make sure you learn it. Thats why they recylce recruits if you don't learn it in time, there is a chance you will get a second shot at it. Sounds like to me you wanted more individual attention in Boot Camp than you actually got.

holy fvck! this sounds familiar!!!! hahahaha, you must've picked up what I was laying down! hahahaha.

very well said in all LCpl of Marines (Ret.)