New graduate

[Jfriesner]

Just graduated May 8th from MCRD San Diego. Feels great to be home for 10 days. Was quite the challenge but by far the most rewarding thing I've ever done. If any poolee's have questions about boot in San Diego ask away and I'll do my best. Thanks to all the Marines who gave me advice and this website for all its information.

PFC Jon Friesner
PLT 3231 Kilo Co.

[Rotella]

Congrats, sir.

[Gunner614]

Welcome home Marine.

[PIMarine1986]

Congrats Marine. A great start. Push hard, compete, stay for 20 and retire

[KidnapSix]

First of all congrats, wish I was where you are right now.

Did you have any recruits in the beginning not be able to start training because they couldn't pass the IST?

And what was the hardest part of bootcamp for you?

[SGT VAS]

Conrats Marine and welcome to the gun club!!

[Jfriesner]

Thank you Sgt. VAS.
Yes we dropped a couple recruits for not passing the IST and a few more later for not passing the PFT. All I have to say to that is you better go to boot in some form of decent physical shape and be prepared to put out. If you are concerned about not passing an IST then you need to do a lot of work before going because the PFT isn't much later than the IST. Unless you want to be in PCP I would work out. Boot isn't fat camp so don't go thinking they will just let you fall back because your fat. They will just drop you.

Hardest part of boot camp was missing my wife to be honest. I'm in very good physical shape so I was challenged and pushed a lot at boot but was never incapable to doing anything. For me the mental challenge of missing my family was the tough part. The crucible is a challenge as well but also the most rewarding part of boot.

[AlanJames]

What is the food like?

[Jfriesner]

Food isn't too bad. I found it difficult to go from evening chow to morning chow just because it was like 12hour gap. Other than that it isn't too bad. You get plenty of food and you learn really fast how to eat fast. For the most part you are eating so fast you don't notice how good/bad things taste. You focus more on consuming calories and less on enjoying it.

[Rocky C]

Congrats Marine.
Job well done!!!
Semper Fi,

Rocky

[ramos360]

I would like to start by saying congratulations Marine!!!
I have 2 months tomorrow until I go to Parris Island.
I know you went to San Diego but I would like to know how hard is it to continue day after day with the pains from the prior day? I am currently pushing myself to do the best at PFT as I can. When I work out I notice I don't want to move the next day so I wanted to know if this itself was a challenge within itself or if you barely notice it. Thanks.

[Jfriesner]

yes you will be sore and not feel like getting out of the rack but you will get use to it. that is the main thing with boot camp. You don't have a choice to do or not do things. So your mind and your body just evolve and get use to the schedule and the challenges. Some people take longer than others but all get to that point. Far as pain it depends. The more training you do prior to boot helps. I was in DEP for 6 days so didn't have a lot of time to prep. I got shin splints towards the end of first phase and never went to medical for it, was afraid of getting dropped. That made running PFT's and CFT's extremely painful. But like much of boot camp you just learn to push through the pain and that is what I had to do.

[BGW]

Congraduations sir on graduating boot camp!

I do have a couple of quetions.

First off, tell me about your experience on shooting the M16. Was it difficult to qualify in your opinion? Or was it surprisingly easy?

Second part, just wondering about this. Once in Boot camp, every day to every hour to every minute you’re pretty much working, nonstop. Except for the one hour break in the evening, which I hear you use that time to finish any trash that needs to be done. So was that mentally exhausting through out boot camp? Or after couple of weeks it just becomes second nature to you?

[ramos360]

yes you will be sore and not feel like getting out of the rack but you will get use to it. that is the main thing with boot camp. You don't have a choice to do or not do things. So your mind and your body just evolve and get use to the schedule and the challenges. Some people take longer than others but all get to that point. Far as pain it depends. The more training you do prior to boot helps. I was in DEP for 6 days so didn't have a lot of time to prep. I got shin splints towards the end of first phase and never went to medical for it, was afraid of getting dropped. That made running PFT's and CFT's extremely painful. But like much of boot camp you just learn to push through the pain and that is what I had to do.

Thank you bro. I am training as much as I can but getting ready for graduation and prom just happening has clouded my entire schedule you know. But besides that I train I am starting to do max set of push ups everytime I go somewhere in my house. Also, I am starting to do more flutter kicks. I am working more towards conditioning my body then getting my body bigger. The thing I need most improvement on is my cardio. It is fine where it is but it wouldn't hurt to get better. After running for so long my body starts to slow its pace and I want it to continue the pace that I start with to the end. Any tips? Thanks bro.

[Jfriesner]

BGW;
I have shot weapons my entire life and graduated from MN Law Enfrocement Academy prior to going to boot so I had a pretty good understanding of shooting beforehand. So I did better than most, I shot series high with a 330 and missed company high by 3 points. But many others in my platoon shot expert and they had never picked a rifle up in their life so don't worry about the rifle range. They teach you everything you need to know before you ever get a live round. Its easy trash if you apply the basics and stay calm, maybe even enjoy yourself.

Far as the daily routine ya you get use to it after a while. Took me roughly the first two weeks and then it was just second nature to always be on the move and doing everything with speed and intensity.