How are recruits dropped from Boot Camp?

[Wannaberekeke]

What are the reasons they get dropped? From lack of motivation? Lack of speed, volume AND intensity?

Thanks Marines

[Dragonscript]

All the issues that i know of:

Failed rifle qualification: I knew several guys who were held back because of this but i haven't heard of anyone being kicked out for it.

Medical issue: Most of the people that we dropped in boot camp were for this reason. Unknown heart conditions, broken bones, shin splints.

Hardship discharge: I had a fellow Marine in my Cherry Point unit who was discharged from boot camp due to his mother having cancer, she didn't have anyone else to take care of her. After she passed, he rejoined the Marines and restarted boot camp again.

Suicide: During boot camp, while not from my series, there were two suicides, both of which jumped off the recruit barracks. One of the recruits was married with a kid, at least that was the rumor, don't know how true it was.

Out of a platoon of 90 at the start, we lost 25 recruits and picked up 15 along the way and graduated with 80 in our platoon. Most of those we lost were just dropped to following platoons but a few were discharged for various reasons.


I never knew/heard of anyone being dropped from boot camp for not being fast/strong enough. The same with motivation, you will not be motivated all the time but you'll learn to be motivated at the right times. I went to boot camp barely able to run a mile and a half, could only do ~40 sit-ups and could only do 3 pull-ups, and I was a red stripper, diet recruit. At the end of boot camp i ran the 3 mile in 20:30, did 90 sit-ups and could do 12 pull-ups, and i lost 45 pounds. Other than being a diet recruit i did not receive any special attention and I graduated on time. Boot camp is meant to be hard and a weeding process, but it is also set up to make recruits succeed. I wouldn't worry about it too much, just do what you're told and try to keep your moral up, the Drill Instructors will provide the rest.

[Phantom Blooper]

I never knew/heard of anyone being dropped from boot camp for not being fast/strong enough. The same with motivation, you will not be motivated all the time but you'll learn to be motivated at the right times. I went to boot camp barely able to run a mile and a half, could only do ~40 sit-ups and could only do 3 pull-ups, and I was a red stripper, diet recruit. At the end of boot camp i ran the 3 mile in 20:30, did 90 sit-ups and could do 12 pull-ups, and i lost 45 pounds. Other than being a diet recruit i did not receive any special attention and I graduated on time. Boot camp is meant to be hard and a weeding process, but it is also set up to make recruits succeed. I wouldn't worry about it too much, just do what you're told and try to keep your moral up, the Drill Instructors will provide the rest.

Good advice.....

Except for the things already mentioned the only other two things I heard of..... is a recruit being dropped on his gourd from the top rack....or being dropped head first off the rappel tower for being a crash dummy!

[kaboom1371]

be more specific as to what reason your worried about.

[Wannaberekeke]

Thanks for all the advice!


All I'm really worried about is screwing up to much

[tdrt]

That's the last thing you need to worry about! WE ALL screwed up!! It's an entirely new learning experience, a new way of life and you will screw up. It's expected. Just do your best! That's all anyone can ask for and it will be noticed.

[Lisa 23]

Like tdrt said, we all screwed up. Don't sweat the small stuff. Just pay attention to everything your Drill Instructors tell you and you'll be fine, even though you may think at times that you Drill Instructors want you to fail, they don't. Just do your best!

[kaboom1371]

nothing to worry about then...even if you don't screw up you will think you did when they jump your ass...just remember thats the DI's job. If you do everything perfect they will find fault in it...That was some of the best memories of boot was the crazy stuff the DI's came up with...

[tdrt]

nothing to worry about then...even if you don't screw up you will think you did when they jump your ass...just remember thats the DI's job. If you do everything perfect they will find fault in it...That was some of the best memories of boot was the crazy stuff the DI's came up with...

LOL - Oh, yeah. You can be as quiet as a church mouse and they will find you!

[Lisa 23]

LOL - Oh, yeah. You can be as quiet as a church mouse and they will find you!

And then just when you think they aren't watching you, here's comes a Drill Instructor out of no where.......

[ameriken]

The right question would be "How do recruits succeed in Boot Camp?".

[advanced]

Out of our original PI platoon we started with 96 (large platoons during the Nam) and dropped 47 of the original. Mainly for being quitters. One got a section 8 after he stood in front of the mirror all day saying "I am Crazy, I am crazy ......", the rest of us were having fun and game day on a Sunday. We picked up 43 others who had been dropped and spent their time at motivation platoon.

We also had guys sent to 1 day motivation where 10-12 recruits would be picked 1st thing in the morning, they'd come back about 7pm all wet, full of sand and saying "you don't want to go there. That happened to our platoon about 3-4 times. Never to me thought.

We were trained with the concept "The name of the game is together, If one screws up, you all screw up." The worse punishment for our platoon was hanging upside down from the top of our racks in our bare feet.

And then every night there was "Sinners Call, All sinners come forward."

Never ever a Quitter be, and to this day the worse name I could possibly be called is a quitter.

[sscjoe]

I love telling my story. I went to P.I. in 75 as a beer drinking, smoking college grad. 6"0'' 235lbs. First IST 0 pull-ups, situps- don't recall# and made the 1 mile in under the required 8mins. They took away all my beer and smoking material and I spent a lot of free time on the pull up bar. No special diet or FB platoon. I went with one guy who got sent home after the results of his pizz tests came back. Final Grad stats- 11 pull ups 85 sit-ups and 3 mile run at under 21.00 mins and 165lbs.

[Wannaberekeke]

Well this narrows it down, basically just don't be a quitter and keep your **** together right? Thats something I can do!

[Quinbo]

My heavy DI's favorite game:
They had some sort of rule that only so many and only so long in the pit.

Picking up your freakin rack wasn't the pit. Oh we just wanna do lousy on the PFT huh? Well I'm gonna make you stronger. Pick em up chest high. This is steel bunk beds with a recruit on each end.

The first rack that touches the deck and I'm gonna kill you and then I'm gonna eat you. Ok down ... now back up .... down ... back up .... chest freakin high. Down .... back up. Ok we wanna let them touch the deck? Good! Put your foot locker on your rack ... now get up. Higher .... higher. Our guide had a single rack and he was over there trying to lift the whole freaking thing by himself. ... You all tired or what? Get em up there. Fine we can't hold them up? Good footlocker rifle manual. Right shoulder arms.

Not one minute in the pit but your ass is smoked beyond belief. Next time put a little more effort into PT.