social life

[Clash]

i was wonderig what the social life of a marine in training is like, do they not have any free time or are they consintly traing

[Super Dave]

In boot camp..NONE..once you get out and at school or your regular unit...you get time for a social life..etc

[downundergrl]

g'dday from down under ive heard that the marine boot camp is the toughest to get threw what is it about u marines are u a one off breed dont get me wrong i have nothing but respect for u guys i think u are the toughest and strongest in all the branches..well late monday nite here just thinking out loud prob well stay safe and semper fi.......

[firstsgtmike]

I don't know why it's taken so long to get a response to this question, so I'll step in.

Boot camp, it's like being in jail. You're under the thumb, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Sunday, although still controlled, is not so hectic and can be considered as a rest day.

The name has changed, but ITR, advanced infantry training immediately following boot camp, your nights are generally free, and on weekend you have passes for off base liberty.

Depending upon the degree of difficulty and homework, technical schools vary in off-base time. Either after working hours (generally 4 p.m.) and weekends, or only weekends.

Once school training is completed, and you are sent to a regular MC unit, exept during field training, you can count on evenings and weekends as being totally free time. From Friday afternoon to Monday morning, you're on your own.

Exceptions and restrictions are; when on standby, when you have assigned duties over a weekend (guard duty. etc.) or are deployed. (Don't expect a four o'clock quitting time and weekends free in Kuwait.)

On the other hand, to get back to your question, from the time you hit the yellow footprints, you will be socializing with the elite, your fellow boots, future Marines, and later, fellow Marines.

If we leave women out of the equation, the best social life you will have, on duty or off duty, on-base of off-base, will be with your fellow Marines.

There will never be anything in your lifetime that will ever compare with that.

Hey fellows, can I hear an AMEN?

[Art Petersn]

Firstsqtmike AMEN

[Sixguns]

And you will get a pretty good picture of your free time!!!!

Usually, the one hour of "free" time is devoted to squaring away gear, reading/writing letters and activities the DIs deem necessary for good order and discipline.

I hope you weren't banking on weekend liberties off the base, trips to the movies or golf outings to name a few!!!

[wrbones]

I always thought a social life was issued to ya! LOL

Can anyone say "LIBERTY!!"

[JChristin]

Hey, someone wrote about having one hour free time? When did this happen? How? What was it like? Of course, being a Parris Island Marine, I'm sure this must of been a Hollywood Marine thing - this one hour of free time.

I got cheated. I always miss out on the fun stuff! I knew nothing about it. Can I sue the Corps?



Semper fi
JChristin

[Barndog]

Yes.

When you win, call me. I want my free time.

[Sixguns]

First of all, I'm a Parris Island Marine!!! Maybe you would have known that from checking my profile.

Second of all, based on the rank insignia you are using, I am guessing you were never a drill instructor.

So, let me clue you in. The SOP at Recruit Training Regiment provides for "DI time," also known as "free time" at the end of the training day. The DI can make use of this time to review lessons, conduct administrative procedures and other activities. It can also be the time recruits read and write letters home, polish boots and square away gear. Obviously, reading and writing letters is a type of morale issue and coincides with taking care of Marines (You might even recognize that as a leadership trait).

So, I guess you never wrote letters or read mail in recruit training??? If you did, that was accomplished during "free time." Of course I can understand if you didn't read and write letters too. There is a certain amount of G-2 needed to string letters together to form complete words and sentences.

[FREDDY]

Easy on the kid six guns he may be lower in rank and not know any better but I know that I have more fruit salad than you have showing but I have enough G-2 not to brag about it.

[greensideout]

Clash,
That's good scoop from Firstsgtmike, Super Dave and Sixguns.
I know that a lot has changed, (This would be a good place for all Marines to tell about their "time off" while in training.) lol
For me it was 12 weeks boot and 4 weeks of ITR.
Time off to see the "real world? "We got off from saturday noon to sunday at 1800 hours in week 15.
I thought I died and went to heaven!

[leroy8541]

I have been trying to stay away from this one, but can't take it any more. Social life? I am just going to be sarcastic on this one. In SanDiego you get off every night after training secures to go into town they have a wonderful array of night clubs there you might want to try the trophy lounge, or maybe one of the many strip joints on the local drag. Just make sure your standing tall and sober for the DI's in the morning whilst they are having their cappuchino and reading the morning paper. If not then you might get quite the bollicking from them! The base theater usually has a vast array of cheap movies if you are good little boys and girls they will let you off early to pick up a date and drive you to the movies.
On a serious note Top Mike has pretty much summed it all up. Amen Top!

[lurchenstein]

I remember spending most of my time keeping clothing & equipment squared away and studying Marine Corps essential subjects. Occasionally wrote letters to parents & girlfriend to let them know I was hangin' in there & hadn't forgot them. Less frequently, Drill Instructors turned on the smoking lamp. (Sometimes it was a 5 count smoking drill, by the numbers, that left me feeling a bit ill & wanting to quit - eventually did). Drill Instructors always impressed on our platoon to use the time wisely.

[Sixguns]

Who was bragging about awards??? I wasn't, but you must have felt I was. Feel free to post your fruit salad! You earned it and I think they make a great conversation piece.

SF