Media in bootcamp letters?

[ryangassxx]

Are there any rules against what types of content can be sent to you in the form of letters in boot camp? I'm well aware of bulky objects not being allowed, but are the contents of the letters themselves under scrutiny? The reason why I ask is because I figured it might not be a bad idea to have someone just print things from like news websites and stuff and mail it to me. I know it seems sort of silly but I've heard just getting ANYTHING in the mail while in boot camp helps keep your mind right, and I figured this could be something that someone back home could manage to do for me almost daily..

[Lisa 23]

When I went through boot camp in 1988, my dad used to send me a couple of newspapers every week. I don't know how things are now, but my Drill Instructors didn't have a problem with it.

[ryangassxx]

When I went through boot camp in 1988, my dad used to send me a couple of newspapers every week. I don't know how things are now, but my Drill Instructors didn't have a problem with it.

Oh wow, so you can actually have newspapers?.. Well that sheds a different light on it.. Thanks Marine..

[Old Marine]

Oh wow, so you can actually have newspapers?.. Well that sheds a different light on it.. Thanks Marine..

She said her Drill Instructors never had a problem with it.

Once you get to Boot Camp, it would be a good idea to check with your Drill Instructors to see if Newspapers are allowed by them.

[Lisa 23]

As I already mentioned.....I don't know how things are now.
I agree with Old Marine, it's best to check with your Drill Instructors on what is and isn't allowed to be sent to you from home.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

I always got newspaper clippings in recruit training (but this was 1982...) and a friend even sent me a paperback military book, which the DI's let me keep. But that was a different time so I can't speak to 'now'.

(The book was an autobiography of Patton LOL. 2 of my 3 DI's were history type Marines who also liked to read so I lucked out I guess)

[Zulu 36]

Back in 1971 at San Diego, we were allowed (read:required) to buy the Sunday edition of the SD Union newspaper. A vender set up outside the exit door of the chow hall Sunday mornings and we bought a paper then.

During our Sunday morning free time we could read the paper, but they were all saved in the sweat locker for use in buffing the decks during the week. No mechanical buffers then. Hands and knees buffing with newspaper. It worked.

Only letters were allowed in envelopes and absolutely no packages of any sort.

[MOS4429]

Are there any rules against what types of content can be sent to you in the form of letters in boot camp? I'm well aware of bulky objects not being allowed, but are the contents of the letters themselves under scrutiny? The reason why I ask is because I figured it might not be a bad idea to have someone just print things from like news websites and stuff and mail it to me. I know it seems sort of silly but I've heard just getting ANYTHING in the mail while in boot camp helps keep your mind right, and I figured this could be something that someone back home could manage to do for me almost daily..

Like as has been mentioned, newspapers clippings may be allowed. You will want to check, but if you receive anything that you should not have, it will be confiscated and you may have to do some extra PT. In '78 I would receive local sports clippings, but not much else. Keep in mind you will have a lot of studying to do and only one hour free time a day to SSS, get ready for the next day, read your mail, etc. (Unless that's changed too.) Of course, with computers today, articles can be cut and pasted right into a letter so it would not come as an extraneous attachment. A high school friend stuck two hard candies in a letter sent to me. My Sr. DI made me open it in front of him, asked what I wanted to do with them. I told him "s*** can it, sir." He told me to eat it. So stuck it in my mouth and he said, "Finished?" I said, "no, sir." He said "FINISHED?" I swallowed the two candies whole and yelled, "YES, SIR!" At another time I got poison oak up at Pendleton and all they would give was calamine which is like putting on water. So I wrote and asked my mom two send me two small tubes of cortisone, which she did. They arrived, and my Sr was on duty again, asked me to open it, asked what it was. I told him and he let me keep it.

I think your mail is always subject to scrutiny, especially after 9-11. Here are some general mail guidelines from a parent's support website: http://www.recruitparents.com/bootcamp/mail.asp

[ryangassxx]

Excellent info, thank you all very much!

[MOS4429]

USMC1963, that is hillarious. Nowadays stuff like that would get a D.I. fired and...well, don't want to hijack this thread, so I'll leave it at that.

This "friend" of mine wrote on the back of the envelope, "Here's the candy you asked for," which I had not. Actually, I got off pretty easy. He would have PT'd me till I was dead. Instead I only darn near choked to death!

[bausmc87]

And as MOS4429 stated re the candies, anyone who got a package with gum or candy had to eat it all, all at once.
One recruit put about thirty five sticks of Wrigley's chewing gum in his mouth at one time and had to chew it for an hour while we studied our Guidebooks at eye level, trying not to smile.


I went through MCRD PI in 1987, received a couple to newspaper sports clipings and that was ok. One poor PVT in our platoon received a 5LB bag of M&M's. Was not a pretty site, had to eat the whole bag while being PT'd.

[93Reaper]

In my platoon our drill instructors kept all the magazines until 3rd phase but they let us keep books (depending on what they're about) and newspapers. They dont screen whats in your letters, your allowed to get pictures in the mail. Ask your SDI if you can get powder protein in the mail to take after PT's. A few pickups we got made a deal with their DI's, they workout 1 hour a day and he would let them have protein. Lemme tell you they were some big motherf****** doing like 30+ pullups.

[SGT7477]

Are there any rules against what types of content can be sent to you in the form of letters in boot camp? I'm well aware of bulky objects not being allowed, but are the contents of the letters themselves under scrutiny? The reason why I ask is because I figured it might not be a bad idea to have someone just print things from like news websites and stuff and mail it to me. I know it seems sort of silly but I've heard just getting ANYTHING in the mail while in boot camp helps keep your mind right, and I figured this could be something that someone back home could manage to do for me almost daily..
Best thing to get in boot camp is a box of cookies or a perfumed letter,Semper Fidelis.:D