What got you through Boot Camp?

[eknowlt]

Hello Everyone. I intend to join the Marine Corps before my mid twenties to serve. I've done research but research can never be as real as living through it. To all Marines, excuse me if this question sucks. But what got you through the toughest training in our military? I understand you probably didn't have a choice, but how did you cope with it? Thanks in advance

[Lisa 23]

Thread closed until you have a complete profile besides a first and last name........site rules, which can be found in the poolee and Ask A Marine forums. When profile is complete, PM any Squad Leader from the Squad Leaders sticky in the Ask A Marine forum and thread will be re-opened.

[Lisa 23]

Profile complete......thread re-opened.

[Zulu 36]

Determination and motivation. Simple as that.

[Yonkers]

I haven't posted in a long time, so feel honored.
Definitely join before your mid 20s.. everyone I've talked to that's above the age of 24 seems to walk around with a problem because a lot of them can't handle a 20 year old telling them what to do. Well, that 20 year old joined when he was 17 and he knows how stuff works.
So, younger, the better. Just have common sense and the guts to stick up for yourself (at certain times).

Basically to sum up my boot camp time: I learned "it is what it is". That simple statement sums up the entire time I was there. It taught me that yes, there is stupid things happening to me right now. Yes, there is things that I don't want to do or things that may hurt physically or mentally, BUT, those things have to be done. They must be done and I will try my hardest to adapt to this environment and survive.

That's what I got out of it.

Have a good one.

-Yonkers

[m14ed]

It's sorta like putting a carrot on a string and then on a stick,,, you only hold the string-stick- and carrot and you earn the carrot at the end...

Or a walk somewhere for a journey you wish to make,,you do it one step at a time to finish the
journey..

You want the title ??? You Earn it

PS Yonkers,, congrats on the bloodstripe brother.
We thought you 'd been over the hill....

[Tennessee Top]

When I went to bootcamp (1972) our DI's put their hands on us (whether they were allowed to or not). It only took one time of having the wind knocked out of me for me to have all the motivation I ever need to graduate from MCRDSD in one piece (all because I had left my footlocker unlocked).

[KermitTheFrog]

knowing that the fastest way off the island was to graduate, and i never let it get me too down, i was always laughing and **** when i got screamed at or something, which got me ****ed up even more but it put me in a better mental position to be there and make it all the way through

[terminal ants]

Cars! I love nice cars and often thought of what I will do to mine once I got out. Seeing all the cars and trucks owned by drill instructors and officers was enough motivation for me!

[PvtShane]

I though about my dad and how much harder is must have been back then. It wasn't easy but I'm sure I wasn't beat as much as he was in the process.

[PvtShane]

I mean, it doesn't really matter though. Just focus on your next meal, make it there alive and don't quit on yourself.

[Yonkers]

I mean, it doesn't really matter though. Just focus on your next meal, make it there alive and don't quit on yourself.

This ^ "Chow to chow, sunday to sunday". Break your day up into sections like that and you'll be golden. By third phase you'll be so used to everything and know what's going on, so it's a lot easier to handle all the random stuff... some things actually get really funny.

[Rocky C]

Determination and motivation. Simple as that.

X2 :thumbup:

[elliscraig12]

You're not doing anything somebody else before you hasn't already done. What it comes down to is, what is it worth to you. Are you willing to do what it takes to graduate, or are you just going to flunk out and go home a failure? You have to decide for yourself what's something's worth. Somethings just come with a heavier price, like being a U.S. Marine, and you have to decide if your willing to pay.

[DrZ]

What got me through boot camp? Not a bad question.

It was fairly simple. The quickest way to get away from those 3 ugly NCOs with the smokeys was to do as I was told....and do it quickly.

It was towards the end that I figured out...those 3 ugly NCOs were doing the job to the best of their ability and training me to do my job to the best of my ability.

[eknowlt]

Thank you all for the valuable insight

[joey360r]

Chow to Chow ultimately got me through. Days go by a lot faster when you focus on one thing at a time instead of focusing on the distant future. The first month goes by slow but once you take that hike out to the rifle range, everything really starts to fly by. It flies by even faster after team week when you start third phase. Second and third phase, you'll be so busy that there won't be as much time for "footlockers on line" or "bulkhead-line" that there was in first phase. Being a squad leader for two weeks beginning during grass week really helped my confidence and was big in getting me through recruit training. Before I knew it, we were hiking out to the crucible which was a great but challenging life experience. The first month will be rough but once you get into the swing of things and take it chow to chow and day to day, you'll be on the parade deck getting dismissed by your SDI before you even know it. Good luck man

[USMCARivera]

When I was set to leave, I put into my head that I was going to "let the Drill Instructors break me down". I knew that if I fought it then it would slow my development. So I just did as they instructed and never put any value on it, because I knew it was their job and if I did such I'd be a Marine in no time. I don't want to say I flew under the radar during boot camp but I can say that I didn't quarter decked as often as some of the other hard heads in my platoon.

[Cherry]

Two reasons, neither of them about
The first one was that during the nightly "free time," (if you could call it that) two minutes set aside to write down the events of the day into a sort of journal, and once a week send the pages home to tell the story. In a way, getting the general story to the family not only let some steam off but also gives a little bit of time to reflect on what could have been the reason for having been quarter-decked or went island-hopping around 3rd Bn's personal sand pits and what could have avoided the bad luck. And, your family is watching through the journal. Pride wins out over the want to go home every time.
Second, realize the more you fight it the worse it gets. Give in and it becomes a game of observation and inner though, for lack of a better term. Should I have seen this moment coming? What does the DI expect me to say? The squad leader's about to break on the group punishment, if I outlast him I prove to myself I can finish this. About halfway through it isn't just about me anymore, "how many other recruits can I help with morale and suggestions for staying out of the spotlight without highlighting myself in the process?"

Unfortunately the second half of reason 2 ended in being in the wrong places at the wrong times as fellow recruits failed trying the same but hey, it's a goal to hold on to and for some it worked.