Survival Tactics For Marine Boot Camp
1. Avoid eye contact. (It's harder for a Drill Instructor to intimidate you if you're looking past or through him!)
2. Bear in mind that no matter how traumatic things seem Boot Camp is only Temporary. In fifteen or sixteen years it will seem like a dimly-remembered cruel joke.
3. Trying your damnedest to achieve something is often more impressive than actually achieving it. Drill Instructors look for motivation and spirit more than anything else. Show it to them and they'll be happy.
4. Don't volunteer for anything.
5. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes and ears open.
6.. Never, ever, ask a Drill Instructor "Why?"
7.. Never smile at or near or within sight of a Drill Instructor.
8. When you have to say something to a Drill Instructor, make sure your words are of the one or two syllable variety.
9.. Eat quickly in the mess halls.
10. Begin and end every sentence with the word "sir" (i.e., "Sir the Private requests permission to speak, sir!" or "Sir, yes, sir!").
11. When you speak, speak loudly.
12. Avoid personal pronouns ("I," "me," "you," "they," "we") when speaking to Drill Instructors.
13. Reserve duty outside of boot camp is nothing like active duty during boot camp.
14. Don't question for one minute your decision to enlist in the Marines. It's too late to do anything about it now and it's not a productive train of thought.
15. Don't get sick.
16. Stay awake during the classes. You don't want the attention Drill Instructors lavish upon dozing recruits.
Survival Tactics For Marine Boot Camp
It's important to avoid "volunteering" for anything because rather making it look as if you are a "team player", you end up looking like a kiss-ass instead. Your DI will "volunteer" you when you demonstrate leadership, capability, motivation, and initiative. Raising your hand all the time when the DI asks for volunteers will only make your fellow recruits think you're kissing the DI's butt.
You can make PFC when you graduate and even LCpl if you are platoon honor grad, but I wouldn't recommend the volunteering part in order to get that extra stripe. Take the initiative and do what's necessary for yourself AND for the platoon, especially when not prompted by the DI's and ALSO when they are not looking or when they did not ask. They will notice who does what - they will also note that you did not "blow your own horn" to get their attention.