How best to prepare for Recruit Training?

[Maddie Barnes]

Tenessee Top, I don't know if my reply sent or not but I did share the google slide with your email, you should be also be able to comment on it.

[Maddie Barnes]

Just an update, I have decided to write my power point as if I am guaranteed to be infantry. I figure if I get them to accept the odds of me being infantry then they would be okay with me not getting an infantry position. Like I will only have to fight one (admittedly much) harder battle if I prepare them for the "worst" outcome (getting accepted as infantry). Whereas if I make them think the only surprise will be me joining the Marines, then we will probably fight again about me wanting to be infantry. Better just to get it all over with in one swoop!

Thank you all again for taking the time to read my posts and now look at my power point! It really helps a lot.

[Tennessee Top]

Email sent

[Maddie Barnes]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate everything you are doing to help me!

[USMC 2571]

I'm just one voice among many, I know that very well. Yet I can't help commenting on the desire to know everything and experience everything beforehand. We see this all over the Internet, and this mindset was not around before the advent of the Internet. As I said, there is no way to LIVE boot camp prior to going to boot camp. Neither is this even desirable. Why do we long to know everything about everything ahead of time? It's like unwrapping Christmas presents in November. But my opinion is just E Pluribus Unum, of many, one----and I fully recognize this. But in Ask A Marine we talk about the future here as if it MUST BE KNOWN ahead of time. There is no room for surprises, adventure, unknown things-----------our whole lives are planned down to the minute. What an exciting way to live.

[Maddie Barnes]

USMC, obliviously I have not been through any of this. But as for the reason that I want to know things a head of time, I see it more like preparing for an exam. I understand what you mean about it ruining any sort of surprise however, I feel like the best way for me to be able to be ready both physically AND mentally is to know whats coming. I know I will not always be able to know whats a head but the more I know the easier it is to convince my parents that I took this decision seriously. The more I know the better prepared I am. I completely get what you are saying and I do believe there is something to be said for adapting to things as the come rather than preparing beforehand, however I also believe that having the information beforehand can in fact produce better results. An example is: now that I know some of what to expect at Boot Camp, I can now turn my training to be more advantageous in the areas I know I will practice, time and work. You can disregard my opinion if you want, I wouldn't blame you, I'm some 15 year old girl who knows next to nothing about the "real world", however if you want it, that is my opinion.

[USMC 2571]

Sure, I understand completely.

[Maddie Barnes]

Yeah all, I just wanted to say that I have added to (and corrected) my slide show. My earlier statement still stands, if you would like to see it just PM me your email and I will share it, or you can shoot me and email at rosierocks72@gmail.com. Another option is you can go to https://docs.google.com/presentation...bfab45822_0_70 and request access. However your best bet is to just PM me because I check here a lot more often than I check my email.
Thank you all for all of your help and advice!

[Maddie Barnes]

So will I be able to get an ankle brace at MCRD PI? It normal isn't a problem but every now and then my ankle acts up and starts hurting. Normally if I just put a brace on it and take some Advil I'm fine however, I know I can't take my own brace with me. I assume that I will be able to get a brace while I'm there but it would just be nice to have confirmation.

[Tennessee Top]

That will be up to your corpsmen (Navy medics). Sick/injured recruits have to report to sickbay. The corpsmen will diagnose the problem and treat it best they can. They treat such things as blisters, heat casualties, etc. Anything they can't treat is transported to the Naval hospital where the patient is seen by Naval doctors.

One thing you need to consider. The boots you'll be issued will not be fitted to accommodate any type of ankle brace (that would make them too big). If you can't wear combat boots, you can't be a Marine. You can't tell your DI's you can't wear your boots because you need to wear your ankle brace - that won't work.

The wear-and-tear on your ankle will be worse at SOI than at PI. The humps (hikes) are much longer and the loads much heavier - it's infantry training not recruit training. Same deal there. You can't tell your instructors you can't wear your boots because you need to wear a brace. At that point, they'll send you to sick bay and you will not be training. If you don't complete the training, you can't graduate from SOI (and will be sent home).

You need to resolve whatever issue is going on with your ankle before shipping to bootcamp. You cannot depend on having a brace and recruit training plus SOI will only exacerbate the problem.

[Maddie Barnes]

Fair enough! I hadn't even thought about how it would fit with the boots. I guess it's high time I talk to a trainer about it anyway (our school has sports trainers and if you play a sport you are suppose to go to them any time you get injured).

[Tennessee Top]

You need to be 100% healthy standing in those yellow footprints at PI - that is what the Marine Corps expects. Anything less than that is cheating yourself, your drill instructors, and jeopardizes your chances of success. Even at 100%, there are still some recruits who do not make it. During the enlistment process, you'll be seen by civilian doctors at MEPS (where you'll take the ASVAB test, get a medical physical, etc). It is their job to make sure you're completely healthy and ready to take on the rigors of recruit training. These are the doctors who'll look at your asthma history. You don't want to give them anymore reasons to possibly deny your enlistment for medical reasons. I don't see them allowing anyone to ship to bootcamp needing an ankle brace - that's just asking for trouble (and failure).

[Tennessee Top]

^^^they could also decide not to gamble with your asthma as well. Asthma can be exercise induced (and you'll get plenty of exercise at PI as you know). It can also be exacerbated by environmental factors such as pollution, pollen, allergies, etc. Some recruits don't have symptoms till they get to PI. The combination of exercise and environmental conditions on the island work to develop symptoms for some - does not mean this would happen in your case. But, the doctors at MEPS may not want to take that chance (they don't have to). You need to be able to show them exercise (sports in your case) does not cause any symptoms. Be prepared to give them letters from current coaches, trainers, family doctor, etc if they ask for them. They could also require that you pass a pulmonary function test (PFT) - something your parents would have to pay for.

[Maddie Barnes]

That's completely reasonable. I don't normally need a brace but I will still talk to the trainers on Monday. Better to get it fixed early right? They will probably just give me some ankle exercises to make the muscles stronger.

[Tennessee Top]

Possibly. You're talking about a joint. The joint may be the issue and not the muscles. Could be the result of a stress fracture or something more serious. A complete diagnosis may require an x-ray or MRI. Whatever the case, it needs to be addressed and sooner the better.