Do you need a car while in the Marine Corps?

[Accord]

Is it really a necessity to have a car while you're in the Marine Corps? How often would it realistically be used if you live on base?

During the week I can't imagine a car having any use and pretty much the only time someone would use one was during libo on the weekends, but I really have no idea.

I don't want to have car payments and insurance every month, i'd rather save that money for the future, so if I really don't NEED a car and the only time i'd really have a chance to use it was during libo on weekends, i'd prefer to go without one.

The PX, chow hall, etc. is all on base, so I can't really think of any reasons to NEED a car except when you go somewhere on the weekends, and i'll be so busy on the weekends with online classes I won't want to go anywhere off base.

Can anyone shed some light on this, is a car a necessity? Is it possible to get by without one while in the Corps?

Do many active duty Marines have cars?

Thanks

[greensideout]

If you needed a car the Marine Corps would issue you one. Give it no more thought.

[KingDonkeyPunch]

Ok, listen, you will be miserable without a car, unless the place you are based in has some pretty good public transportation. If you get stationed on a base like 29 stumps, you will definately want a vehicle. Everything is so spread out on that base. I went without a car for a long while, and I was miserable. Always calling cabs, and bumming ride from people gets old after a while. My advice, is just try to pick up something dependable and cheap that is good on gas. Any mid-90's rice burner will do nicely. Good to hear that you are so into getting your degree, but believe me, you get burnt out on that pretty quickly. You cant live in your barracks room, you will go crazy. Get out and see things while you are in the Marines. It will make your corps experience, the time of your life. Yet, if you demand to go out on the MSG program, like you have talked about so much before, you will not beed a car. The Marine Corps is nice enough to provide you with a vehicle and diver that will pretty much take you where ever you want to go. I would advise everyone to try to stay away from the MSG program anymore though. It has gone from good duty, to hell in paradise.

[jinelson]

No Accord a car is not a necessity at all and really a drain on the wallet that you dont need. Most bases have shuttle buses that will get you any where on base you want to go. On the weekends if your wanting to go off base your usually going to have several buddies with you so you can either take the bus or split on a taxi. When I was at Camp Lejuene and Cherry Point they had what were known as swoops up north to New York City and every where in between. A Marine with a car would post a swoop notice on the bulletin board and other Marines needing a ride would split the gas with him.

[troop901]

Dont worry bout impressing the women, they will be impressed on how much da bar fine is lol. But I couldnt have lived without my car while at Lejeune, just to get ya there, where ya need to go. Shuttle bus's dont run on yer schedule, they run on their own. And swoop's, Jim is showin his age lol. But on several occasions I gave a ride to a homesick jarhead, one time we got up here, he found out that the next bus out to where he was goin wasnt fer another 16 hrs so I took him to my house, my mom babied him and cooked like it was thanksgivin. But as Jim said, its always good to have someone to split da gas money, especially right now. But the car is good fer everyday errands, gettin to the PX, it aint always close by, the cleaners and to yer woman's or man's house. By the way, GO BENGALS!

[Accord]

Thanks for the information guys, I really appreciate it.

If I need one which it looks like I will, then i'll definitely get one, though I want to stay on the cheap side.

A motorcycle would certainly be a lot cheaper than a car, especially on gas. Is this a good idea? For just plain transportation to places it would be good, but I imagine it'd be pretty tough trying to take a garment bag with your dress blues to the cleaners on a motorcycle though.

[RLeon]

I made it about a year with out a car, it sucked. If you don't want to bum rides, pay for a taxi or wait for a bus get a car. Atleast get a bike.

[Namvet67]

Forget the car! All you need is what the Corps will issue to you. Stay light...no car and no wife!

[Phantom Blooper]

Any One Else Remember Swoops?

I left CLNC in 1986 and went to Quantico at that time they still had swoop circle on mainside by the bus station.I don't know if it's still there or not. Out towards Onslow beach and the French Creek area they have booths on the side of the road to catch a ride to various places. My son in law told me a few years back that the posting of NYC and various places for a long weekend 96 still goes or mostly word of mouth from Marines that swoop that way all the time. S/F Chuck Hall

[Eric Robinson]

well come to okinawa and you will learn to really walk. no joke, you can go up to some Marines and ask them why they dont have cars and they will respond "C..A..R ??????? whats a CAR"
it sucks not having a car for two years but let me tell you the money you make over here is great!!!!!!

[usmcsams]

Well let's put it like this... I'm in Cherry Point and I'm kind of picky about who messes with my uniforms. The truth of the matter is that sometimes the base cleaners will mess them up or lose them or sometimes they're just too busy. Plus I had the idea that I'd be doing online classes and all that good stuff too but believe me when you start working in the Fleet you work too hard for your weekends to worry about classes. What most of us do is focus on work and on our online classes and MCI's during the week and on the weekends we spend our time relaxing and having a good time

[DuckSauce]

driving my car helps me relax and space out a bit. I don't mind walking here and there because half the time another devil dog will pick you up on the way there. I'm a big car guy myself, i like working on them and stuff, that's why I'm a v22 mech.

Figured do something I enjoy doing, turning wrenches, speed, and horsepower, haha.

[outlaw3179]

You need a car... unless you like being some barracks rat that just stays in his room all weekend. Also since you are there youll probably be picked to do firewatches, chaser duty, or pull just pull barracks watch.
Or if you enjoy taking the 305 to Oceanslime , dont get a car. Cuz that will mean you might have to enjoy your libo and get the hell away from other jarheads.
I was stationed in Happy Horno , right dab in the middle of nowhere on Pendleton. You need a car. Its a fact. The 305 can only get you so far. Plus sometimes you just want to jump in your rig and get the hell out of dodge.

[SGTLANE]

A small island hopper style vehicle will do you fine......LOL

[GunnyL]

My recommendation would be to get a used dependable 4 door hooptie that will get you around safely. Something that you hopefully pay cash for or that you can pay off within a year or less. Something that you won't have to worry about when you do a six month pump and something that you can offload quickly if you get orders to Okinawa for two years.
For those in Okinawa, there is a dependable bus system on the island. I had a car while I was there but I also had a bike and honestly spent most of my weekends biking around the island. It's healthy and gets you away from the base for extended periods of time. The buses aren't cheap but then again neither is a car payment and insurance. I never had a car when I was in Mainland Japan, I took the train, buses and taxi's everywhere I went.
I guess it would depend on where you are stationed. Anywhere in the states I recommend having some type of transportation but like I said above, make it cheap but dependable. 4 doors is because you can haul your buddies and insurance is always cheaper for a 4 door.