You're not going to believe me...

[Master Sephiroth]

Cwalling, that's only at Fort Jackson. In Fort Benning, it's like Parris Island according to those who wwent there, because Benning trains the grunts. In the Army, you're not expected to be a rifleman first.

[Ol Bob]

This just sounds like the guy is getting broke the F@*! off in SOI.

[zackmerc]

if Marine Corps bootcamp is so easy,why does the Marine Corps stop at 40,000 and the army needs 120,000 a year? .

The Marine Corps only needs 40,000 because it is a smaller force. It only needs a smaller number to support a smalle rforce. The Army, being a larger sustainment force needs for people. This isn't because the Corps weeds out non-hackers or anything. Non-hackers get recycled until they become hackers. The Marine Corps tries to make every recruit an asset.

Don't belittle the army. They are a different force with a different purpose.

[Phantom Blooper]

If you new Marines feel that boot camp was easy it was because of your ship dates and the whole MCRD's East ad West coast were waiting to find out what the outcome was going to be from the drill instructor that the allegations of abuse were made on and he was subsequently court martialed.

The SOP may have changed slightly since that time,however boot camp is and always will be the most trying time of your life.That may explain the layed back attitude of the drill instructor at the time,but I would venture to say that he wasn't always layed back.

Boot camp is run with an SOP and the POD....where to be....how to get there...and for how long. In the squad bay you are fair game to the drill instructors within the limits of the SOP. Barring natural disaster's or flag conditions training goes on. The liability is present constantly and the welfare of the recruits comes first.

Every time an allegation is made an the investigation process starts with the battalion and then the base Generals office. And if a recruits parents involved a congressman's office the process is longer and the media gets involved.And EVERY Marine would be on guard until the allegations are proven true or false.And the everyone tries to be on the best behavior.

The SOI/MCT also has an SOP and POD to follow for training. They also follow this for the safety and welfare of the student Marines.

When you are in the fleet you have an SOP and a POD to follow....however this is all subject to change based on money,time,personnel and a whole list of other items to numerous to mention.Safety,morale and welfare are present at all times but the accomplishment of the mission is key and paramount.

Boot camp may be physically easy for some and you may have slipped past the drill instructors daily sights on some occasions but the Marine Corps boot camp is designed to be mentally and physically challenging. And it is.

It may be said that....in my day,"we had it tougher" or "the drill instructors were meaner."

And they would continue to be if the media,congress and mom & dad stayed out of the MCRD's until graduation day. But to give the broad statement that overall boot camp was EASY is WRONG!

[Wyoming]

Chuck, you hit it slam-arse on the head!

I'd like to hear the LT's reply.

[Tooks]

I don't know what some of y'all are smoking, but there was no way in hell that bootcamp was easy! You could not pay me enough money(well no reasonable amount) to actually go back into training and go through all that a second time. Yeah, its changed, but its still going to be one of the hardest things you will do on an emotional and mental level. Personally, if I was walking around saying that boot was easy, I'd be upset, because then I wouldn't be able to say that I'm proud to be a Marine.

[hawks]

I told you you wouldnt believe me. And my range coach at the rifle range told me the exact same thing, especially when I told him I was infantry because that is what he was too. Think about it, at boot camp you are guaranteed not to get hazed, you get 3 a day, 8 hours a night, every night except for 2 nights - and thats the Crucible. At SOI you got about 4-6 a night for about the first 5-6 weeks then they eased off a bit. You only get eff'd with at boot if you deserve it. Told you you would not believe me.

[PooleeMoules]

I dont want bootcamp to be easy...I want it to stretch my abilities and education to the max..(which I am sure it will)...If bootcamp was easy then it wouldnt mean as much to graduate and become a Marine...If it was easy then it would be like every ther branch..(no disrespect intended)

[sawatzke82]

Pfc. Hawks are you saying that Boot camp is just simply easy or are you saying the fleet is just harder.

[ggyoung]

Hawks you right I don't beleve you one bit.

[sparkie]

Boot WAS easy,,,, try being married for 37 years,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

When I went to boot camp the things that the DIs got in trouble for were pretty common place- I still can't figure out what they did that was "wrong".

Regardless, physically speaking, boot camp was the easiest part of my enlistment. A three mile run on grass or pavement sure beats a 4 or 5 mile run through soft sand in 29 Palms or a 10 mile run down a dirt road in North Carolina. The physical demands of boot camp are what they are- they turn a soft civilian into a Marine. Marines are expected to be more fit than recruits are, so the PT is more difficult.

Now, from a mental aspect, nothing I've done could approach boot camp, and I've seen and done my fair share of things. But, the way a recruit is submersed in the culture and controlled at every waking moment is pretty intense stuff.

As for the Army boot camp, it is what it is. They have a different mission. We shouldn't judge them for their methods any more than we should say that Marine Corps boot camp is soft because we aren't as hard on recruits physically as Spetznaz is or because we don't have over half of the people being sent home like BUD/S. The mission is to make Marines, and that has been done quite well for 232 years.

[yellowwing]

Once I got physically fit, the being there for 13 weeks was hard. Once during firewatch in the head I look at myself and started thinking a shaved head looked good. Then I snapped out of it and thought, "Geez, you've been here a long @#%$@^ time!"

Nope, would not do it again at all!

[Whitey]

boot camp easy? PAH! in retrospect it was challenging but it was by no means easy. I went in knowing all the tricks, all the mind games and yet i still fell victim of them and for that, the mental side of boot camp....it was the hardest frocking thing ive ever done. please tell me you didn't cry at all in boot camp...

[yellowwing]

Actually I only saw three people cry in Boot Camp. One was the Guide when we were really frakking up one day. He went off on us and was so mad that tears came out. But his rant motivated us.

Another Recruit was being nailed becase he fell asleep on BN Guard Duty. He really did have a lot to cry about.

The third was a devout Catholic. During another shift of Firewatch he was crying over his Rosary praying that we would do better tomorrow. Tough little guy, he made it too into our exclusive gun club.