USMC Training

Modern Correspondence to a Recruit in Basic Training Click here to read in chronological order.

[devildogtraining]

The former Recruit as he is now. A Marine.

[devildogtraining]

This will be my final post. Today, June 20th I will be leaving for San Diego to see our new Marine. Before I give my final “talk” on the journey of becoming a Marine, I would like to thank everyone who has read or tracked this process. Even though all the time lines may have not been the most accurate and some things have changed slightly since I myself went through this, the outcome is still the same: The creation of a United States Marine. Writing this has been as much a stroll down memory lane for me as it has been a learning process for you. It is amazing how much this event effects the lives of those that go through it. How all these memories are still right there just waiting for the right catalyst to bring them back over 28 years later. At times I can still hear the voices of my own Drill Instructors. At this point I would like to thank all four of my Drill Instructors for making what I am still to this day, a United States Marine. They are Senior Drill Instructor GySgt Kerns, Drill Instructor GySgt Graves, Drill Instructor SSgt Stokes, and Drill Instructor Sgt Kissabeth. To this day I have never forgotten their names and our Marine will never forget his Drill Instructors names. Now for our Marine’s final week at MCRD. After the Crucible our Marine now has entered what is called “Marine Week”. This is the week leading up to graduation. They are less stressful and more relaxed. There is still heavy discipline, but now they are no longer watched like hawks. They will have to turn in all the gear they checked out. Things like their rifles and 782 gear, (name for all ones field gear ie packs, sleeping system, harness system, and magazine pouches). They will be picking up their dental and medical records that will be following them for the remainder of their careers. By the time I got out, mine rivaled the size of the US budget report. They will also get their SRB’s (Service Record Books), which have all their administrative information. Something that will also follow them everywhere. They will also get all their civilian clothes that they had on when they arrived 3 months ago. They will take their platoon photos and receive their graduation books and Marine Corps Rings if they ordered one. On the Thursday before Graduation he will have base liberty, (meaning he gets to go anywhere he wants on the base), and his family can come and visit him that afternoon. Naturally on Friday it all ends with his graduation ceremony. Now, depending on the current orders of procedures, (also known as the SOP or Standard Operating Procedures), his Drill Instructors might not wear their Campaign Covers, (smokey bears), around the new Marines this week. The reason for this is to remove the adversarial environment they have all been in up to this point. The Drill Instructors are now to become mentors to our young Marine. Showing them the ropes the same way the more seasoned Marines will once he gets to his first duty station. The process of becoming a Marine never truly ends. They will also get to now use the drinking fountain, (scuttle butt), that is located in their squad bay. No more having to drink with your head under the faucet in the sink. They will, with the exception of going to chow, no longer march as a platoon. Now they will go in smaller groups with one of their own in charge of getting them there. The groups will be as large as a squad or as small as a fire team. Each new Marine that is in charge will give is hand at calling cadence for his fellow new Marines. He will sing to them just has their Drill Instructors did. Things that will be different about our Marine when he gets home. From now on he will stand to attention whenever he hears our beloved Marine Corps Hymn weather he is in uniform or not and long after he is no longer actively in the Corps. November 11th, (the Marine Corps Birthday), will be more sacred to him then his own personnel birthday. He will forever snap his head up to see who said, “hey Marine”. He will be taller, but not because he grew, but because now he holds himself differently. He will be more quiet and more observant. When people find out he is a Marine, you will notice that they will stand a little taller in his presence. Nothing like having a Marine around to make others proud. He will be more confident and way more tenacious. He will laugh at odds like 10 of them against 2 Marines and believe it is now a fair fight. More then likely he will be right because now he knows that the only way to beat him will be to kill him. This last one may sound harsh, but it is true. He might get knock down or even out, but once he is back on his feet he will never stop. Welcome to the Marine Corps

Recruit's father

[devildogtraining]

Day 80

This is the last post I will refer to our Recruit by that name. After spending the last 56 straight hours with little to no sleep, barely enough food to remind him how hungry he is, and constant movement to contact and ending in a night long assault of an enemy position he will no longer be a Recruit. As his company humps out of the hills of Camp Pendelton our Recruit's transformation will be nearly complete. Dirty, tired, half starved, and walking only because he is too damn exhausted to know what else to do he and his company will assemble and form up into formation. Before they eat a hearty breakfast of steak and eggs, (known as the Warrior's Breakfast), served on linen and fine china his company commander will speak. His Battalion Commander will speak. His Senior Drill Instructor will come up to each one of them in his platoon and shake that recruit's hand, pat him on the shoulder, and congratulate him. After the Senior Drill Instructor does this to our Recruit, our Recruit will find the Senior has left something behind in our Recruits hand. It will be the most prized thing to a Marine, the Eagle Globe and Anchor, (EGA), the very symbol of the United States Marine Corps. The only difference between this one and the one he has seen his whole life being proudly worn by family members and friends is that this one will be his. Not one given to him, but one he has earned for himself. He is no longer a recruit, he is a Marine. At the sight of this most prized item, the weight of this moment's meaning will over whelm him. Just has every one who has stood in his place has done before him, he will feel tears stream down his dirty hardened face. He will now be in charge of protecting and holding sacred the history, honor, and traditions of the Corps that every Marine before has safe guarded and handed down to him. When his turn is done, he will hand those same ideals down to the next Marine to do the same. This is what makes a Marine a Marine and how it has been since November 10th, 1775. As long as he performs this sacred duty he will forever be a Marine. No one will ever be able to take that from him. Only he can squander this gift. He will look back at his family line and now take his place, just has every past generation has done, in the watch towers of our nation's defense. He will do the things he will do not for personal glory but to not let his fellow Marines down. He has transcended being mere mortal because the enemy may kill him and Marines die all the time, but the Marine Corps lives forever. By being a Marine, he will now live forever in it's lore and history. He will forever be cherished by his nation, admired by our allies, and feared by our enemies. Most importantly he will be loved by his brothers both old and young, "for he that sheds his blood...today shall be my brother." Today, as an old Marine and proud father, I release him from being my son and embrace has my brother Marine. Semper Fidelis young Marine, and finally welcome to the Marine Corps.

[devildogtraining]

Day 79

Today is the start of the Crucible. Everything our Recruit has learned and endured so far will be called upon to carry him and his platoon through the next few days. It is called the Crucible because it is the pot that raw material is put into to make steel. It would be impossible to complete if our Recruit had not already gone through what he has. Everything up to this point was in preparation for what this day and the next 3 hold for him. When he gets up this morning our Recruit and his entire Company will load up on buses and head back to Camp Pendleton. They will only be taking the gear that they were told to take by their Drill Instructors. When they get off the buses they will receive a brief telling them what is expected from them and they will be given 4 MRE's and it will begin. The Crucible is 56 hours long with almost no structured time for sleep. Our Recruit will travel in his platoon and have to accomplish numerous activities. It will start with a 10k, (about 6 miles), field march. Then they will break down into squads or fire teams to accomplished a predetermined task or mission. All of them will be based upon an actual combat mission from the past in which the original performer received a Medal of Honor or Navy Cross. One of them will be placed in charge, given the mission by the Marine supervising the exercise, and then the one in charge will be given a set amount of time and items needed to come up with a solution and orders for the group to try to accomplish it. There is always a correct solution, but this is not about necessarily doing it right. It is about making a command decision and going for it. It is about SULE, (pronounced sue-lee), or Small Unit Leadership Exercise. After each exercise the supervisor will brief them on what they did right, and what they did wrong. Then they will move on to the next exercise. When night comes there will be a 8k or 5 mile night march and back into SULE exercises. This will repeat all night long and all day Friday and into Friday night. On Friday night they will go into a night assault of an enemy position. If our Recruit was smart he will ration his food and eat while on the move so that he can nap each time they pause. The pauses won't be long so sleeping during them is better then trying to eat. One needs to be as awake as they can be for each exercise. Doing the Crucible will teach our Recruit and his company just how much they can endure while accomplishing their missions. This feat was seen during the invasion of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Marines from the 1st MEF were in continuous assault of the enemy for the first 4 days. Yes for the first 4 days of the ground fighting the Marines never stopped. Sleep was stolen at rare moments when activity was at it's lowest, (like refueling or resupply) and eating was done when you weren't fighting. Now back to the Crucible where this was learned. Each man leads differently dependent on that individuals strengths and/or weaknesses. Some will gather suggestions before deciding. Some will think it out on their own. But in the end, there can only be one decision and the one in charge will need to be able to convey that plan to the rest of the team and have them carry it out. Some will motivate, some will dictate, some will have to deal with rebellion. All will have to take a turn and lead. There is an old saying in the Corps, "Sir I don't care if you go left, right, or straight ahead because we will follow you where ever you go, but you have to decide. Make the call sir." This is what these exercises are all about. Under extreme duress of little to no sleep, very little food, and constant movement to contact someone has to make the call. When it is your turn, you have to step up to that plate with the sh*t sandwich on it and take that bite. In the real world in a combat environment Marines live and die by these decisions, but they have to be made and someone has to be in charge to make them. Welcome to the Marine Corps.

[devildogtraining]

Day 76

Time is running short for our Recruit and he is getting short. Getting short is Marine jargon for almost done. By now our Recruit could walk under a cat and not have to duck to keep from hitting the cats underside with his head. By now his platoon is spending every possible moment they can practicing drill for Final Drill. Their first part of the grade was done on Friday, when they got to take part in the graduation parade of the company that graduated. It is an impressive sight to see 12 platoons on line for the graduation. When they perform the pass in review, our Recruits company marched off the drill field, (deck), while the graduating company doubles back and gets ready for final dismissal. The rest of their grade will be on Wednesday. Just like in Initial Drill, half of that grade will be the Senior Drill Instructor the other will be the platoon. They MUST work together. On Sunday his company got the honor of lowering and retrieving the Sunday, or Holiday Flag on the base. He has also by now received all of his shoots and completed all of his dental work if he needed any. After Wednesday all that will stand between him and completion will be the Crucible. Welcome to the Marine Corps.

[devildogtraining]

Day 73

Alright, less then two weeks left. So far our Recruit has done his final PFT, (Physical Fitness Test), Final Prac, (Practical Knowledge), and Final Inspection. All three are huge and putting him that much closer to the Crucible. He has received his first set of orders. Knows what his MOS, (Military Occupational Skill), will be and has had a chance to make travel arrangements home. Next week will be Final Drill. Right now the hours are dragging for our Recruit but yet each day is flying by. His goal is so close he can almost taste it. He just has to keep focused and keep reminding himself that everything has a reason. The task at hand is still the most important. The lessons he is learning now is that being short can be just as difficult as just showing up. The distraction of leaving soon sometimes gets in the way of doing well with the mission at hand. This is why so many Marines die just a few weeks or days to coming home from a combat zone. One gets to day dreaming of what they will be doing and they forget where they are and what still needs to be done. Our Recruit's platoon should have been taken back to the yellow footprints by now and experience the surreal feeling of what happened less then 3 months ago. If he is lucky, they were sneaked over as the buses were emptying and stood in the shadows and watched the horror and mayhem. It will feel like a dream watching others go through what they did, not that long ago, but yet it will feel like an eternity. They will watch how slow the newbies move and how clueless they seem. Our Recruit and his platoon have changed that much. They are no longer "scummy civilians", they are almost Marines. Welcome to the Marine Corps.

[devildogtraining]

Day 70

Okay, didn't realize that it has been a while since I last posted here. Just so you all know, our Recruit is getting ready here in the next week and a half to start taking all of his finals. That would be PFT, (Physical Fitness Test), Prac, (Practical Knowledge), Inspection, (also known as Battalion Commander's Inspection), and Drill. All of this will then lead up to the Crucible. But that is for another day. Today I am going to discuss something very important to our Recruit the remainder of his career and easily the rest of his life. That is travel. Unlike the majority of us, travel of our Recruit is just as common as going to work for a lot of us. A big portion of his travel will be done by the government whether it is in the form of a float or going to additional schools or training. Of course we can not forget the big one, deployment into a combat theater. All of these will require orders of some sort and in those orders it will state what type of travel arrangements he or his administration section can make for him. It will specify how he is to get from the airport to his training area and what type of billeting will be available for him and is authorized to use. Traveling on the governments dime is filled with red tape and often done at the last minute. I can not tell you the number of times I ended up waiting in my company's admin office waiting on release of the funds for me to travel on the day I was supposed to be departing. Non-official travel such as on leave or during holidays is no different. Some times you don't find out if you are cleared to travel home until the night before you can leave. As we all know, getting tickets on flights at such a last minute is often much more expensive then planning several weeks or months ahead. Some airlines offer military discounts to active duty members because of it. Let's face it, if your career requires you to travel a lot, building some costumer loyalty is a smart thing. Now for an unfortunate thing of travel. Back in the days when I was first in, one ALWAYS traveled in ones uniform. It wasn't an option. That was the way it was from the beginning of our nation until the late 80's/early 90's. In fact until the 70's one went on liberty in one's appropriate seasonal dress uniform. It was a show of pride of ones service and it often lead to free meals and drinks. A major plus to a young Marine. Travel even overseas was done in uniform. Then US military personnel started becoming the targets of terrorists and the travel in uniform stopped. This is a sad fact of our modern world. Some of the proudest moments I've had in my career where of walking through airports and having people shake my hand seeing me in uniform or children coming up to salute me and then asking me if I was a "real live and die for my country Marine". I think it also gave comfort to people to see us out there among them and helped them to realize that the persons manning the watchtowers of freedom for them had real faces and real loved ones to get home too. Now they are invisible to the majority of us. Traveling along side the common citizen and blending in with them. But, if one stops and really looks closely and observes those traveling around them, one can spot these brave souls. The way they wear their civilian clothes is different. The way they hold themselves and go about their business is different. They always seem to be just a little more watchful of what is going on around them and they often can be found away from the main areas if possible. Let's not forget the crisp haircut they sport. You can always hear them address others as "sir" or "mame," and are always polite with "thank yous," and "please's." To the trained eye, those who have been in, they are easy to spot and we do love them so. Welcome to the Marine Corps.

[devildogtraining]

Day 63

Today we will talk about Hand and Arm Signals. These are incredibly important and our Recruit will use them for the remainder of his life, not just his career. Hand and Arm Signals are absolutely needed to make sure that instructions given are received with out the enemy knowing that you are there. Even with today's modern gadgets like PRP's, (personnel radios used to communicate with one's squad), Hand and Arm Signals have a need since they are completely silent. Remember in order to ever use a radio, one still needs to make sounds. There are signals for just about anything that needs to be conveyed. Almost all of them can be done with one hand and arm, that way you don't lose control of your weapon. Our Recruit will have to be able to master all of them in order to pass his final examines that he will be getting starting next week. If one needs to see what these signals are, you can google them seeing how it is impossible for me to be able draw them here. Welcome to the Marine Corps.

[devildogtraining]

Day 61

Now that we have discussed how our Recruit will make money and how he can possibly spend it, we are going to discuss ways that he can safe guard it. One of the most difficult things for a young Marine is to set up a budget and stay with it. The reason for it is simple, he is making a lot of money and has no real expenses. Like I stated the other day, as long as he is living in the barracks he will pay no rent and eat at the dining facilities, (chow hall), for free. I also stated that if he becomes in trouble he could be fined moneys as punishment for doing something he shouldn't have. So, how does he make sure that he has enough money to make his monthly obligations because he WILL buy stuff? First of all, he is not going to have any real credit. This is going to lead to problems because like I stated the other day our Recruit is going to want a vehicle. Patience here is a virtue. What he needs to do is a lot of researching to find a reliable car that is easy on the fuel and insurance. Living on Base means traveling long distances to get out into town. He will also need to make sure that he isn't paying too much in interest. Some places will tell him that his payments will be a low amount, but not notice that he is going to be paying for 6 years on a $4000 used car. Not a good move but it happens a lot. He will also have banks falling all over them selves to give him a credit card. The reason is simple, so they can charge him an insane interest rate. The best move here is simple, get a card from the Navy Federal Credit Union. They specialize in military accounts and have offices where ever the military is. That's right, on all the bases all over the world. In order to be allowed to operate like this they have made certain agreements with the Department of Defense to keep interest rates low and fees low as well. The next thing our Recruit will need to do is set up Allotments. Allotments are special arrangements made with Dispersing, (the people who pay him), to make sure his bills are getting paid. Like I stated earlier, if he is fined lets say $2000 dollars and is only making $1475 a month, it doesn't take a genius to see that he is going to have no money for more then a month. Allotments protect money needed to pay bills from being taken. So, let's say our Recruit has a car payment, cell phone bill, insurance for the car, and credit card bill as well as incidentals that he needs each month like weekly haircuts and laundry services. He can go to his First Sargent and set allotments up to make sure that he will have the money to pay for these. He will take in his loan agreement and insurance statements to verify the bills and can in some cases set up a direct payment to them and set up an allotment for each one. The reason for separate ones is that he should be done paying for the car but still need insurance. The same goes for his cell phone, cable service and internet service. He can also set up one for incidentals. This way if he does get fined those required funds can't be touched. Yes it means it will take him longer to pay off his fine, but at least his stuff won't be getting repo'ed and his credit won't get trashed. The last thing to do, is get a charge card from the Uniform shop. When I was in it was called a Star Card. The interest rate is almost zero and you can have the money from your annual uniform allowance sent directly to it. This way you can get any uniform items you need right away instead of waiting for you to have enough money. Also, uniform allowances can not be fined. Welcome to the Marine Corps.

[devildogtraining]

Day 60

Now that we know that our Recruit is going to be independently wealthy at such a young age we are going to discuss all the ways others will try to separate him from that wealth. The first is vehicles. Outside the gates of every military base is a regular cornucopia of used and new car dealerships that "specialize" and "cater" to military personnel. They run all kinds of "Buy here Pay here" offers. A lot of times these are shady at best and charge overbearing interest rates. With so much money burning their pockets, many a young Marine ends up buying way to much car or truck. Bases are big places and require a lot of gas to get in and out of as well as just get from one location to another inside of it. Most young Marines also don't realize the cost of insurance for these vehicles since they are young and underwriters charge extra for all that extra horse power. Too top it off, driving on a base is a privilege and not a right. In order to drive on base a Marine must pass a Department of Defense driving course. There is also a separate one for motorcycles. If a Marine gets into too much trouble on base driving/riding, ie speeding, he will lose his driving privileges and have to park his vehicles outside the Main Gate in a parking lot for them. There will also be less expensive things that will cost our Recruit money. As I stated in an earlier post, living in the barracks is free, but if he wants internet connections in his quarters or cable it will cost him. The fee is actually very small compared to residential costs, but money going out anyway. He will also be tempted to go out to eat a lot, which doesn't seem smart since there is a free meal at the chow hall. He will also want to have a cell phone. All of this stuff costs money and the closer you are to a base, the more it costs because the businesses there know Marines have money and they have a job guaranteed. To avoid a lot of these problems our Recruit will receive classes on how to manage his money and how to look for deals. He will be taught how to read a loan contract and figure out the final end cost of an item. All of this is important because if he gets into financial trouble he can be court martialed because on all contracts he enters they are going to want now the unit he is with and who his Company Commanding Officer is in case they have to try to collect on the debt. Finally if he does get into some type of trouble in the Marine Corps he can be fined moneys as a punishment. Being strapped to the gills with a lot of different payments then suddenly having to pay out a fine can lead to some major financial hardship. Then of course there is the problem of having to pay on loans or rents while one is deployed. All of this I will cover tomorrow. Welcome to the Marine Corps.

[devildogtraining]

Day 59

Before I start today's note, I would like to congratulate our Recruit for completing Second Phase. Today he and his Company come out of the field and tomorrow will return to MCRD and begin final preparations of becoming a Marine. Alright, yesterday we discussed all the different ways our Recruit will be making money. Now I will talk about all the additional or special moneys that he can make. First I would like to point out that as long as our Recruit lives in the barracks all the money he makes is his own to keep. There is no charge for living in the barracks or eating at the chow hall. So if his pockets go empty before pay day, he is still going to be able to eat and have a roof over his head, (unless he's in the field and he may not have a roof so to speak). Special moneys are paid to individuals that are believed to be in extra hazardous jobs. Not that just being in the military isn't hazardous, but these jobs go beyond the norm. Some of them are jobs like working on the Flight Line marshaling aircraft while engines are running. Handling explosive ordinance weather at an ammo dump or as a disposal unit are also considered extra hazardous. Some refueling jobs also fall into the realm of extra hazardous as well as Recon. Now if our Recruit were to be assigned to one of these units he would then receive Hazardous Duty pay which can easily come out to another thousand dollars a month. One can also receive Hazardous Duty pay by being assigned to an theater, (area of the world), that has been deemed hazardous by either the Department of Defense or the State Department. These areas are countries like Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Pakistan and some African nations. The next special pay that our Recruit can also receive is Combat Pay. This is moneys paid to the military for being in or operating in a combat zone. The reason for saying operating in, is due to the fact that individuals that operate equipment in a combat environment even though they are not actually stationed there will receive these moneys. Examples of this are the pilots of the unmanned drones and B-2 bombers that fly missions over combat areas. Both of these individuals are stationed in the United States and each night return to their perspective homes and families but since their jobs still require them to operate over the combat area they receive it. Now I would like to point out the differences of between Hazardous Duty pay and Combat Pay. One can not receive both. So, if you are performing in a Hazardous job and stationed in a combat zone, you will either receive combat pay or hazardous duty pay, which ever is higher. Also while our Recruit is stationed in a combat zone, all moneys he is paid will be non-taxable. That's right you don't pay taxes while you are defending our nation. I would like to point out at this time that the only moneys that our Recruit will pay taxes on when he is back home is on his base pay. All additional moneys are all tax exempt weather it be BAH, BAS, or uniform allowance, Hazardous Duty, or Combat Pay. The next moneys that our Recruit will be able to make will be Sea Duty Pay. Sea Duty pay is moneys paid while on float or stationed as and embassy guard. Sea Duty is also paid to military personnel stationed on Diego Garcia. Even though this is an island out in the middle of the Indian Ocean, (nicknamed the Big Toe of Democracy due to it's appearance from satellite being similar to a big toe), due to it's extreme remoteness and complete lack of accommodations for families to be there it is considered the same as being on ship. Welcome to the Marine Corps.

[devildogtraining]

Day 58

For the next few days we talk about Financial Responsibility. Our Recruit will in the next couple of weeks receive a couple of classes on this subject. The Corps deems this matter so important that he will receive them once a year until he becomes a Staff NCO. The reason for the importance is simple; if a Marine is fiscally stable, then he is less likely to do something that may compromise National Security or public welfare. Remember, our Recruit, once he gets out into the fleet will have access to a wide range of weapons and knowledge that others may deem valuable. The need for money can be an easy way to get him to assist those who he should not be assisting. One of the things that our Recruit will be shown is how to live within his means. Lets face it, he has been making a lot of money since he arrived at MCRD. In fact he has been making $1451 a month. Granted while he has been in there he hasn't had access to it short of being able to purchase small personnel hygiene items, so upon graduation he is going to have access to a pant load of cash. Hell, I remember when I was there base pay was only $472 a month and I thought I was rich. Along with this our Recruit will be receiving an annual pay out for uniform upkeep. This is usually a few hundred dollars as well. He will learn that as he adds dependents, ie a wife and/or children, he will receive additional funds. If he has to move off base he will receive moneys for housing and food. The one for housing is known as BAH, (Basic Allowance for Housing), and the one for food is BAS, (Basic Allowance for Subsistence). These are based on the location that the Marine lives in since it is more expensive to live in Southern California then say Nebraska. All of these are also based on one's rank and years of service. The higher your rank the more you receive in base pay, BAH, and BAS. The reason is the higher your rank the more space you are allowed to have. This is why the Captain on a ship has a the largest state room on it. Depending on a Marines job, he may also receive additional funds for his uniform allowance. This is because some jobs and/or duty assignments require that Marine to need additional uniforms that your average Marine does not. An example of this is recruiters. They wear more Dress Blue clothing items then a normal Marine does, so he will receive additional funds to maintain them so he can always look his best. Our Recruit once he is in the fleet will also have to travel from time to time on government business and he will receive moneys for this. These will come in the form of a Per Diem rate. He will normally be allowed up to $95 a day for lodging which he will receive reimbursement by providing receipts and he will also receive approximately $60 a day for food. I can tell you right now there is almost no way one can eat that much food in the form of take out. Welcome to the Marine Corps

[devildogtraining]

Day 57

Today I will be discussing something very important to the Marine Corps; Fraternization. Fraternization is an extreme no no in the Corps. Actually it is theoretically not allowed in all branches of the military, but tends to have a blind eye turned to it in the other services. Fraternization is simply associating with someone who is not your peer. There is a very clear rank structure in the Corps and discipline and good order thrive and is maintained by adhering to it. The are 5 rank levels in the Corps and one does not cross the lines of them except in order to do day to day business. The lowest of these is the Recruit. This is what our Recruit is right now. Other then his Drill Instructors and their chain of command does our Recruit have any regular contact with other Marines. Other Marines are forbidden to talk with or associate with any of them. There are no visits from Marines that a Recruit may know that are already in from his past. The next level is Non-rates. Non-rates are Privates, Private First Class, (PFC), and Lance Corporals. Next are the NCO's, (Non-Commissioned Officers), and they are the Corporals and Sergeants. Next are the Staff NCO's. They are Staff Sergeant, Gunnery Sergeant, Master Sergeant, First Sergeant, Master Gunnery Sergeant, Sergeant Major, and finally our beloved Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. The last group is the Officers. They are the Warrant Officers, (WO, Chief WO2 through Chief WO5), and Commissioned Officers, (Lieutenants though Generals including our beloved Commandant). Each of these groups traditionally have even had their own recreational areas or clubs. When I first joined in every club area there would be Enlisted Clubs, (for non-rates), NCO clubs, SNCO clubs and Officer clubs, (also known as "O" Clubs). Each catered to their specific ranks maturing tastes. Due to funding, a lot of these clubs have disappeared leaving just 2 clubs. One for NCO's and Non-rates and one for SNCO's and Officers. Even though they have combined, fraternization is still closely monitored. Other then the appropriate greeting and possible short conversation, there is no "hanging out" across defined lines. The reasoning for this is the Corps doesn't want any perception of over familiarization from one rank structure to the next. An individual from a lower status could gain advantages in promotions or choice duty assignments from relationships with higher ranked individuals. Higher ranked individuals could abuse their relations with lower ranked ones by loaning money from them. The only time such fraternization is allowed is if two Marines married while both of them were in the same rank level. Even then, if those differences become too great, like one goes to school and becomes a commissioned officer while the other is still and NCO, then one of them will have to leave active duty status. The Corps holds stead fast to this rule even when dealing with cross service relationships. Meaning, no playing patty fingers with the hot Navy Lieutenant when you are a Corporal. The punishment for disobeying this is Court Martial for the higher ranked individual. The reason being is the higher ranked person should know better. Welcome to the Marine Corps.

[devildogtraining]

Day 55

While our Recruit is doing his Table 2 shooting this week, I will go over some of the stuff he will be doing the last few weeks after he gets back. When he moves back down to MCRD he will have a lot to accomplish and not a lot of time to get it done. Things will be hectic right up to graduation. One of the classes he will be going through is an incredibly important one; Map Orientation. This is an incredibly important skill that every Marine needs to be able to perform. Knowing where you are and where you are going is key to effective mission completion. If you don't know where you are how are you going to be able to call in artillery or air support or worse yet, medivac. Also if one is going to be able to effectively assault and enemy position at a certain time, if you don't know how to find it you are screwed and the entire operation is in jeopardy. Mistakes like these lead to unnecessary lost lives and injuries. Not only will he learn how to read a map, he will learn how to use the latest GPS systems available and he will also learn how to use the compass. Our Recruit will also learn to mark off distances by pace counting and judge distance horizontally. As simple as this seems it isn't. In fact I myself still have trouble doing it. Our Recruit will learn how to break the map down into grids and how to read an 8 digit grid number. This is key because this is the number needed in order to call in air and artillery support. An 8 digit grid is approximately 3 feet square in area and yes both of those supports can hit it as long as it is right spot. Failure to be able to break it down correctly can lead to destroying the wrong target and cause innocents to become injured as well as not destroy the enemy. Welcome to the Marine Corps.

[devildogtraining]

Day 54

Today we are going to discuss something that our Recruit has been enduring since his Processing days when he first got to MCRD; Shots. Yes, inoculations is what I'm talking about. Shortly after our Recruit got to Boot Camp he has regularly had to go to medical with his entire platoon to get some type of shot to help ward off a litany of possible infections and diseases. Some of these shots he may have already gotten when he was younger and still a civilian. Things like the Hepatitis series or the polio virus. He will get all of these shots again so that the Corps knows that he has gotten them. He will also get vaccinated for other illnesses like Small Pox, malaria, some forms of anthrax, and Typhoid. The reason for this is because some of these take a while to properly protect our Recruit and if he suddenly has to deploy to an area that these are a problem at, he might not be protected. He will also receive general antibiotic shots such as penicillin to help ward off general bugs and viruses like Tuberculosis. For the remainder of his career he will get boosters shots and even the annual flu shot. The most important thing is for him to remain in good health and ready to ship anywhere the Corps requires at a moments notice. Welcome to the Marine Corps.

[devildogtraining]

Day 53

Today I will be discussing what our Recruit will be doing here next week now that he is done with field week. He will be doing the second portion of his weapons firing, also known as Table 2 Firing. Now, during the 2 weeks of Qualification everything was devoted to set shooting in set positions. With the exception of the two rapid fire drills on the 200 and 300 meter lines, everything was done in slow deliberate well aimed shots. In Table 2 it will be what is known as Quick Reaction Drills. All of it will be done from the 200 meter line or less all the way down to 25 feet. He will learn to fire shots off quickly as well as accurately. These drills are intended to help simulate combat situations more realistically. He will learn how to effectively deploy his weapon while wearing the gas mask, which trust me is not easy at all. He will also learn how to fire while advancing. How to fire as a group, making sure that everyone doesn't need to change a magazine at the same time. He will learn how to properly inform those he is with that he is changing magazines and how to do it in a tactical situation. He will learn how to move safely from one point to another with a loaded weapon and quickly engage a new target. He will learn about fields of fire and keeping ones own field of fire clear while also making sure not to walk in front of someone else's field of fire. During all of this, our Recruit can easily fire a few hundred rounds a day. Just because someone excels at shooting during Rifle Qual, doesn't mean they will naturally do well in Table 2. The same goes the other way as well. I've seen Marines who couldn't hit the wall of a barn sitting in it during Qual week suddenly become Dead Eye Dick on Table 2. Some people just have better reactions then others and tend to over think their shots on the KD range. These are the people you want kicking in the doors and clearing trenches while the Qual experts are giving over watch for them. Welcome to the Marine Corps.

[devildogtraining]

Day 50

Alright today we will cover the Gas Chamber. This wonderful structure will always be one of the most dreaded places on any base. It will also be a spot visited by our Recruit once a year for Certification. The purpose of the Gas Chamber is to help instill confidence in ones gas mask. In a world with chemical and biological agents that can be unseen and will kill you in horribly painful and slow ways it is important to understand that your mask can and will save you if you know how to properly wear it. Not only will our Recruit learn how to use it, he will learn of the four major chemical agent groups. They are Nerve Agents, Blood Agents, Blister Agents, and Crowd Control, (or CC), Agents. Nerve Agents are things like Sarin, Chlorine Gas, and the VX family. Nerve Agents can be deployed either as a gas or a liquid. An amount of less the 1/8th the size of a pin head can be fatal and it can be absorbed through the lungs or contact with the skin. A few hours of bright sun light or moderate breeze can and will disperse and break down the agent to a less lethal form. Nerve Agents kill you by attacking ones nervous system so that electrical signals can no longer travel from one cell to the next. Death comes in the form of violent convulsions, (some so violent that one will actually snap their own spine) and finally suffocation due to the diaphragm no longer working to draw air into your lungs. There is a antidote for these weapons in the form of a shot of Atropine that will be issued to our Recruit whenever he is issued a gas mask. Only problem with the Atropine is that it is just as lethal as the agent, so shortly after being injected with it, one must be injected with Pamtwocholoride which counters the atropine. Blood Agents are only dispersed in a gas form and are the Cyanide family, Arsine, and Carbon Monoxide. Many Blood Agents have a distinct smell similar to that of fresh mowed hay or grass, roasted almonds, and in the case of Carbon Monoxide, car fumes. Blood Agents bond with the hemoglobin of ones blood cells so that they can no longer carry oxygen through out ones body. This causes the victim to gasp for air as if he/she were drowning even though they are no where near water. Death comes in the form of suffocation. There is no antidote for a Blood Agent. Blister Agents are Lewisite, Phosegene, and the Mustard Family. Blister Agents can be in the form of a liquid or a gas and will cause painful blisters to form on any exposed tissues including, but not limited to skin, eyes, ears, inside mouth, and lungs. Popping of the blisters only causes the agent to spread since it is located in the pustulant. Death is cause from suffocation due to the lungs filling with blisters or shock due to the intense pain. There is no antidote to Blister Agents, but one can be treated for it if the infected individual can be quickly removed from the area and hospitalized. The final Agent is CC or Crowd Control. This is of the Tear Gas Family. This is a non-lethal gas and it's purpose is to disperse or render violent crowds helpless by causing them extreme coughing, tearing, and difficulty to breath. Our Recruit will also learn how to wear a MOP suit, this is a suit used with the Gas Mask to help him be protected in case Nerve or Blister Agents are present. He will also learn that he can and will be expected to perform all of his jobs and missions while in a Full Mop Suit. Normally when one goes into a Gas Chamber to do their annual certification the amount of the agent in there will almost be invisible. The reason for this is because it doesn't take a lot of this agent to render one incapacitated. At Boot Camp, he will be lucky if he can see anything in front of his face. He will be lead into the Chamber, (usually in groups of 10 to 20), with his right hand on the right shoulder of the recruit in front of him. Once they stop they will be given the command to face in board by the instructors inside. I would at this time like to point out that instructors are in full MOP gear since this stuff will cause a slight burning sensation on any exposed skin. Once they are all facing in board, they will be given the command to remove their masks. Once everyone's mask is removed, they will be given the command to recite something, maybe their name, Social Security Number, or even sing the Marine Corps Hymn. It doesn't matter because once they take a breathe to speak they will begin coughing profusely. This will cause them to open their eyes and the extreme tearing will start as their bodies attempt to rinse it out of so they can see. Once everyone is coughing good, they will be given the command to put the masks back on and clear them of any agent that will be inside of it. Once they self clear the mask they will find that they can breath easily again and the burning of their eyes will stop. They will all give a thumbs up signal and then be lead out of the Chamber. Once outside they will remove the mask and walk with their hands stretched out to their sides so that they don't try to touch their faces. The reason for this is because there is agent residue on their entire bodies, and even a small touch of it to their face will start the tearing again. Much like touching your face after chopping up onions can cause you to start tearing up again. As he moves to an open area where he will be allowed to wash off his face, clean out his mask and air out his uniform he will be trying not to run into his own snot ball that will be hanging from his nose down to at least his waist if not almost to the ground. Welcome to the Marine Corps.