Boot Camp Stories and Advice

Marine Corps boot camp is only as hard as you make it. If you do what you are told, when you are told with a sense of urgency, you'll have no problems. The worst part is being home sick. You have to keep a positive attitude because there will be days that you are so exhausted from training that you will just want to give up. (Like the time we had drill practice right after a 9 mile hump.) Believe it or not, you will have a little fun in boot camp if your platoon ever learns teamwork (mine didn't but we managed), and you will make friends that you will keep in touch with through out your career. The best advice I can give you is don't eat all the pastries if you are the pastry recruit in the chow hall during team week. Eat less that week, or you will gain weight and you don't want to be a weight recruit that late in the game because you can get dropped to another platoon. Our pastry recruit gained 11 pounds in one week! So, beware. Also, don't constantly get yourself all worked up about getting dropped if you don't pass inspection or stuff like that. Swim qual, testing, inspections, rifle range..those are all things that you will be given a second chance at to pass. However, pass it the first time, so you don't have to worry about ,"what if I don't pass..." The IST and PFT are two things you MUST pass the first time or get dropped to PCP (Physical Conditioning Platoon). Do not go to boot camp out of shape or over

This is for all of you who need some helpful advice on Parris Island. I had several Marines give me the same advice before I left and it was very helpful. Enjoy!! Feel free to e-mail with any comments at snrhoades@mol.marines.com.

My best advice is to expect for the worst. Then when you get there and get into the training you realize that it is not as bad as you thought that it would be. Boot Camp is mostly mental. You need to go in with the attitude that you are there to become a United States Marine.

You'll arrive at the airport about 9:00 at night. As soon as you get off of the plane there are receiving DI's there. They will yell at you to sit down left hand left knee right hand right knee. You'll be there for a couple of hours. (By the way the day at MEPS will be long and boring. There will probably be a long layover at an airport) Then they will put you on a bus to PI. You arrive there about 2 AM. The fun begins. You will not go to sleep until that night around 8 PM. Sleep where ever you can before you arrive there.

After you go through receiving you will meet your DI's on the Saturday after you arrive. Training will start the first Tuesday after you pick up. The first 30 days are the hardest and anyone will tell you that. It is a new environment and you are going to be homesick and some are worse than others. You will drop around 10 people the first week you are there. Your basic day will consist of reville at 0500, breakfast, PT, PT shower, Classes/Drill, Lunch, Classes/Drill, Evening Chow, Showers, weapons cleaning, free time, field day, taps at 2100. If you want a better schedule of what you will do at boot camp check out PI's website (www.parrisisland.com).

As far as what to take to PI, I suggest that you take in addition to the list you a given a good pair of running shoes that are somewhat conservative in appearance, extra panties (white), extra sports bras (white), 1 civilian bra (white), extra white socks, deodorant, toothpaste, your own toothbrush, soap, Avon Skin So Soft lotion (sand fleas won't come near this stuff), feminine hygiene products, shampoo/conditioner, and birth control if you have it. Don't let them scare you that first night that you get there. They will give you a brief on contraband and stuff you shouldn't have. Don't throw anything on this list away, you don't have too. I was stupid and did then I realized that I shouldn't have done it.

You may or may not have your period while you are at boot camp. A lot of times women who are very physically active don't have one. So don't freak out. Boot camp is all mental and some physical. Work you butt off before you leave and won't be as hard. Memorize your General Orders before you get to PI, know the Naval terminology, learn the Navy and Marine Corps rank structure, and practice speaking in the third person (ie Good Evening Ma'am, Excuse Recruit Rochelle, Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Browne Ma'am. Recruit Rochelle requests permission to make a head call ma'am.) You will use that one often.

Once you complete recruit training you will go home for ten days of leave. You may or may not get put on 30 days recruiter's assistance, talk to your recruiter. You will then report to MCT. This is the real Crucible. Two weeks in the field with hardly any showers. After MCT you will report to your MOS school. The time you spend at your school depends on the MOS you choose. Once at school you will be given an opportunity to choose East Coast, West Coast, or Overseas for you duty station preference. I suggest going overseas first. It is a one year tour. Otherwise you will spend three years in the states then on your last year they will send you overseas. Overseas is pretty good. You get COLA which is a cost of living adjustment. I make around $150 extra a month. I have enjoyed my tour in Okinawa. I met my husband there.

I really enjoyed boot camp. Boot camp is focused on teamwork. It is not about who's on-line first or last but if the entire platoon is on-line together. The faster you and your fellow recruit's figure that out the better. I hope that I have provided you with the information you needed without giving away the secret's and mystique that make boot camp what it is. I promise stick out through the first 30 days and it is all down hill after that. Best of luck in your endeavors and please feel free to write if you need anything else.

Also, when you get there, you are probably not going to have enough time to eat the first week or so, they play games with you. It gets better. Everything gets better. To start with, they test you, weed out some people, but after that, they build up your self-esteem. There's nothing like passing your BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship) and having the Drill Sgt. congratulate you. Ultimately, the Drill Sgt. is there for YOU--remember, he/she is just doing his/her job--and they spend more time awake, doing more things, than you do! Good luck to everyone.

My advice for basic training would be to ignore that list of "Things to Bring To Basic Training." I don't know exactly how I acquired the list...probably at MEPS, but I do remember spending a month trying to buy everything on the list before I left...seven white bras, seven white pairs of underwear, bath robe, running shoes, etc. Most of the stuff on the list was impractical. I suggest only bringing hygiene products for a week, two changes of civilian clothes, tons of stamps and paper, one or two novels, two smaller bath towels...Do Not attempt to bring your own running shoes unless you know for a fact that they will pass the drill instructors inspection of what qualifies as "good running shoes." (no fake leather!) They will most likely let you go to the PX and buy hygiene products, etc. They can't deny you your right to hygiene!! Also, remember that everything you bring will be carried by you and you will run with it, here and there...and over there and there...etc...so pack as light as you can. One other word of advice is that when you arrive on base, say at 3:00 am, and they tell you to go into the little room and throw away any "contraband," such as aspirin, midol, pamerpin...don't listen. I threw mine away and suffered. They never even looked in our bags. They might make you dump all you stuff onto the floor later, but if you hide it in a little bag, or something they will never notice...and chances are, if they do, they won't care. (especially the men!) Lastly, don't let the mind games get to you...that's all they are...games. Submitted by: Johanna- Michigan

I'll give you all the same advice my uncle gave me when I enlisted in 1989. I think it is timeless.

First, there WILL be a training schedule posted somewhere in your company area. Read it. It will tell you where you'll be and what you'll be doing all day. You can endure anything a lot more easily if you know when it's going to end. The drill sergeants WILL follow the training schedule because they get into trouble if they are late getting their platoon to where it needs to be when it needs to be there. The implied task for you here is to wear a watch.

Second, when there is work to be done dig right in with something you can stomach. If the platoon has to clean the barracks I suggest you grab the buffer and/or the mop and start. If you don't find a job you can stand quickly...guess who'll be scrubbing the toilets?! I'll tell you that it WON'T be the girl with the buffer.

I am a 21 year old regular army gal. I am a 74b "Information systems operator/analyst". I work on computers all day. I am technically qualified to fix computers as well as install and work with software, lots of stuff actually. I work at a help desk actually, and try to help people with their problems and software issues. I have been in the army since May 21st, 1999. My husband and I both joined together, and are both PFCs right now. We have a long way to go, however we both love our jobs completely. Before I enlisted I actually came to this site looking for information on whether it would be a good idea to join, as a female and all. I now have the goal of being the first female to drive a tank!; although I doubt I will be around for that. I do see the walls coming down soon to allow women to do whatever they would really like to do. If any females need advise about joining and have fears of basic training, please write to me. I was the most un-athletic girl before I joined. I made it, and I could do it again. E-mail: hobbes@sweetness.com

The first actual day of basic training in Fort Leonard Wood was indeed a day that will live in my memory. The cattle trucks, which I never did get used to by the way, but after the first ride they did get a little bit calmer. I had my civilian bag, and of course the duffle that weighs about 50-60 lbs in a giant bear hug in front of me. We were advised that we better no drop these duffles or else the DS would be all over us. Well, the civilian drivers of the "cattle buses" I'm sure were instructed to hit every pothole in the road and to turn corners like they were driving a Porsche. The privates were loosely packed into the buses and of course we were tossed around like popcorn kernels. With sweat dripping down my back and my face I was developing a stubborn streak that would not allow me to drop my duffel on any account. Upon arrival at our barracks (Delta 2-10), we were of course yelled at and made to run into formation. I could only hope that I would be in the first platoon and get to drop the bags, well I realized that I was in 4th platoon the hard way, by standing there in the sun bear hugging my duffle for what seemed like 3 hours. I was so determined not to drop the bags that you know they say the jaws are a pretty powerful muscle, well they are, I bit my duffle so that I would not drop it. It worked and even got the attention of my soon to be platoon DSs. Finally we did get to drop the bags and the yelling subsided. I believe that the first day of basic training is the day that the DSs are sizing you up. They are looking for the weak and the strong. My advise to anyone getting ready to go to basic, be strong even if you are not actually STRONG. Especially being female, you need to show strength and motivation and you will get everything out of basic that you could hope for. You will get confident in yourself and others will have confidence in you as well, you will get the courage and determination that will help you in all areas of your life. You will find your limits and at times you will go beyond the limits that you thought that you couldn't. Make the most of it and remember that they can't kill you, you can only do so many push-ups and only so many "front-back-go's". Give it all that you have and it will give you so much back in return.

The first day of Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood is one I will never forget. We all got rushed off the most ugliest bus I had ever seen, and all we could hear is the sound of my four drill sgts. screaming. I could basically feel my heart in my throat, when all I could hear is the cry of the private next to me. I knew as soon as the drill Srgt would come near us she was going to do something she was seriously going to regret! Sure enough the drill Srgt came over and all I saw out of the corner of my eye was that private bolting out of shake-down. Sure enough what do i do but laugh which I found out was one of the most dumbest things you could ever do in basic. We later found out that she was sent home for not "adjusting" to army life. She was found behind a bush screaming that she wanted to go home. I never imagined that it was going to be that bad. And sure enough it wasn't I graduated and finally got home!

While this was pretty horrible at the time, I look back on it now as being pretty funny. I was a little over six feet, with big feet. The dungaree pants were too short and shoes in my size were not even kept in stock. So, I walked around for weeks looking like Olive Oil -- short pants with six inches inches of black sock exposed and white tennis shoes the size of oars (or so they looked!). I was terrified that I would be graduating in those tennis shoes, but boondockers finally came in for me.

Some RM1 took a shine to me as we passed through line in the chow hall. I was absolutely mortified when he approached me outside as we lined up in formation. I knew my days in the Navy were numbered because this guy was about to get me thrown out. We weren't supposed to talk to males, so I restrained from conversation but eventually ran into him at Fiddlers Green. (The end to that story is that we kept in contact through two duty stations and got engaged, but I eventually decided to call it off).