Archive for the ‘What’s in it for me?’ Category
We just had to include this video about the Marine Corps because it brought chills to our souls and made our eyes well up. Having the title of United States Marine under your belt is really something that a person never outgrows. if you are thinking of joining the Corps…good luck with boot camp and beyond. if you are currently in The Corps we wish you God’s speed. If you are no longer on the active rolls of The Corps, we thank you for your service.
This video almost touches the “feeling” of what it is like to be a United States Marine.
Semper Fi! One and All
Marine Corps Boot Camp horror stories are not as common as they used to be, but there are myths out there and there are some true ones that may be blown out of proportion. I would like to take this moment to tell of what some may consider a “horror story”, but I do not and it happened to me.
I was in Marine Corps Boot Camp at Parris Island in 1979. I was the age of 17 and I was in Platoon 1047 and graduated on 14 September 1979. My Senior Drill Instructor was Staff Sergeant Fair and it happened late one evening while I was on fire watch. I had on my chrome dome and my war belt, as they were called and if I remember correctly it was about 0230 hours. It was pouring rain outside and I was the only one awake, or so I thought.
Click Here To Learn How To Prepare For Boot Camp
I was goofing off and I was tired and I was bored and I thought it was a waste of time to be up at that time. I recall having my leg up on some sort of ledge and the next thing I remember was being flat on my back with a sheathed bayonet to my throat. Over me stood Staff Sergeant Fair in full face camo looking me in the eyes with the look of a wild-man. In a very hushed tone he asked me “what would have happened if this was combat” I meekly replied that “the Private would be dead.” With the sheathed bayonet still to my throat he leaned closer and whispered in an even more intense “Fuck the Private….your fellow Marines would be dead. They were counting on you to be here to guard them and you let them down. If this was combat, you would be the reason why 71 Marines would have been killed.” He then looked in my eyes with an expression I will never forgot and he said “my brother was killed by the Cong and it is my job to make sure that you don’t graduate from here and be the reason any of those men in there (squadbay) die”. He looked me square in the eyes and said that it better never happen again.
I never doubted what he said, not even for a second.
He was gone in an instant and it was never mentioned again and it was in that moment that I think I became a Marine. It was in that moment that I understood and it was in that moment that the bond of being a Marine was, and will be forever forged in my heart. Some liberal whiner would cry about what happened then and there, but that moment of training carried me on to graduate with honors. The Marine Corps Boot Camp Horror story really was no horror story at all. That was the moment in my life that I became a Marine and for that I offer this Thank You to Senior Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Fair. I will forever be grateful for that moment of training.
Click Here To Learn How To Prepare For Boot Camp
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If you are wondering whether or not you can graduate from Marine Corps Boot Camp, you are not alone. You already know that Marine Basic training is the most difficult recruit training in America, but did you know that making it to graduation is not all about being physically fit? Sure being in shape is a benefit, but it really is not the be all and it sure is not the end all. If you are in high school and thinking of becoming a Marine we have a few simple tips for you to consider, and to understand.
Click Here for the secrets of Marine Corps Boot Camp
- The Marine Corps is not for everyone. The everyone club hold the title of U.S. Army.
- The strong recruits do not always graduate from boot camp.
- Drill Instructors DO NOT beat you.
- Having smoked dope DOES NOT disqualify you from becoming a Marine. (More Info. Click here)
- You do get paid while you are in boot camp.
- You will shoot a rifle in boot camp.
- Marine Corps Boot Camp will be the toughest thing you may ever do in your life.
- You may FAIL boot camp.
What you must understand about the Corps is that they have the ability to take any size person and train them into shape. If all weak recruits did not graduate, there would be no Marine Corps. The intention of boot camp is to provide the training needed to become fit and be able to carry your own body weight in extreme conditions. The entire program is not designed to tear you down, it is designed to build you up.
What most young men and woman do not understand is that the boot camp process is more about mental stamina and mental discipline than it is about physical stamina. The 12 to 13 week course is designed to get in your head and play games with your head. They want to be sure that you will have the ability to do what you need to do when it needs to be done. Whether the order is to clean the decks or to kill another human being on command, you will learn to obey orders instantly. The entire process of boot camp is to prove that you have the MENTAL ability to do what it takes. The process of boot camp is to see who will crack and who will carry on. My Drill Instructor always said that the intent was to have a recruit flip out in boot camp, so they are not around to flip out in a fighting hole. (Fox hole to you Army types)
The job of the Drill Instructor is to help you become a Marine while eliminating the dead weight of those that should not be a Marine. The title of United States Marine is one that truly needs to be earned. The title will be one that you wear with pride for as long as you live. The title of United States Marine is quite possibly the coolest title a person could have in the entire world. If you think you could be a Marine you should really consider what boot camp is all about.
When you graduate from Marine Corps Boot Camp you will be in the best shape of your life. If you graduate from boot camp you will be alert and proud and a warrior. If you graduate from Marine Corps Boot Camp you will have instant respect when you walk into a room. You will be a modern day warrior. If you fail Marine Corps Boot Camp you will just be a statistic that tells a lie as to why it happened. That lie will be told a thousand times, until you believe it to be the truth.
If you want to make it in boot camp you need to study the pages of this site and others. You need to prepare and exercise and study as much as possible, because it is not going to be easy. A great way to prepare is to visit Prepare for Marine Corps Boot Camp.com. They have a vast collection of inside information that has come directly from Marine Drill Instructors. By understanding what you have in store, your chances of success will increase exponentially. The preparation process for boot camp should not be put off and it should take every minute of your immediate future to prepare. If you prepare early, you may just take platoon honors and graduate wearing the Blues!
Marine Corps Graduation are three simple words that the world associates with graduating from boot camp, despite the fact that there are so many more ceremonies the Marine Corps holds. The fact that Marine Corps Graduation is a term that holds recognition that instantly relates it to either recruit training at MCRD Parris Island and MCRD San Diego, is virtually universal. Entering Marine Corps Boot Camp, and then completing the program all the way through to completion at the Marine Corps graduation ceremony, is one event that no Marine ever forgets.
Click Here for Information the Drill Instructors learn to train recruits
All events that happen while in Marine Corps recruit training culminate at graduation day. The many hours of hard work, physical stamina and courage all are finalized in the new beginning that takes place on graduation day. Marine Corps Boot Camp graduation is the finest moment in the lives of those that are privileged in taking part of the ceremony. Many hours are spent training on the exact same field that hold the ceremony, where the Marine graduation takes place. From the early morning hours of training, to the prior weeks of watching other recruits march off to graduation, the parade deck or the grinder as it is called, is the one place in the world that every Marine remembers. The date and the hour and the platoon number are seared into the memory of the newly minted Marines that will be carried with them for the remainder of their lives.
Marine Corps graduation for recruits is a moment in time that holds emotions that are so mixed and filled with energy, that for a person that has not experienced the moment, it is impossible to understand. On one side of the memory is the realization that the most difficult challenge in life has been met, dealt with and conquered. On the other side of reality is that the world of dreams is soon to be on the doorstep of life. Soon the young Marine will be off to a new beginning to start the chapter in life that revels in being an adult and being free of the alleged bondage of childhood. While it is refreshing to be free of parental bondage, the fear of being away from the security of home is scary. From the moment of Marine Corps graduation, the reality of independence is only tempered by the realization that you are now a United States Marine.
Marine Corps graduation is a moment in time that will never be forgotten. Looking back on it even today, I remember that on 14 September 1979 at 09 Hours, I marched across the parade deck to the sound of the band with the rest of Platoon 1047. Although the names may be blurred and the sounds may have faded, the pride remains. No matter where a Marine Corps graduate goes, they understand that once you march across the parade ground on graduation day, you are a Marine forever. Once a Marine Always a Marine holds true, never to be undermined.
Semper Fi to all Marines, Past Present and Future!
Asking what is the best MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) in the United States Marine Corps is like asking what is the best tasting beer. The reason for that is because everyone has a different answer and there really is no wrong answer. Since you asked the question, we feel obligated to answer it for you. In response we have created a sort of disclaimer to the answer to be able to provide you with the best possible answer to the question of what is the best MOS in The United States Marine Corps? Lets look at the criteria for the answer.
What are your goals while in The United States Marine Corps?
Are you looking to make it a career?
How long are you planning to stay in the Corps?
The Best M.O.S.? Heck, Can You Even Finish Boot Camp???
Once again it becomes tricky when answering this because as life goes on, things change. Here is an example…You decide to enlist and while you are enlisted you enter the artillery field. While in the arty MOS you learn to blow things up. You become the best blow things up person the Corps has ever seen. Something happens along the way and you decide you want to get out and return to the civilian world. Now is the important part you need to think about before you answer the question….What do you do when you get out? Have you ever seen a wanted ad for someone to blow things up? If not, your job choices after the Marine Corps remain about as limited as they are right now. So, when you answer the question of how long you will remain in the Corps, it is something you really need to consider when asking what is the best MOS in the United States Marine Corps.
Another thing that you really need to think about is what is your personality like? How do you react to physical hardship? Sure it seems cool to be on the frontier of some back ass country, but the reality of being wet, cold and hungry for days on end are really not that glamorous, to those that have to live through it. If you are not an outdoors person, you need to think about NOT being in the infantry. The job or MOS you choose is the life you live for a few years and being “cool” really may not be what you wanted to do after all. If you are a person that seeks adventure and physical gruffness, then by all means…learn how to blow things up and learn how to do it anywhere, any place and at any time.
One thing to consider is advancement while in the Corps. If you enter a field that is very narrow as you get promoted, it may be more and more difficult to stay in the Corps. As the ranks start to peak, the competition causes those still in uniform to rise to the top. If you are not rising to the top, you may find yourself promoted to civilian sooner than you wanted.
If you really want to be a Marine, your best option is the infantry because that is the MOS that is wide open. That is the MOS that the future leaders historically come from. If you are interested in sticking around for 20 years, then the infantry is the place to be. The ranks get thinned by combat (not insensitivity, but reality) and the field is always looking for leadership that can and will rise to the top. The Marine Corps is the elite and the grunt is the warrior that makes it happen.
One other alternative is the air wing. They generally have it easier and less spartan than the ground pounders. Do not think they have it easy all the time because if and when things go south, they will find themselves in the thick of it also. Generally the air wing has a greater choice of MOS’s that can offer you decent jobs later on in your life.
Asking what is the best MOS in The United States Marine Corps is really a question that nobody can answer for you. This is one time you will have to make that choice after looking at all of your options and then just go for it. Choose wisely because the day will come when you exit the active ranks and will need a job. Are you joining for the adventure? The excitement? The toughness? Are you just trying to see if you can get through boot camp?
What ever you decide to do, just remember that after boot camp you will start the school for specialized MOS training. After boot camp you will get into the nitty gritty of the actual job you will be living for the next few years. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. There really is a very good chance you will not even graduate from boot camp. Nobody thinks they will fail, yet many do each and every day.
Choose wisely because if you do finish boot camp, you will be living the life of a Marine for a few years. You should really try to be what you enjoy, because being a United States Marine should be the best years of your life.
Click Here To Evaluate Your Chances Of Completing Marine Boot Camp
Semper Fi!
If you were wondering how much Marines get paid, it really is not the easiest thing to calculate. There are many ways that the amount of money received is affected, when looking at the basic pay chart. We want to help you understand how the paychart works, so here is a brief explanation.
To break down the pay rate into something a new recruit can understand is the fact that the first thing you encounter will be a letter in the vertical column to the left. That letter is either going to be an “E”, a “W” or an “O”. The letter “E” stands for enlisted, the “W” stands for Warrant Officer and the “O” stands for commissioned officer.
If you are fresh out of high school you will be enlisted “E”, and if you have a college degree you will be looking at the letter “O” and being a commissioned officer. If you are asking what is a Warrant Officer, you are not even in the running to become one, so don’t worry about those ranks.
The horizontal column on the top simply refers to how many TOTAL years you have been in the service. As a new recruit, in boot camp, you will be enlisted rank 1 with less than two years of service. Referring to the chart, you will see that based on the 2010 pay-scale, you will earn $1,399.50 per month. This amount is your base pay, but it is often not what you really get paid.
As your career progresses in the military you will get a uniform allowance, travel pay, combat pay, hazardous duty pay, a housing allowance and on and on. All of these add-on’s is why the chart is referred to as basic pay. If you are a new recruit entering the service, you will not be able to count on receiving the set amount because there will be costs you have to pay when you first start. Of course you will not see have many places to spend your money, so even if you received the full amount, you would have little time to spend it anywhere.
The following chart is just a starting point to understand the basics of your pay. As you grow in tenure, the pay-scale will become second nature. The following chart is so you can see how much Marines get paid. Of course this scale is the same for all branches of the military.
One important thing you need to remember is that you should not be counting your money until you finish boot camp and earn the title of Unites States Marine. Until you get past those Drill Instructors, you will not even be entitled to the USMC title, let alone have a paycheck.
You have one show at boot camp, so don’t screw it up. Get ready now, before it is too late. You may have some time before you have to report in so you better not waste any of that time. You need to use every day you have left as a civilian to prepare for boot camp. The Drill Instructors will break you down, unless you prepare for the experience. You need to prepare not only physically, but also mentally.
Are you really ready for boot camp? Click here to find out if you are.