Poolee’s Better Know This Stuff

Prepare For Marine Corps Boot Camp

If you are looking to become a United States Marine there is a little event ahead of you called Boot Camp. There is no doubt about the fact that the Marines run the most difficult boot camp in America, bar none. What you must realize is that we are not talking about follow on training such as the Navy Seals or the Army Green Beret Training, we are talking about Basic Training. The emphasis is “basic” training because this is where a Marine learns the basic elements of what it takes to become a United States Marine. Is Marine Corps Boot Camp the hardest military training in America?… no, not by any suggestion is that what we are saying. The point we hope to get across to you is that The Marines have the most difficult training program there is, when talking about basic training. What we would like to be able to do is help you prepare for Marine Corps Boot Camp.

There really are many things that a person needs to get ready for when the decision has been made to join The United States Marines. More often than not the average uninformed individual thinks that in order to prepare to join The Marines they just need to be in good physical condition. That could be no further from the truth and here is why.

When preparing for Marine Corps Boot Camp the following aspects are what will make or break your ability to graduate:

The Mental Aspect
The Emotional Aspect
The Physical Aspect
The Intelligence Aspect

The Mental Aspect
We list this first because it is all too often overlooked when a person starts to prepare for Marine Corps Boot Camp. The mental aspect is the most important factor when discussing survival in Marine Corps Boot Camp. What we are talking about is the mental state, and not the intellect. Although the level of intelligence is one of the aspects we discuss, the mental aspect is more closely related to the emotional aspect, but yet it is different. When we discuss how to prepare for Marine Corps Boot Camp and talk about the mental aspect, there is a direct relationship to how well a person can perform under stress and how well they perform in boot camp.

Stress is created in boot camp and the best way to stop yourself from cracking up is to prepare for what is going to happen while you are in Marine Corps Boot Camp. The reason stress is created in boot camp is because that is what will be experienced in combat and combat is what is what you are really being trained for while in any boot camp. One should NEVER forget that the military has one mission and that is to prepare to advance the needs of America on the modern day battlefield, and there is a great deal of stress on the battlefield. Actually the amount of stress on the battle field is much more than what is experienced in boot camp. When trying to prepare for Marine Corps Boot Camp a person must understand that the most important preparation that can be done is to learn how to deal with stress.

The stress that is inflicted in boot camp is designed to create a pressure that will crack the individual that is not well prepared. The best way to prepare for the emotional aspect of Marine Corps Boot Camp is to educate yourself to what is coming. If the mind is trained to expect what is happening, the event will not be as stressful. Keeping the stress level down is how a person needs to prepare for Marine Corps Boot Camp. By gaining the knowledge of events that are going to happen ahead of time, the stress level of the event is minimized, which in effect promotes mental wellness. This is what most people will refer to as “mind games”. By understanding what is going on around them, a recruit is able to understand the mind game that are taking place, which in itself…makes the mind game that much more bearable.

Click Here for over 125 pages of information about Marine Corps Boot Camp

The Emotional Aspect
The emotional aspect of boot camp is also stress related but the difference is that this type of stress is born from within. Do you miss your lover? Are you homesick? Do you just hate to exercise? The emotional aspect of preparing for Marine Corps Boot Camp can really be traced back to the mind frame a recruit is experiencing because of the emotions that are internal. What happens here is that a recruit will show some sign of weakness and the Drill Instructors will be on it like a fly on….you know what. Then the instructor will expose that weakness to the platoon and then punish the unit for the problem of the individual. When this happens the recruit is getting it from all ends and that compounds the stress level, which could result in the ultimate failure of the recruit.

The best way for an individual to prepare for Marine Corps Boot Camp is to learn to expect what is ahead on the training calendar. The future recruit should know how long training will last, what events will take place, where will they take place. What are the scores needed? What are the lessons that must be learned and most important is the individual must be prepared to deal with any personal issues that may arise in their life. Will they receive a break up letter? Will “Mommy” try to send cookies? Will the girlfriend send some “porno” style photograph?

If the individual knows in advance what to expect and prepares in advance, they will have a much better chance of keeping their emotions in check, which will keep the stress level manageable. Once again it all boils down to the stress factor. Being able to prepare for Marine Corps Boot Camp is the single most important thing a person can do in advance before reporting in for recruit training. The preparation that informs the individual of the upcoming events is the key to being able to achieve high scores as a Marine Recruit. Stress management through advance knowledge keeps the emotions in balance. A person that has balanced emotions is hard to get off balance by the Drill Instructor.

The Physical Aspect
The physical aspect of Marine Corps Boot Camp is NOT what everyone expects it to be. The average person on the street thinks that the typical Marine recruit needs to be some muscle stud that can run as fast as a tiger. While those assumptions do wonders for the Marine Corps recruitment quotas, they really have very little basis in fact for what it takes to prepare for the physical aspect of Marine Corps Boot Camp.

We will not lie to you and tell you that you do not need to be in shape when you arrive at boot camp. What we will tell you is that the entire training program of Marine Corps Boot Camp is designed to take the weakest person and then give them the needed training to put them in top physical condition. The condition required to become a Marine really should be summed up as being able to have a large amount of stamina or endurance. The ability to be the fastest or the strongest is not required and nor is it expected. What is expected of a recruit is the physical ability to be able to endure what the Drill Instructor inflicts upon the recruit. It really does not matter how much weight you can lift…the instructor can give you so much you can’t lift it again. It does not matter how fast you can run if the instructor tells you it is not fast enough. The physical aspect of preparing for Marine Corps Boot Camp is closely related to the mental and the emotional aspect….much closer than you may realize.

If you are the strongest recruit in history and yet you cannot obey and do what the Drill Instructor tells you to do, you will fail. If a recruit cannot bear the stress of boot camp their strength is not relevant. Granted it is best to be in decent physical shape when you arrive, but the end fact is that only the strong willed can push themselves past the point where THEIR body fails. The training that is experienced in Marine Corps Boot Camp is such that the mind is sharpened to such a point that the emotions are under control and the body just does what the mind tells it to do. The mind is really the boss of the body and the entire program at Parris Island or San Diego is set up to bend the weak emotion-ed and to bend the thought process through mental stress. Those that arrive at boot camp knowing what to expect are the ones that experience the least amount of stress. If the stress can be minimized while at boot camp….the entire process becomes so much easier and so much more achievable.

Learn How To Stay Emotionally Balanced In Boot Camp

The Intelligence Aspect
The intelligence aspect of Marine Corps Boot Camp is often underestimated by the every person that shows up at a Marine Corps Recruit Depot. The facts and stuff that needs to be memorized while in boot camp is not difficult, by any standard. (Internal Link: Click Here For Some of those Facts) The problem with the mild academics that need to be memorized is not the simple facts, but what is swirling all around you, while you are in training. The simple facts that need to be memorized are easy, as long as the pressure of boot camp is not happening to you.

What a person can best do prior to reporting into Marine Boot Camp is to memorize all of the facts that need to be learned. How far does the M16A4 shoot? Where was the Marine Corps birthplace? What is the difference between heat stroke and heat exhaustion? How do you board a ship…where do you salute? The list goes on and on and on…. What a future recruit needs to do is gather as much of the syllabus of boot camp ahead of time and memorize it, before reporting into boot camp. The simple truth is that if you learn all of the memory points prior to showing up, the stress level will be minimal. By learning all of the mundane facts, your chances of doing better greatly increase because your stress will be very manageable, and that is the best way to graduate from boot camp.

In Conclusion we want you to realize that if you want to do well in boot camp, then you better prepare for Marine Corps Boot Camp like nothing y0u have ever done before in your life. The experience that will soon take place will be so alien to you that the only way to prepare is to gain as much knowledge as you can ahead of time. Sure you will have to run and jump and all of that, and that is expected. What you must prepare for is the total package and that includes all of the factors we discussed in this longer than normal article.

To prepare for Marine Corps Boot Camp you should gather from your recruiter all of the information about boot camp he/she has to offer. Get it and study it till you know it all and can repeat it without hesitation. If your recruiter cannot provide what you need or you want even more knowledge, then download the ebook that is available below. The cost is minimal and if that is the deciding factor of whether you pass or fail Marine Corps Boot Camp, you would be a fool for passing it up.

Prepare for Marine Corps Boot Camp now, or suffer the consequences when you get there. As always, the choice is yours!

Semper Fi!

INSTANT ebook Download to help you prepare for Marine Corps Boot Camp

USMC DEP

USMC DEP stands for the Delayed Entry Program for The United States Marines. Essentially what it is all about is that a person has done all of the paperwork, has been accepted into The Corps and is merely awaiting the date they are supposed to report into the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot. A person in the DEP Program is referred to as a “poolee”. Today some waits are almost one year long, depending on the MOS (Military Occupational Speciality, or job). Right from the start the poolee has the date they are too report in and they then make the one big mistake that so many “poolees” have done before.

Click Here To Learn How To Prepare For Boot Camp

What a poolee must understand is that the date they are given is rarely the date that they actually report into boot camp. All too often the poolee sees the date so far away on the calendar and they make a mental note of how much time they have and then begin the procrastination. The poolee will exercise “soon” they will do some pull-ups next week. What EVERY DEP / POOLEE must drill into their head is that they will be given the chance to go sooner because an earlier time slot will more than likely become available.

If you are a Poolee and you have a date and you have not been getting ready each and every day, then you need to get your priorities straight. You really need to get your head screwed on straight. You need to be studying NOW. You need to be exercising NOW. You need to be running NOW. You should not be waiting, because the date will arrive sooner than you think and you do not want to enter Marine Corps Boot Camp and NOT be ready.

Also. you need to know that the weight standards are more stringent to start boot camp then it is to start the DEP Program. You also need to know that the PFT score at boot camp will more more demanding than while in The DEP program. What you need to do is prepare, prepare and then prepare some more.

When you arrive at boot camp your entire world will be The Marine Corps. You will literally eat, sleep and breathe The United States Marine Corps for about 12 to 13 weeks. Would it not make sense to put an hour or two in every day to prepare? If you have some excuse as to why you can’t get ready now, then you must understand…it is just an excuse.

Sure that may sound tough, but GET OVER IT! If you are serious about becoming a Marine then just get up and get it done. If you HAVE to work a job, then get up to run before work. If you are too poor to join a gym, then do something else, just get it done and get started now. When you show up at boot camp your Drill Instructor will not accept any excuses, so why offer them?

If you need the study material or you need help with how to prepare for Marine Corps Boot Camp, then check out the link below, as it will help you survive what you have ahead, by giving you the advantage of knowing what needs to be done to excel. The course was written by a retired Drill Instructor and will also give you the insight of the head games you will be subjected to, while in Marine Corps Boot Camp.

Click Here For Info. On How To Prepare For Marine Corps Boot Camp

Ears Open, Eyeballs Click: A Review

I just recently watched Ears Open Eyeballs Click and I have mixed emotions as to what I think of the movie. Overall I enjoyed the movie quite a bit, but if you were never in the Corps, or are not getting ready to ship off to Marine Corps boot camp, there is a good chance it would not interest you very much. I think I enjoyed the movie more than I thought I did because it was not until I was done watching the movie that I realized the movie had no central characters, and there was no real dialogue. In short, the movie began, went full throttle, and ended where it began to show the endless cycle of recruits undergoing training.

Since this website is dedicated to helping young Marine Corps Poolees achieve their goals of becoming a Marine, I had a deep and special interest of reviewing this production. Ears Open, Eyeballs Click was filmed entirely on location, at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California. The movie essentially follows a recruit platoon from the start, all the way through to graduation. It is very easy to see and feel the pressure the Drill Instructors breath down onto the recruits day in and day out. This is not a movie. This is not a documentary. This is real life reality of what Marine Corps boot camp is all about.

Below I would like to quickly review some of the bullet points of the pros and cons of the movie

Below is a quick review of the movie.

Ears open, Eyeballs Click Pros and Cons

Pros

Does provide some insight as to the intensity of what Drill Instructors do to recruits, while teaching them how to become basically trained Marines.
Does provide a small glimpse into the different training evolutions that take place, while in boot camp.
Does dispels fiction that is seen in other movies, like Full Metal Jacket.
Does show real footage of actual training that is very, very accurate, as to what is going on in Marine Corps boot camp.
Does provide the best footage available for a person waiting to attend Marine Corps boot camp who wants a “taste” of what is coming.
Does provide the knowledge of EXPERIENCE for anyone preparing for Marine Corps boot camp.
Does provide a glimpse of the emotions a person will feel when in boot camp, which helps a person get emotionally ready for Marine Corps boot camp.

Cons

Does not help increase the knowledge level of anyone getting ready to attend Marine Corps boot camp. Virtually NO book (practical) knowledge gained while watching.
Does not show much actual training. Fragmented too much and did not include, or show importance of various training evolutions. Rifle range barely touched upon and graduation ceremony was totally under stated.
If a person has no past or future rooted in The United States Marine Corps, (minimally U.S. Military) this movie will not hold their interest and my even be boring.

This movie is fairly expensive and the real value will be proven by the reason for the person watching. The only people that will enjoy this movie will be either someone who was a Marine, someone who will be a Marine or someone who loves a Marine and wants to experience what “their” Marine is experiencing while in Marine Corps boot camp.

If you were a Marine you will see the common thread that has woven from your time in boot camp, to the present. For some, facilities might be different, and for all the equipment will be new. For those that love a Marine currently in boot camp, this movie will provide a glimpse into the locked away world of a Marine Corps Recruit Depot. For those that are waiting to go to boot camp this video will provide visible insight into what is coming your way. Ears Open, Eyeballs Click is an awesome movie to help a Marine Corps Poolee get the blood pumping about what boot camp is like, but it will fall short on providing any practical knowledge.

Although practical knowledge is very valuable, this movie helps round out anyone getting ready for Marine Corps boot camp, by providing the visible insight of the events that are coming. The major problem of this movie is that for it to have been better, it would have had to been recorded on at least 100 DVDs, to capture the full intensity of the training. Although the movie falls short on how much time was spent on different areas of training, there is no practical way to actually fit Marine Corps boot camp into a set of DVDs.

The only better way to experience the excitement of Marine Corps boot camp would to be by joining The Corps, and experiencing it yourself firsthand.

OOH RAH!! SEMPER FI!!!

More Information: Ears Open Eyeballs Click

Not available on NetFlix or RedBox, but it is available at Amazon.com

Marine Guidebook of Essential Subjects

The Marine Guidebook of Essential Subjects is one book that you will need to know before you graduate from Marine Corps Boot Camp. You will need to know this book inside and out and from top to bottom. You will need to learn what is on the pages and be able to recite to your Drill Instructor when you are asked a question that is referenced in

the book. To offer an incorrect answer or to hesitate in providing that answer will not be a good thing to happen to you.

What most individuals do not realize before they go to Marine Corps Boot Camp is that the material that needs to be memorized is in and of itself, not that difficult to master. The problem with most recruits is that they spend all of their time exercising and doing sit ups and pull ups and running. More often than not the academics of Parris Island, or San Diego MCRD go unnoticed. This is where recruits slip, stumble and sadly fail in boot camp.

When we say “fail in boot camp” we are not suggesting that many people flunk out because of their grades. What we do want to point out to you is that Marine Corps Boot Camp is all about stress. Let me say that once again…Marine Corps Boot Camp is all about stress. The stress comes at you from every angle from learning how to eat and how to get dressed and how to go to the bathroom. You will need to learn it the Marine Corps way.

Learning to do things the Marine Corps way will place an amount of stress on your emotions that being able to learn and comprehend simple basic facts becomes difficult. The entire environment of boot camp is designed to be fast paced and with a lightening frenzy. To be able to control your time in boot camp you should learn and memorize the mundane facts before you arrive and stand on the little yellow footprints. By knowing much of the “stuff” before you arrive will mean that you will have less stress to deal with and since you have less stress, you will have a better cahnce of completing boot camp and graduating as a United States Marine.

As you can see in the Table of Contents from the Marine Guidebook of Essential Subjects there are quite a few things that you need to learn, memorize and live. When you do that is of vital importance to your ability to be a success in Marine Corps Boot Camp.

It is our suggestion to you that you order the book and learn what is inside the covers. You do not need to memorize the entire book but you really need to be exposed to the material before your Drill Instructor gives you one.

The choice is up to you. Prepare now academically or cram to learn it later when you have less time to do so. If you learn it before you go it will increase your odds of not only surviving boot camp but it will also provide you with the ability to excel.

Whatever you decide to do the choice is yours, but the wise choice is to prepare now.

Semper Fi!

CLICK BELOW FOR MORE INFO.

Is USMC Boot Camp Easy?

If you are wanting to know if USMC Boot Camp will be easy we want you to know that the difficulty of the experience will be completely related to how much you prepared. The reason for this is because the entire boot camp experience is an indoctrination into a life that the civilian world knows nothing about. The world that exists inside the gates of a Marine Corps Recruit Depot is as foreign to a civilian as it could possibly get. The truth of the matter is that a person serving a life long prison sentence has more freedom and control than does the average Marine Recruit. The simple fact that the world of a Marine Recruit is so foreign is also the reason why so many Marine Recruits fail boot camp. How much a person strives to understand the events of boot camp before they arrive makes up a large portion of how well they will survive the boot camp experience.

I remember a Mama’s boy when I was growing up, his name was Robert F. The whole neighborhood was shocked to hear he joined the Corps. Before he went away to boot camp he did nothing to prepare ahead of time. He was a little over weight and although his mother really did love him, she did him a dis-service by not letting him grow up. Robert never ran, he never studied and he never really did much of anything to join the Corps, other than sign the paperwork. Then there was a another boy that went off to Parris Island about 45 days after Robert shipped out. The 2nd boy (Keith) studied, ran and did all of the things that needed to be done.

Click here for Boot Camp Study Guide Download

About 10 days before Keith shipped out Robert showed up back in the neighborhood with a shaved head and tried to convince Keith that Marine Corps Boot Camp was going to be a trip to Hell and that he should not go there. The year was 1979 and to make a long story short, Keith went on to graduate from boot camp with honors. The moral of the story is that Keith prepared and Robert did not. The end result was that Robert kept the title of civilian and Keith went on to become a Marine Corps Officer. (He later went on to complete O.C.S.)

If you are looking to learn if Marine Corps Boot Camp is easy, you really need to look inside of yourself and decide what that answer will be for you. If you are in DEP and have a date and are goofing off and not too worried about it, you are being very foolish. The day you ship out will not be the date you were given because the ship out date almost always gets moved up. If you want to know if Marine Corps Boot Camp is easy, what you really need to be asking is what can you do to make it easier. The best way to make it easier is to learn and do all that you can do long before you ship out.

Before you step off the bus onto the little yellow footprints you really need to know the following:

Marine Corps History
First Aid
Every fact and statistic of the M16A4 rifle
Marine Corps Terminology
Standards of Inspections
Officer Rank Structure
Enlisted Rank Structure
Warrant Officer Rank Structure
P.T. Standards
General Orders

This list could really go on for quite some time but it was ended there because our goal is to tell you that if you want to have an easier time in Marine Corps Boot Camp then you need to prepare for Marine Corps Boot Camp. Everyone who knows little about the Boot Camp experience will automatically say that you have to be in good physical shape. To that statement we always respond with “no duh!” Everyone knows that getting in shape will make Marine Corps Boot Camp easier and we know you know that already. What you do not realize is that the level of stress you will experience in boot camp is what makes the simple academics you must memorize that much more difficult. Avoid the stress of simple memorization now, before you go and have to do it all at once, while getting screamed at by your Drill Instructor.

If you are looking to make your Marine Corps Boot Camp experience as easy as possible then we want you to know that the best way to breeze through your 12 or 13 weeks there is to memorize as much of the facts a figures ahead of time, so you will have less to stress out about while you are drudging through your daily training schedule. The best way to gain access to all of the information you need will be right where you are now. There is a course that is available and you can download it to the computer you are on now, unless you are at school or a library. Once you download the course you will gain insight and knowledge that will carry you through the entire training program. There is a nominal fee which we do not keep tabs on, but for just a few bucks you will have a much better experience while in boot camp.

Will the down loaded course make Marine Corps Boot Camp easy? No, but it will make it much easier than if you went there and did not study the information. If you want to get ahead of the power-curve then stop just thinking about it and get it done. Boot camp is not some report your teacher told you to do. The date you have to have it ready is not something that can be ignored because if it is ignored, you may be just like Robert F. and you may end up home crying to Mama about how unfair everyone was to you.

If you want to make Marine Corps Boot camp easier, then you have to get up and do something to make it easier. The choice is yours, get out and run and then study before you go running again.

Semper Fi!

Click here for Boot Camp Study Guide Download

How To Survive Marine Corps Boot Camp

If you are looking to not only survive Marine Corps Boot Camp, but to also graduate in the top of your platoon, we have a collection of a few ideas that should help you along the way. They are not rated in any particular order, they are just a collection that you can use to help you survive basic training in United States Marine Corps.

Never make eye contact. It is hard to be intimidated when you are looking “through” your Drill Instructor.
Never, EVER volunteer for anything.
Forget the word “why?” Lose it, drop it from your vocabulary completely.
Never, ever smile in the presence of your Drill Instructor.
Never use big words around your Drill Instructor. They will ridicule you, that you can be sure.
Never refer to a Drill Instructor as a D.I. (It means dumb idiot)
Never refer to a Drill Instructor as a Drill Sergeant. Drill Sergeant is an Army term.
Eat quickly, when it is time to eat.
Avoid personal pronouns such as “I” , “you” , “me” , “they” , “we” when speaking to a Drill Instructor.
Begin and end EVERY sentence with the word “Sir”.
Speak loudly, every time you speak with your Drill Instructor. Screaming will suffice.
Never get sick.
Never, ever fall asleep in class. After lunch is the “death hour” and they will be watching you.
Try harder than you ever tried to do anything you ever tried to accomplish in your life.
Never mention what your recruiter did or did not promise.

Remember the best way to prepare for Boot Camp is to not only get the body in good shape, but it is also very important to get the mind in gear. The best way to get the mind in gear is to learn as much as you can about boot camp before you go. That does not only mean learning the first aid and the history stuff. What is also very important is learning the methods the Drill Instructors use to “get inside” your head. The techniques they use, the tactics they use to break you down.

The best thing to do is prepare, prepare and then prepare some more.

Click here for more information on in-depth preparation for Marine Boot Camp Training

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United States Marine Corps Officer Rank Structure Photographs

United States Marine Corps Officer Rank Structure

Before you report into Marine Corps Boot Camp it is highly suggested that you memorize these rank insignia. By learning to recognize what a rank is, you will be ahead of the power curve when you are at boot camp. While others in your platoon are struggling with the large influx of material that MUST BE MEMORIZED, you will be able to amp down the stress level and concentrate on keeping your cool. By mastering things that are just simple memorization, you will be much better prepared for Marine Corps Boot Camp. Learn these rank insignia for The United States Marine Corps before you report in for basic training.

One thing you need to realize is that you never address an officer by their rank, unless they are a general. If you call an officer by the title of their rank, it is disrespectful, while it is also not correct etiquette to call a general.. “sir”. When you address any rank of officer, other than general, you address them as “sir”. Yet, when you address a general, it is disrespectful to call them “sir” and you should address them as “general”. If you think that is confusing just wait until you screw it up in front of your Drill Instructor and meet a female officer, then you will really better be ready to screw it up, unless you prepare ahead of time. That is just one tiny reason to memorize this stuff BEFORE you go to Marine Corps Boot Camp.

Click Here to discover all the secrets of preparing for Marine Corps Boot Camp

As you will notice, there is a letter “O” next to each rank title. The “O” stands for officer rank (NOT enlisted) and the number refers to how high in the hierarchy the rank is on a scale from 1 to 10.

Memorization before reporting into boot camp is critical to keeping your stress levels down. Learn these ranks and also learn the officer ranks. Commit this to memory.

Second Lieutenant

(o-1)

First Lieutenant

(O-2)

Captain

(O-3)

Major

(O-4)

Lieutenant Colonel

(O-5)

Colonel

(O-6)

Brigadier General

(O-7)

Major General

(O-8)

Lieutenant General

(O-9)

General

(O-10)

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United States Marine Corps Initial Strength Test

If you want to be a United States Marine you are going to have to pass what is called an Initial Strength Test (IST). There are separate standards for males and for females that must be met before the recruit candidate is eligible to ship out for Marine Corps Basic Training, or boot camp, as it is referred. The order is an official one and can be referenced to Marine Corps Order (MCO) P1100.72C.

The requirements for a person to enter Marine Corps Recruit Training is as follows:

MALE                                                     FEMALE
2 pull ups                                             Flexed arm hang for 12 seconds
44 crunches (2 minutes)                          44 crunches (2 minutes)
1.5 mile run 13:30                                    1.5 mile run 15:00

These are the MINIMUM physical standards that will be allowed for a person to gain admittance to Marine Corps Boot Camp. It is referred to as the Marine Corps Initial Strength Test, or IST. Do not confuse the IST (Initial Strength Test) with the PFT (Physical Fitness Test). The PFT is the test that ALL Marines take once recruits enter boot camp. The IST is what allows them to gain admittance to boot camp. Before a recruit can graduate from recruit training, they must pass the PFT.

Boot Camp is not all exercise, learn what else a person can do to prepare

Marine Corps 11 General Orders

To reduce the stress of being in boot camp it is strongly encouraged you learn your eleven general orders long before you meet your Drill Instructors. By learning these and many other things, your stress level will be greatly reduced. By reducing your stress level, you have a greater chance of graduating. You will need to know these orders exactly as they appear. No deviation, no stuttering and definetly, no hesitation. Learn them now, before you get to a place where your time is so much more critical.

Click here to learn some of Marine Corps Training Secrets

General Orders for Sentries

There are 11 general orders and they are the same wherever and whenever a Marine is on interior guard duty. All Marines are required to know and memorize these general orders and be able to recite them whenever they are called upon to do so.

To take charge of this post and all government property in view.
To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert, and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing.
To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.
To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the guardhouse than my own.
To quit my post only when properly relieved.
To recieve, obey, and pass on to the sentry who relieves me, all orders from the Commanding Oficer, Officer Of the Day, and officers, and noncomissioned officers of the guard only.
To talk to no one except in the line of duty.
To give the alarm in case of fire or disorder.
To call the corporal of the guard in any case not covered by instructions.
To salute all officers, and all colors and standards not cased.
To be especially watchful at night and, during the time for challenging, to challenge all persons on or near my post, and to allow no one to pass without proper authority.

Click here to learn what is the 12th General Order

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United States Marine Corps Enlisted Rank Insignia Photographs

United States Marine Corps Enlisted Rank Structure

Before you report into Marine Corps Boot Camp it is highly suggested that you memorize these rank insignia. By learning to recognize what a rank is, you will be ahead of the power curve when you are at boot camp. While others in your platoon are struggling with the large influx of material that MUST BE MEMORIZED, you will be able to amp down the stress level and concentrate on keeping your cool. By mastering things that are just simple memorization, you will be much better prepared for Marine Corps Boot Camp. Learn these rank insignia for The United States Marine Corps befor you report in for basic training.

Click Here to discover all the secrets of preparing for Marine Corps Boot Camp

As you will notice, there is a letter “E” next to each rank title. The “E” stands for enlisted rank (NOT officer) and the number refers to how high in the heierarcy the rank is on a scale from 1 to 9.

Memorization before reporting into boot camp is critical to keeping your stress levels down. Learn these ranks and also learn the officer ranks. Commit this to memory.