From: gawne@stsci.edu
Subject: Re: Basic Training, USMC style
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 17:30:27 GMT


From gawne@stsci.edu

In article <By0tE6.8JL@law7.DaytonOH.NCR.COM>, 
Mike Sheumaker <mikes@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> writes about the joys of
Army Boot Camp at Ft Knox.

Well, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to cover some of the Marine
Corps variations of the theme.  Here are a few memories of Parris Island
South Carolina.

We arrived at Charleston airport late in the evening from all over the
country (Dec 1972).  The Marine liaison grabbed us as we walked in and
put us in a holding area until the bus came it.  The bus then transported
us (in near silence) for over an hour thru dark narrow roads with live oak
tree limbs intertwining over them.  We finally came to the Parris Island
causeway and were waved thru by an MP who looked at us as if we were
condemned men.

When the bus arrived at the "Reception Center" we were "greeted" by a
large and loud Drill Instructor (that's DI, Marine style, and you'd 
better call him SIR.)  He told us to get off the bus with colorful and
instructive language and to get on the "yellow footprints."
From this point until a few days later the process is similar to what 
Mike described for the Army.  The USMC calls it "forming", but there's
no time off, no phone calls, and no going anywhere a forming DI doesn't
tell you to go.

After a couple days of this, you meet your real platoon Drill Instructors.
When I went thru you got three of them, a senior drill instructor and two
assistants.  I've heard that since then these assistants have been addressed
as "Assistant Drill Instructor" but we just called them "Drill Instructor."
Forming officially continues for another week or two as your DI's and you
become familiar with one another.  By the first day of the true recruit 
training cycle (T1) you are convinced this is the biggest mistake of your
life.   (Oh BTW Mike, what was that about PAY?  We didn't get paid until
we graduated many months later.)

The thirteen week training cycle went thru three phases.  Phase 1 was
three weeks of intense drill, PT (Physical Torture, they just call it 
training), and training in such basic skills as military courtesy, 
history and traditions, and how to know and love your rifle.  "This is
my rifle, there are many others like it but this one is mine ..."
It's called the rifleman's creed, by Col Wm H Rupertus, and we all knew it
by heart before we ever got to send one round downrange.

Phase 2 was 4 weeks, where we spent two weeks on the rifle range 
followed by two weeks of "Mess and maintenance", where you got to either
stand mess duty of work for the camp police sergeant keeping the area
squared away.  Really kind of a nice break from the nonstop mindgames and
physically exhausting schedule of the previous 5 weeks.  Of course when we
came back from our M&M duty at the end of the day the DI's felt it their
sacred duty to take us out for a few miles run and a half hour or so
of callesthentics, but nothing too hard.  Not much more difficult than
"Hard Labor" as I understand it is defined in federal prisons now.
 
As for the loud noises produced with trash cans, our guys just came out
and kicked one from one end of the squadbay to the other.  We learned
quiclky (by the second night) to have the last firewatch get everybody
up 1/2 hour before reville so we could dress in silence, and be standing
"on line" when the duty DI opened the door and flipped on the lights.

As for learning the manual of arms, is there anyone else out there who
remembers the M-14?  I still have a callous on my right hand between my
thumb and forefinger from snapping that 11.5 lb beast up to port arms
from order arms.  By the second week half of us had scabs, and the DI's
could gauge our sincerity of effort by the blood dripping off our index
fingers following drill.

In third phase we went to Camp LeJeune NC for some real fun intensive
combat training at the Infantry Training School (ITS) those of us who
got 03 MOS's (hey, you soldiers put your weird numbers here, so I'll
let you wonder about ours for once) would return for more Infantry training
after graduation.

Phase 3 also continued the Essential Skills training begun in phase 1.
We went back to Parris Island for the last week to go thru all sorts of
final inspections and graduation.  By that time we were covered with sand
flea bites on every exposed bit of skin, our ears were blistered from 
repeated sunburn, and we could hardly believe it was in fact over.

And yes, we got the CS gas chamber where we had to recite name, rank,
SSN, and (try to) sing the Marine's hymn.  Brave effort eventualy got you
shown to the door, panic and attempted flight got you held down until you
threw up and then thrown out the door.  I'm pleased to say I was in the 
first category and got as far as ...Montezuma.. before becoming incompre-
hensible.

As for the specific exercises beloved by Marine DI's, Pull-ups (big
interest), pushups, bend-and-thrust's, mountain-climbers, (all upper body
intensive), sit-ups, leg lifts, hello-dollies (open and close legs while 
keeping them ~6 inches off the ground), rowing exercise (sit up where your
arms extend to your toes and back behind your head as opposed to the 
hands-grasped-together behind your head regular sit up), and some really
ugly thing that went like "Down, on-yer-face, on-yer-belly, on-yer-face..." 
where you alternated between push-ups, sit-ups, and leg lifts in very rapid
fasion.  Often accompanied by a boot alongside your skull when the DI felt you
needed some "incentive".  Running usually was done at an 8 minute mile pace
when in PT gear and a 9 minute mile pace in boots.  Forced marches varied
between a 9 minute mile pace and a 12 minute mile pace.

Finally, the USMC variants for Mike's "rules":

>   1. Never call a Drill Sergeant "Sarge", or "Drill."

The ONLY way to address a Marine Drill Instructor is as "Drill Instructor
<rank><name> SIR."

>   2. Never call a Drill Sergeant Sir. ("SIR?!?!? SIR??!?! Hey asshole, I work for a
>   living.")

Refer to advice above.  Never address a Marine Drill Instructor as "you".
This leads to advice that a ewe is a female sheep.  All address is in the
third person, eg:  "Sir, the private needs to make a head call, sir." or
"Sir, the Drill Instructor asked the private to remind him that ..."

>   3. Keep your mouth shut. 

Except when spoken to.  Then reply in a firm and manly voice without pausing
to take a breath.

>   4. Eyes and ears open at all times. (Don't fall asleep during classes.)

Also, eyes to the front at all times.  Do not look directly at anybody 
unless told to.  Direct stares lead to questions like "Are you queer for me
son?"

[I suppose that may get yes answers in the near future.  <sigh> ]

>   5. Salute everything with shiny stuff on their collars. 

Wouldn't that be anybody in a service uniform on an Army base? :) 
We just salute commissioned officers all the time, the colors, and our
Drill Instructors for practice.

>   6. Remember, it's only six weeks. The real Army is NOT like BCT.
>      They can't kill you, or hit you.

Still 13 weeks (1992) so far as I know.

I guess USMC DI's can't hit you above the shoulders any more.  But the
permission to "adjust the uniform" is given a broad interpretation.
Also, DI's who have recruits die go thru lots of investigation BUT it
still happens some times.  I've never heard of a Drill Instructor 
intentionally killing his troops, tho some have been found guilty of
negligence or unnecessary cruelty by Article 32 boards.  Still, it would
be wrong to say you can't die in Marine Boot Camp.  The risk is a lot
less than it was 50 years ago, even 20 years ago, but it is still there.

-Bill Gawne,  Space Telescope Science Institute
 GySgt USMCR  (Platoon 204, MCRD PISC 1973)

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