View Full Version : Son leaves for USMC boot camp today
Bill Bryant
06-27-10, 09:15
My son leaves for USMC boot camp today. Prayers much appreciated for son, mom, and dad.
lethal dose
06-27-10, 09:20
Will be praying for you guys. Thank you for raising a young man who is humble enough to fight for my freedoms.
Good Luck to your son. Sounds like a fine young man. His parents must have done a good job.
Prayers sent. He and you guys are in my thoughts.
theblackknight
06-27-10, 10:02
My parents came out for a week before my graduation. San Diego is a awesome place, too bad its part of California. Take him to In and Out burger before yall fly out. Its all he'll here about from all the geographical nonstandard sexual preference recruits.
SeriousStudent
06-27-10, 10:05
Prayers sent for your young warrior. May his service reflect honor on his country and his family.
How proud you must be, to have raised such a fine man. :)
Littlelebowski
06-27-10, 10:05
My parents came out for a week before my graduation. San Diego is a awesome place, too bad its part of California. Take him to In and Out burger before yall fly out. Its all he'll here about from all the califag recruits.
We all could have done without that reference to MCRD San Diego recruits.
Bill Bryant
06-27-10, 11:31
Thanks for the prayers, friends.
Best thing he'll ever do.
LegalAlien
06-27-10, 13:57
My son leaves for USMC boot camp today. Prayers much appreciated for son, mom, and dad.
1st. Congratulations to you and your wonderful wife for raising that boy and instilling in him the value set that got him to this point. You both can be justifiably proud of him
2nd. Thank you to your son for making such a courageous and unselfish career choice. Also, thank you to you and your wife for giving him the support in this decision.
3rd. Prayers for the safety of your son and prayers for you and your wife.
Prayers rendered. Write letters, and do it a lot. Time will fly for you, but each day will seem like an eternity for him. Be proud, as I'm sure you are.
GermanSynergy
06-28-10, 09:46
Thank your son for his service. Best wishes to him.
CarlosDJackal
06-28-10, 11:51
Done and done. Good luck to him!! :)
theblackknight
06-28-10, 14:20
Whats his MOS?
Godspeed to the young man and thanks to you.
Bill Bryant
06-28-10, 14:39
Whats his MOS?
8152 security and counter-terrorism (but his real goal is to make recon)
theblackknight
06-28-10, 14:51
8152 security and counter-terrorism (but his real goal is to make recon)
Awesome!! Worst thing I ever did was pick my job to "do the responsible thing.
Have a letter pre-written (start writing it now, content isn't important).
Once you get an address (or know that company and PLT #) send that sucker out, mail is huge.
I hope it's 13 weeks and done for him!
Bill Bryant
07-27-10, 21:09
Three letters from my son so far and things are going well. He's been quarterdecked only once (and took it in good humor), made it up the rope just fine the first time (another recruit fell and broke a leg), and was issued a brand new rifle to train with. IST scores were fine and he says he has a great SDI.
The only problem from my end is that he writes his girl more than he writes his mom and dad. I guess that's to be expected, though, from a young man as fired up and full of vinegar as he is right now.
Mail and the home town news paper was the most important things I recieved. Of course I didn't get the paper often but I would read it over and over. It just brought home to me.
That was long before internet and e-mail though.
Bill Bryant
07-27-10, 22:27
Mail and the home town news paper was the most important things I recieved. Of course I didn't get the paper often but I would read it over and over. It just brought home to me.
That was long before internet and e-mail though.No e-mail or internet at MCRD. Maybe later after MCT and MOS schools.
arizonaranchman
07-27-10, 23:32
Prayers sent... May he return safely and all go well for him and family throughout his time in the service.
Best of wishes to your son, I am sure i speak for a lot of Marines and for me it was the best decision of my Life.
I pray that he stays mentally strong and stays in good health, It will be over before he knows it.
We all could have done without that reference to MCRD San Diego recruits.
Ditto.
Bill Bryant
07-28-10, 10:25
Anybody know what "cracking weapons" means? My boy said he would be competing with other platoons soon at "cracking weapons" and was confident that his platoon would win.
Littlelebowski
07-28-10, 11:08
Anybody know what "cracking weapons" means? My boy said he would be competing with other platoons soon at "cracking weapons" and was confident that his platoon would win.
Probably disassembling and assembling weapons, otherwise known as "ass and diss" competitions.
CarlosDJackal
07-28-10, 11:19
...The only problem from my end is that he writes his girl more than he writes his mom and dad. I guess that's to be expected, though, from a young man as fired up and full of vinegar as he is right now.
That's a good sign of his growing independence. :p
Bill Bryant
07-28-10, 11:32
That's a good sign of his growing independence. :pSince when was being completely twitterpated by a girl a sign of growing independence? :D
Littlelebowski
07-28-10, 13:15
Look on the bright side - they'll probably break up after or during his first deployment. At least, I hope so. No need for him to be tied down now.
Bill Bryant
07-28-10, 13:58
Very discouraged letter from my boy today. A chronic cramp in his calf not letting up for days. DI's screaming at him to stop limping. Other recruits telling him to stop faking and being a wimp (using other terms). A week ago he was excited and pumped. Now, wishes he'd never enlisted. He's never been a complainer, even after major surgery and during a life-threatening illness. Never heard this kind of thing from him before.
Littlelebowski
07-28-10, 14:01
Very discouraged letter from my boy today. A chronic cramp in his calf not letting up for days. DI's screaming at him to stop limping. Other recruits telling him to stop faking and being a wimp (using other terms). A week ago he was excited and pumped. Now, wishes he'd never enlisted. He's never been a complainer, even after major surgery and during a life-threatening illness. Never heard this kind of thing from him before.
It is probably already done and forgotten and I'm sure he's moved on. Don't worry so much because you can't effect it anyway. He was just probably low on salt or dehydrated.
I'm betting he's fine.
Very discouraged letter from my boy today. A chronic cramp in his calf not letting up for days. DI's screaming at him to stop limping. Other recruits telling him to stop faking and being a wimp (using other terms). A week ago he was excited and pumped. Now, wishes he'd never enlisted. He's never been a complainer, even after major surgery and during a life-threatening illness. Never heard this kind of thing from him before.
Well that is discouraging, certainly not the ideal way to get started. But, as someone who almost nothing ever goes the "routine" way for at first, I can tell you that if he can persevere through the issue then it is very possible he will be the stronger person as a result.
Try to tell him it is just a part of his unique challenge there, a hardship that will build his character in the end. This if it is even still an issue, as mentioned just above.
Bill Bryant
08-19-10, 18:14
An update on my son at boot camp
He's had pneumonia and an IV in his arm, and an almost debilitating leg cramp that lasted for the better part of a week, but he hasn't missed a single training day.
He's almost finished with Phase II now and thought the 8-mile hump was no problem.
A letter today informs me that he qualified rifle expert and gets to phone home as a reward for his score. :)
That's great news!
BTW, the "cracking weapons" phrase above probably refers to close-order drill, due to the sound they make when the movements are done correctly, in unison. If he's past Phase II, they've already done their Initial Drill competition, and are prepping for Final Drill.
My DIs used to bellow about getting ready to "crack sticks" whenever we were about to practice drill.
theblackknight
08-20-10, 07:36
Tell him to enjoy the awesome climate while he can.OKi and Lejeune have crazy humidity. And those hills at south pendalton too. Humping on flat ground w no view of the coast is boring.
The calf thing should be nothing. I had crazy bad ITB in boot, you just have to push threw.
Bill Bryant
08-20-10, 07:58
Tell him to enjoy the awesome climate while he can.OKi and Lejeune have crazy humidity. And those hills at south pendalton too. Humping on flat ground w no view of the coast is boring.
The calf thing should be nothing. I had crazy bad ITB in boot, you just have to push threw.What is ITB?
Illio-Tibial Band Syndrome.
It's a band that runs along the outside of your leg, from hip to knee, and the condition is just another way of saying "tendonitis." From all the running and whatnot, where the IT Band tucks into the knee gets inflamed; it's an overuse condition, one that I had and could only get fixed with cortizone.
dookie1481
08-20-10, 12:38
An update on my son at boot camp
He's had pneumonia and an IV in his arm, and an almost debilitating leg cramp that lasted for the better part of a week, but he hasn't missed a single training day.
He's almost finished with Phase II now and thought the 8-mile hump was no problem.
A letter today informs me that he qualified rifle expert and gets to phone home as a reward for his score. :)
Lucky. I got pneumonia and strep throat at the same time in boot camp. I was in bed for 3 weeks.
Jay
dookie1481
08-20-10, 12:41
Illio-Tibial Band Syndrome.
It's a band that runs along the outside of your leg, from hip to knee, and the condition is just another way of saying "tendonitis." From all the running and whatnot, where the IT Band tucks into the knee gets inflamed; it's an overuse condition, one that I had and could only get fixed with cortizone.
Strengthening the VMO can help as well; poor VMO firing can contribute greatly. Try Bulgarian split squats or really any single leg squatting or lunging movement.
/digression
Heh! That was 1997, and about a week before I left for Parris Island, so I had juuuuuuuust a bit of a time crunch and kinda went another way. The 4 months of physical therapy I'd already done (and never paid for; up yours, non-listening underinvolved foreign doctor of indeterminate origin!) included exercises like that.
A friend hooked me up with a former orthopedic surgeon (no-shit American, this time!) for the Redskins. He prodded, grunted, nodded, and jabbed a needle in my knee. It had just enough whateveritwas to get the swelling down long enough for me to RICE the thing into healing up in the time I had.
Bam, Pow, off to the footprints I went and I haven't had a problem since.
Bill, your boy should be done sometime in mid or late September, correct?
Bill Bryant
08-20-10, 15:07
Is "Expert" a big deal?
What percentages of recruits "unk," get marksman, get sharpshooter, and get expert? Any idea?
Bill Bryant
08-20-10, 15:12
Bill, your boy should be done sometime in mid or late September, correct?September 24
dookie1481
08-20-10, 16:17
Is "Expert" a big deal?
What percentages of recruits "unk," get marksman, get sharpshooter, and get expert? Any idea?
No idea %-wise, but it is a big deal. It factors heavily into your cutting score, which dictates promotions at the NCO level. Having a good rifle score helps with meritorious promotions, too.
Jay
Bill Bryant
08-20-10, 16:24
No idea %-wise, but it is a big deal. It factors heavily into your cutting score, which dictates promotions at the NCO level. Having a good rifle score helps with meritorious promotions, too.
JayWhat's a cutting score?
PrivateCitizen
08-20-10, 16:32
Is "Expert" a big deal?
What percentages of recruits "unk," get marksman, get sharpshooter, and get expert? Any idea?
For a marksmanship badge to be obtained, a service member must obtain a passing score and will receive a qualification level depending on the score obtained. As of October 1, 2007, the Marine Corps has implemented a scored, Field Fire (AKA Table 2, from 25–100 m/82–330 ft) portion to the established Known Distance (AKA Table 1, or "KD" from 200–500 m/660–1,600 ft) course of fire. This is the tactical counterpart to the competition style shooting of Table 1. The Table 2 fire is based on a 100 point scale and is additional to the legacy 250 point scale for Table 1. Scores for marksman range from 250–279, 280–304 for sharpshooter, and 305–350 for expert. If a Marine fails to qualify on the Field Fire portion, the individual's score will be dropped to 250 regardless of their actual score on the Known Distance course. Qualifying on the Known Distance course is a prerequisite to continue to Field Fire.
Wikipedia, FWIW (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marksmanship_Badge_(United_States)).
And:
… but the highest award of an Expert Rifleman badge is usually earned by about 15 percent of the recruits.
(emphasis added)
Cited Here. (http://www.sixthmarinedivision.com/citations.html)
Sounds like the young man did well! Congrats, dad!
9mm_shooter
08-20-10, 17:14
Congratulations, dad. My oldest one wants to become a Marine as well, and is just going through the paperwork now. His physical is next week. He wants the Infantry MOS.
What's a cutting score?
OFICIALLY
Rifle score, PFT, Proficiency and Conduct marks, continuing education, and other attributes are combined in a math to produce a Marine's composite score. In rough terms, think of it as his A through F grade of how good a Marine he is.
The cutting score is the score a Marine has to match or surpass in order to be promoted (short of a Meritorious Promotion, which is a selection process that includes boards convened at the company level and up). It changes to match the Corps' manning requirements, so it's a moving target.
Once you're Sgt (and up), you are rated by your Fitness Report and other attributes, which is a different rating system.
UNOFICIALLY
In common Tuefelhunden conversations, "cutting score" is used to refer to both.
dookie1481
08-21-10, 01:13
He wants the Infantry MOS.
Only way to go :D
Bill Bryant
09-15-10, 16:03
My boy is just about done at MCRD. He's in day two of the Crucible, climbs the Reaper tomorrow morning, and gets his EGA and Warrior's Breakfast when he gets back down.
Swim qualification: "passed" :p
Rifle qualification: "expert" :)
Final PFT: "1st class" "running was . . . so 277, oh well." :)
Pugil sticks: "won my match in the thunder dome." :)
No word on MCMAP or PRAC :rolleyes:
Can't wait to see him next week.
Tan belt, and PRAC are guaranteed pass.
Have fun packing, next week will be fun and moving.
Bill Bryant
09-15-10, 22:42
Tan beltWhat's a tan belt?
What's a tan belt?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MCMAP#Tan_Belt
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