Back from Boot
By TheMentor Posted in Miscellanea — Comments (28) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Promoted by Jeff. Well done!
Well it's been quite a while since I've posted on Redstate, and there is a good reason for that. I've been at USMC boot camp, Marine Combat Training, and now MOS school for the past four months. I'm officially a US Marine. Some things are exactly what I expected, some things are totally different than what I was expecting. I am proud to say that I am now a member of the world's most elite fighting force. Also, I am a bit older than most of my counterparts here, so I have a bit of a different viewpoint on the message of the Marine Corps and what they are actually trying to prepare you for. Most of the 17, 18, and 19 year olds that are here don't have ability to really understand what's going on, nor do they care sadly. Most don't really know why we're fighting, they only know that most likely within the first year of their enlistment they will be in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Dijibuti. I haven't had all that much time to reflect on the whole training process, but now that I have a little more free time at MOS school, or as they like to put it, now that I'm in minimum security prison as opposed to maximum security prison, I will write more.
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
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"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
Take care of yourself and keep posting.
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Thou art the Great Cat, the avenger of the Gods, and the judge of words...-Inscription on the Royal Tombs at Thebes
the Marines are a good second choice.
Congrats and best wishes.
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -- Rudyard Kipling
We all know what he meant.
"Who will stand/On either hand/And guard this bridge with me?" (Macaulay)
If your weapon system doesn't travel into space and can hit its target from more than 3000 miles away its just a toy.
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"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
Then it's a video game...
Nothing happens till something moves, Hoo-ah!
"It's a book about a man who doesn't know he's about to die, and then dies...
...But if the man does know he's going to die and dies anyway. Dies, dies willing, knowing he can stop it, then...
Well, isn't that the type of man you want to keep alive?"
Karen Eiffel, Stranger Than Fiction
you're not a warrior, you're just a button pusher. :>)
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
Its an engineering degree.
and maybe a little ching ching voom.
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"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
There is nothing like a 3-G push back in the seat, trottle in full after-burner and rolling out at the top...talk about a rush!
Managing Editor
...in pitch blackness, with 300 lbs of gear on and your five closest friends within arms reach, freefalling at 150+ mph before pulling and steering to a tiny, unlit drop zone.
Then take a dip off the back of a Zodiac in full combat gear (rucksack, weapon, etc.), swimming four miles under the surface from sea to shore, surviving only by rebreathing pure oxygen (which is scrubbed of CO2 after each breath by something which looks suspiciously like kitty litter), again with your five closest friends within arms reach, and only a compass board to guide you in the right direction.
Oh, and when either of those are done, do your job. That was just how you got to work.
Then come talk to me.
;-)
I get a bit of a rush from loading/unloading an entire division's worth of gear and vehicles in under 12 hours and then hitting the bar...
But then, the idea of floating 100 feet off the ground and unloading a pair of miniguns on the target also sounds nice...
"It's a book about a man who doesn't know he's about to die, and then dies...
...But if the man does know he's going to die and dies anyway. Dies, dies willing, knowing he can stop it, then...
Well, isn't that the type of man you want to keep alive?"
Karen Eiffel, Stranger Than Fiction
I have the same pair of jump wings you do....you are right...their is no better feeling....
Managing Editor
Just to annoy Streiff - a leg infantryman states that I hve never seen the need for jumping out of a perfectly good aircraft.
When I graduated from Paris Island in the mid-80's our commander gave us a very sobering speech regarding the purpose of the military. At that time, there was no war and a lot of people joining to get the GI Bill, etc. He had recently been back from Beirut and gave a chilling account of Marines buried in the rubble of the barracks. His message was basically that you are here to serve and protect the United States of America. You serve at the pleasure of the United States Marine Corps. During times of war or peace, be prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Congrats on your graduation and good luck with your journey.
Semper Fi.
Even the Army has gotta love a Marine.
Seminole 6, out
As compared to our bastard step-children and the Navy...
"It's a book about a man who doesn't know he's about to die, and then dies...
...But if the man does know he's going to die and dies anyway. Dies, dies willing, knowing he can stop it, then...
Well, isn't that the type of man you want to keep alive?"
Karen Eiffel, Stranger Than Fiction
loosely referred to as "deliverymen", even less than the Army.
When it was mentioned to my son that the Marine Corps was a part of the Navy, he told the Naval officer who said it, "Yes sir. It's the MEN'S part."
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
In the same vein, I was once told that the reason the Navy keeps Marines aboard ship was so the sailors would have a man to dance with. Probably not true - in any event, that predated our unisex military.
Seminole 6, out
Congrats on getting thru boot, and my eternal gratitude to you for serving the greatest nation that ever existed. I hope you (as an elder statesman) can communicate to the younger ones the full measure of what you guys are doing.
It's war -- so when can we start shooting back at the enemy Democrats?
You may have chosen the wrong uniform, but your Are still in uniform serving the world's greatest nation...
"It's a book about a man who doesn't know he's about to die, and then dies...
...But if the man does know he's going to die and dies anyway. Dies, dies willing, knowing he can stop it, then...
Well, isn't that the type of man you want to keep alive?"
Karen Eiffel, Stranger Than Fiction
I appreciate all the comments I have received so far. I am here at Camp Johnson now at MOS school and I don't have my laptop yet, so I am restricted to 30 minutes of online time at a recreation center on base. I'm going to try and post as much as I can about my experiences at boot, MCT, and here at MOS school. I have already met some interesting people, mainly my superiors, and some of the stories I have heard are just amazing. Amazingly shocking for the most part. Once I have my laptop and I can get online more easily, I will be able to post more.
and well done Marine. Thank you for your service, I know what color your blood is, it really looks funny in a test tube, Red, White and Blue, doesn't it?
Managing Editor
OORAH...
Of course, the smarter guys wear blue-but we need you jarheads around as well :O
United States Air Force
http://airforcepundit.blogspot.com
Muscle Always Required, Intelligence Not Essential
But then, I'm not sure who's smarter, a M.A.R.I.N.E. or someone working for an employer who has been laying off thousands of people a year for almost 20 years straight... :P
"It's a book about a man who doesn't know he's about to die, and then dies...
...But if the man does know he's going to die and dies anyway. Dies, dies willing, knowing he can stop it, then...
Well, isn't that the type of man you want to keep alive?"
Karen Eiffel, Stranger Than Fiction
to reading more from you.
Keep us posted.