Posted on Nov 29, 2014
How do you describe Basic Training/Boot Camp to someone who does not speak Military?
14.5K
25
14
8
8
0
Responses: 10
"You'll see when you get there" The same thing every Marine I knew growing up told me.
(4)
(0)
How do you describe a indescribable situation that you find your self into that no civilian would believe things like scraping wax off the floors with your dog tags your first KP duty a story in itself standing in formation dry shaving before morning inspection running up and down stairs doing STRAC drills all that and more it happened to me fifty years ago and I have trouble believing it!
(2)
(0)
Hell, but with like 15 more devils. (Drill Sergeants or Drill instructors)
(2)
(0)
I honestly didn't think that basic training was that hard. I never got "smoked", never had to dry shave, never did KP or any other crqp jobs. Being a trainee squad leader probably helped but in general I found that if you busted ass and stayed sharp looking you avoided most of the abuse that many seemed to attract. There were plenty of screw-ups to keep the Drill Sergeants occupied. Some of them probably did think that they were in hell.
(1)
(0)
PO1 Chad Alcock
I was that guy that let my mouth override my ass, I'm sure I pushed Oklahoma until it was ocean front property and back again. But as a whole, I didn't think it was terribly difficult, more a mind game than anything.
(1)
(0)
I thought it was a bike ride until we actually met our drill instructor, that's when all hell broke lose and you realized at that moment you made the biggest mistake of your life by joining the Marine Corps instead of the Air Force.
(1)
(0)
I tell them to watch the first half of "Full Metal Jacket". As close to seeing what boot camp is like, even the documentaries don't get this close.
(1)
(0)
Cpl Tou Lee Yang
I don't think Full Metal Jacket fully depict the magnitude of what bootcamp was like, at least not from my experience. I don't remember witnessing any recruit assisting other recruit with dressing themselves. Although the trash talking is up to par with what the drill instructor would say but it's a little water down from my experience.
(1)
(0)
SSgt (Join to see)
We had to help our Guide get squared away everyday! He was slow - but he was the perfect picture poster Marine.
(0)
(0)
I think your card just about sums it up. What is the civilian equivalent for basic.....I was a buck 20 thru high school probably so I assure everyone I have no idea if playing football all through school and into college if that comes close. Prison might be something that addresses the stress of infantry basic. For the most part, I think we are on our own. We understand each other. At least we have that going for us.
(1)
(0)
Before I left for Parris Island, a Marine Sergeant explained boot camp to several of us recruits. He told us it was an experience that nobody would pay a dime to go through, but once through that experience, you would not sell it (if it were possible to sell it), for a million dollars.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next


Humor
