Any "jarheads" lurking around?

I'm not a Marine, but I did go to Army Basic a few years ago and they bear a passing resemblance to one another. The truth is that no matter what advice you give someone going there, it makes no difference because it's a whole different world once those DIs get a hold of you. Preparing physically is the best thing you can do, because if you're good at PT you have one less thing to worry about, plus the DI's do notice and occasionally cut you a break. Running especially is a problem for a lot of people. At least in Army Basic the fastest runners get to go in their own group and the DI's don't mess with them too bad. They make them run hard instead of messing with their minds. They play bad head games with the slower guys. In addition to keeping your mouth shut, don't fall asleep! Or if you're going to sleep when you aren't supposed to, do it with a group and post a guard. ;) My group in Basic managed to catch a few extra z's one Sunday without getting caught because we were smart about it. Other than that you just have to learn as you go and be prepared to work harder than ever before in your life.
 
Roadrunner - Thank you! :D

One of the things GI's *should* learn is to keep your word to your brother in the field...and Roadrunner has indeed demonstrated that he learned that!

:)
 
I sent my nephew an e-mail, and both he and his dad were really interested in all the information, particular crooked knife's " caveats as far as what to expect on day 1. :eek:

He's benching 150 lbs., not bad for a Junior in H.S.; by Aug. 2005, I'd like him to get to at least 220. I'm a runner too, and my nephew listened to me (he kept me on the phone for 1 hour!!!) when I recommended he start running 10K 3X a week. He'll be a powerhouse cardiovascularly, and if he can run in the desert in the summer, he will definitely be one of the guys in the group out in front!

I strongly recommended that he put a pullup bar within the door frame, be able to do at least 50 proper form pushups at a time. I told him to find out just what he'll have to do on the obstacle courses, and prepare himself ASAP for as many as he can. It won't be easy for him at boot camp, but he won't have it hard like the out of shape and overweight recruits. Thanks, Roadrunner, for the "no sleeping warning", and posting a guard if he does. I do'nt understand why he would want to sleep during the daytime, but thanks anyway. :D

I told him that besides being whipped into shape, the whole ordeal was to break his current system of conduct down so that he learned to follow orders without a question, and stick with his fellow recruits; "all for one and one for all". He can leave all his toys at home, and then send for what he is allowed to use once he's deployed...


Getting back to khukuris, I'll probably start him off with a BAS. If I do, I'll have it shipped to pendentive first... I'll warn my nephew that they're "usually pretty sharp out of the box". :eek: Before he gets it, I'll send him the tutorials on safety. It would be a good idea to awaken his interest in knives and other weapons now, IMHO.

Thanks again, guys; the information is appreciated, and is sent on to
my nephew. I appreciate it very much! :)
 
Originally posted by K Williams
They will not let you take any personal weapons to boot camp.
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My advice is to show up at Parris Island in the best physical shape possible. Leave EVERYTHING else at home. In 1966, we stripped to our bare azz and all clothes, EVERYTHING, was sent home. They even searched every item in your wallet. One poor smuck had a condom. BIG MISTAKE! Gawd did he pay!

That was the "old" corps though that me and Pappy remember. But I've heard that the "new" corps is even tougher if that is possible. I can't even imagine!

Good luck Skeletor and to your nephew Drdan.

Semper Fi!

Semp
 
skeletor: im not security forces, but the SF guys ive seen standing post (8th&I and Camp David) dont seem to be wearing anything at all except the issued OC spray, pistol, batan, etc... if your doin the 2 yrs SF 2 yrs 0311 thing, than ur blades are just gonna sit in your closet for 2 years :)

just thought u should know
 
I have a military background... i am 170 pounds and 5'9 not much fat... i work out a lot.

i have friends of similar size that are officers in the marines... i bought him a HI khuk... i researched it a lot... asking him about weight resitrictions and ideal knife size he needs in the field.

after all the information i received and then taking into account my HI knives and personel military background... i decided to go with ths 16.5 inch WWII model.. HE LOVED IT!

i have owned at one point or another various AKs, GSs, WWIIs of different sizes. I can HIGHLY RECOMEND (not considering price... but PURE UTILITY of SIZE SHAPE and WEIGHT) that the WWII 16.5 is PERFECT! its not too heavy or too light or too big or too small... it also just so happens that its not too pricey ;)

i recomend that you pick a WWII 16.5 inch blade (any bigger and it will be too heavy and uncomfortable in the field)... by BURA or KUMAR (with horn handle; horn takes less upkeep to look nice)

if he is of smaller stacher i recomend the 15 inch BAS.

BURA can make a VERY nice knife and it considered the "benchmark" here at HI.

KUMAR is AMAZING as well and usally makes his knives with handles a bit larger than BURA's. I prefer KUMAR (his knives i feel fit the larger american hands better than BURAs) but BURA is amazing too.
 
Semper Fi... Your response will be fowarded to my nephew. He'll definitely be carefully deciding what is taken and left home before he arrives at boot camp. Thanks :)

Snarlin Stef... Know any Marine with only one knife? :rolleyes: No doubt he'll have a few models just of khukuris!! Thanks to you too.
 
Yea, big mistake; not too much use for a condom in boot camp, is there?
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There is - but other than you think of... I saw strange applications for different things (not with the marines of course - although I grew up near the Marine "Camp Gates" at the Czech-Bavarian border). A condom guarantees to keep dry whatever is inside - not too bad in some conditions, it is the smallest "plastic bag" you can have (no Problem to keep a pistol dry with one), its expandable etc. (However not necessary to pick the lubricated ones for these puposes...
Oh and btw - tampons are great to start a fire, if there is nothing else that will burn right from the start - as there is a lot of cellulosis condensed and sealed to keep dry until you use it.
Now just imagine they caught a guy with tampons knotted into a condom :eek:

Andreas
 
No, nobody would like to be caught with tampons knotted into a tampon!:o
 
My nephew finished high school, was too stupid to continue his education, was living with his parents, had a pregnant girlfriend, and couldn’t find a job.

So he joined the Marines. They made him a Military Policeman and sent him to Korea.

He finished his enlistment and is back home now.

He’s still too stupid to see the value of education, is living with his parents, can’t find a job, and is involved in a child support/custody battle.

Some people learn and grow in the military, but all he got out of it was a tattoo of a bird standing on a ball with some foreign words under it.
 
I do'nt understand why he would want to sleep during the daytime, but thanks anyway.
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Well, you see, one of the fun little tricks the DIs like to pull on recruits is sleep deprivation. He'll be alotted 7 hours a night to sleep, but that will be broken up into two segments because he'll have to pull a one hour gaurd duty in the middle of that. That one hour duty will actually take about and hour and 20 minutes, since he'll have to get up before the shift starts to get dressed, and take an equal amount of time getting changed again after the shift. Also, for the first several weeks the DIs will find an excuse to pull everyone out of their beds and outside for a little 'corrective training' at least every other night. Corrective training consists of exercises designed only to cause intense pain (try clapping your arms over your head 900 times consecutively sometime, after doing at least 200 push-ups a day for a few weeks). The end result of all this is about 4 hours or so of sleep a night, and long, long days which are sometimes spent sitting in boring classrooms. Staying awake was one of my greatest challenges in Basic, I even slept through part of my own graduation, but fortunately did not get caught. It took me about a month and a half to get back on a normal sleep schedule after I left that place.
 
Ben, sorry to hear about your nephew. :(

My nephew is unsure what he wants to do at this point, so I hope he resolves that in the 4 years he's going to spend in the Marines. He's a "go getter", and as reponsible as I've seen any 16 year old. My brother has a lot of contacts, so finding work won't be a problem. I hope all goes well for him, as I do for your nephew. :)

Best wishes
 
Originally posted by Roadrunner

try clapping your arms over your head 900 times consecutively sometime

I think I'll pass. :D Hopefully they're not slapping their hands with their arms overhead while jumping up and down. :eek: It can, and has cuased a lot more than pain! Very dangerous procedure as far as the heart is concerned.

Roadrunner; I'll pass this on. He'll love it. :eek: :eek:

Thanks.
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i think any military service is great... and although i think its something EVERYONE should do. its up to the individual... and therefore i never pressure anyone into it...

for many highschoolers its the first longterm commitment of their lives and its not something to be taken lightly...

lol funny to hear about that nephew hehehe... i guess some pople never learn. :)
 
Originally posted by Snarlin Stef
for many highschoolers its the first longterm commitment of their lives and its not something to be taken lightly...

It's what my nephew needs at this point. I'd prefer him to continue school, but it is HIS DECISION despite the input from my brother and his wife. I am confident that he will discover what he wants to do during the 4 years he's commited himself to. :)
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I wasn't USMC, just a lowly Army grunt. I'll tell you, for the weight you have to hump in that MOS, the lighter, the better. The 12" AK sounds about right. But for my power to weight ratio, I'd have to go with the Pen Knife. Great size that, with the deep belly and wide sweet spot, does the work of a larger khuk.

YMMV

Brian
 
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