SEMPER FI THR, I just graduated from United States Marine Corps boot camp

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Accord

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I'm back guys, I just graduted from platoon 2024 2nd Bn E Co. at Parris Island yesterday. My drill instructors were Senior Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Perez, Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Damren, Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Robinson, and Drill Instructor Sergeant Pearson. I did it, I AM A UNITED STATES MARINE I can't even believe it. This whole thing has been so surreal, on Thursday when my senior drill instructor stepped in front of me and placed that Eagle, Globe, and Anchor in my hand and said "Congratuations Marine" i'm not going to lie, I started crying, my life long dream and it came down to that very moment. Between Thursday receiving my Eagle, Globe, and Anchor and becoming a United States Marine and yesteday marching across the parade deck in an epic Parris Island graduation ceremony, I could not be any happier right now.

We had 90 recruits on TD 1 and we graduated with only 58 original platoon members, 64 total including the pickups from MRP. The last 3 months of my life have been hell and Marine Corps boot camp was so much worse than I expected it to be but I think it depends on your drill instructors, mine were brutal sadistic SOB's but other platoons had DI's who weren't that bad at all, so I guess YMMV.

I am home now on 10 days of leave and you guys have no idea how weird this is for me, coming home last night in the airport in my charlies and actually being able to just walk around freely. The first thing I did was buy a snickers candy bar haha. I am reporting to SOI ITB at Camp Geiger on 17 April. I have been detached from reality and society for the past 13 weeks, I just found out today that Anna Nicole Smith died and Britney Spears shaved her head (she looks like a USMC recruit). I feel so weird right now, it's really hard adapting back to the real world after going through what I just went through for the past 3 months, I can't even imagine how hard it's going to be to adapt back to the real world after I come back from Iraq.

People have been asking me what boot camp was like, but I just don't know what to say or how to describe it, Parris Island is an insane place with chaos 24/7. It's bizarre, it's like not even real, it's like some 5th dimension quasi-alter universe. It is hell on earth and the things I went through I would not wish upon even my worst enemy. I have so much more to say about the hell i've just gone through that I don't even know where to begin, this was the best thing I have ever done and if I had to do it all over again I would do it in a heart beat, being a Marine is awesome and the hell I went through was so worth it.

Every platoon in bootcamp has 1 or 2 recruits who get ****ed up so much more than everyone else, well in platoon 2024 I was that recruit thanks to some care packages with an Air Force shirt, goatse pictures, among other things.

I will say this, Marines are not made on the rapel tower, the pool, the crucible, o-course, confidence course, or any other **** or events like that, they're made inside the squadbays behind closed doors and all the Marines on here know what i'm talking about. When it got really bad for me I just kept saying to myself that same drill instructor will be the first one to shake my hand on graduation day. And I was right.

I am just at a loss for words right now, I have no idea what to even say. I am overwhelmed with emotion and it gives me chills to think that I am actually a United States Marine. Feel free to ask me any questions.

Semper Fi.

dressblues1.jpg
 
Ooh-rah.. I did 5 years active and 3 IRR. (97-05)
Honestly thinking back, Boot Camp was the most fun I've ever had. Sounds crazy, but I had a blast. :D

Stay motivated..!
 
my wife, children and myself thank you and are real proud to share this nation with men like you. be safe and tell us about your experiences:)
 
Congratulations MARINE!

I have a Son who is a Gunny Sgt. and a lifer.

You will never forget boot camp and, you will never not be a MARINE.


Congratulations again Son, and thanks for your dedication and service to a grateful nation.
 
Accord said:
The last 3 months of my life have been hell and Marine Corps boot camp was so much worse than I expected it to be but I think it depends on your drill instructors, mine were brutal sadistic SOB's but other platoons had DI's who weren't that bad at all, so I guess YMMV.

There will come a time when you will look back at Boot Camp as one of the best times of your life. When that happens, you will also realize just how good your DI's were!

Semper Fi!
 
As someone else mentioned, you'll look back on boot camp as an experience that was INVALUABLE! You learned a lot, and are now a member of "The few, the proud, the brave"! All of the "BS" that you went through in boot camp was done for a purpose, for you were probably a mere "boy" before, but now you are a "man".

Congratulations, and my best wishes to you!
 
Congratulations and thank you for your willingness to serve our country. I can relate to your emotions as I felt very much the same way the day I became a U.S. citizen and the day I graduated from the police academy.
 
Congratulations

Well done

Carry on, MARINE!

Thank you for your (just beginning) service.
 
I'll second all that. Some of the funniest stuff I have ever seen happened in boot camp. You'll be out here in Iraq soon, but it's not the same. Life's more normal. I'm on my own laptop out here afterall.
 
Well little brother welcome aboard. BTW how did you make meritious PFC out of boot camp.
 
I'll welcome you into the department of the Navy.

Just messing with you.
Well done! Now we have another fine young man on watch.
Steve
 
OooRah
SemperFi Guy
Somebody has to feed the sandfleas.
Platoon 325 1975

I was in boot camp during the fall of S Vietnam. It was one of the few time broadcast TV was allowed/authorized during recruit training. We saw the fall of Hue and Saigon. My Senior DI was at the Battle of Hue and it was the only time I ever saw a DI cry, I paid dearly for that. Then later he told me about some of his experiences during the fight thru Hue.

b
 
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