(no subject)
So I guess I forgot to write an entry saying that I've moved to North Carolina. I've been here for about three weeks, and I think I'm finally starting to get some kind of idea of how things work around here.
And I've suspected this for a long time, but now that I've gotten to the fleet, I've finally realized that everything every Marine has ever told us about the "next step" in our careers has been completely wrong. In boot camp, we were told that at MCT, they don't mess around, and we'd better not screw around. At MCT, probably while we were sleeping or throwing rocks at each other to pass the time, we were told that our job schools were pretty much like college with drinking and liberty policies, and that we'd have our own rooms. In Fort Sill and Coronado, when I lived in squadbays with the rest of my class and was restricted to the base for most of the time because one guy got arrested, we were told that getting to the fleet was like the second day of boot camp, and that it would be a nightmarish hell.
Well, I'm in the fleet now, the real Marine Corps, and it's the most relaxed thing ever. Granted, I'm in Anglico, a really laid-back unit, but there was no pointless hazing, no corporals barging into our rooms at 0400 every morning, no lance corporals running around making us do stupid things for no reason. And during school, those of us who were selected for Anglico were told that since it's the closest thing we'd get to Marine special forces without being in recon, we'd really get the brunt of the hazing. Well, I talk to sergeants with my hands in my pockets, I don't stand at parade rest when I'm talking to gunnies, and the only time I end a sentence with the person's rank is when I'm talking to the sergeant major or an officer.
This is the thing I haven't liked most about the Marine Corps so far. I hate people predicting one thing, then getting to wherever it is I'm going and finding out that they couldn't have been more wrong. And I really hate when people just flat-out lie to me just to mess with me because I'm a boot and I don't know any better. I'm seriously thinking about making a book of what not to do as a leader. I've seen traits that I'd love to emulate when I get put into a substantive leadership position, but I've also seen plenty that I don't want anything to do with.
But anyway, right now I'm using my god-like knowledge of artillery call-for-fires to help out with some kind of exercise that II MEF is doing, so I've been detached from 2d Anglico until October 14. And there's talk of the exercises we're going to be doing in the near future. Early next year we're supposed to go to Florida to do a close air support exercise with the 82d Airborne, and next summer we're going to the Philippines and Australia to train with their marines. And in three days I'm being promoted to lance corporal because I'm awesome.
And I've suspected this for a long time, but now that I've gotten to the fleet, I've finally realized that everything every Marine has ever told us about the "next step" in our careers has been completely wrong. In boot camp, we were told that at MCT, they don't mess around, and we'd better not screw around. At MCT, probably while we were sleeping or throwing rocks at each other to pass the time, we were told that our job schools were pretty much like college with drinking and liberty policies, and that we'd have our own rooms. In Fort Sill and Coronado, when I lived in squadbays with the rest of my class and was restricted to the base for most of the time because one guy got arrested, we were told that getting to the fleet was like the second day of boot camp, and that it would be a nightmarish hell.
Well, I'm in the fleet now, the real Marine Corps, and it's the most relaxed thing ever. Granted, I'm in Anglico, a really laid-back unit, but there was no pointless hazing, no corporals barging into our rooms at 0400 every morning, no lance corporals running around making us do stupid things for no reason. And during school, those of us who were selected for Anglico were told that since it's the closest thing we'd get to Marine special forces without being in recon, we'd really get the brunt of the hazing. Well, I talk to sergeants with my hands in my pockets, I don't stand at parade rest when I'm talking to gunnies, and the only time I end a sentence with the person's rank is when I'm talking to the sergeant major or an officer.
This is the thing I haven't liked most about the Marine Corps so far. I hate people predicting one thing, then getting to wherever it is I'm going and finding out that they couldn't have been more wrong. And I really hate when people just flat-out lie to me just to mess with me because I'm a boot and I don't know any better. I'm seriously thinking about making a book of what not to do as a leader. I've seen traits that I'd love to emulate when I get put into a substantive leadership position, but I've also seen plenty that I don't want anything to do with.
But anyway, right now I'm using my god-like knowledge of artillery call-for-fires to help out with some kind of exercise that II MEF is doing, so I've been detached from 2d Anglico until October 14. And there's talk of the exercises we're going to be doing in the near future. Early next year we're supposed to go to Florida to do a close air support exercise with the 82d Airborne, and next summer we're going to the Philippines and Australia to train with their marines. And in three days I'm being promoted to lance corporal because I'm awesome.