C: USMC Boot Camp, by Anna

Boot camp - what happens?

*Note*  Training schedules are subject to change.  The 
rearrange the structure of boot camp every so often, to try to 
find the most effective schedule for training.  But this will give 
you a pretty good idea what to expect.

Life as a Recruit…

Many wives and girlfriends wonder what life is like for a 
recruit. Most recruiters will do an excellent job of describing 
the day to day life during the 13 weeks a Marine spends at 
MCRD. However, this does little to prepare someone for 
dealing with the ups and downs that happen during this time 
apart – especially in the eyes of someone that’s not there.

The First Few Days…

Any Marine will tell you that there is a huge amount of fear 
before they arrive on the yellow footprints. They don’t know 
what to expect. Before your recruit leaves, give him/her a 
wonderful sendoff. Have a party (no drugs, either, they are 
tested when they arrive), be with friends and enjoy. The next 
few months are going to be the most challenging of his/her 
life, so they need to go into it with the least amount 
of stress and the most amount of confidence. That’s your job –
 support and become you’re recruits lifeline to the real world.

When your recruit leaves, make sure they take only what 
they are told to take. While they can take pictures of their 
family and friends, make sure they’re tasteful (no 
pornography so keep your clothes on, please). Do not take 
gum, candy, cigarettes, drugs, or medicine (unless 
prescribed by a physician and your recruiter knows you’re 
taking them). Essentially, all they need is the clothes on 
his/her back and whatever else the recruiter recommends. If 
it’s something the recruit values or treasures, don’t bring it. It 
may end up in the trashcan.

The first few days at MCRD are spent receiving. Most recruits 
arrive in the middle of the night and the movies you’ve seen 
where recruits run to the yellow footprints with DIs yelling at 
them is no joke. The next 72 hours are going to create a 
feeling of complete disorientation. Receiving is designed to 
shock the recruit into transition away from civilian life. It’s 
filled with sleep deprivation, considerable shuffling from here 
to there, hours of waiting and wondering, and pangs of 
homesickness. Your recruit will go through mounds of 
paperwork, be asked if they were coerced into joining or lied 
to their recruiters (called “The Moment of Truth”), take a 
urinalysis and have blood drawn, and begin indoctrination into 
the Marine Corps.

During these first few days, you may hear from your recruit 
only one time – a quick call home to let you know that he/she 
arrived safely. Don’t worry, however. The Corps has been 
training people for 200+ years and has it down to a fine art. 
This will most likely be the last phone call for many months so 
breath deep – the fun is just starting.

First Phase

Boot camp consists of three phases and most Marines will tell 
you that Phase I was the longest. During this phase, the 
recruit is being broken down. Their civilian ways are being 
driven out by strict discipline and order at the hands of well 
trained Drill Instructors (DI). Life for a recruit is extremely 
regimented. The platoons and companies are formed, and the 
platoon moves into their assigned barracks. The barracks are 
pretty much the same as in the movies – rows of double beds 
(called racks), and a squad bay stuffed with 80+ people. They 
have adequate shower facilities but limited (if any), privacy.

Life for the first four weeks is going to be a life of repetition. 
The recruits will be getting up at the same time every 
morning, going to bed at the same time, doing hours of 
physical training (PT), marching back and forth across the 
grinder (close order drill), and sitting in classrooms 
learning general military education. The idea is to form a 
cohesive unit – a platoon that thinks as one and acts as one, 
with an understanding of their place as Marines.

Your recruit is going to have plenty of things going through 
his/her head. The average recruit is terrified of everything – 
being dropped, not doing well, and even getting up tomorrow 
morning… This is the phase where one usually wonders “why 
in the heck did I do this?” Most platoons see their first drops 
during this phase as many decide they just can’t do it.

Communication from your recruit is going to be limited. There 
are no phone calls in boot camp unless it’s an emergency so 
don’t get angry. While each recruit has a period during the 
evening (and on Sundays) to sit and write letters home, many 
use their free time to study and prepare for upcoming 
activities. The recruit may polish shoes, shine brass, read or 
press uniforms. You may not get a letter for the first few 
weeks, but don’t be discouraged. This is a time of adjustment 
and most recruits are scared of their own shadow. They don’t 
want to fail and they feel as though they need to spend every 
waking moment preparing to make their drill instructors 
happy. The DIs will remind them to write home, but 
sometimes, they’re just overwhelmed and don’t.

Should you write? Oh yes – daily if possible. The best time for 
any recruit is mail call – especially when their name is called. 
In your letters, make sure you tell your recruit how proud 
you are of them. Tell them good things – keep the letters 
upbeat and don’t complain or whine about your situation. You 
can tell them you miss them, but don’t go out of your way to 
make them miserable or feel guilty. Trust me – they’re 
miserable enough at the hand of the DIs. If you’re tempted to 
send things, don’t. No naughty pictures, no food (called pogie 
bait), no perfume on the envelope. Don’t send anything in the 
mail that will embarrass or cause your recruit shame. 
No cutsie flowers or kisses on the envelopes, either. Drill 
instructors love that type of stuff and the last thing a recruit 
wants to do is bring attention to themselves.

And also, don’t be worried about the letters you do get from 
your recruit. Most first phase recruits wish they were 
anyplace but at MCRD. They’re going to tell you they hate it, 
they are having nightmares, they think their drill instructors 
are the biggest idiots in the world and that the platoon is a 
disaster. They’ll tell you that they screwed up in their decision 
to join and that they want to come home. While the letter 
may sound like a disaster, most every recruit writes at least 
one “I hate life,” letter. It will get better – promise.

Second Phase

Second phase is more of the fun of first phase, but also filled 
with greater amounts of physical activity. The recruit is going 
to learn about weapons, spend time out in the in the field and 
learn what it means to be “gungy”. It’s an exciting time 
because you’re starting to work together as a unit – the 
platoon is “coming together,” as the drill instructors like to 
say.

The highlight for most recruits is the trip to the rifle range to 
shoot an M16A2 rifle. Since the recruit started First Phase, 
they’ve carried this weapon around and slept with it at the 
foot of their rack. Do you think recruits have time for 
romantic liaisons during boot camp? Yeah – but only with their 
weapon! During second phase, the recruit actually gets to use 
this piece of gear. If at MCRD PI, the platoon will march out 
to Weapons Training Battalion. If at MCRD SD, it’s a bus 
trip to Camp Pendleton. For the next two weeks, the recruit 
will go through grass week (snap in), followed by a week of 
actual shooting.

This two week time is a period of high stress and attempts at 
besting each other. Everyone wants to wear a coveted Expert 
Marksmanship badge, and the more a platoon has, the 
happier the drill instructors. Happy Drill Instructors mean 
happy recruits which means less digging (physical training to 
correct bad behavior). The last Friday of the week is Qual 
Day and the day all recruits dread. This is the day that a 
recruit must qualify with the rifle and a day of stress 
beyond anything they've ever felt. Throughout the rest of a 
Marine’s career, they will learn to love, hate and respect qual 
day as they must go through it every year.

After the time at the range, it’s off to the field. Your recruit 
will go without a shower for days, learn to hate/love the gas 
chamber, jump off the rappelling tower, fight mock battles, go 
through martial arts training and learn tactics and map 
orientation. This is usually the most fun recruits will have as 
they are starting to see themselves as Marines and are now 
fully engaged as a unit. It’s also when they’ll learn to depend 
and rely on their fellow recruits for success.

Again, you may not hear from your recruit as often as you’d 
like. One thing recruits don’t have is down time or free time. 
Every waking moment is filled with something. If just standing 
around, most drill instructors will tell their recruits to read up 
on their general knowledge. They’re in classes, doing 
paperwork, or just trying to be Marines. Don’t forget this. 
They haven’t forgotten you, but they’re also trying to do their 
best and often that’s done at the expense of a letter to you. 
Continue to write – continue to be supportive. Talk about your 
plans to attend graduation and what the future will hold after 
that. Talk about graduation will make any recruit giddy.

Third Phase

It’s four weeks from graduation. The platoon is getting 
excited and the momentum is building to a fever pitch. The 
drill instructors are starting the treat the platoon like Marines 
and everything is now down to the wire.

During the last phase, the platoon is getting ready for final 
inspections and graduation. They will also do chores around 
base and have a bit more time away from the drill instructors. 
There are final tests including a final PFT (physical fitness 
test) and final drill (with honors for the best platoon). The 
tailors have finished fitting the uniforms, the first set of orders 
is being cut and for the male recruits, they get their first “high 
and tight,” haircut.

While this is the most exhilarating time of the 13 weeks, it’s 
also a realization that one is about to wear the title “Marine.” 
Most recruits will look back at the past 13 weeks and 
wonder “what was I so terrified about? It wasn’t that bad!” For 
many, it’s the biggest and most gratifying accomplishment of 
their life. During third phase, your recruit will probably write 
you more often and show considerable levels of confidence. 
They're just about there….

Graduation

Thirteen weeks is over. This is the moment every recruit 
dreams of. There's this indescribable feeling of the day you 
finally turn in your linens... Wow.

The first opportunity you’ll have to see your recruit is during 
Visitors Day right before graduation.


**DON’T BE SHOCKED!!**


You’re going to see an individual who is lean, in top physical 
condition, and if a gentleman, has this great haircut called 
a “high and tight.” They’ll be in uniform and it’s going to 
knock your socks off the first time you see your recruit. Yep – 
they’re looking good and standing tall.

Understand your recruit is absolutely thrilled to see you. 
His/her heart is beating and they want to jump up and down 
with joy. However, they’re still a recruit and they know that 
the DIs are watching every move they make – they must 
maintain “military bearing” at all times (it's a known 
fact that DIs have eyeballs in the back of their heads). If the 
recruit is somewhat restrained in his/her greeting, understand 
that. Recruits have been warned within inches of their life to 
be on their best behavior – no outlandish stunts. As Marines, 
we also don’t believe in PDA – public displays of affection. If 
you get a sheepish kiss on the cheek, be glad. He or she may 
hold your arm, but probably won’t hold your hand (you have 
to be ready to salute at any time). And don’t worry – you’ll 
get something better later on after graduation when the 
uniform is off. PATIENCE!!!

What else is going to be different? So many things... The 
person you knew 13 weeks ago has evolved and completely 
changed. You’re going to learn a whole new language filled 
with acronyms and words like “OORAH” and “Good to Go!” 
You’re going to see someone that wants to jump out of the 
rack at 0400 and PT before breakfast. This new Marine will be 
tidy and always neat in appearance. They’ll even know how to 
wash and iron their own uniforms! New Marines have this 
aura of responsibility and found direction. It’s a wonder to 
behold especially when 13 weeks earlier, so many new 
recruits were struggling with monumental life decisions such 
as "which game will I buy next?"

However, you’re also going to see an individual who has done 
something very rare – earned the title of United States 
Marine. Marines think of themselves one step above everyone 
else. While some people think it’s egotistical, we, as Marines, 
pride ourselves in the fact that not everyone can be a Marine. 
We don’t get our title – we EARN our title (hence the catch 
phrase “Never Given – Always Earned”). Those past 13 weeks 
were hard – the hardest thing most of us have or ever 
will, do. We’ve learned about ourselves and what it means to 
wear the title. And we are proud of ourselves and those 
brothers and sisters who have gone before us. So when it 
looks like your Marine is walking with his back straight and a 
bit more spring in his step, smile and know that all Marines – 
past and present, are sharing in his footsteps. We all act like 
this. That is what makes us United States Marines.

Final Thoughts

Boot camp is a stressful time for the family. As a girlfriend or 
wife (or boyfriend/husband), you are going to go through 
your own type of boot camp hell. I was a Marine and the wife 
of a Marine recruiter who daily dealt with the frustrations and 
burdens that come when someone joins the Corps. Twenty 
years later, and I’m still learning. Hopefully, this guide 
will help make the time a bit easier…

“I don’t hear from my son (daughter/husband/wife/boyfriend)
…”

“Religion is very important to us. Will they have time for 
worship?”

“Can my recruit wear his/her wedding band (or other 
jewelry)?”

“What if my recruit fails?”

“But why can’t I call him (or go see him?) and why can’t he 
call me?”

“I need to get a hold of my recruit immediately!”

"His recruiter lied to him..."

“Are the drill instructors mean?”

“Will my recruit be beat or hurt in any way?”

“Will I get a paycheck from my husband (or wife)?”

“What’s next??”