How accurate was Full Metal Jacket's boot camp scene?

[RetiredGySgt]

The first half of that movie was great.

The second half of that film was shyte.

That was because they were trying to make a stupid political message.

Tell ya what though at the end when he wouldn't shot the sniper? After she shot my guys? No problem shooting her.

 

[Gunny]

I heard it said that it was pretty authentic. what was and what wasn't accurate?

A relative question. For Vietnam-era boot camp? It was probably pretty accurate minus Gunny Hartman pushing Private Pyle over the edge. R Lee Ermey, who portrayed Gunny Hartman was a Marine Drill Instructor and he played the role to a "t". He was exaclt how I remember my drill instructors, and as a drill instructor, we all played the same role.

The constant, every-minute jammed with training and/or running from one type training to another is pretty accurate. The training schedule in Marine boot camp is God's Law, and only an act of God will cause any deviation from it.

The physical abuse as far as drill instructors putting their hands on privates was a bit much. Gunny Hartman was like everything that could go wrong with a drill instructor and he played the wrong role. The Senior Drill Instructor is NEVER the heavy. The SDI is "daddy." The junior drill instructor is usually the heavy.

When you make the SDI the heavy instead of "daddy", it gives the recruits a sense of hopelessness as if they have nowhere to turn because the guy who is supposed to be handling their issues is the one tormenting them. It's a morale killer.

As an senior, Hartman had too much "hands on". The senior is pat of the drill instructor team; yet, a little bit aloof from the other hats to create that separation recruits pick up on whether consciously or unconsciously. In Full Metal jacket, the junior drill intructors had minimal presence.

Where a difference I can't address exists is that Full Metal Jacket was a Vietnam-era scenario and recruits were drafted. I was a drill instructor in the all volunteer Marine Corps. Little short of death got you out of boot camp during the former; while, during the latter, one merely had to refuse to train and would be eventually administratively discharged. That alone would completely change the mindset of the drill instructors.

Oh, and while I won't say it never happens, a drill instructor that strikes a private has failed. He has failed as a teacher and as a Marine. He destroys the respect that recruit has for the uniform and the title "Marine" and definitely brings dishonor upon himself and the Corps. Recruits are at the drill instructor's mercy completely. Their is no excuse for abusing that power.

My two cents.

 

[Gunny]

The boot camp scene was dead on.

Three people dead while I went through boot camp, one on the pistol range shot his brains out, I did not see this.

Another died in the morning standing in front of his rack right after reville, he did not take in enough salt and died of dehdration.

Another drowned during swim qual, they said he died of a heart attack, I bet he did, if you could not swim the DI's pushed you under until you swam, no drowning, poor son of a bitch had a heart attack.

Had another guy slit his wrists and lived.

Another jumped off the 2nd floor, not far enough to die but he broke his legs.

I watched the DI hit people, not often and only at the end of boot camp when we had to little time left to report it. Nobody took a chance that late in the game, we got short and just wanted to make it.

People say they would rather be hit, right, we had the mind games and got hit, we suffered from sleep deprivation, lack of water, too much excercise, mind games, even less sleep, complete fatigue. I was a hollywood marine, I hear the guys at perris island got at alive by sand fleas.

The movie was dead on except there is just no way for an audience to truely relate.

I hated my drill instructor, Sgt Cambell, I remember his face like it was yesterday, his voice, what a prick.

The game I absolutely hated the most was "make the rack."

Get on line. In your grubby little meatbeaters you will have, two blankets, two sheets, a pillowcase and one fartsack. You have one minute to get those scuzzy-ass racks made tight and squared away.

Repeat until the drill instructor got bored.

I used to laugh at people that said they hate their drill instructors. They were playing roles. You were just another bald-headed Gomer to them. You took personally what to them was impersonal as Hell.

Those drill instructors had more pressure on them than at the time you could even comprehend. I do not and never have condoned the abuse of power and/or violating the SOP, but there ARE two sides to the story.

That hat's got a wife and kids at home he never sees. He has to be perfect at all times. He has a schedule to keep that is near impossible. He suffers the same sleep deprivation, fatigue you do, goes through the same training with you (and drill instructor school itself is a thousand times worse than boot camp because of all the things you have to memorize verbatim while making everything about you as a Marine perfect).

What you don't realize, again at the time, is that they ARE human. They are people too. You don't see them when THEY break down. Or commit suicide. Or purposefully injure themselves to get off the street. Or find out they aren't home so momma's getting busy with someone else.

And while you're calling yourself a "Hollywood" Marine, I have been to both PI and San Diego. I'll take sand fleas ANY day over Mount Mutherfucker and/or Old Smokey.

 

[Gunny]

The first half of that movie was great.

The second half of that film was shyte.

That was because they were trying to make a stupid political message.

Tell ya what though at the end when he wouldn't shot the sniper? After she shot my guys? No problem shooting her.

Y'think? Not so easy to pull that trigger while looking someone dead in the eyes. Not saying you wouldn't. It's just not as easy as you think, and you need to give some consideration to what you're willing to live with for the rest of your life.

In the end, it's just you and God, and you better be able to justify it to both of you.

 

[Luissa]

I heard it said that it was pretty authentic. what was and what wasn't accurate?

A relative question. For Vietnam-era boot camp? It was probably pretty accurate minus Gunny Hartman pushing Private Pyle over the edge. R Lee Ermey, who portrayed Gunny Hartman was a Marine Drill Instructor and he played the role to a "t". He was exaclt how I remember my drill instructors, and as a drill instructor, we all played the same role.

The constant, every-minute jammed with training and/or running from one type training to another is pretty accurate. The training schedule in Marine boot camp is God's Law, and only an act of God will cause any deviation from it.

The physical abuse as far as drill instructors putting their hands on privates was a bit much. Gunny Hartman was like everything that could go wrong with a drill instructor and he played the wrong role. The Senior Drill Instructor is NEVER the heavy. The SDI is "daddy." The junior drill instructor is usually the heavy.

When you make the SDI the heavy instead of "daddy", it gives the recruits a sense of hopelessness as if they have nowhere to turn because the guy who is supposed to be handling their issues is the one tormenting them. It's a morale killer.

As an senior, Hartman had too much "hands on". The senior is pat of the drill instructor team; yet, a little bit aloof from the other hats to create that separation recruits pick up on whether consciously or unconsciously. In Full Metal jacket, the junior drill intructors had minimal presence.

Where a difference I can't address exists is that Full Metal Jacket was a Vietnam-era scenario and recruits were drafted. I was a drill instructor in the all volunteer Marine Corps. Little short of death got you out of boot camp during the former; while, during the latter, one merely had to refuse to train and would be eventually administratively discharged. That alone would completely change the mindset of the drill instructors.

Oh, and while I won't say it never happens, a drill instructor that strikes a private has failed. He has failed as a teacher and as a Marine. He destroys the respect that recruit has for the uniform and the title "Marine" and definitely brings dishonor upon himself and the Corps. Recruits are at the drill instructor's mercy completely. Their is no excuse for abusing that power.

My two cents.

The guy who played Gunny I seriously think has to be alittle crazy in real life, every role he plays he is alittle crazy. In Saving Silverman he is completly gone but quite hilarious!

 

[Gunny]

I heard it said that it was pretty authentic. what was and what wasn't accurate?

A relative question. For Vietnam-era boot camp? It was probably pretty accurate minus Gunny Hartman pushing Private Pyle over the edge. R Lee Ermey, who portrayed Gunny Hartman was a Marine Drill Instructor and he played the role to a "t". He was exaclt how I remember my drill instructors, and as a drill instructor, we all played the same role.

The constant, every-minute jammed with training and/or running from one type training to another is pretty accurate. The training schedule in Marine boot camp is God's Law, and only an act of God will cause any deviation from it.

The physical abuse as far as drill instructors putting their hands on privates was a bit much. Gunny Hartman was like everything that could go wrong with a drill instructor and he played the wrong role. The Senior Drill Instructor is NEVER the heavy. The SDI is "daddy." The junior drill instructor is usually the heavy.

When you make the SDI the heavy instead of "daddy", it gives the recruits a sense of hopelessness as if they have nowhere to turn because the guy who is supposed to be handling their issues is the one tormenting them. It's a morale killer.

As an senior, Hartman had too much "hands on". The senior is pat of the drill instructor team; yet, a little bit aloof from the other hats to create that separation recruits pick up on whether consciously or unconsciously. In Full Metal jacket, the junior drill intructors had minimal presence.

Where a difference I can't address exists is that Full Metal Jacket was a Vietnam-era scenario and recruits were drafted. I was a drill instructor in the all volunteer Marine Corps. Little short of death got you out of boot camp during the former; while, during the latter, one merely had to refuse to train and would be eventually administratively discharged. That alone would completely change the mindset of the drill instructors.

Oh, and while I won't say it never happens, a drill instructor that strikes a private has failed. He has failed as a teacher and as a Marine. He destroys the respect that recruit has for the uniform and the title "Marine" and definitely brings dishonor upon himself and the Corps. Recruits are at the drill instructor's mercy completely. Their is no excuse for abusing that power.

My two cents.

The guy who played Gunny I seriously think has to be alittle crazy in real life, every role he plays he is alittle crazy. In Saving Silverman he is completly gone but quite hilarious!

If you ever listen to an interview with him, he is quite sane. He plays those roles because he entertains people. He was interviewed for a History Channel show, The History of the US Marine Corps, or something like that, and he talks about being a drill instructor.

 

[krotchdog]

The Seargent did scare the hell out of me, I did watch him hit a guy, with his knuckle, repeatedly. Our senior was a great man as well as gnysgt hendrix.

Sgt Campbell got so pissed at us he threw his cover on the ground and made us all walk on it, that seemed over the top. Our platoon never took a drill, the rifle range, nothing. During Reagens time we had 90 people in our platoon.

 

[Luissa]

A relative question. For Vietnam-era boot camp? It was probably pretty accurate minus Gunny Hartman pushing Private Pyle over the edge. R Lee Ermey, who portrayed Gunny Hartman was a Marine Drill Instructor and he played the role to a "t". He was exaclt how I remember my drill instructors, and as a drill instructor, we all played the same role.

The constant, every-minute jammed with training and/or running from one type training to another is pretty accurate. The training schedule in Marine boot camp is God's Law, and only an act of God will cause any deviation from it.

The physical abuse as far as drill instructors putting their hands on privates was a bit much. Gunny Hartman was like everything that could go wrong with a drill instructor and he played the wrong role. The Senior Drill Instructor is NEVER the heavy. The SDI is "daddy." The junior drill instructor is usually the heavy.

When you make the SDI the heavy instead of "daddy", it gives the recruits a sense of hopelessness as if they have nowhere to turn because the guy who is supposed to be handling their issues is the one tormenting them. It's a morale killer.

As an senior, Hartman had too much "hands on". The senior is pat of the drill instructor team; yet, a little bit aloof from the other hats to create that separation recruits pick up on whether consciously or unconsciously. In Full Metal jacket, the junior drill intructors had minimal presence.

Where a difference I can't address exists is that Full Metal Jacket was a Vietnam-era scenario and recruits were drafted. I was a drill instructor in the all volunteer Marine Corps. Little short of death got you out of boot camp during the former; while, during the latter, one merely had to refuse to train and would be eventually administratively discharged. That alone would completely change the mindset of the drill instructors.

Oh, and while I won't say it never happens, a drill instructor that strikes a private has failed. He has failed as a teacher and as a Marine. He destroys the respect that recruit has for the uniform and the title "Marine" and definitely brings dishonor upon himself and the Corps. Recruits are at the drill instructor's mercy completely. Their is no excuse for abusing that power.

My two cents.

The guy who played Gunny I seriously think has to be alittle crazy in real life, every role he plays he is alittle crazy. In Saving Silverman he is completly gone but quite hilarious!

If you ever listen to an interview with him, he is quite sane. He plays those roles because he entertains people. He was interviewed for a History Channel show, The History of the US Marine Corps, or something like that, and he talks about being a drill instructor.

he is an actor I am sure he knows how to act sane!
I am sure you are right but I think he flies his freak flag when no one can see it and to play crazy roles.
I like him in everything he has done especially in Saving Silverman, if you have not seen it watch it. Of course I used to only watch it stoned but I swear it is hilarious.

 

[elvis]

I heard it said that it was pretty authentic. what was and what wasn't accurate?

A relative question. For Vietnam-era boot camp? It was probably pretty accurate minus Gunny Hartman pushing Private Pyle over the edge. R Lee Ermey, who portrayed Gunny Hartman was a Marine Drill Instructor and he played the role to a "t". He was exaclt how I remember my drill instructors, and as a drill instructor, we all played the same role.

The constant, every-minute jammed with training and/or running from one type training to another is pretty accurate. The training schedule in Marine boot camp is God's Law, and only an act of God will cause any deviation from it.

The physical abuse as far as drill instructors putting their hands on privates was a bit much. Gunny Hartman was like everything that could go wrong with a drill instructor and he played the wrong role. The Senior Drill Instructor is NEVER the heavy. The SDI is "daddy." The junior drill instructor is usually the heavy.

When you make the SDI the heavy instead of "daddy", it gives the recruits a sense of hopelessness as if they have nowhere to turn because the guy who is supposed to be handling their issues is the one tormenting them. It's a morale killer.

As an senior, Hartman had too much "hands on". The senior is pat of the drill instructor team; yet, a little bit aloof from the other hats to create that separation recruits pick up on whether consciously or unconsciously. In Full Metal jacket, the junior drill intructors had minimal presence.

Where a difference I can't address exists is that Full Metal Jacket was a Vietnam-era scenario and recruits were drafted. I was a drill instructor in the all volunteer Marine Corps. Little short of death got you out of boot camp during the former; while, during the latter, one merely had to refuse to train and would be eventually administratively discharged. That alone would completely change the mindset of the drill instructors.

Oh, and while I won't say it never happens, a drill instructor that strikes a private has failed. He has failed as a teacher and as a Marine. He destroys the respect that recruit has for the uniform and the title "Marine" and definitely brings dishonor upon himself and the Corps. Recruits are at the drill instructor's mercy completely. Their is no excuse for abusing that power.

My two cents.

Did they shorten the basic training during Vietnam because they needed troops so bad, adding that much more pressure to DI's to get the troops prepared?

 

[Coloradomtnman]

I went to MCRD San Diego in July of 1995. Boot camp in Full Metal Jacket is 99% accurate other than R. Lee Ermey was the Senior Drill Instructor and spent a lot of time with his recruits. Our Junior Drill Instructor was with us most of the time, and I hated that bastard. After Hell Week I realized he was just playing a role.

I tell you what, I'd rather spend my time in the desert and sunny San Diego than deal with sand fleas and humidity out on an isolated island. Call me Hollywood if you want. Basic wasn't much fun and I sure didn't need it to be any less fun than it already wasn't...understand!

I thought about becoming a drill instructor after I picked up Corporal. I had a pretty stellar career ahead of me, I was company guide, got along well my with the SNCOs and junior officers in my battalion (cause I was a pogue). But then when it I got close to my discharge, I thought, I did my four years, being a drill instructor would've been great but I want to go to school and get on with my ambitions in life.

And there are great moments in the second half of the movie editec: such as when the main character and the photographer are riding out in the helicopter with the .50 cal gunner shooting at innocent people. I love that part! I laugh everytime.

I love R. Lee Ermey. That guy is hilarious.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

I don't know what they do to girls... but knowing what my bros and dad have said I don't care. I will go and I WILL fuck them up. I can be an unstoppable force of nature when I bring it, and I will bring it. I never lose my site on the prize. They can NOT break me.

A lot of people here probably think of me as a tender little flower because of how I talk about God and love... don't be deceived, I'm also the little girl that can drop a deer at 300 yards with a lite load, and skin it and turn it into dinner. And soooo much more. I'm pretty sure my destiny is with the Marines, like my father and his father before him. I think I need to join this long family tradition, and no matter what happens I will have made my father proud. And is there truly anything better 1 can do in their life? I don't think so.

Somebody's gonna learn humility real quick! Good luck, Amanda!

And, another thing, the Marines for you, being a pretty girl, will be a constant fight against male Marines who feel resentful that you won't sleep with them, who think you are getting screwed by all the higher ranking Marines in your platoon so you can get promoted or whatever, of female Marines who think the same thing or are jealous (cause there are a lot of ugly women in the Marines) against Marines who want to sleep with you (and be wary because the rate of rape for active duty female Marines is extremely high) - you're gonna be walking around with about 20 dudes constantly watching you or trying to get your attention. So just be ready for that. The Marine Corps is not what you expect. Not even close. Back me up on this Gunny, Retired Gysgt., and the rest of you former Marines.

I hated being a Marine and loved it. I look back on it now, having been out almost ten years, and I don't regret it a bit. But it was no walk in the park. And I was good at it.

 

[editec]

Boot-camp has a way of buffing off those rough edges a lot of us have when we're young.

I can fold my clothes like a there's no tomorrow, even thirty years after the fact.

All the girls at the laudrymat are always impressed.


Let's see ... what else did I take away from that place?

hmmm...Nope, that's it.

That's not really all that much for sixteen forking weeks of 24/7 non-stop bullshit, is it?

 

[Amanda]

I don't know what they do to girls... but knowing what my bros and dad have said I don't care. I will go and I WILL fuck them up. I can be an unstoppable force of nature when I bring it, and I will bring it. I never lose my site on the prize. They can NOT break me.

A lot of people here probably think of me as a tender little flower because of how I talk about God and love... don't be deceived, I'm also the little girl that can drop a deer at 300 yards with a lite load, and skin it and turn it into dinner. And soooo much more. I'm pretty sure my destiny is with the Marines, like my father and his father before him. I think I need to join this long family tradition, and no matter what happens I will have made my father proud. And is there truly anything better 1 can do in their life? I don't think so.

Somebody's gonna learn humility real quick! Good luck, Amanda!

And, another thing, the Marines for you, being a pretty girl, will be a constant fight against male Marines who feel resentful that you won't sleep with them, who think you are getting screwed by all the higher ranking Marines in your platoon so you can get promoted or whatever, of female Marines who think the same thing or are jealous (cause there are a lot of ugly women in the Marines) against Marines who want to sleep with you (and be wary because the rate of rape for active duty female Marines is extremely high) - you're gonna be walking around with about 20 dudes constantly watching you or trying to get your attention. So just be ready for that. The Marine Corps is not what you expect. Not even close. Back me up on this Gunny, Retired Gysgt., and the rest of you former Marines.

I hated being a Marine and loved it. I look back on it now, having been out almost ten years, and I don't regret it a bit. But it was no walk in the park. And I was good at it.

WTF is wrong with you people?

Did you go to bootcamp all soft and squishy?

I know how people can break down in there, I've heard plenty of stories. I'm stronger willed than that and that's somehow bad?

WTF ever.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

WTF is wrong with you people?

Did you go to bootcamp all soft and squishy?

I know how people can break down in there, I've heard plenty of stories. I'm stronger willed than that and that's somehow bad?

WTF ever.

If you go to boot camp confident, it'll certainly help you. However, don't underestimate Marine Corps basic training. Being that you're 19 years old and probably haven't really been tested by the world (I'm assuming here), don't be too condident.

Hearing stories and experiencing the reality are two different things. A 27-year old husband and father of two committed suicide by jumping headfirst from the third deck of the barracks into the asphalt below with only a month left till graduation. Now you can say, "Oh, well, he was weak!", but you know what - he made it through the two most difficult months of Marine Corps basic training. Something sent him over the edge to make such an irrational decision.

I enlisted when I was 17. My drunk step-father had beaten me and my drunk, loveless mother since I was a young kid. He humiliated me constantly. I grew up neglected, unloved at home, and, as you can probably guess, really fucked up. I finally kicked my step-father's ass when I was sixteen and would've killed him had my mother not stepped in and hit me in the back of the head 8 times until I was too stunned to keep pounding that son of a bitch's head into the kitchen tile. I had a very rough childhood and when I graduated high school I couldn't wait to leave home (I've never gone back). I went to basic training and all I wanted to do was be a Marine. The first night that we actually got to sleep, all around the squad bay I heard the crying of many new recruits and it was only the second night. But I wasn't one of them. I was excited.

My uncles, grandfathers and my real father told me about how they thought to themselves while in basic training 'What the hell am I doing here??' I never thought that. I thought then that I knew exactly why I was there, but I didn't. At the time I thought I just wanted to be a Marine, travel the world, gain the respect of all the people I met, have sex with many exotic and beautiful women (none of which really happened). What I really wanted was to be a Marine (and all the rest of it, too), but I also wanted to get away from my unhappy past, I wanted to do something special with my life, and I wanted to shape myself into the man I wanted to be. I was obsessed with earning the eagle, globe, and anchor. I was driven. Nothing was gonna stop me.

Now I climb sheer mountain faces, I've done some crazy, hard, difficult, extreme, dangerous shit and have almost died on more than a few occassions. I'm no pussy.

And boot camp was still really fucking hard.

 

[American Horse]

I heard it said that it was pretty authentic. what was and what wasn't accurate?

My boot camp was San Diego 1960, Aug 19 - Dec 13. It was just 4-years after the incident at PI in which some recruits were drowned in Ribbon Creek. Close enough (within a regular 4-year enlistment) that it was on everyone's mind still.

There were momentary tirades like that one, but a DI would not waste that much time and energy on one recruit, and yelling was minimal in duration, but loud enough that everyone could hear clearly. Every "event" like that was instead controlled, usually insulting, and cutting.

As to violence, not very much.
A buddy of mine had a dirty rifle bore during a rifle inspection and the DI slammed him one time in the chest with the rifle butt while he stood at attention. When I say dirty I mean that there may have been a mote of dust in it; not dirty by civilian standards.

I was caught reading a letter from my girlfriend in my tent just after I'd gotten off mess duty; the (same) DI ordered me to report to the duty tent (we were at the range) and when I got there he gave me a very intense reaming out: He said "Private....I've been watching you.... you're a fuck up...! No more mistakes from you, or I'll have you on mess duty until....(and)" then he grabbed me by the shirt and literally threw me out through the hatch of the duty tent into the company street.

The DI's were always looking for mistakes or infractions, and if possible would punish the whole platoon to maximise the message and learning potential to the team unity. As you probably know showers came at the end of the day, and everyone went into these big open area showers at the same time. We were all in there, and some chattering started up among a few shitheads. The DI could hear this he and ordered us all to get down in the shower and give him 20 push-ups. Of course someone piped up with: "You guys!!!!" and the DI said make that 40 push-ups! Then someone chirped up again, and we got another 20 added on. I thought it would never stop. I think we got up to 100 plus.

Most of what we see in these movies is a caricature of what really happened. We who were there won't disclaim it because it's hard to convey the impression it made on you to feel so powerless, and at the same time be under complete scrutiny for every possible screw up or mistake. But we got to be very good. It was a thrill to march back to quonset huts or to the mess hall at the end of the day and hear the crash of 70 boots all striking the pavement at the same precise instant.

It may have gotten worse after my time, but I've tended to think it probably stayed pretty much the same over the years since then. However there would've been good reason to make it tougher during the bad years of Viet Nam, because about every one was going to go there and there was a need to flush the weak.

 

[American Horse]

I don't know what they do to girls... but knowing what my bros and dad have said I don't care. I will go and I WILL fuck them up. I can be an unstoppable force of nature when I bring it, and I will bring it. I never lose my site on the prize. They can NOT break me.

A lot of people here probably think of me as a tender little flower because of how I talk about God and love... don't be deceived, I'm also the little girl that can drop a deer at 300 yards with a lite load, and skin it and turn it into dinner. And soooo much more. I'm pretty sure my destiny is with the Marines, like my father and his father before him. I think I need to join this long family tradition, and no matter what happens I will have made my father proud. And is there truly anything better 1 can do in their life? I don't think so.

Somebody's gonna learn humility real quick! Good luck, Amanda!

And, another thing, the Marines for you, being a pretty girl, will be a constant fight against male Marines who feel resentful that you won't sleep with them, who think you are getting screwed by all the higher ranking Marines in your platoon so you can get promoted or whatever, of female Marines who think the same thing or are jealous (cause there are a lot of ugly women in the Marines) against Marines who want to sleep with you (and be wary because the rate of rape for active duty female Marines is extremely high) - you're gonna be walking around with about 20 dudes constantly watching you or trying to get your attention. So just be ready for that. The Marine Corps is not what you expect. Not even close. Back me up on this Gunny, Retired Gysgt., and the rest of you former Marines.

I hated being a Marine and loved it. I look back on it now, having been out almost ten years, and I don't regret it a bit. But it was no walk in the park. And I was good at it.

WTF is wrong with you people?

Did you go to bootcamp all soft and squishy?

I know how people can break down in there, I've heard plenty of stories. I'm stronger willed than that and that's somehow bad?

WTF ever.

All true enough Mtn,
If you join you'll be in a WM Company, which is usually right next to the Central area service club. The WM uniforms are a little dumpy looking so this removes some of the "allure" as compared to civilian attire. For two years I was at Base Communications and about one third of our people were WMs. Usually the guys a WM knows or dates will be the men from Marine Corps Base units, and not from the grunts, so the admin guys pretty well keep them occupied. I don't think there was a lot of intrigue among the guys. Either you could get close to a WM or you coudn't. I dated a girl for a year, but when I went to Division, I really felt relieved. We'd broken up, and I never went back anywhere near the service club again, because I didn't want to stir anything up in any possible way. Grunts can't get into the club without a WM sponsor, but at the same time MarCorBase guys have complete access.

Has that changed any? I see no reason to believe that it has.
I still communicate with another WM friend from "Base Comm" after 45 years.

 

[Gunny]

I don't know what they do to girls... but knowing what my bros and dad have said I don't care. I will go and I WILL fuck them up. I can be an unstoppable force of nature when I bring it, and I will bring it. I never lose my site on the prize. They can NOT break me.

A lot of people here probably think of me as a tender little flower because of how I talk about God and love... don't be deceived, I'm also the little girl that can drop a deer at 300 yards with a lite load, and skin it and turn it into dinner. And soooo much more. I'm pretty sure my destiny is with the Marines, like my father and his father before him. I think I need to join this long family tradition, and no matter what happens I will have made my father proud. And is there truly anything better 1 can do in their life? I don't think so.

Somebody's gonna learn humility real quick! Good luck, Amanda!

And, another thing, the Marines for you, being a pretty girl, will be a constant fight against male Marines who feel resentful that you won't sleep with them, who think you are getting screwed by all the higher ranking Marines in your platoon so you can get promoted or whatever, of female Marines who think the same thing or are jealous (cause there are a lot of ugly women in the Marines) against Marines who want to sleep with you (and be wary because the rate of rape for active duty female Marines is extremely high) - you're gonna be walking around with about 20 dudes constantly watching you or trying to get your attention. So just be ready for that. The Marine Corps is not what you expect. Not even close. Back me up on this Gunny, Retired Gysgt., and the rest of you former Marines.

I hated being a Marine and loved it. I look back on it now, having been out almost ten years, and I don't regret it a bit. But it was no walk in the park. And I was good at it.

WTF is wrong with you people?

Did you go to bootcamp all soft and squishy?

I know how people can break down in there, I've heard plenty of stories. I'm stronger willed than that and that's somehow bad?

WTF ever.

You need to lighten up. There is a grain of truth to what Colorado's saying. Not necessarily because of the Marine Corps, but because of people. WMs ARE jealous of prettier WMs. There IS a lot of backbiting and office politics. And there ARE a lot of 17-18 years old away from momma or the farm the first time that will follow WMs around like lost puppies. There ARE those who of higher rank that will make all sorts of promises to get you in bed.

That isn't saying you won't or can't make it. That's not saying all of the above happens everyday everywhere in the Corps. It's just saying it has happened, and will likely continue to happen.

Going to boot camp soft and squishy doesn't mean a damned thing. For one thing, you send a recruit like that to boot camp nowadays and its the recruiter's ass. If you want to be a Marine and don't ever, not even for a second quit, you will be one.

However you won't have to worry about "bringing it." They'll have "it" waiting for you.

Btw ... I was married to a WM for 13 years. So I'm not just talking out my ass from a biased perspective. Her friends were WMs and I used to listen to them talk, and used to listen to some of the crap my ex put with.

 

[Gunny]

Somebody's gonna learn humility real quick! Good luck, Amanda!

And, another thing, the Marines for you, being a pretty girl, will be a constant fight against male Marines who feel resentful that you won't sleep with them, who think you are getting screwed by all the higher ranking Marines in your platoon so you can get promoted or whatever, of female Marines who think the same thing or are jealous (cause there are a lot of ugly women in the Marines) against Marines who want to sleep with you (and be wary because the rate of rape for active duty female Marines is extremely high) - you're gonna be walking around with about 20 dudes constantly watching you or trying to get your attention. So just be ready for that. The Marine Corps is not what you expect. Not even close. Back me up on this Gunny, Retired Gysgt., and the rest of you former Marines.

I hated being a Marine and loved it. I look back on it now, having been out almost ten years, and I don't regret it a bit. But it was no walk in the park. And I was good at it.

WTF is wrong with you people?

Did you go to bootcamp all soft and squishy?

I know how people can break down in there, I've heard plenty of stories. I'm stronger willed than that and that's somehow bad?

WTF ever.

All true enough Mtn,
If you join you'll be in a WM Company, which is usually right next to the Central area service club. The WM uniforms are a little dumpy looking so this removes some of the "allure" as compared to civilian attire. For two years I was at Base Communications and about one third of our people were WMs. Usually the guys a WM knows or dates will be the men from Marine Corps Base units, and not from the grunts, so the admin guys pretty well keep them occupied. I don't think there was a lot of intrigue among the guys. Either you could get close to a WM or you coudn't. I dated a girl for a year, but when I went to Division, I really felt relieved. We'd broken up, and I never went back anywhere near the service club again, because I didn't want to stir anything up in any possible way. Grunts can't get into the club without a WM sponsor, but at the same time MarCorBase guys have complete access.

Has that changed any? I see no reason to believe that it has.
I still communicate with another WM friend from "Base Comm" after 45 years.

LMFAO! Dude, there is no more gender segregation in the Marines except for BEQ rooms/living quarters. There was one still at 29 Palms when I got there in 1980, but they moved them out of the "compound" and into the BEQs within a year.

The only thing women couldn't do at the time I retired was serve in combat arms MOSs. Any and everything else was gender neutral.

 

[ItsFairmont]

The part of Full Metal Jacket that was definitely accurate was that Marines use soap.

It helps people stay clean.

 

[Tech_Esq]

The inspiration for Full Metal Jacket was a novel called The Short-Timers by Viet Nam combat correspondent Gustav Hasford. He was a friend of my ex-husband, and had a circle of friends which included Kent Anderson, a vet of the 5th special forces group and author of "Sympathy for the Devil". According to Kent and my ex, the novel was very authentic and drew on Gustav's own experiences.

My understanding is that his time in Viet Nam affected him terribly, and he died ill and alone and essentially a recluse in 1993.

Wow! I'm sorry to hear that. I read the Short-timers around the time I joined the Army in 1982. I loved the book. The movie sort of took the second and third parts of the book and mashed them together. If you haven't read the book, but liked the movie, get the book!

The first part of the movie was very faithful to the book. I was in Army, Infantry, Basic training and it is very much modeled on what the Marines do. It is also a 13 week program. What really strikes a chord with me is attitudes and relationships depicted in both the book and movie. Those are authentic to my mind. Even in the 15 years that separated my experience and his, there were significant differences in what Drills could and couldn't do. I was a Drill Corporal after my cycle finished (kinda like a Drill Sergeant's assistant). There was a policy letter covering what you could do and say to the troopies. At Ft. Benning that was policy letter 13. We were not allowed to hit any troops. No more than 20 push ups at one time. You were not allowed to cuss at troops (this one was ignored). "Abuse" was relatively limited, but "extra training" was very much allowed. Some troops really had a "problem" learning such things as the low crawl and extra training might involve them low crawling hundreds of yards in full equipment so they could "learn" this very important technique of movement

So, the themes were quite accurate. As to specific events like the bayoneting of the Drill or the suicide scene, we were required to keep our weapons in the arms room so the suicide could not have happened like that. Training incidents resulting in injury were frequent.