Posted on 11/25/2007 4:21:07 PM PST by skimask
Marine recruits forge strong ties with their drill instructors. The DI-recruit bond evolves slowly, not just from all the yelling, but because the DIs do everything the recruits do, only better.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
All I can say is that, if that's the case, the Corps has radically changed since I was in. My Senior DI was more of the GySgt. Hartman type than a "father figure."
Semper Fi !
Story is bogus! Never once did I see a D.I. do pushups, situps, jumping jacks, or wash pots and pans, peel potatos, do KP or scrub floors.........
Gods don't do the things mere mortals do........
The “kill hats” are the are the other Drill Instructors, hard as nails and meaner than a broke tail rattle snake.
This works this way until the final phase when the recruits are approaching graduation.
I bonded with one of my DIs. When I was in (Army) basic, I broke my foot and ended up with a cast right before rifle qualification. I was almost finished with basic and was now looking at being recycled to way back before the halfway point.
On qualification day, to keep me busy, they had me carrying ammo boxes to the firing line when everyone else was qualifying. Needless to say this collapsed my cast and I had to get a new one the next day. But there was a reason why they had me out there.
At the end of the day, just as it was getting a little bit dark, my DI beckoned me over to his car in the parking lot and told me to get in. Inside, he pulled out a big black sock and told me to put it over my cast. Then he told me to walk quickly to one of the farthest firing positions from the tower (which position was conveniently close to the car) and to get ready to shoot.
I was too flabbergasted to argue, and I did what he said. He met me over there with ammo clips and I proceeded to shoot with him talking me through each shot. I was bit nervous, hadn’t had a rifle in my hand in a week, and was using a rifle I had not zeroed. I barely shot marksman, but I qualified (I shot expert the next time).
It’s a wonder we got away with it and I couldn’t thank him enough. With qualification under my belt, I could recycle back into a much later phase of the training. Otherwise, I would’ve been in basic at least 4 extra weeks instead of two (or something like that) which, as anyone knows who’s been there, is a big difference.
On top of that, we had a great time while I was waiting for the next cycle to get to the point where I could rejoin it. He even helped me arrange to have my wife come and then let me stay overnight off post with her in a hotel. I’ll never forget that guy and needless to say, it was a bit heartwrenching when I left him to recycle into the different company. This was Fort Dix in ‘83.
It’s been 48 years, 10 months and 25 days since I entered MCRD, PI, SC. Seems like yesterday when I was introduced to Senior Drill Intructor SSgt. Mode, Assistant Drill Intructor SSgt. Mangrum and Assistant Drill Intructor Sgt. Dobson. It took all their expertise to make me a Marine.
SSgt. Mangrum threatened to cut off my head with his sword because I didn’t move fast enough - after we finished the forced march to Elliot’s Beach and back. I later ran into Sgt. Dobson in Okinawa and he chewed me out for calling him sir. I told him that he would always be sir to me.
Semper fi
Platoon 102
Jan-Apr 1959
” but because the DIs do everything the recruits do, only better.”
I never saw a female that was my equal to what I was in basic.
I assume you DID move faster since you're still here.
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