Here is a streight and to the point list of tactics that will help you survive the USMC boot camp and you will not find in the US Marine Corps’ official website:
1. Avoid eye contact. It’s harder for the drill instructor to intimidate you if you’re looking past or through him.
2. Keep in mind that no matter how hard things seem to be – boot camp in only temporary! In hindsight it will look like a cruel joke.
3. Trying your best and hardest to achieve something , is often more impressive than actually achieving it. The Drill Instructors are looking for motivation and spirit more than anything else. Show it to them and they will be glad. (You DO want your Drill Instructor to be happy)
4. Don’t volunteer for ANYTHING!
5. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes and ears open.
6. Doing push-ups (You’ll do plenty of these) with your fingers spread and your palms off of the deck is easier than doing them with your fingers together and your palms flat. I don’t know why, but I have found it to be so.
7. NEVER, EVER, ask a drill Instructor “Why?”
8. Never smile at or near or within sight of a Drill Instructor. You have no right looking happy in boot camp, and if a Drill Instructor sees you looking this way he’ll take steps to remedy the situation.
9. When you have to say something to a Drill Instructor, make sure your words are of one or two syllable only – “Yes, Sir” and “No, Sir” are good ones to learn.
10. Eat quickly in the mess halls. Drill Instructors will occasionally abruptly terminate the “leisure time” spent for dining.
11. Begin every sentence with the word “Sir”
12. When you speak – Speak loudly.
13. Avoid personal pronouns (“I”, “me”, “you”, “they”, “we”) when speaking to Drill Instructors.
14. If you have to confide something to someone, tell it to the Drill Instructor. Despite what you may think, the Sergents are really your friends. The officers may or may not be.
15. Remember – Reserve duty outside of boot camp is nothing like active duty during boot camp.
16. Don’t tell anyone you are a reservist unless you have to. Everybody else will be on active duty when they get out of boot camp, and misery loves a companion.
17. Don’t question for one minute your decision to enlist in the marines. It’s too late to do anything about it now and it’s not a productive train of thought. (and in future years you’ll be proud you have done it)
18. Make damn sure your boots fit. Foot trouble in boot camp can cause serious problems – like not graduating with your platoon.
19. Don’t get sick. Getting sick in boot camp can cause serious problems – like not graduating with your platoon.
20. Stay awake during the classes. You don’t want the attention Drill Instructors lavish upon dozing recruits.
More Advice:
Don’t get a tatoo when you get out. Judging by the number of Easyriders how-to’s on getting rid of them, you’ll probably regret it.
These great tactics were brought from a blog post made by Wes Clark (http://wesclark.com/am/recruit_survival_tactics.html) and was written for a friend of his going to Parris Island
Get the full mental and physical Boot Camp Preparation Guide Here.
