It's been awhile since I've added to our Marine Mom Handbook. I haven't forgotten, just had too many other things to post about. I pretty much covered bootcamp in Part III, but I have a little more to add on that. Lots of moms REALLY want to send their recruits homemade goodies, or just anything hoping to make bootcamp a little easier. It's very tough for some of us to resist that urge. This has been discussed over and over at the message boards on MarineParents.com. Here's what a Drill Instructor (who was kind enough to share his thoughts with the parents) had to say about it:
"For the most part the Senior Drill Instructors are telling their Recruits to write home and ask not to send chow and goodies, and medication. What I think happens is once that first Recruit gets a box of nasty the other Recruits see that the mail will not be withheld from him. Now the other Recruits start to write home and ask that mom send enough for the entire Platoon. I have been a DI for a little while now and trust me when I tell you I along with my Drill Instructors we hate when a Recruit gets this kind of mail. Recruit Training was designed to be tough it is suppose to be about making sacrifices it is suppose to teach a young man that he can do without things he is used to having. We work hard on instilling discipline in these young men mentally and physically. Of course your children are going to ask for things they should not have, I think I myself might have written home and asked when I was a Recruit. What next if the Recruits start writing home and ask for cigarettes and dip and whiskey will the parents send those items? I bet they would not.
All we ask for is Three short months, Keep in mind we are in southern sunny California or Paradise Island SC, Last I checked no one was starving, no one was dying of thirst, and no one is getting shot at. When we march from point A to point B we are 100% positive we are not going to be ambushed or hit by an IED. Forgive if I am getting carried away I have two combat tours and was involved in the rescue of the USS Cole, I have done a few Humanitarian Efforts, and have pushed thousands of Recruits through boot camp, I have seen a lot of things in this world good and bad trust me when I say boot camp falls under the good list. I am quite sure a Recruit going through boot camp for three months without food from home is going to be just fine. We as Drill Instructors ask that parents and everyone back home keep the motivating letters, pictures,newspaper clippings coming, but please save your money for when your young Marine comes home. Help us to develope your sons and daughters into the best they can be."
He ended with this.
DRILL INSTRUCTORS CREED
"These recruits are entrusted to my care. I will train them to the best of my ability. I will develop them into smartly disciplined, physically fit, basically trained Marines, thoroughly indoctrinated in love of Corps and country. I will demand of them and demonstrate by my own example, the highest standards of personal conduct, morality, and professional skill"
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