"What does a Marine(-to-be) need?" Topic

My nephew graduated high school this year and he's heading into the Marine Corps. I need an idea for a gift. What does the aspiring Marine need as he heads off to boot camp? Any ideas?

Upper body strength!

To take to Boot camp with him: Nothing. After he graduates you might want to offer to buy his Dress Blues for him or something a little less expensive would be a Ka-bar Knife.

Endurance. He'll be running a lot. Don't send anything to boot camp with him, it's all locked up for the duration (was when I went).

You have to buy you own Dress Blues!?!

Misread the first post – thought he wanted info on the Corps, see he's already committed. I'd wait until he graduates than get him something.

As others have said, there is really nothing he is allowed to keep of a personal nature, other than what will fit in his wallet.

Really, the best thing to do is write at least one letter per week to him, telling him what is happening to family, friends, and in the world. This will mean more than any material item you could spend money on. It will let him know that people back home are thinking about him and give him some comfort in low times.

I'm serious, this is the best gift I can imagine!

Rob

I'll second nothing to boot camp. It will just wind up in a box until you graduate. When I was in you had to buy damn near everything, they take it out of your pay. Not like you get to go anywhere and use any of it while you are in boot camp.

My best graduation present was a lot of cold beer. A chemical engineer I met on the flight home bought me all the beer I could drink as long as I kept telling stories about the crazy crap that happened to me in boot camp.

I vote for a case of cold beer and an ear to bend when he gets home.

Graduation gift and tips for softening boots.

I went in in 1989, and we were required to bring running shoes. Other than that, we didnt take anything along.

I don't know what he'll need, but he has my gratitude and respect, for what it's worth.
-Kle.

Never too early to sock away some $$$ for him, and surprise him when he gets out or gets married.

Yep. Nothing to boot camp. Great Hall Games has the right idea. Those letters from home will be worth more than anything else you can give him. They were when I went into the service. Keep him in touch with everything back home and keeps the spirit up when he's tapped out mentally.

Also pass along my appreciation for what he's doing. He's a brave young man.

Yeah, I dont have anything to add, but tell him thanks for us.

When my son was in boot camp, we were able to send him several containers of Gatoraid mix, which he shared.

"lots of cold beer" Don't do it if he's not of drinking age. The Marines frown on that if he's caught.

Money…young GI's are always broke. Also a Leatherman Multi Tool is what my Dad gave me after training (Army not Marines) and it served me well, still have it. Other than that letters and support.

Ed G.

Nothing for Boot Camp, but if he makes it through a Ka-bar knife and a history book of the US Marine Corps, and maybe a trip to a strip joint!

I'll add my vote for writing a lot. Two to three times a day is great believe it or not. Of course things may have changed since I went through, what with the internet and all. A Ka-bar would be a great graduation gift.

One thing we were allowed to write home and ask for was skin-so-soft. One of the greatest bug repellants ever made. He would be a god after a week at Parris island if he's allowed to keep it.

Lots of good advice here!

Write him regularly tell him whats up with everybody and ask him what he needs, then send it. And continue to write it means so much when you are in boot.

Definitely remind him to get one of those pre-paid calling cards for when things ease up and he has access to a pay phone. Enough minutes to get him by till he's able to have a cell phone again.

Good pictures for the "Hog Board". He'll understand when he gets out of forming and to his training platoon. Hopefully in 1st Bn.

A haircut.

Physical training program.

AND the phone card is a really good idea. Should help both of you.

mjc

"lots of cold beer"

Having just graduated high school, that won't be for a few years.

Calling card and money sound like the best immediate choices, followed up with letters.

Afterward it'll be time to think of what else.

Thanks for the advice, guys.

Letters from home are great (really great, can't emphasize enough how much – tell him stuff from the outside world, news, pop culture stuff – you're really in a cultural void in boot camp), but when I was in Air Force basic, I could have used some extra cash. You have to buy a lot of your own "optional" things, like toothpaste and deororant, and they only give you a tiny little bit of cash to spend at the store.

I imagine it's similar in the Marines, and if not, then he'll have a bit of cash to pay someone to shine his boots for him (a thriving trade in basic), or beer money when he graduates.

If he hadn't already read it, a copy of 'Starship Troopers' (the book, not the movie).

The letters, prepaid phone card, and "starship troopers" great ideas all. After Grad any gift is great he might have an idea but both the Kabar and leatherman are functional and cool, while letting him know that you see he has grown.

An ex Green Beret friend of mine says good socks, as your feet will be taking a beating, and dry feet are a blessing ( my friend was in 'Nam, where nothing was EVER dry ) A shaker can of talc? Foot powder? ( I suppose ythis can be gotten at the PX )

Yep, can't argue with any of that…. nothing to boot camp as it just gets stored anyway (good running shoes we could keep, not sure if that's still allowed) … then normally send nothing to boot camp except letters, and those are really important because he won't have any way of knowing anything unless you tell him… no phones, no tv except piped Marine Corps TV (and not very much of that either)… I remember it as a 16 week news blackout. The only news we were told about was the Marine officer under UN command kidnapped in Lebanon and later executed.

And after graduation, anything will do… though, likely, he'll be a bit "pent up" when he first gets out ha ha.

Chalfant

Don't know if money or calling card are worth the trouble. We went to a branch PX once the entire time I was there. It was a branch that was set up for recruits only. No candy, drinks, etc. just necessaryies, soap, razors, deoderant, etc. We had a primative form of debit card that took money straight from our pay for it. The first time I saw a phone at Parris Island was when those of us who shot expert on the range got a single five minute phone call home, (no one was there when I called!) the next time was the weekend before graduation.

I still strongly reccomend the skin-so-Soft. If you've ever been at attention with hundreds of sand fleas crawling over you you'd understand.

It's been 20 years since I went to boot camp so things may have changed a bit. :) Call the local recruiter and ask what's allowed. Without telling him who your nephew is. :)

Ditto on Dn, we had tickets or something to buy razors and that stuff, but no actual money. We didn't need phone cards, it was just a collect call. Prior to going get your hands on a Marine Corps manual (general knowledge kind of book, a recruiter should have it). I got one before leaving and it made a good read on the plane, and prevented a bunch of DI games for myself. Stuff like general orders, basic Marine history, weapon specs, marching, etc.

Dn, yeah you are right. I didn't shoot expert, so only had the one call about a week before graduation. And we had the little (blank white? in a little blue bag??) debit cards to buy essential items on the "highly structured" day trips to the quasi PX.

They definitely do not want you having a lot of money--it is only something to be stolen, something to gamble with, something you could use if you go UA, in other words, money is just trouble.

There is that thing in Receiving, what did they call it, moment of truth or something like that? Where they leave you in the bay, and everyone throws out their drugs, cigarettes, weapons, condoms (there is a WM battalion on P.I. too, very far away and off limits to the male recruits, but recruits are resourceful), and any other contraband. Then they ask you all kinds of questions like "how much pot have you smoked? are you wanted for murder?" and so on. You get caught with something after that,its a real problem….

Mon dieu, it has been almost 20 years for me, too. Funny, it is REAL hard to believe its been that long…

Is he going to PI or San Diego?

Almost 21yrs since standing on those yellow footsteps.

Give him genuine support and keep the letters flowing. We were so hard up for mail that we were happy to even get the junk mail catalogs.

The rest is basically up to him. For some, the whole point of joining is to find out what you're made of. This was the case for me.

PS: I just noticed I'm in good company here, I went through Army B.T. in 85'. Wow, it just feels like only yesterday I as sucking up C.S. gas in 'The Chamber'.

A St Christopher medal, I an not sure if your Catholic or not. Just make sure the chain is long enough to hide under his t-shirt. While he is in basic, lots of letters of encouragement.

Money-valuables bag. That's what they called the little blue bag with your wallet, etc. in it. One recruit lost his one night and they tore the place apart looking for it. Even called the MPs to come and start an investigation. Found it under his pillow. Lord, I was glad I wasn't him the next day. My DI made me go through the CS chamber twice.

A haircut.

Bad idea.

Show up with it short, they'll cut it shorter.
Show up with a crew cut, they'll shave him bald.
Show up bald, they'll take off scalp…

"Found it under his pillow. Lord, I was glad I wasn't him the next day."

One guy, on that only semi-real PX trip we had two days before graduation, bought himself a walkman… and wore it on firewatch the night before graduation. And got caught.

We were the only platoon playing the Island Hopping Campaign in the graduating company the morning of graduation. Ha ha. Dumb bastards :)

Oh, Starfury, if you are still listening… Brent reminded me of something, make sure your nephew has a religious faith picked out… Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, whatever… hopefully he already has one. Tell him just go with one even if he doesn't and save himself the hassle.

And, that, hard as it is, nearly everyone gets through it, and he will too.

Well, I recently (last night) talked to a Marine Recruiter about this very issue. His answer was "bring a good attitude" you don't need anything else"!

mjc

Usually one Graduate (at the discretion of the DIs) receives his "Blues" FOC. They are expensive, but worth the investment should he decide to stay in the Corps for more than one tour. If you decide to purchase them for him don't tell him about it up front.

Do everything you can to encourage him to start running, doing push-ups, etc., to improve his physical condition. That, and his mental attitude, will be tested the most in the first few weeks of "Boot".

He will be a different person when he returns home. The change is usually pretty dramatic, …and gratifying.

Bill I/S

I might suggest, that in the event the Corps isn't to his liking as a career,he might keep his eyes well-skinned there for inspiration for what else to do.

Years ago a co-worker in civil service had his son who was just starting his career as a dentist. He got the bug for that career when he was an enlisted Marine and met a navy dentist who became his unofficial career advisor guiding him all the way through to a degree in dentistry from U of Southern Caifornia.

I'll never forget this because the dentist in question turned out to be one of my oldest friends. Dennis was a fellow cub scout from San Antonio, Texas, graduated from grade school there for the first time, then graduated again from grade school in California (ie Texas had junior high and California didn't) , then high school and finally California State University, Sacramento!

This is not intended in anyway as a slam at the Marine Corps but it might be worth considering.

It seems that this is something he's wanted to do for a while. He's been training for the past year with a retired E-7 in the neighborhood, getting up at 4:30 a.m. and doing all the exercises. I'm not quite sure how this works, but apparently he did so well at the screening that he ended up tutoring some other guy, and because of that he's going in as a PFC. He's done his research into this.

I know this is a pretty old thread but as a Marine Corps Recruiter, I can give some pretty solid advice on most things a first term Marine will come in contact with. If you have more questions, you can get in touch with me at embark247 at hotmail dot com

Ben

Can't comment on the Corps training, but what I would say is both keep an eye on him and give him a little space once he's graduated and comes on his first trip home.

He'll look different, sound different and eat like horse. And let him sleep ;-)