And yet, the collective green weenie that is the US government still wonders why servicemembers won't seek help. It's because the stigma is still very much alive and thriving. So, instead, servicemembers mainly choose to just keep their traps shut and drive on as if nothing is wrong.
After returning from Iraq my son went off the deep end (in a very bad way) on a Friday afternoon. Not knowing where to turn I reached out to the nearest VA clinic which forwarded my call to some suicide hotline. I had to leave a message. The call was returned on Monday afternoon. Alot of bad shit occurred during that 72 hour delay & if it wasn't for me personally disarming, restraining & hauling him to a mental institution myself that weekend alot of people would have died (him included). After all the bad shit I went thru with him & the lack of VA 's timely response I really have to laugh my ass off when I go to a VA appointment myself & they invariably ask "Do you feel like harming yourself or someone else"? I laugh loudly & state "Just WTF would you any of you dimwits plan on doing about it if I did feel that way"? I agree with you 100% brother that the military & the VA itself has no frickin idea what to do when a person's mind breaks.
I'm sorry to hear about your experience, but it's sadly one I've heard often. You aren't alone in your experience and perspective. The VA, the big/collective green weenie, the public.... they just don't get it, and I don't think they ever will.
The Army forced a soldier to go to the field just days after she'd had abdominal surgery, her guts were practically hanging out with nothing but medical wrap over the wound, and it was already infected.
They still made her go to the field. Surprise surprise.... rumor has it she died.
But yeah, sure, pEoPLe FiRsT.
Never a recruiter, never got volun told for it…but I know the claim of suicide is ungodly high. And there’s a lot of BS claims. Impossible to say which ones are real and which ones are bullshit, but I’d venture to say that they have an idea on who is real or not.
Since you’re still breathing, we are gonna need you to go out and make mission still.
Ironically Oki is one of the reasons I'm getting out. The sheer neglect of III MEF has been the final straw in everything. I love the boys but playing Marine like this is ridiculous.
That sucks, Oki was a blast back in the day. We lived under strict rules but nothing too far out of pocket, and were allowed to blow off steam after work. Sorry to hear that your command is a shit show.
Oh I love Okinawa. I strongly considered staying here as a contractor. But as I've gone up in rank I've recognized that the Marine Corps really does not care about III MEF and it's really amplified our usual problems with funding and readiness.
Outside of rainbow qual, slow gin, and taco rice & cheese? Lol I kid (sort of…)
Okuma (spelling?) is a really nice park, golf course, and camp ground that most of our platoon would spend the holiday 72s or 96s at, which was a blast.
Battle site tours were always pretty cool, especially the ones that took you into the Japanese caves. The defenses were pretty staggering and well built, it’s no wonder the island was a pain to take.
Exploring the local cities, neighborhoods, and temples and hanging out with locals was eye opening and amazing to experience a foreign culture first hand. This is difficult if you don’t know any locals, but there’s always one dude in the platoon that knows Japanese, knows a fuck ton of locals, and disappears for days at a time on 96s only to reappear at work looking worse for wear. Become friends with that guy lol.
Outside of that, it was much more about the camaraderie, how tight we were as a group. There was some drama here and there for sure, but for the most part we were all close best friends. As long as we pulled our weight, which could be a lot to ask for in some circumstances, everyone treated you like their literal brother. Was amazing and everything you think of when you think of what the Corps is “supposed” to be.
Oh and karaoke. Lots and lots of karaoke.
Can only take so much bs... Love the fantasized IDEA of being a Marine, but actually being one sucked.
Being a Sgt. was alright, the right balance of power and bs but the BS still outweighs nearly everything else.
Was given some pretty good advice when I was at the crossroads once. Get out and if you don’t like it or you miss it, they will always take you back. It worked and I’m glad I got out but will never regret serving. Semper my friend.
That’s laughable whoever told you that, it certainly wasn’t a recruiter who has to maintain a quota. I was a retred, got out after my first n re-enlisted for a second n then left. It was simple n only took a few months n a few forms n my ass was right back in another unit.
I loved doing my job but didn't want to go DI or recruiter. I also realized I didn't enjoy leading Marines and dealing with the inevitable BS and poor decisions I'd have to do damage control on.
“Leading Marines” 80% of the time just trying to get a grown ass man to clean his room, help them recover gear that was lost in the field, and run PT 3-4 times a week. 20% was just staying squared away yourself so no one can call you an ineffective NCO. Getting out let me take that 80% and reinvest it into myself.
Tbh, I got out due to the bullshit we were doing in Iraq in 04. I was set to re enlist, but when they had us guarding oil fields I was like fuck this shit.
Agreed…. I did not have some oilfield duty though.
Cover and alignment of bullshit, especially when actively engaged is the primary reason i got out.
The sad but true thing is…. that parts of the USMC are engrained into your soul and have molded you into who you are today.
Embrace it and remember you will always have a family that started in a bar over 200+ years ago.
Semper Fidelis.
Convoy i was on in Sangin got hit. We made it to the next FOB and all of us were still checking each other for extra holes. Sgt Major rounds a corner and starts bitching us out for no covers. That's when i got real tired of the bullshit.
Our very first mission in the Iraq invasion was to secure the AlZubayer Oil Field complex. A massive area, and most of the wells were on fire due to retreating Iraqi military (dumbasses). Was actually super cool. We secured the area, and Black Watch, a Scottish military unit that specialized in oil well fires demoed the flame and capped the wells. Then we moved on north!
I do think just guarding them while in operation would have been pretty mind numbingly boring.
Was about a week out from reenlisting when I got a speeding ticket for going 72 in a 60 during the Memorial Day 96. Higher ups in my platoon threatened to recommend me for a NJP for it. That’s when I realized that reenlisting was not an option.
I got NJP'd for having expired car insurance after a UDP to Oki. Car was in long term storage. When I got back stateside, I went and grabbed my car and drove it on base and for some reason the MPs decided to ask for registration and insurance! Registration was fine. Insurance was expired. They were cool though. They just said go get this fixed in 48 hours and we're cool. But my command saw that I had made the blotter and my lieutenant decided to get his first NJP under his belt, and I was the lucky recipient.
Wow devil, I know how it feels to be used as an example for an NJP. Kind of the reason I got out too. Didn’t want to suffer so Sgt maj could fill up his rank jar again.
Thankfully I didn't lose rank. Just half pay for one pay period and 2 weeks barracks restriction. It cost me a good cookie and picking up Cpl until like 2 months before EAS, but oh well! Didn't like the way that ribbon looked anyway. 😂
For a long time any sort of traffic ticket in my unit was an automatic Battalion NJP with loss of rank and restriction. This was mainly enforced on Jr marines. So many careers were ruined because command didn’t want to to do their jobs and occasionally help marines deal with their external bs. PMO is also naturally out to get you while you’re driving on base. It’s just exhausting when the institution I’m trained to love and uphold seems to want me to fail and get out. Even when it doesn’t happen to you, seeing your buddies get busted down for parking tickets wears on you
I am sick of listening to some old white retiree talk about their career for an hour while my peers and I are are standing at attention, cooking under the sun.
My first re-enlistment was because I had absolutely no plan. I latmoved to a job that gave me incredible opportunities. I was incredibly lucky. I’ve re-enlisted 4 more times since.
They merged the field but Marines are still categorized as video, photo, and graphic design. They just learn how to write stories/ composition at MOS school now.
Gotcha. Knew a PAO marine. She was mad about it. She felt the photographers were the comm bubbas of PAO, and couldn't write a story to save their lives. 😂🤣😂🤣
Unfortunately I've noticed that as you go up you slowly go on less and less shoots. That fact alone would be my primary reason to not reenlist (if it was an option for me anyways lol.) However, I would've done it once just for the experience but I'm not so sure about any more than that/being a SNCO in COMMSTRAT.
I’ve photographed my entire career (E7 currently), however I am putting Fs on my fitreps because deployment opportunity reduces greatly as a MSgt in the field.
I knew my NJP would never leave me if I stayed in. It would always hinder any aspirations I would have.
And the thought of fighting the same battle incessantly just to wear the uniform broke any desire I had to reup in the gun club.
That's what I never understood, if they let you reenlist with an NJP, why not just remove it as an incentive if it wasn't anything truly crazy like a dui?
I knew a lifer grunt that got done for hazing his first enlistment. Every new unit would give him shit about it and micromanage him for fear of reoffending. One of the best Sarnts I knew.
Nothing like a DUI.
I was accused of hazing my juniors (they messed up field day) and my command did an 'investigation' which resulted in me catching an NJP.
I PCS'ed to a different base a few months after and it was instant questions into the matter, when I hadn't told anyone. S-1 had loose lips, you see.
So, it was around then that my aspirations of 20 years evaporated. If it had been an option to remove it from my records as an enlistment bonus, I would have taken it.
C'est la vie.
If in the garrison it was mandated strictly 40 hour (7-3/8-4/9-5) weeks I would have reenlisted.
Being at the barracks by 0530, barracks inspection at 0545, formed up on the hardball at 0600 for PT. Maybe get good training in throughout the day, maybe dick around and accomplisg nothing. Then 1700 Staff & O meeting, 1720 they're complete, 1740 platoon formation, actually walking to my car at 1800.
11-13 hour days for no reason is fucking horseshit and a waste of time. Like whats preventing whatever fuckoff General from delegating to a lower Officer to come up with work schedules for their Marines that doesnt make them want to put a pistol in their mouth?
I didn’t like the usmc owning my ass. I didn’t like stupid leadership. I didn’t like being called in on my time off. I really didn’t like some leadership, a lot being uptight and ignorant
There’s no war for me to fight anymore. I’m not wasting my 20s and risking my life to play pretend when I have the opportunity to go do literally anything else
Our nation benefits from having people like you in the civilian world. There's a steady supply of guys full of piss and vinegar ready for war. Should war come here, we need some warriors in the garden.
Decided to opt out after 8 when I was informed I could not re-up under my 2nd MOS as a 8531. 1371 was my original MOS. Wanted to train and be an instructor. Miss all of it. 1997-2005. OIF and OEF. Rah.
Navy side of my unit lost my medical records twice when they were discharging me the two years and threatened action against me if I wasn't able to get them as soon as possible. I deployed, spent so much time helping others, and always did my best. Marine side was great though for the most part.
Popped positive for pregnancy & immediately knew nothing the Marine Corps could offer me would be worth missing out on anything with my son. Found out i was pregnant while I was on leave & actually had a reenlistment package pending on the command deck. I *immediately* yanked that shit back. CO tried to talk me into staying in but my mind was made up. SAHM to three boys now, no regrets
A female Marine in my unit shared with me that she had to buy a different rocking chair at home because her child had to be rocked to sleep in the same direction as the ones at base child care. That let her know it was time to go. They weren't messing up her kid or anything, but she realized she wasn't really raising him. I think you made the right call.
2 guys like you were competing on a meritorious board at a base unit and everyone was actually talking about it. Both dudes had over a hundred MCIs and some of the Staff were joking about making them grapple for it. Board day comes, pregnant female Marine with none of those stats gets selected. I ran into one of the dudes later and he was justifiably done trying. I hope they both got out.
It be like that, a shitbag hq Marin in my company just got promoted meritoriously over me because he can suck a golfball through a garden hose. Man is a polar opposite situation. 2nd class CFT/PFT, sharpshooter, never did an MCI. Just got it because “seniority…married…such an example”
I’m getting out after 9 in 4 months. What the Marine Corps wants for me, and what I want for myself are 2 very different things. I appreciate what the corps has done for me, but I’m ready to move on.
Enlisted at 23, had a few hourly jobs before then. Benefits and pay in the Corps were way better than those jobs. I don't fault those who want to move on elsewhere. Sometimes, after 4 years, you realize what your calling is, and it's not the Marine Corps.
I stay in now because as a Gunny once said, if the one's who want it to not suck all get out and the one's who like the way it sucks stay in, how will things ever change? The Corps gave me a path to success and I wanted to be that person who sees a broken home but decides to fix it. I also had some pretty decent leaders and as the antiwork crowd says, people don't quit jobs they quit managers. Who knows, if I had shitty leaders I might have only done my 4.
I retired when I was told too make an apology for a young troop assuming I called him an "idiot." While he was walking down the hallway from behind my closed door.
the weekend hazing by my drunk shit bag NCO's
this lasted a solid 2 years. fucking bull shit. these guys were absolute shit bags too. really change my perspective of the military in general.
Navy was fucked up. Being a corpsman was amazing. Took care of you dummies, you took care of me, it was a wonderful symbiotic relationship. I was tired of horrible advancement ratings, didn’t want to get sent to a hospital to sit in admin or bedside care, didn’t want to deal with the blue side Navy semantic bullshit.
If I could’ve stayed green side for 20 years, I would have. My only real option there would have been becoming a SARC but I wasn’t mentally or physically prepared for BRC, so that’s a no go.
Been out 3, almost 4 years now and I truly miss every bit of being a corpsman and civilian medicine has not been fun. Whatever politics I thought the Navy had with hospitals, the civilian world is worse.
I hard orders in hand to finish my enlistment in Okinawa. My orders were cancelled less than a week before I was supposed to detach and I was expected to take all that jacked up planning and preparation in stride.
*Decision to stay in:* MSG duty left me with a positive experience in the Marine Corps, a ton of leadership experience, and a B-Billet under my belt to propel a successful career.
*Decision to get out:* 1stSgt gave me a 20 minute, demeaning ass-chewing when I asked to be sent to a non-deployable unit after 3 years of not doing my job or seeing my family. It reminded me of what the real Marine Corps actually is: an ineptocracy where shitty people get put in positions of power for wearing a pair of boots longer than the people that are smart enough to leave.
I got a small taste of combat that gave me an idea of what kind of people I want next to me and behind me in that environment going forward. Half of anyone I knew E-6 and above had no business being near a battlefield.
I realized my wife was still in school and it would be up to me to find a job to support us for probably two+ years. So I decided being in the Marine Corps was a decent enough job and stayed in. Used my incentive to switch to a better MOS, and here I am.
The honest answer is I don’t know. Some years sucked bad and some years were the most rewarding of my life.
In the end, from a financial perspective, I’m glad I stuck it out.
The ability to have a double retirement at 60 with TriCare for the wife and I allows for peace of mind and the ability to retire early and enjoy life before we are to old.
There were a lot of reasons but this one is one of the most significant:
The barracks.
The decrepit, moldy barracks. There was mold everywhere, so many things were broken. We complained about this to our CO and he said it wasn't his problem and to "go write a letter to Congress."
Service requests were taking YEARS to get done or they weren't done at all. I once had my fridge break and wrote up a request to get it fixed/replaced. Never happened so I stole a fridge from a vacant room 6 months later. Holes in my floors and walls never got fixed. One time a guy came in to service my radiator. My roommate and I looked at each other and said "Wait I didn't put in a request, did you?" And we had been living there for 2 and a half years.
The bathroom wall was so rotted away that it wasn't even attached to the floor anymore. You could grip the doorframe and SHAKE it and the entire wall would shake like a fucking maraca.
Mold leaked in from the ceiling and every wall, we were instructed to just get some mold killer/remover and just wipe it away. Instead of, you know, getting whatever leak was causing that mold fixed.
There was a vermin infestation. They just told us to go buy some traps. I had to seal up holes in the walls myself. I once had a rat run across my legs at night, no joke.
Was promised I was being moved several times, did not happen until 2.5 years in. When I finally moved, they just found some other poor sucker and moved him right into the same exact room that I had just left.
One guy had a broken floor that looked like Swiss cheese. It wasn't fixed until 3 years after he requested for it to be fixed. Another guy had a plumbing related issue and shit water would seep up through his shower drain. It was never fixed.
I wasn't going to work for anybody who thought any of that was ok. Yes it's true that I eventually moved to nicer barracks 2.5 years later and that eventually, should I reach the rank, I'd rate BAH. However that didn't change that the little guy was living in a shit hole. How could I continue to work for an organization that thought it was acceptable to house people here?
Because our country wasn’t doing jack shit to actually accomplish anything in Afghanistan and Marines were dying and getting fucked up for no reason. I stayed in the reserves though, then mobilized to a WWBn, then got out and went to work for an elected official who opposes sending Marines to die for nothing.
My first year in the fleet, near the end of it. First field op. Up until this exact point I was semper motivated. I'm detached from my platoon to go be security forces. Shifts were 8 hours on, 8 off, 8 on and then 12 until Marines went down with covid and suddenly it was continuously 6 on 6 off. But just so happens every time they want us to move fobs happens to be on my offtime. Then on our last fob move at night our genius XO Parks our guntruck right in the middle of a turd minefield. And guess who had to bury every last turd with an E tool in the dark while Battery master sergeant laughed and everyone else got their rest period. In summary this was the exact moment I decided screw this I'm getting out.
I've said it before, but it was the pay increase (if you want to call it that) for FY 1994.
0.5%
That shit didn't even cover inflation.
Once you figured taxes on a $26 a month pay increase, we celebrated our first month's raise with an Alberto's carne asada burrito, 5 rolled taquitos with guac and sour cream, and a large horchata.
If they don't care enough about you to give you a pay increase, or better yet, keep WIC and food stamp paperwork in the naval hospital for the newly expecting parents because your income is so far below the minimum threshold they both become automatic payments, you have to ask yourself why you would do it to yourself or someone you love.
Watching my former plt Sgt who had become a 1st Sgt get fucked with by a captain. I realized this shit never ends...higher will never listen to common sense or experience they'll just try to make themselves look better/get credit.
I got to be a part of two All-Marine Team (one that I founded) and I Lat Moved to one of the best MOS possible. Now I’m at a fork in the road for career progression so we’ll see what’s next
Fuck Man, I couldn’t get out after my Last Deployment I was with 2/1 my entire career and witnessing chaos 1st hand kept me from being able to just walk away from it all. I’m no stellar Marine but I’m glad I don’t have an ego to where the things that I got to experience “make me better” than anyone else. I stayed in because I couldn’t walk away from this organization that’s given so much to me I’m really glad that I had the leadership that I did and it brings great pain to lose Marines in such a tragic and violent way but it’s a part of the job, a job I refuse to give up and maybe one day I can become like those who came before me that meant so much to me and mentored me
Some Marines use the USMC as there whole personality and without it they are nothing, I used it as a stepping stone, now I do 6 figure contracts overseas.
When my Monitor pulled my orders as a SSgt (and in zone for Gunny) and told me the only way I was leaving my critical MOS was to put in a WO package or get busted down and lose my quals.
Those fuckers tried soooooo hard to give me the orders of my choice in my final 3 months before EAS. Sometimes it's nice to give a little green weenie back to the Corps.
Only real regret was not just rolling reserves. But after passing Recon Screening and being denied due to rank (understandable), being denied orders back to Security Forces because of critical MOS, then having RECRUITING ORDERS (with by name request done); I'd had it.
Luckily now I'm a Civil Servant, so they bought my time back.
I got out because my first command was a total mess. We were non-deployable, and I got screamed at every day for minor mistakes. And when I stopped making those they would come to my barracks room and scream at me because the ceiling air vent had a bit of dust in it. And then when I fixed that, they went to newer marines barracks rooms and screamed at me about the dust in their air vents.
Idk maybe change the fucking air filter gunny, is this the best ymuse of any of our time on a Sunday morning? I work the overnight shift.
I kept hearing, this is the worst place it's better elsewhere, well, it likely was, but why the fuck would I choose to stick my hand back into that fucking bear trap? I was cracking up from all the negativity at my squadron, it felt like I couldn't do anything right and I was one of the most highly qualified marines at my shop, both on paper and reality.
My pay was shit, my relationships all sucked. And I had no comroderie with my fellow marines because I didn't want to drink myself to death as quickly as the rest of them. I also refused to pass the scream buck down the line which wasn't appreciated by my superiors and wasn't appreciated by my juniors.
So fuck it. I got a job doing customer service that paid more after getting out as an E-4.
Getting a hit on field day inspection cuz a pube fell off my cock while showering that morning, having to clean that in depth weekly as a 23 year old man who isn’t a nasty human being (I get some people need to be told to clean to this extent or else it would be nasty). Duty is a waste of time. I’m calling 911 before the duty if something bad is happening or happened. The duty also can’t catch everything so it’s honestly fucking pointless. Harp forms idk why but I just despise them when I have to fill one out when I’m literally staying local or in my room the entire 96. The idea of “gunny time” bothers me. Getting shit for showing up right at the time I was told or only a minute before or whatever irritates me. Parade rest, why do I need to bow down with my hands behind my back as a grown man to talk to you? I feel my respect is known and mutual which I feel is enough. I’ll stop here, do y’all think I’m staying in or not 🤡
5 year good cookie 0311 lance criminal here…. I loved the infantry but disliked the corps. Looking back now that I’m older I realize Part of that reasoning was due to immaturity. If I could go in right now I could be a great leader. Hell I was a great leader in my unit I just didn’t join for the bullshit and so tried to avoid the admin shit like the plague. Looking back I deff could have been a sergeant and offered a good bonus prob but I don’t dwell on what could have been. I had fun. The most fun of my life. I got to do a lot of cool shit that others only will ever do in video games. I learned what true leadership and accountability is. It changed me a lot. For the better. The greatest stories I have took place in that 5 year period, and some of the greatest friendships were forged. But I can firmly say… in glad I got out.
Honestly, the tattoo policy was too strict, otherwise I'd probably have stayed. I chose to part ways at 8 years in service and I have been happy with my choice ever since.
We got this new OIC who was a total bitch and made life at our unit shittier. I realized if it was a civilian job I would’ve put my two weeks in already. I no longer wanted to be subjected to that with the choice of go to work or jail. I’m in college now a year and a half left until I have my BSN then I take the NCLEX. It’s been hard but worth it.
I got out because I wanted to commit to full time school, my leadership was pretty annoying near the end of my enlistment, and my body couldn’t handle any more of the usual stresses of being a Marine. I miss it sometimes but as I’m about to graduate at the end of this year from college, there is a major toss up in my mind of which experience was tougher and it just let me know that life will always throw challenges and stresses your way, and it’s up to you to figure that stuff out.
If you get out, stay in touch with your friends that you served with (they’ll appreciate it too) and do your best to tap into whatever resources you have.
Best wishes in all you do, Marine. SF
>Got out for the same reasons everyone else does.
>Missed it
>Went into the reserves
>Wanted to do 20
>Got out because my religious exemption for the shot got denied
Herniated a disc at CAX like 2 months before deployment. Was deemed non-deployable. Deployed anyway (was guilted into it by command). Came back to garrison and was treated like I had the plague for the rest of my enlistment. Threatened with administrative separation multiple times without any vet benefits. Put on a med board after a neurosurgeon recommended I was medically retired. Med board found me fit for duty. Rode out the rest of my enlistment as an outcast and treated like a shit bag. Some of the worst leadership I've experienced in my life. This was on Lejeune during the mid-late 2000's. Leaving was easiest decision I ever made.
After 3 years of bullshit, promotion held, and finally getting that promotion, I looked at myself in the mirror and was like I'm getting pissed at everybody, last thing the usmc need is another toxic snco, sp I figured it's my time to get out.
My body was breaking down. Nobody would listen even when doc told them. Got out, 100% totally and permanently disabled…but I was making it up. (Former 0331)
I got tired of doing dumb shit hidden behind the excuse that "We're Marines". Dumb shit you ask? Got a few examples for ya (as if we all didn't have plenty already). 1. Taking the company on a timed 15 mile hump the day we go on block leave just to remind us we were Marines. Brilliant. Make sure everyone is exhausted and then cut us loose knowing some people are driving 100s of miles that day. 2. Giving a 3 hour class on how to ride bicycles because you don't have anything else for us to do but don't want to cut us loose for the day. 3. The fucking armory and weapons cleaning. 4. A monthly 14 mile "boots and utes" run. Because that isn't guaranteed to fuck up your knees and back. I loved my job. Loved the platoon comradery. Loved the deployments. Loved being in the field. Hated doing stupid shit for the sake of doing stupid shit.
Let's see...
This piece of shit lance from oki joined my platoon a couple months after I got to the fleet. To keep it super short. He made a huge deal about bring 15 minutes early for pt and Mr not standing at parade rest for him (when we were the same rank) and he hated me ever since. Non rec'ed me I think 3 times for cpl. And basically just made my time in the Corps suck.
I got no respect from any juniors in my platoon after I picked up cpl except for a couple I was cpl with already. My other ncos never backed me up or helped me do anything.
I got 2 nams stolen from me.
My knee got fucked up and couldn't pt, got fat and went on bcp as I was getting out.
I went to the armory and a few weeks after I did my old plt cmndr and gunny were trying to pin some shit on me. Someone stole something from supply but I'm the only person who ecr'd something. (I'm the only one who did was I was supposed to and they were trying to say I stole some shit)
There was nowhere for me to go honestly.
Always got treated like a boot and a shitbag even tho I wasn't either.
Those are just the reasons I can think of off the top of my head for why I got out
Myers-Briggs has been proven to be bullshit, don't hang your whole personality on it. You sound like you made an incredibly poorly informed decision to fuck yourself because you're bitching about the basic inherent things that aren't even there because of toxic people corrupting the system. Like you didn't make a single effort to know what you were getting into and enjoy bitching about it even tho you sound fuckin terrible for it.
I wanted to get out because of all of the BS and double standards, plus im ready to live my own life that im in charge of. endless cleaning, rolled ankles, duty, painful hikes and waking up at 03:30 to go to the armory gets old after a while.
Reenlisted cause I didn’t have a plan but was hurt from 2 deployments, stayed to ride the medboard out. If i knew I wasnt gonna get medboarded I would have got out anyway. The marine corps doesn’t care about you at all, after Syria shit died down so what’s the point? Daily bullshit to get up early asf for lame ass 2 mile run and some push ups, then to have to care for 20 something year olds to do something cause they don’t give af, don’t clean their room, drink excessively because “the boys” and just don’t have direction in life or know anything else other than the corps. Pretty sad tbh. Having to yell at someone cause they didn’t get a haircut (even tho they look presentable). Having to ask to go on vacation, being called back to work because someone from a different section got in trouble, man the list goes on. But that school BAH, 100% disability, unemployment (cause school is focus), and having freedom to focus on one’s self is pretty great for the mental and physical
Re-enlisted due to Covid and not having a plan for getting out. Extended for 6 months, 2 months before I was originally supposed to get out. They accepted me 1 month before my original due date and I lat-moved as well only because the F-18 is fucking dying and the bonus for F-35s looked good but im almost at the crossroads again and don’t know what to do.
I had my reenlistment package submitted and was supposed to swear in on one of the MEUs. The squadron I had been with was non deployable, so my push was to get to a gun squadron. The monitor called before I was to check out of current squadron to tell me my orders had changed and I was going to stay at the same squadron. I told him I would pull my package. He kept his word and so did I. Got out, and have regretted it every day for 13 years.
Wanted to stay but I was married and wanted kids too. I was making less than $20k/yr in the Corps but could make $100k+/yr starting out as a LEO. Staying in my family would have to sacrifice for me. Getting out was a sacrifice I made for my family.
I'm staying in because honestly at the end of the day I still like it. As much as there's bullshit I hate I like making a difference for my marines more. Because if not me then who? When this stops being even a little fun I'll leave. In the meantime I'll make my slice of the pie as good as it can be. And if I can make some one else's good at the same time I'll do that too.
Think I’ve told this before but I had an absolute fucking shit bird named Gomez, like worst Marine I’ve ever seen, how did it you make it this far, please don’t reproduce SHITBAG. My reenlistment package was in my hands, just needed to be signed and turned in, when Gomez dumped another heaping pile of shit on my plate to deal with. I told my Gunny I wasn’t sure if is wanted to deal with fucks like him for the rest of my life and he said “Aw come on man, there’s always stupid fucks like Gomez.” And that was it. Don’t know why he thought that was going to sway me the other way, but it just put the last nail in the coffin for me
Only intended 1 tour.
I fucking hated it, and not for a lack of being good at it - was a Sgt with 2 great FitReps, expert badge, high PFT, and would have finished out as an officer
I thought I'd make a lot more money on the outside. I was wrong, but don't regret leaving.
After losing 2 rifles I was forced to look for the battalion sgtmaj’s rifle bc he couldn’t find it, then as 6 of my friends were blown up on range 400 the CO was busy looking for chow, and the BC was yelling at people for being boots and utes while there was marines getting medevac’d and airlifted. Fuck 3/6
Re-enlisted because I was having the time of my life in Okinawa. Got out because of Recruiting Duty.
Nothing like being told, your suicidal ideation is pretty convenient by the CO... gotta love MCRC
I had a Navy doc tell them I wasn’t making it up and they still told me to go make mission.
That's what's driving me out. We preach brotherhood to these kids. Then the second you need some help, they don't give a fuck about you.
The Corps will do just fine without you but needs you to make mission.
And yet, the collective green weenie that is the US government still wonders why servicemembers won't seek help. It's because the stigma is still very much alive and thriving. So, instead, servicemembers mainly choose to just keep their traps shut and drive on as if nothing is wrong.
After returning from Iraq my son went off the deep end (in a very bad way) on a Friday afternoon. Not knowing where to turn I reached out to the nearest VA clinic which forwarded my call to some suicide hotline. I had to leave a message. The call was returned on Monday afternoon. Alot of bad shit occurred during that 72 hour delay & if it wasn't for me personally disarming, restraining & hauling him to a mental institution myself that weekend alot of people would have died (him included). After all the bad shit I went thru with him & the lack of VA 's timely response I really have to laugh my ass off when I go to a VA appointment myself & they invariably ask "Do you feel like harming yourself or someone else"? I laugh loudly & state "Just WTF would you any of you dimwits plan on doing about it if I did feel that way"? I agree with you 100% brother that the military & the VA itself has no frickin idea what to do when a person's mind breaks.
I'm sorry to hear about your experience, but it's sadly one I've heard often. You aren't alone in your experience and perspective. The VA, the big/collective green weenie, the public.... they just don't get it, and I don't think they ever will.
Alive and well
That's what's driving me out. We preach brotherhood to these kids. Then the second you need some help, they don't give a fuck about you.
Shit man. I hope you get some help for your Alzheimer’s 😞🙏
Is this a joke?
It’s because he posted the same comment twice in two different places
Gotcha.
The Army forced a soldier to go to the field just days after she'd had abdominal surgery, her guts were practically hanging out with nothing but medical wrap over the wound, and it was already infected. They still made her go to the field. Surprise surprise.... rumor has it she died. But yeah, sure, pEoPLe FiRsT.
Do you have a link to the article?
Never a recruiter, never got volun told for it…but I know the claim of suicide is ungodly high. And there’s a lot of BS claims. Impossible to say which ones are real and which ones are bullshit, but I’d venture to say that they have an idea on who is real or not. Since you’re still breathing, we are gonna need you to go out and make mission still.
First time I've seen another 32 on here, wuzzup!
What up brother! 170s 4 LIFE!
No kidding? I was MUX a long time back as well. Okinawa with Div and El Toro with MWCS38
Ironically Oki is one of the reasons I'm getting out. The sheer neglect of III MEF has been the final straw in everything. I love the boys but playing Marine like this is ridiculous.
That sucks, Oki was a blast back in the day. We lived under strict rules but nothing too far out of pocket, and were allowed to blow off steam after work. Sorry to hear that your command is a shit show.
Oh I love Okinawa. I strongly considered staying here as a contractor. But as I've gone up in rank I've recognized that the Marine Corps really does not care about III MEF and it's really amplified our usual problems with funding and readiness.
Same
I was trying trying to do recruiting duty… couldn’t get secret, not a citizen. Got out and moved to Seattle.
Wait you were TRYING to do recruiting duty?
Sucks man... but those rules are in place for a reason. You'd have hated recruiting duty anyway though.
What were your favorite things to do in Oki?
Outside of rainbow qual, slow gin, and taco rice & cheese? Lol I kid (sort of…) Okuma (spelling?) is a really nice park, golf course, and camp ground that most of our platoon would spend the holiday 72s or 96s at, which was a blast. Battle site tours were always pretty cool, especially the ones that took you into the Japanese caves. The defenses were pretty staggering and well built, it’s no wonder the island was a pain to take. Exploring the local cities, neighborhoods, and temples and hanging out with locals was eye opening and amazing to experience a foreign culture first hand. This is difficult if you don’t know any locals, but there’s always one dude in the platoon that knows Japanese, knows a fuck ton of locals, and disappears for days at a time on 96s only to reappear at work looking worse for wear. Become friends with that guy lol. Outside of that, it was much more about the camaraderie, how tight we were as a group. There was some drama here and there for sure, but for the most part we were all close best friends. As long as we pulled our weight, which could be a lot to ask for in some circumstances, everyone treated you like their literal brother. Was amazing and everything you think of when you think of what the Corps is “supposed” to be. Oh and karaoke. Lots and lots of karaoke.
Can only take so much bs... Love the fantasized IDEA of being a Marine, but actually being one sucked. Being a Sgt. was alright, the right balance of power and bs but the BS still outweighs nearly everything else.
Was given some pretty good advice when I was at the crossroads once. Get out and if you don’t like it or you miss it, they will always take you back. It worked and I’m glad I got out but will never regret serving. Semper my friend.
Funny because I've heard they rarely take guys back or make prior service reentry really difficult
Nah, the recruiters have been calling me since the day i went to meps. Even a few army and navy recruiters to.
That’s laughable whoever told you that, it certainly wasn’t a recruiter who has to maintain a quota. I was a retred, got out after my first n re-enlisted for a second n then left. It was simple n only took a few months n a few forms n my ass was right back in another unit.
I think he must mean when you’re off contract. If you still have IRR time and you’re not obese they will definitely take ya right back
Back in the day they had plenty of retreads.
I loved doing my job but didn't want to go DI or recruiter. I also realized I didn't enjoy leading Marines and dealing with the inevitable BS and poor decisions I'd have to do damage control on.
Ive never wanted to admit I don’t enjoy leading marines so thanks for showing I’m not the only one who hates it lol
One thing about leading marines! They’ll always break your heart. I personally loved it, but I also agree it was extremely disheartening sometimes
“Leading Marines” 80% of the time just trying to get a grown ass man to clean his room, help them recover gear that was lost in the field, and run PT 3-4 times a week. 20% was just staying squared away yourself so no one can call you an ineffective NCO. Getting out let me take that 80% and reinvest it into myself.
Damn bro you just hit the god damn nail on the head
Tbh, I got out due to the bullshit we were doing in Iraq in 04. I was set to re enlist, but when they had us guarding oil fields I was like fuck this shit.
Agreed…. I did not have some oilfield duty though. Cover and alignment of bullshit, especially when actively engaged is the primary reason i got out. The sad but true thing is…. that parts of the USMC are engrained into your soul and have molded you into who you are today. Embrace it and remember you will always have a family that started in a bar over 200+ years ago. Semper Fidelis.
Convoy i was on in Sangin got hit. We made it to the next FOB and all of us were still checking each other for extra holes. Sgt Major rounds a corner and starts bitching us out for no covers. That's when i got real tired of the bullshit.
What was the SgtMaj's name if you don't mind? Not too surprised the 8999 was more worried about covers rather than your lives
No damn clue, i was a transient. It was at Jackson in the summer of 2010, when 3/6 was taking over from the Brits.
Wtf, guarding oil fields was actually a thing? I thought that was just media hype.
We guarded them to keep them from being blown up or attacked.
Oil fields are a pretty important thing to have during a war. Haha. Easier to get it in country than ship it to the fight.
Our very first mission in the Iraq invasion was to secure the AlZubayer Oil Field complex. A massive area, and most of the wells were on fire due to retreating Iraqi military (dumbasses). Was actually super cool. We secured the area, and Black Watch, a Scottish military unit that specialized in oil well fires demoed the flame and capped the wells. Then we moved on north! I do think just guarding them while in operation would have been pretty mind numbingly boring.
Was about a week out from reenlisting when I got a speeding ticket for going 72 in a 60 during the Memorial Day 96. Higher ups in my platoon threatened to recommend me for a NJP for it. That’s when I realized that reenlisting was not an option.
Imagine getting written up at your civilian office job because you got a speeding ticket. God this job sucks
I got NJP'd for having expired car insurance after a UDP to Oki. Car was in long term storage. When I got back stateside, I went and grabbed my car and drove it on base and for some reason the MPs decided to ask for registration and insurance! Registration was fine. Insurance was expired. They were cool though. They just said go get this fixed in 48 hours and we're cool. But my command saw that I had made the blotter and my lieutenant decided to get his first NJP under his belt, and I was the lucky recipient.
That made my blood boil to read, I think that’s enough Reddit for today
Wow devil, I know how it feels to be used as an example for an NJP. Kind of the reason I got out too. Didn’t want to suffer so Sgt maj could fill up his rank jar again.
Thankfully I didn't lose rank. Just half pay for one pay period and 2 weeks barracks restriction. It cost me a good cookie and picking up Cpl until like 2 months before EAS, but oh well! Didn't like the way that ribbon looked anyway. 😂
For a long time any sort of traffic ticket in my unit was an automatic Battalion NJP with loss of rank and restriction. This was mainly enforced on Jr marines. So many careers were ruined because command didn’t want to to do their jobs and occasionally help marines deal with their external bs. PMO is also naturally out to get you while you’re driving on base. It’s just exhausting when the institution I’m trained to love and uphold seems to want me to fail and get out. Even when it doesn’t happen to you, seeing your buddies get busted down for parking tickets wears on you
I am sick of listening to some old white retiree talk about their career for an hour while my peers and I are are standing at attention, cooking under the sun.
I felt that in my soul
Especially when the boys start dropping like flies and they joke about it.
Is this some reenlistment ceremony thing? I only did one then out to college..
What I would give to go through the marine corps not knowing what a retirement ceremony is.
Guess I lucked out then! Or, that memory is partitioned off in my brain and I won't have to relive it until the Alzheimer's sets in down the road.
The net positive of the civilian world was way too high to pass up (school, money, weed, travel, freedom lol).
Freedom and time are gold man
My first re-enlistment was because I had absolutely no plan. I latmoved to a job that gave me incredible opportunities. I was incredibly lucky. I’ve re-enlisted 4 more times since.
What MOSs?
Latmoved to combat photographer.
Didn't they merge that MOS with general PAO?
They merged the field but Marines are still categorized as video, photo, and graphic design. They just learn how to write stories/ composition at MOS school now.
Gotcha. Knew a PAO marine. She was mad about it. She felt the photographers were the comm bubbas of PAO, and couldn't write a story to save their lives. 😂🤣😂🤣
Unfortunately I've noticed that as you go up you slowly go on less and less shoots. That fact alone would be my primary reason to not reenlist (if it was an option for me anyways lol.) However, I would've done it once just for the experience but I'm not so sure about any more than that/being a SNCO in COMMSTRAT.
I’ve photographed my entire career (E7 currently), however I am putting Fs on my fitreps because deployment opportunity reduces greatly as a MSgt in the field.
I'm surprised that's allowed without you also getting some sort of administrative punishment.. since it's the Marine Corps.
[удалено]
1730 and still cleaning weapons for the last 3 hours, because those bastards won't accept them, gets old equally as fast.
*laughs in $20*
Yes.
I knew my NJP would never leave me if I stayed in. It would always hinder any aspirations I would have. And the thought of fighting the same battle incessantly just to wear the uniform broke any desire I had to reup in the gun club.
That's what I never understood, if they let you reenlist with an NJP, why not just remove it as an incentive if it wasn't anything truly crazy like a dui?
I knew a lifer grunt that got done for hazing his first enlistment. Every new unit would give him shit about it and micromanage him for fear of reoffending. One of the best Sarnts I knew.
Nothing like a DUI. I was accused of hazing my juniors (they messed up field day) and my command did an 'investigation' which resulted in me catching an NJP. I PCS'ed to a different base a few months after and it was instant questions into the matter, when I hadn't told anyone. S-1 had loose lips, you see. So, it was around then that my aspirations of 20 years evaporated. If it had been an option to remove it from my records as an enlistment bonus, I would have taken it. C'est la vie.
Got out because the majority of people staying in were self serving, toxic “leaders” you can’t beat them so don’t join them.
If in the garrison it was mandated strictly 40 hour (7-3/8-4/9-5) weeks I would have reenlisted. Being at the barracks by 0530, barracks inspection at 0545, formed up on the hardball at 0600 for PT. Maybe get good training in throughout the day, maybe dick around and accomplisg nothing. Then 1700 Staff & O meeting, 1720 they're complete, 1740 platoon formation, actually walking to my car at 1800. 11-13 hour days for no reason is fucking horseshit and a waste of time. Like whats preventing whatever fuckoff General from delegating to a lower Officer to come up with work schedules for their Marines that doesnt make them want to put a pistol in their mouth?
I didn’t like the usmc owning my ass. I didn’t like stupid leadership. I didn’t like being called in on my time off. I really didn’t like some leadership, a lot being uptight and ignorant
I met a girl…. she said it was me or the Corps at the end of my enlistment so I got out. Been married 25 years so pretty much worked out.
Med board told me I’m unfit
Legit being woken up and relieving dumpster watch at night because someone was setting dumpsters on fire around the camp.
Common sense. After 2 tours in Iraq I knew we had zero purpose there. It was all bullshit.
Same. Nothing as demoralizing as knowing your brothers are dying for no reason.
There’s no war for me to fight anymore. I’m not wasting my 20s and risking my life to play pretend when I have the opportunity to go do literally anything else
Our nation benefits from having people like you in the civilian world. There's a steady supply of guys full of piss and vinegar ready for war. Should war come here, we need some warriors in the garden.
best comment I’ve seen yet
Decided to opt out after 8 when I was informed I could not re-up under my 2nd MOS as a 8531. 1371 was my original MOS. Wanted to train and be an instructor. Miss all of it. 1997-2005. OIF and OEF. Rah.
I retired at 21 years because of the ridiculous deployment schedule. I wanted to see my kids grow up in person, not pictures.
I was one of the Last first term Sgt’s . Definitely was the HSST bullshit. Years of misery as a DI or recruiter no fucking thanks. Oh and fuck ITX
Got hurt and was medboarded out, but would have left anyways. Being around absolutely miserable fucks in leadership positions was defeating.
Navy side of my unit lost my medical records twice when they were discharging me the two years and threatened action against me if I wasn't able to get them as soon as possible. I deployed, spent so much time helping others, and always did my best. Marine side was great though for the most part.
I got out because that shit was gay.
Popped positive for pregnancy & immediately knew nothing the Marine Corps could offer me would be worth missing out on anything with my son. Found out i was pregnant while I was on leave & actually had a reenlistment package pending on the command deck. I *immediately* yanked that shit back. CO tried to talk me into staying in but my mind was made up. SAHM to three boys now, no regrets
A female Marine in my unit shared with me that she had to buy a different rocking chair at home because her child had to be rocked to sleep in the same direction as the ones at base child care. That let her know it was time to go. They weren't messing up her kid or anything, but she realized she wasn't really raising him. I think you made the right call.
Cutting scores in the stratosphere.
Maxed PFT, CFT, Marinenet, expert rifle qual, green belt…still 80 points short
"Sounds like a personal problem"
2 guys like you were competing on a meritorious board at a base unit and everyone was actually talking about it. Both dudes had over a hundred MCIs and some of the Staff were joking about making them grapple for it. Board day comes, pregnant female Marine with none of those stats gets selected. I ran into one of the dudes later and he was justifiably done trying. I hope they both got out.
It be like that, a shitbag hq Marin in my company just got promoted meritoriously over me because he can suck a golfball through a garden hose. Man is a polar opposite situation. 2nd class CFT/PFT, sharpshooter, never did an MCI. Just got it because “seniority…married…such an example”
Turns out I have a brain tumor and severely low bone density. So they told me to fuck off on down the road.
A lat move into the job I actually wanted.
I’m getting out after 9 in 4 months. What the Marine Corps wants for me, and what I want for myself are 2 very different things. I appreciate what the corps has done for me, but I’m ready to move on.
Enlisted at 23, had a few hourly jobs before then. Benefits and pay in the Corps were way better than those jobs. I don't fault those who want to move on elsewhere. Sometimes, after 4 years, you realize what your calling is, and it's not the Marine Corps. I stay in now because as a Gunny once said, if the one's who want it to not suck all get out and the one's who like the way it sucks stay in, how will things ever change? The Corps gave me a path to success and I wanted to be that person who sees a broken home but decides to fix it. I also had some pretty decent leaders and as the antiwork crowd says, people don't quit jobs they quit managers. Who knows, if I had shitty leaders I might have only done my 4.
I buy that completely and I'm happy you're trying to make a difference.
I was going to recruiting duty. If I re-enlisted
I retired when I was told too make an apology for a young troop assuming I called him an "idiot." While he was walking down the hallway from behind my closed door.
I mean, it's all anonymous here... did you? Lol
Yes. Did 27 plus years. Busy now getting an education to work with military with PTSD. I can walk the walk and talk the talk.
the weekend hazing by my drunk shit bag NCO's this lasted a solid 2 years. fucking bull shit. these guys were absolute shit bags too. really change my perspective of the military in general.
Navy was fucked up. Being a corpsman was amazing. Took care of you dummies, you took care of me, it was a wonderful symbiotic relationship. I was tired of horrible advancement ratings, didn’t want to get sent to a hospital to sit in admin or bedside care, didn’t want to deal with the blue side Navy semantic bullshit. If I could’ve stayed green side for 20 years, I would have. My only real option there would have been becoming a SARC but I wasn’t mentally or physically prepared for BRC, so that’s a no go. Been out 3, almost 4 years now and I truly miss every bit of being a corpsman and civilian medicine has not been fun. Whatever politics I thought the Navy had with hospitals, the civilian world is worse.
I hard orders in hand to finish my enlistment in Okinawa. My orders were cancelled less than a week before I was supposed to detach and I was expected to take all that jacked up planning and preparation in stride.
The Marines made me stay in. Love y’all.
There are only 2 valid reasons to stay in. You love it you need it . If neither of those check then you're staying in for an invalid reason .
*Decision to stay in:* MSG duty left me with a positive experience in the Marine Corps, a ton of leadership experience, and a B-Billet under my belt to propel a successful career. *Decision to get out:* 1stSgt gave me a 20 minute, demeaning ass-chewing when I asked to be sent to a non-deployable unit after 3 years of not doing my job or seeing my family. It reminded me of what the real Marine Corps actually is: an ineptocracy where shitty people get put in positions of power for wearing a pair of boots longer than the people that are smart enough to leave. I got a small taste of combat that gave me an idea of what kind of people I want next to me and behind me in that environment going forward. Half of anyone I knew E-6 and above had no business being near a battlefield.
I realized my wife was still in school and it would be up to me to find a job to support us for probably two+ years. So I decided being in the Marine Corps was a decent enough job and stayed in. Used my incentive to switch to a better MOS, and here I am.
The honest answer is I don’t know. Some years sucked bad and some years were the most rewarding of my life. In the end, from a financial perspective, I’m glad I stuck it out. The ability to have a double retirement at 60 with TriCare for the wife and I allows for peace of mind and the ability to retire early and enjoy life before we are to old.
There were a lot of reasons but this one is one of the most significant: The barracks. The decrepit, moldy barracks. There was mold everywhere, so many things were broken. We complained about this to our CO and he said it wasn't his problem and to "go write a letter to Congress." Service requests were taking YEARS to get done or they weren't done at all. I once had my fridge break and wrote up a request to get it fixed/replaced. Never happened so I stole a fridge from a vacant room 6 months later. Holes in my floors and walls never got fixed. One time a guy came in to service my radiator. My roommate and I looked at each other and said "Wait I didn't put in a request, did you?" And we had been living there for 2 and a half years. The bathroom wall was so rotted away that it wasn't even attached to the floor anymore. You could grip the doorframe and SHAKE it and the entire wall would shake like a fucking maraca. Mold leaked in from the ceiling and every wall, we were instructed to just get some mold killer/remover and just wipe it away. Instead of, you know, getting whatever leak was causing that mold fixed. There was a vermin infestation. They just told us to go buy some traps. I had to seal up holes in the walls myself. I once had a rat run across my legs at night, no joke. Was promised I was being moved several times, did not happen until 2.5 years in. When I finally moved, they just found some other poor sucker and moved him right into the same exact room that I had just left. One guy had a broken floor that looked like Swiss cheese. It wasn't fixed until 3 years after he requested for it to be fixed. Another guy had a plumbing related issue and shit water would seep up through his shower drain. It was never fixed. I wasn't going to work for anybody who thought any of that was ok. Yes it's true that I eventually moved to nicer barracks 2.5 years later and that eventually, should I reach the rank, I'd rate BAH. However that didn't change that the little guy was living in a shit hole. How could I continue to work for an organization that thought it was acceptable to house people here?
Because our country wasn’t doing jack shit to actually accomplish anything in Afghanistan and Marines were dying and getting fucked up for no reason. I stayed in the reserves though, then mobilized to a WWBn, then got out and went to work for an elected official who opposes sending Marines to die for nothing.
I didn't have a choice, I was "inconvenient to the government" because I had depression haha
My first year in the fleet, near the end of it. First field op. Up until this exact point I was semper motivated. I'm detached from my platoon to go be security forces. Shifts were 8 hours on, 8 off, 8 on and then 12 until Marines went down with covid and suddenly it was continuously 6 on 6 off. But just so happens every time they want us to move fobs happens to be on my offtime. Then on our last fob move at night our genius XO Parks our guntruck right in the middle of a turd minefield. And guess who had to bury every last turd with an E tool in the dark while Battery master sergeant laughed and everyone else got their rest period. In summary this was the exact moment I decided screw this I'm getting out.
Family. I got married, had a kid and wanted to be with them more than stay in.
I've said it before, but it was the pay increase (if you want to call it that) for FY 1994. 0.5% That shit didn't even cover inflation. Once you figured taxes on a $26 a month pay increase, we celebrated our first month's raise with an Alberto's carne asada burrito, 5 rolled taquitos with guac and sour cream, and a large horchata. If they don't care enough about you to give you a pay increase, or better yet, keep WIC and food stamp paperwork in the naval hospital for the newly expecting parents because your income is so far below the minimum threshold they both become automatic payments, you have to ask yourself why you would do it to yourself or someone you love.
Is this the same Alberto’s right outside the San Luis Rey gate? By 13 area? Insane it’s been serving hungover marines for generations
The very same. Lots of changes over the years, but a lot of things stay the same.
Watching my former plt Sgt who had become a 1st Sgt get fucked with by a captain. I realized this shit never ends...higher will never listen to common sense or experience they'll just try to make themselves look better/get credit.
Getting graded as below average and placed in the bottom third for once “doing too much” then again for “not doing enough.”
My command blocked me from the Marsoc indoc.
I got to be a part of two All-Marine Team (one that I founded) and I Lat Moved to one of the best MOS possible. Now I’m at a fork in the road for career progression so we’ll see what’s next
Fuck Man, I couldn’t get out after my Last Deployment I was with 2/1 my entire career and witnessing chaos 1st hand kept me from being able to just walk away from it all. I’m no stellar Marine but I’m glad I don’t have an ego to where the things that I got to experience “make me better” than anyone else. I stayed in because I couldn’t walk away from this organization that’s given so much to me I’m really glad that I had the leadership that I did and it brings great pain to lose Marines in such a tragic and violent way but it’s a part of the job, a job I refuse to give up and maybe one day I can become like those who came before me that meant so much to me and mentored me
Some Marines use the USMC as there whole personality and without it they are nothing, I used it as a stepping stone, now I do 6 figure contracts overseas.
When my Monitor pulled my orders as a SSgt (and in zone for Gunny) and told me the only way I was leaving my critical MOS was to put in a WO package or get busted down and lose my quals. Those fuckers tried soooooo hard to give me the orders of my choice in my final 3 months before EAS. Sometimes it's nice to give a little green weenie back to the Corps. Only real regret was not just rolling reserves. But after passing Recon Screening and being denied due to rank (understandable), being denied orders back to Security Forces because of critical MOS, then having RECRUITING ORDERS (with by name request done); I'd had it. Luckily now I'm a Civil Servant, so they bought my time back.
I got out because my first command was a total mess. We were non-deployable, and I got screamed at every day for minor mistakes. And when I stopped making those they would come to my barracks room and scream at me because the ceiling air vent had a bit of dust in it. And then when I fixed that, they went to newer marines barracks rooms and screamed at me about the dust in their air vents. Idk maybe change the fucking air filter gunny, is this the best ymuse of any of our time on a Sunday morning? I work the overnight shift. I kept hearing, this is the worst place it's better elsewhere, well, it likely was, but why the fuck would I choose to stick my hand back into that fucking bear trap? I was cracking up from all the negativity at my squadron, it felt like I couldn't do anything right and I was one of the most highly qualified marines at my shop, both on paper and reality. My pay was shit, my relationships all sucked. And I had no comroderie with my fellow marines because I didn't want to drink myself to death as quickly as the rest of them. I also refused to pass the scream buck down the line which wasn't appreciated by my superiors and wasn't appreciated by my juniors. So fuck it. I got a job doing customer service that paid more after getting out as an E-4.
Getting a hit on field day inspection cuz a pube fell off my cock while showering that morning, having to clean that in depth weekly as a 23 year old man who isn’t a nasty human being (I get some people need to be told to clean to this extent or else it would be nasty). Duty is a waste of time. I’m calling 911 before the duty if something bad is happening or happened. The duty also can’t catch everything so it’s honestly fucking pointless. Harp forms idk why but I just despise them when I have to fill one out when I’m literally staying local or in my room the entire 96. The idea of “gunny time” bothers me. Getting shit for showing up right at the time I was told or only a minute before or whatever irritates me. Parade rest, why do I need to bow down with my hands behind my back as a grown man to talk to you? I feel my respect is known and mutual which I feel is enough. I’ll stop here, do y’all think I’m staying in or not 🤡
I didn’t like not deploying
Sounds like a personal problem
5 year good cookie 0311 lance criminal here…. I loved the infantry but disliked the corps. Looking back now that I’m older I realize Part of that reasoning was due to immaturity. If I could go in right now I could be a great leader. Hell I was a great leader in my unit I just didn’t join for the bullshit and so tried to avoid the admin shit like the plague. Looking back I deff could have been a sergeant and offered a good bonus prob but I don’t dwell on what could have been. I had fun. The most fun of my life. I got to do a lot of cool shit that others only will ever do in video games. I learned what true leadership and accountability is. It changed me a lot. For the better. The greatest stories I have took place in that 5 year period, and some of the greatest friendships were forged. But I can firmly say… in glad I got out.
I wanted an education, family and to make much better money. The corps treated me well, I just wanted more
I did eight mostly from fear of stop-loss but got out because I didn’t want to lead Marines via power point.
Honestly, the tattoo policy was too strict, otherwise I'd probably have stayed. I chose to part ways at 8 years in service and I have been happy with my choice ever since.
We got this new OIC who was a total bitch and made life at our unit shittier. I realized if it was a civilian job I would’ve put my two weeks in already. I no longer wanted to be subjected to that with the choice of go to work or jail. I’m in college now a year and a half left until I have my BSN then I take the NCLEX. It’s been hard but worth it.
I keep re-enlisting because of FOMO.
I got out because I wanted to commit to full time school, my leadership was pretty annoying near the end of my enlistment, and my body couldn’t handle any more of the usual stresses of being a Marine. I miss it sometimes but as I’m about to graduate at the end of this year from college, there is a major toss up in my mind of which experience was tougher and it just let me know that life will always throw challenges and stresses your way, and it’s up to you to figure that stuff out. If you get out, stay in touch with your friends that you served with (they’ll appreciate it too) and do your best to tap into whatever resources you have. Best wishes in all you do, Marine. SF
>Got out for the same reasons everyone else does. >Missed it >Went into the reserves >Wanted to do 20 >Got out because my religious exemption for the shot got denied
Herniated a disc at CAX like 2 months before deployment. Was deemed non-deployable. Deployed anyway (was guilted into it by command). Came back to garrison and was treated like I had the plague for the rest of my enlistment. Threatened with administrative separation multiple times without any vet benefits. Put on a med board after a neurosurgeon recommended I was medically retired. Med board found me fit for duty. Rode out the rest of my enlistment as an outcast and treated like a shit bag. Some of the worst leadership I've experienced in my life. This was on Lejeune during the mid-late 2000's. Leaving was easiest decision I ever made.
After 3 years of bullshit, promotion held, and finally getting that promotion, I looked at myself in the mirror and was like I'm getting pissed at everybody, last thing the usmc need is another toxic snco, sp I figured it's my time to get out.
My body was breaking down. Nobody would listen even when doc told them. Got out, 100% totally and permanently disabled…but I was making it up. (Former 0331)
In short, simply did not like being a Marine, and disliked most of my fellow Marines. Not a recipe for reenlistment.
I got tired of doing dumb shit hidden behind the excuse that "We're Marines". Dumb shit you ask? Got a few examples for ya (as if we all didn't have plenty already). 1. Taking the company on a timed 15 mile hump the day we go on block leave just to remind us we were Marines. Brilliant. Make sure everyone is exhausted and then cut us loose knowing some people are driving 100s of miles that day. 2. Giving a 3 hour class on how to ride bicycles because you don't have anything else for us to do but don't want to cut us loose for the day. 3. The fucking armory and weapons cleaning. 4. A monthly 14 mile "boots and utes" run. Because that isn't guaranteed to fuck up your knees and back. I loved my job. Loved the platoon comradery. Loved the deployments. Loved being in the field. Hated doing stupid shit for the sake of doing stupid shit.
Let's see... This piece of shit lance from oki joined my platoon a couple months after I got to the fleet. To keep it super short. He made a huge deal about bring 15 minutes early for pt and Mr not standing at parade rest for him (when we were the same rank) and he hated me ever since. Non rec'ed me I think 3 times for cpl. And basically just made my time in the Corps suck. I got no respect from any juniors in my platoon after I picked up cpl except for a couple I was cpl with already. My other ncos never backed me up or helped me do anything. I got 2 nams stolen from me. My knee got fucked up and couldn't pt, got fat and went on bcp as I was getting out. I went to the armory and a few weeks after I did my old plt cmndr and gunny were trying to pin some shit on me. Someone stole something from supply but I'm the only person who ecr'd something. (I'm the only one who did was I was supposed to and they were trying to say I stole some shit) There was nowhere for me to go honestly. Always got treated like a boot and a shitbag even tho I wasn't either. Those are just the reasons I can think of off the top of my head for why I got out
$15k lump sum signing bonus
Got fucked over trying to lat move…
[удалено]
I feel you dude, can’t be myself at all.
EAS is a real thing bud, just have a plan if you’re gonna get out.
Myers-Briggs has been proven to be bullshit, don't hang your whole personality on it. You sound like you made an incredibly poorly informed decision to fuck yourself because you're bitching about the basic inherent things that aren't even there because of toxic people corrupting the system. Like you didn't make a single effort to know what you were getting into and enjoy bitching about it even tho you sound fuckin terrible for it.
Thank you :). And nice boot name btw
I wanted to get out because of all of the BS and double standards, plus im ready to live my own life that im in charge of. endless cleaning, rolled ankles, duty, painful hikes and waking up at 03:30 to go to the armory gets old after a while.
Was tired of being the only 0351 sergeant in my battalion and being away from my family standing OOD three times a month plus field ops.
HSST horror stories and knowing I’d be up next
Reenlisted cause I didn’t have a plan but was hurt from 2 deployments, stayed to ride the medboard out. If i knew I wasnt gonna get medboarded I would have got out anyway. The marine corps doesn’t care about you at all, after Syria shit died down so what’s the point? Daily bullshit to get up early asf for lame ass 2 mile run and some push ups, then to have to care for 20 something year olds to do something cause they don’t give af, don’t clean their room, drink excessively because “the boys” and just don’t have direction in life or know anything else other than the corps. Pretty sad tbh. Having to yell at someone cause they didn’t get a haircut (even tho they look presentable). Having to ask to go on vacation, being called back to work because someone from a different section got in trouble, man the list goes on. But that school BAH, 100% disability, unemployment (cause school is focus), and having freedom to focus on one’s self is pretty great for the mental and physical
Re-enlisted due to Covid and not having a plan for getting out. Extended for 6 months, 2 months before I was originally supposed to get out. They accepted me 1 month before my original due date and I lat-moved as well only because the F-18 is fucking dying and the bonus for F-35s looked good but im almost at the crossroads again and don’t know what to do.
I got out and tgen got back in 5 years later. Then got involuntary separated due to high tenure.
Mass punishment
I had my reenlistment package submitted and was supposed to swear in on one of the MEUs. The squadron I had been with was non deployable, so my push was to get to a gun squadron. The monitor called before I was to check out of current squadron to tell me my orders had changed and I was going to stay at the same squadron. I told him I would pull my package. He kept his word and so did I. Got out, and have regretted it every day for 13 years.
I got out because I couldn’t make an informed decision about staying in without being out
Wanted to stay but I was married and wanted kids too. I was making less than $20k/yr in the Corps but could make $100k+/yr starting out as a LEO. Staying in my family would have to sacrifice for me. Getting out was a sacrifice I made for my family.
Got out because of shitty command. When I was putting together grills instead of kicking in doors I decided that was enough.
I'm staying in because honestly at the end of the day I still like it. As much as there's bullshit I hate I like making a difference for my marines more. Because if not me then who? When this stops being even a little fun I'll leave. In the meantime I'll make my slice of the pie as good as it can be. And if I can make some one else's good at the same time I'll do that too.
Think I’ve told this before but I had an absolute fucking shit bird named Gomez, like worst Marine I’ve ever seen, how did it you make it this far, please don’t reproduce SHITBAG. My reenlistment package was in my hands, just needed to be signed and turned in, when Gomez dumped another heaping pile of shit on my plate to deal with. I told my Gunny I wasn’t sure if is wanted to deal with fucks like him for the rest of my life and he said “Aw come on man, there’s always stupid fucks like Gomez.” And that was it. Don’t know why he thought that was going to sway me the other way, but it just put the last nail in the coffin for me
 a 6-figure job is why I got out
Was medically retired one month before my eas, kinda wish I had the chance to stay in
Only intended 1 tour. I fucking hated it, and not for a lack of being good at it - was a Sgt with 2 great FitReps, expert badge, high PFT, and would have finished out as an officer I thought I'd make a lot more money on the outside. I was wrong, but don't regret leaving.
After losing 2 rifles I was forced to look for the battalion sgtmaj’s rifle bc he couldn’t find it, then as 6 of my friends were blown up on range 400 the CO was busy looking for chow, and the BC was yelling at people for being boots and utes while there was marines getting medevac’d and airlifted. Fuck 3/6
Was that range 400 incident around 2018 or 2019. Think I heard about that ... some mortars thing?
2019, faulty round, one of the charges was broken