Good evening everyone. I am swizzlestik’s son. First of all, thank you for being there for my mom. You really helped her through a lot of grief and pain.

When I joined the Corps, I went in with all the spirit, confidence and committment anyone could muster. I was not fresh out of high school but I was fresh out of college. I had high expectations of myself and of the Marine Corps. I saw them just as they portray themselves, a tough yet honorable organization.

I expected their training to consist of yelling, screaming, stupid mind games and other BS but I never expected to see and experience and hear of the things that happened.

Through receiving week, it was pretty much was I was told to expect. I was nervous and homesick just like every other recruit. But when training day one hit and all the rest of the training days therafter, the shit hit the fan in a big way.

This was when stuff that I didn’t expect started to occur. Those things included but are not limited to:

1. A recruit was spartan kicked in the chest into his rack.

2. A recruit touched his own face and the DI hit him in the face with his campaign cover and it drew quite a bit of blood.

3. Another recruit touched his face and was hit in the face with a clipboard.

4. The guide’s rifle carrying handle fell off because it was loose so the DI held it like brass knuckles and hit him in the back of the head with it really hard.

5. I was folding a blanket with another recruit and apparently the DI felt I was in his ‘way’ so he kicked me hard in the rear striking my upper back thigh.

6. I was in the process of trying to quit and I refused to move. So 2 DI’s ran up to me and proceeded to rips my undershirt to shreds from my body. They threatened to continue to IT the whole platoon if I didn’t participate so I IT’ed so they would stop messing with everyone.

7. Numerous times we were denied head calls and so many of the recruits unrinated on themselves.

8. In chow hall, the DI’s would come over for no reason and yell so they could spit in your food in the process. One took his hands and mushed all the food on my tray together with his nasty bare hands because he didn’t feel I yelled ‘Good afternoon, Sir’ to him loud enough.

I’ll continue later. But the list goes on and on. They did learn somehow that it was me who reported the abuse through my mom. Also when I was in RSP, the other recruits were telling me of things that were a lot worse and there are many there who had been injured by the DI’s both mentally and physically. It was the first time I had actually seen someone who had cracked and was truly crazy from all the mind-screwing and abuse.

I was given a 3P for a re-enlistment code and told that none of this would follow me. The Lt. Col. told my mother the same thing but I am hearing a different story. Does anyone know how this works? For example, if I wanted to join the Army or Air Force. According to the Corps, it won’t affect that.

I am so down right now. I feel lost and not sure what to do. My mom is here with me and she is a very strong lady. She is trying to help me get through this. Right now, I need all the help and advice I can get.

I didn’t pussy out guys. I just figured out all too quickly what the deal was and refused to be a part of this dishonor and abuse. I think that what I did was more honorable than just settling for whatever bullshit they dished out to me. I’m not stupid and they could not brainwash me. So really, they lost the war with me.

I do feel guilt about leaving my fellow recruits behind. Over half of them wanted to come with me. I will write more later but right now my brain feels like scrambled eggs. I need to get things sorted out. I just hope I can.

Submitted By: ihateDIs89