Terminal Lance #363 “Boot(Camp) Stories”

There’s a strange paradox in the Corps when it comes to regaling stories of the one and only thing that literally all Marines have in common: Recruit Training (otherwise known as boot camp). On the one hand, everyone has been there and can share common ground regardless of their further experiences in the Corps; on the other, there’s nothing more boot than a boot telling boot camp stories. The average Senior Lance Corporal would rather be literally anywhere else than listening to a fresh-faced 18 year old tell him about that one time when the Drill Instructor got so mad.

This could just be because everybody hates boots anyway, but it is strange considering we’ve all been there. Once you go on a combat deployment though, boot camp becomes a distant memory, and likely one of the least interesting things you’ve done through your experiences.

Don’t get me wrong, even senior Marines tell boot camp stories, but they almost qualify it first with:

“I know this is boot as fuck to talk about, but this one time at boot camp…”

Still, boot camp is a universally shitty experience for everyone. Actually, last night I was throwing this comic strip idea at a Marine I went on both deployments to Iraq with, and we concurred that we would both rather go back to Iraq than boot camp again. It’s not that you fear for your life in boot camp, it’s just that it really fucking sucks. That’s really the only way to describe it.

I’d like to take a moment to apologize for the issues with the ads we’ve been having. I’ve gotten complaints of people being redirected and such, which shouldn’t be happening. Also, auto playing ads shouldn’t be happening either. Both issues are being looked into and hopefully will be fixed soon. In the meantime, have a great weekend and remember what my First Sergeant used to say:

If it looks like shit and smells like shit, it probably is shit. Don’t be the one to step in it.