Terminal Lance #18 “The Difference: Welcome to the Fleet”

Though I do believe that picking on POGs is somewhat of a cheap shot, I do think they get treated especially better than the grunts do. How do I know this? Well I work at Combat Camera now, and it really is a whole different world. While they obviously have their own stressers in the work place like due dates and impending deadlines, the average grunt experiences a whole different Marine Corps than the average POG.

Its not just the cutting score difference either, everything is different. My first day in the fleet was fucking scary. We arrived at Honolulu International at 2am, were yelled at once we got to the barracks by some guy whose name escapes me and were put in rooms already occupied by senior Lances. Every mention of my drill and SOI instructors telling us we’re going to get the shit beat out of us as soon as we get to the fleet came to life at that moment. Luckily, they were too tired to really care and I set my stuff up on the top rack and went to sleep, to wake up at 0500 and start police calling and checking in.

Yes, the difference is substantial, it is an entirely different culture. I think most grunts would argue that the infantry is the essence of the Marine Corps, and it is in fact the true Marine Corps experience. I whole-heartedly agree with this, as that is exactly what I thought the Marine Corps was going to be: miserable and scary.

So anyway, I’m thinking of turning “The Difference” into another series. If you see the name pop up again, don’t be too surprised. Rumor has it that come Monday, you may see Terminal Lance grace a page or two of a well-known news source… stand by for that.

For those of you that are new to Terminal Lance, I say this to you: Welcome. No matter where you come from, Terminal Lance is meant to appeal to anyone who has a realistic view of the Marine Corps. Take it with a grain of salt, if something offends you keep in mind that I try only to speak the truth about my experiences in the Corps. This, of course, coming from the point of view of a lower enlisted infantry Lance Corporal. I do not hate the Marine Corps in any way, I simply see the humor in it.