By 
Gunny R. Lee Ermey is easily the most famous and well known Marine on the planet. I found it strange that in one of the new Geico commercials they actually refer to Mr. Ermey as a “Drill Sergeant”–which, as any Marine can tell you, isn’t what we call our Drill Instructors. To someone who is not a Marine, this may seem slightly diminutive. To which I will say, you have probably never seen what happens to a recruit when they make the ill-informed mistake of using the words “Drill Sergeant” in recruit training. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t personally care. I find it to be a rather small distinction myself–but as a Marine of real life I find it to be one of those things that sticks out like a nude in the city. Simply hearing or seeing “Drill Sergeant” immediately strikes some kind of error in my brain. I don’t want to notice it, I don’t care to notice it, but I can’t help it.
The point though, Mr. Ermey is probably well off enough that he wouldn’t care. As a Drill Instructor himself, I’m sure he noticed the quip more than anyone–but I doubt he cared to see his pride over the numbers on his bank statement.
For what it’s worth, the commercial is actually pretty funny. I commend Mr. Ermey on his post-Marine Corps exploits. He has managed to turn his enlisted career into a lifetime of success and steady income with the likes of Full Metal Jacket and his other film and TV endeavors. Mail Call was always entertaining. His cameo appearances in movies and TV shows have successfully made him the legend that he is. While I won’t expect that most Marines will become famous actors, I think it is worth noting that life does in fact exist outside of the Marine Corps.
As a recent EAS’er, I am noticing a common trend amongst other EAS’d Marines. Many can’t find jobs, can’t seem to make it using the GI Bill and thus try to squeeze their way back into the Corps. It is as if you were on a bus, became offended by something and stood up and yelled at everyone on it because your stop was coming up. You tell everyone to fuck off, you scream obscenities at them and raise your hands in foul gestures of discontent. You walk off the bus, take one step out and realize it’s the wrong stop. Awkwardly, you turn around and get back on the bus, hoping everyone has forgotten the hatred you just displayed on their behalf.
These Marines that were so happy and content to EAS find themselves in a rut, unable to compete with the wailing job market at the time and force themselves back into service. If you are a Marine finding yourself in this boat–or on this bus–I must implore you: take a step back and examine your situation and your options. The police force is not your only option. If they won’t hire you, go back to school and get a degree in Criminal Justice, then go back and apply. The GI Bill is there for a reason, take advantage of it. You couldn’t ask for a better time to EAS with the Post 9/11 GI Bill ready to take care of you.
An education is your best bet in this economy. After all, not all of us will end up famous like Gunny Ermey.
On a site note, I would like to remind you all that there’s currently a contest going on to submit your own personal Terminal Lance strip! The deadline for submissions is November 3rd, you must register on the forum and post it in the Terminal Lance Comic Strip Contest thread. The winner will receive a free Terminal Lance print autographed by me and will have their comic strip put up on November 5th for the Friday comic strip!
You must create this comic strip! This is not for submitting ideas for me to make, this is your opportunity to draw your own comic strip with a joke for the world to see.
The deadline is November 3rd for submissions!
With that I bid you all farewell and have a good weekend.
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