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I don’t think boots will ever catch a break. Being a boot in the infantry is probably one of the worst places you could ever find yourself. Respect is at the heart of all things Marine Corps, and grunts take it very seriously. If you’re a boot, you haven’t done anything, you don’t know anything, you don’t deserve anything. You’ll get hazed, you’ll get treated like a piece of shit, you’ll be called the insult of all insults, boot.
It’s not entirely without its purpose. There’s a psychological point at stake here. Boots are treated this way because it establishes dominance, simply put. This might seem barbaric or animalistic, but when lives are at stake it’s important that everyone know their place. Your senior Lance Corporals and Corporals need you to do anything they say, whether you agree with it or not.
Of course, there is certainly such a thing as too far. I was never the type of Senior Lance Corporal that made the boots do anything too silly or without reason. I never hazed them or did anything like that. I did this because it was the way that I was treated by my section leader as a boot. I respected him because he never had to resort to petty things to get us to listen, but when he was mad you knew it. I guess I look at it the same way I train my devil dog. I’ve never hit my dog, as a rule, but he’s one of the most loyal and well-behaved animals I know. It’s all about trust, and positive reinforcement is always more effective than negative.
Anyway, that’s kind of a tangent, but true nonetheless.
If you pay attention to my Twitter and Instagram, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve got some things cooking for Terminal Lance. In the very near future, I’ll be revealing how you can get your hands on some of this stuff, as well as a whole shit-ton of stickers. Stay tuned and remember the Lance Corporal creed:
It’s better to be under the radar than on it for any reason.
PS
I’m giving shout outs on the Terminal Lance Facebook page this week. If you have a page, website, organization or whatever the fuck that has to do with veterans or military, shoot it my way and I’ll try to get the word out.
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