By 
Can we just talk about how shitty being in Camp Guard is?
Non infantry-folk probably never really had to deal with this wretched duty, but for those of us that have, it was an absolutely miserable experience.
So typically the way it works right after boot camp is you go home for 10 days or whatever and then you get sent to either SOI West or East for your MOS training. POG’s go off and do their little MCT thing for a few weeks and the grunts stick around and do their MOS training over the course of eight weeks. You’re told to report into SOI West after your boot leave so you can get assigned to your training company. That is, as long as there’s room.
As an active duty guy, I got wait-listed for two weeks while the reservists were rushed into their training company. So what is a boot student Marine to do for two weeks while he waits for a new ITB class to pick up?
Camp motherfucking Guard.
This consisted of 8 hour rotations patrolling the base in teams of two wearing orange glow vests, being on QRF in case some “shit” went down, or being on rest. There was no libo, we had to go to chow in formation, no cell phones or other luxuries were allowed, and you’re just generally treated like the lowest form of shit on the entire base by instructors and other Marines alike.
Having just graduated boot camp, I was fairly excited to begin my new Marine Corps adventure, only to find myself in Guard purgatory for what seemed like the longest two weeks of my life until Bravo Co. picked us up. Having been to Iraq twice, it seems like a silly thing to complain about, but it really was miserable.
The trademark of Guard? Having drunk Marines drive by and shout “OORAH GUARD!!” and other obscenities at you while you just… did whatever it is you were doing. And because all Marines are assholes, I also partook in the belligerent shouting at Guard as soon as I was out of it.
In other news Gen. Dunford just took over as Commandant of the Marine Corps. He seems legit as fuck, and everyone is generally pretty happy about the change. For a laugh, watch the Color Guard fall the fuck out at 89:20
Comments