Terminal Lance #488 “Brief Moments of Glory”

If you were to add up the total amount of awesome moments you’ll have in an average 4 year enlistment, you end up with about 15-16 minutes of actually really rad stuff.

The rest of it?

Well, it’s kind of shit. For some, that 15 minutes is enough to keep them sticking around. In this regard, the Marine Corps is a lot like an abusive relationship. You experience those one or two once-in-a-lifetime occasions and it’s all you can think about. You know the overall thing is terrible, but you keep sticking around, convincing yourself that those fleeting moments of cool shit make up for everything else.

For every 2 minutes you spend on the hill shooting spotting rounds and rockets, you spend two hours police calling and getting yelled at for something you didn’t do. For every badass helicopter beach landing you do with your boys, you spend three days cleaning your weapon and your barracks room and also getting yelled at for something you didn’t do.

The Marine Corps is a mean mistress, but for some, those brief moments of glory are worth it.