Tag: garcia

With a Purpose

The clipboard is a ubiquitous commodity amongst the Staff NCO ilk for its ability to imbue one with the aura of looking really busy. See a Marine with a clipboard? They must be doing something pretty important. Something that requires… A clipboard… maybe it’s a list or inventory or something. I don’t know.

Better leave them alone. Wouldn’t want to get in their way.

You’d be surprised at how far you can get with a few life hacks like this and a fresh haircut. Like the camouflage on your back, hiding in plain sight can often be the best strategy to get by.

In other news, TL has been going through some shifts and changes and I think we’re on the cusp of some fresh changes around here. In the meantime, take a look at the new Terminal Lance store and stock up on official TL merch. We just dropped a new Graphic Novel collection of tees this week with designs from The White Donkey and Battle Born: Lapis Lazuli.

August 27, 2025
It’s Complicated

Marines have developed many reputations around the nation over the years. They are fierce warriors, stalwart citizens, and renown lovers. That last point has led to many broken hearts, divorcees and single moms across the land.

Marines are passionate people of fiery hearts and souls. Relationships are hard, and the things that make Marines great warriors aren’t necessarily the things that make great partners for more than a weekend.

It’s no wonder the divorce rate in the Marine Corps is the highest of all the military branches (and higher than the national average). Then again, a lot of this can probably be chalked up to age. Marines at their peak are around 18-24 years old, which is about the same age as your average frat-guy.

As the old adage goes: if the Corps wanted you to have a wife, they would have issued you one.

January 26, 2025
The Marine Corps Way
PT, PT, every day. Build my body the Marine Corps way. What is the Marine Corps way? There’s certainly more to being a Marine than PT and being incredibly attractive.

PT is only a small part of the equation. After all, Marines only really PT in the morning for about an hour. The rest of the day is spent:
- doing dumb shit
- standing by
- cleaning rifles
- doing more dumb shit
- thinking about regrets
- standing by
- cleaning your room
- safety stand-down
- doing some more dumb shit
- drinking alcohol
- annoying your roommate
And more.

Marines are complex creatures made of complex secret-government recipes that have created the world’s most fierce fighting force.

Build your body the Marine Corps way.
September 18, 2024
The All-Nighter

There’s no worse feeling than showing up to morning formation after a night of splendorous indulgence into the wee hours of the morning. For many Marines, that will probably involve binge-drinking, vomiting, other bodily fluids, and possibly farm animals.

Other Marines enjoy different vices, such as staying up all night playing videogames while your roommate is trying to sleep.

When I was a wee-boot at Mackie Hall, Kaneohe Bay, I recall buying an XBOX 360 and the latest Elder Scrolls game for my room. This made a great distraction while on standby or for some late nights with a locked door and curtains closed.

However, it attracted some… Unwanted attention. One of my “senior” Lance Corporals discovered my electronic entertainment set up and decided that he was going to spend the next week playing Oblivion every night until it was time for morning PT. I’m not a selfish person, I don’t mind sharing my toys, but this shit got old really quick.

It wasn’t until I stuffed the setup into my wall-locker and kept it secured that I was able to get a good night’s sleep.

As far as Final Fantasy VII goes, the answer to who is Cloud’s true love has always been Tifa. I will not be accepting any questions on the matter.

June 28, 2024
The Reenlistment Ceremony

It’s not unusual for Marines to be placed into some kind of miserable formation for a ceremony they’d rather not be at. Reenlistments are one of those, but with the added variable of being at any location of the reenlistee’s choosing. People can reenlist at home, overseas, on the sea, and even in the sea–the latter being a favorite among many that are stationed near a beach.

As the person being honored, I’m sure there’s no greater feeling than making everyone around you even more depressed and uncomfortable than they already are as enlisted Marines.

Personally, if I had reenlisted, I would have wanted my ceremony to be at a Buffalo Wild Wings, with the Uniform of the Day being rainbow PT gear and all-weather coats.

This is a moot point, however, as that was never going to happen.

October 24, 2023
The Military Discount

Every veteran or service member has been faced with whether or not they want to ask for the military discount at select retailers and restaurants. Maybe it’s painless at a famously patriotic stop like Lowes or Home Depot, or maybe it’s less advertised and more awkward.

Do you go for it? Do you ask for the discount? It can’t hurt, right?

As you may imagine if you’ve been following Terminal Lance for a while, I’m with Abe on this one. If a business wants to give me 10-15% off my purchase because I wore camouflage or whatever, that’s their problem and my gain. Life is hard enough, I’ll take what I can get. Maybe it’s awkward for some, but I went to Iraq twice and I grew up poor as hell.

You think I’m too good to take advantage of the world’s largest corporation giving me 10% off a new iPad? Hell no I’m not.

If you’re anything like me, you may appreciate this comprehensive list of places you can shamelessly play the Veteran card.

Speaking of being shameless, please check out the official TL Patreon! My goal is to get enough subscribers on Patreon that we no longer need these eye-sore ads. Help Terminal Lance go ad-free and subscribe today!

…There is no military discount.

August 4, 2023
Proper Civilian Attire II

Marines have the highest standards of professionalism at all times. Whether you’re on the clock in your uniform, or off work doing beer-bongs with your boys from the 3rd deck catwalk, you’re expected to wear proper attire.

The Corps’ idea of “proper civilian attire” is somewhere between high school virgin and 48 year old divorced dad with a golfing problem. Apparently, it’s considered proper to wear a buttoned up polo shirt tucked into mom-jeans with go-fasters on your feet.

But like all things in the Corps, there’s a reason for this. If you look like a complete tool, you’re less likely to get in trouble. Reduced liberty incidents, reduced pregnancies and early marriages, reduced invitations to parties where there may be hard drugs and alcohol. It’s a win-win for Uncle Sam.

March 11, 2023
Force Modernization

On god, the Corps is going through the biggest glow up modern times. The Commandant finna make this place bussin and ready to tackle the modern challenges we face in the global security environment.

Really though, there are a lot of huge changes happening all over the Corps as part of Force Design 2030. In my tenure as the Terminal Lance guy, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite as drastic as what we’ve been getting over the last year. Just earlier this week, it was announced that Scout Snipers will no longer be a thing.

At least now I don’t feel as bad about 0351 and my alma mater 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines getting the axe.

What I’ve learned over the years is that the Corps is actually constantly changing and evolving. There is forever new blood pumping in and out of the Corps in the form of new 18 and 19 year old recruits every week. An ethos of the Corps is to “adapt and overcome,” and this is something that I think the Marines do better than they get credit for. Ultimately change is good. Change is evolution, and evolution makes us stronger.

It remains to be seen if Staff NCO’s can change, or if they will continue to stumble over every other word of a promotion warrant as they read it aloud.

March 3, 2023
Edible Arrangements

Whelp, after 3 years of skating by this whole pandemic, it’s finally happened… I got COVID. Nothing but snot, phlegm and coughing and hacking over here. I really thought I’d get through this whole ordeal unscathed, but I suppose my luck was bound to run out at some point.

For what it’s worth, I’m more or less fine. I’m fortunate enough to have been vaccinated, boosted, and all that. We all got sick about a week ago, so I’m near the tail-end of it now. This week my focus has been much more on my toddler son, who is also sick—but he’s also more or less doing fine at this point.

In other news, I just wanted to mention that I’ll be in Okinawa next month for Okinawa Comic-Con! I’ll be staying aboard Camp Foster and hanging out the first week of December. I’m excited because this will be my first time in Oki!

I can finally see what everyone has been complaining about. More details to come on when and where I’ll be for those of you on the island. Always keep up with TL on Instagram and other social media outlets for the latest.

November 18, 2022
7th Anniversary

I have some good news…

Not only did we all make out of 2016 alive, but we made it to see the 7th birthday of Terminal Lance! January 5th marks the official birthday of Terminal Lance, when I posted the first comic strip. Who would have ever guessed, 7 years ago, that a fun comic about the Marine Corps would go as far as it has, with a massive social media fanbase, New York Times best selling graphic novel, and millions of visitors every month.

I wanted to take a moment to go through the last 7 years and pick my favorite comic strips from each one. I know you all have your personal favorites, but here are mine…

Terminal Lance #50 “I’m Putting You Up for One” is still my favorite comic of the original 2010 “Golden Age” TL comics. Back then, I was just starting college on my Post 9/11 GI Bill, Abe and Garcia didn’t even exist yet, and comics about Iraq were still relevant to most of my readers. I love this strip because it does two things particularly well: it has a solid joke (giving NAM’s to anyone like candy) and points out an important issue (giving NAM’s to anyone like candy ~~except grunts~~).

Terminal Lance #110 “Bootcamp: The Swarm” in 2011 was really an ode to the great Normal Rockwell. I’m partial to this comic mostly because it does a great job of illustrating a solid joke, recognizable immediately to any Marine that’s been to boot camp, without any dialog whatsoever. It’s also a good experimentation of panels and layout, something that I always want to do more of. (For anyone looking for a great book that really breaks down comics, check out this book by Scott McCloud, it will change your life if you’re a comic artist).

Terminal Lance #175 “Back Home” came in right at the beginning of 2012, but it’s one of my top strips of all time. This strip really encapsulates a lot of what The White Donkey was about, but in a much shorter form. It addresses the disconnect between Marines and their extraordinary lives with the people you leave behind at home, and how it can be difficult to adjust. As a two-time Iraq veteran, this is something I dealt with myself.

This strip from Memorial Day 2013 really encapsulated (with the help of Chesty Puller’s timeless phantom) the ongoing struggle of much of the veteran community that persists in this heated political environment. As Chesty mentions, both sides are right. While it’s important to honor and remember those that came before us and the struggles and sacrifices they endured, freedom is what they fought for. It’s possible to do both, and I don’t think our fallen brethren would ask any more of us than that.

He fucking died, man. Terminal Lance #316 “Dress Blue Alpha Male” from 2014 shows the interesting dichotomy of Terminal Lance–in where I’m making a joke about the Marine Corps but it’s also kind of a humble-brag about how great we all look in dress blues. This is an ongoing struggle with TL, where I have to find the correct balance of shared misery with the pride of being a Marine. The struggle is real. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have done this comic for 7 years if I didn’t, on some level, love my experience in the Corps. On the other hand, I sure as fuck didn’t reenlist. You get the idea.

He’s not wrong. I love Terminal Lance #378 “Half Truths” because I simply think it’s a perfect joke with a great set up. Obviously it plays into the larger implication that recruiters are full of shit, but I have to reconcile this with the reality that my own recruiter never lied to me at all. He’s right though, you’ll get fucked a lot.

I don’t personally believe in nor perpetuate the myth of “Old Corps” and “New Corps.” As they say, Old Corps is whenever you were in and New Corps starts the day you got out for most veterans. However, I think Terminal Lance “New Corps” from 2016 does a good job of depicting the new and sometimes confusing modern society that we live in today. Ultimately, the military is reflective of the times we live in though, and I genuinely think the military has done a better job than most institutions of adapting to the times.

It’s interesting to see how Terminal Lance has changed over the years, and how my own experiences have shifted and molded the comic into what it is today. I make Terminal Lance specifically with the active duty Lance Corporals in mind, and I’ve done it for 7 years now because when I was a Lance Corporal, I wish someone would have done it for me. Before Terminal Lance, nothing like Terminal Lance existed.

Terminal Lance isn’t going anywhere any time soon. In fact… Things are about to get a lot bigger.

Stay tuned, gents.

January 5, 2017