Where they live: Cribs/Barracks

They gotta live somewhere and they gotta keep it clean.

Here is actually a very interesting article on the rules about barracks and what can be done there:
 Relaxing in the barracks
Just a sample from the above story ...

"It’s no secret that some service members marry for two reasons other than love: No more barracks living and more money. Some Marines refer to them as 'contract marriages'"

"'I’m almost 28, and I can’t do half the stuff I want to do. If I want to have a lady friend stay the night, I should be able to,' McCumber said. 'But I have to go over to her place or get a hotel. And my family can’t come over and visit unless I have money for a hotel room, too.'”

That could explain this which seriously confused me at first.


Where it all began: Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. is located at 8th and I Streets, Southeast in Washington, D.C. Established in 1801, it is a National Historic Landmark, the oldest post in the United States Marine Corps, the official residence of the Commandant of the Marine Corps since 1806, and main ceremonial grounds of the Corps. wikipedia

Panoramio

The oldest continually active post in the Corps, the Marine Barracks served as Marine Corps Headquarters from 1801 to 1901. Here recruits and officers were trained, and vital decisions were made affecting Corps development. Troops quartered at the Barracks played significant roles in the wars with the Barbary pirates, the War of 1812, the Seminole War, the capture of John Brown at Harper's Ferry, and the conquest of Cuba in the Spanish-American War. As the home of the Marine Band, which has played for every President since John Adams, the Marine Barracks witnessed a significant epoch in American musical history when John Philip Sousa, the "March King," served as leader from 1880 to 1892. The Marine Band is still stationed at the Barracks and remains the official White House musical unit. Marine Barracks

Marine's digs in Fort Lost in the Woods:


Must be field day




A place for Firewatch




Roomy too



Smile

Bravo Team MTIC graduate

Bravo Team MTIC

Goodbye Fort Leonard Wood, this Marine can drive now.

Job Description: Motor vehicle operators operate passenger and cargo carrying wheeled vehicles (except LVS's) to include M-Series tactical vehicles to rated capacity.  http://usmilitary.about.com/

The United States Armed forces own and operate over 50,000 heavy trucks and transport vehicles, which include water/fuel tank trucks, semi-tractor trailers, troop transports, heavy equipment transports, and passenger buses. Motor Transport Operators are primarily responsible for supervising or operating wheel vehicles to transport personnel and cargo.

Duties performed in this MOS include:
Operates all wheel vehicles and equipment over varied terrain and roadways for support of combat operations. Manages entrucking and detrucking of personnel being transported. Oversees and checks proper loading and unloading of cargo on vehicles and trailers. Secures cargo against inclement weather, pilferage, and damage. Operates vehicle component material handling equipment (MHE), as required. Employs land navigation techniques. Must be knowledgeable with the operation of radios and weapons when they are mounted on the vehicle. Performs vehicle self-recovery and field expedients to include towing vehicles. Corrects or reports all vehicle deficiencies; supports mechanics where necessary. Prepares vehicles for movement/shipment by air, rail, or vessel.
Provides guidance to subordinates in accomplishing their duties. Organizes and participates in convoys. Dispatches vehicles; verifies vehicle logbooks. Receives and fills requests from authorized persons for motor transport. Compiles time, mileage and load data. http://usmilitary.about.com/

 

And ... on to 29 Palms - 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion

What he drives

Graduating from his MOS on Wednesday, my Marine is learning to drive a 7 ton monster. Tuesday night is the final night driveing adventure. He said his class has learned as much in this week on this machine as they learned in all the previous weeks of MOS.

Defense update

Built to go over even the roughest terrains and through the most hazardous environments, the Oshkosh Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) is a high-performance, extremely durable, all-terrain vehicle military personnel can rely on. The MTVR easily carries 15 tons over the highway and up to 7 tons off-road. And with advanced technologies like TAK-4^® independent suspension and the Command Zone^™ integrated control and diagnostics system, the MTVR has the brawn and the brains to take on any obstacle that attempts to impede the mission. oshkoshdefense

All versions of the MTVR use the same 6x6 configuration. Engine is located under a forward fiberglass bonnet. Roof of the cab with hinged aluminum windscreen and door frames can be folded down to reduce overall height.

It's wide versatility makes the MTVE an integral part of the Marine Corps logistical backbone. This vehicle is the  prime mover for the M777 howitzer, troops, fuel, water and a wide variety of other equipment.

The MTVR truck can be fitted with armor protection kit or armed with a 12.7-mm or 7.82-mm machine gun. Armament sit in a mounted position above the cab.

The Oshkosh MTVR is powered by the Caterpillar C-12 11.9-liter turbocharged diesel engine, developing 425 hp. It has a full-time all-wheel drive. Vehicle has an independent suspension and is fitted with a central tyre inflation system. The MTVR uses some commercially available driveline components. Some versions of the MTVR are fitted with a 9-ton capacity winch. Vehicle can be airlifted by the C-130 Hercules aircraft (with some preparation) and CH-53 helicopter. military-today.com

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Marine ranks: PFC-plus

Marine ranks

Hmmm, I think I lost a post somewhere. Well it's been a crazy few weeks, I can't believe it's been so long since I posted. I'm sorry. My Marine has been promoted a level to Private First Class (Sept. 1, 2011) and has that little thingy on his clothes now. next Wednesday he graduates from his MOS and Thursday gets on an airplane to his permanent duty station at 29 Palms, California.

Some of the other recruits received the PFC designation in boot camp already, This can only happen under very special circumstances: If you were an Eagle Scout, in High School JROTC or had Prior Service in the military. You can also get it meritoriously out of boot camp if you are an excellent recruit. Or two referrals in the DEP, as a platoon honor grad, over 15 credit hours of college, or are in the top 10 percent in your series. leatherneck

Anyway, whatever the timing, I am still ridiculously proud of my fabulous Marine son!

Bravo Team MTIC

Up up and on the way:

"In the United States Marine Corps, the rank of Private First Class is the second lowest, just under Lance Corporal and just above Private, equivalent to NATO Grade OR-2, being pay grade E-2. It was established in 1917 to match the newly created Army rank, although it is actually one grade lower." wikipedia

J.J. DID TIE BUCKLE or Marine leadership traits

Sorry it's been so long, had some computer issues and life is moving forward way too fast. My Marine will be going in October to be stationed in 29 Palms, California. Keep watching, info on that coming soon.

These leadership traits can be found on numerous business and civilian Websites as examples of how to be a good leader, USMC first.

Marine Corps Leadership TraitsThe 14 leadership traits are qualities of thought and action which, if demonstrated in daily activities, help Marines earn the respect, confidence, and loyal cooperation of other Marines. It is extremely important that you understand the meaning of each leadership trait and how to develop it, so you know what goals to set as you work to become a good leader and a good follower.

JUSTICEJustice is defined as the practice of being fair and consistent. A just person gives consideration to each side of a situation and bases rewards or punishments on merit.



JUDGMENT Judgment is your ability to think about things clearly, calmly, and in an orderly fashion so that you can make good decisions.



DEPENDABILITY Dependability means that you can be relied upon to perform your duties properly. It means that you can be trusted to complete a job. It is the willing and voluntary support of the policies and orders of the chain of command. Dependability also means consistently putting forth your best effort in an attempt to achieve the highest standards of performance.



INITIATIVE Initiative is taking action even though you haven't been given orders. It means meeting new and unexpected situations with prompt action. It includes using resourcefulness to get something done without the normal material or methods being available to you.



DECISIVENESS Decisiveness means that you are able to make good decisions without delay. Get all the facts and weight them against each other. By acting calmly and quickly, you should arrive at a sound decision. You announce your decisions in a clear, firm, professional manner.



TACT Tact means that you can deal with people in a manner that will maintain good relations and avoid problems. It means that you are polite, calm, and firm.



INTEGRITY Integrity means that you are honest and truthful in what you say or do. You put honesty, sense of duty, and sound moral principles above all else.




ENTHUSIASM Enthusiasm is defined as a sincere interest and exuberance in the performance of your duties. If you are enthusiastic, you are optimistic, cheerful, and willing to accept the challenges.




BEARING Bearing is the way you conduct and carry yourself. Your manner should reflect alertness, competence, confidence, and control.



UNSELFISHNESS Unselfishness means that you avoid making yourself comfortable at the expense of others. Be considerate of others. Give credit to those who deserve it.




COURAGE Courage is what allows you to remain calm while recognizing fear. Moral courage means having the inner strength to stand up for what is right and to accept blame when something is your fault. Physical courage means that you can continue to function effectively when there is physical danger present.



KNOWLEDGE Knowledge is the understanding of a science or art. Knowledge means that you have acquired information and that you understand people. Your knowledge should be broad, and in addition to knowing your job, you should know your unit's policies and keep up with current events.



LOYALTY Loyalty means that you are devoted to your country, the Corps, and to your seniors, peers, and subordinates. The motto of our Corps is Semper Fidelis!, (Always Faithful). You owe unwavering loyalty up and down the chain of command, to seniors, subordinates, and peers.



ENDURANCE Endurance is the mental and physical stamina that is measured by your ability to withstand pain, fatigue, stress, and hardship. For example, enduring pain during a conditioning march in order to improve stamina is crucial in the development of leadership.

Because it is important to always be able to remember the basic leadership traits, the acronym "J.J. DID TIE BUCKLE" is used. Each letter in the acronym corresponds to the first letter of one of the traits. By remembering the acronym, you will be better able to recall the traits.

J.J. DID TIE BUCKLE



Remember it yet?

http://www.zazzle.com/j_j_did_tie_buckle_tshirt-235365470508296034

Marine Traits: Dependability

"Ability without dependability has no value."

Leadership

So I came across these traits and I'm doing the third one first because, that's the first one I came across. But it is a good one so go J.J. DID TIE BUCKLE!

The third Marine Corps leadership trait Dependability, which means, “You can be relied upon to perform your duties properly. It means that you can be trusted to complete a job. It is the willing and voluntary support of the policies and orders of the chain of command. Dependability also means consistently putting forth your best effort in an attempt to achieve the highest standards of performance.” Marines blog

I am finding that these traits are used often as examples in the business world and that beyond the basic definition, Marines are encouraged to contemplate for themselves what the words mean. Interesting for an organization that supposedly tells its members what to think to be telling them to think for themselves. Pretty cool.

From an education website about a school lesson on dependability:

Students explained that they believed being dependable meant that you were trustworthy, honest, and did what you said you were going to do.  We discussed who in their lives were dependable and they concluded that their parents, some friends, and some teachers were dependable in that they could count on these people to care about and for them.  We discussed the difference between friends and acquaintances and how dependable each one of those categories of people were.  They decided, overwhelming that a few friends were very dependable but in all cases it depended on the situation.  I asked them if they thought that they were dependable people and the majority thought that they were. Character Education

So in the world of Marines, one would hope one's partners, fellow Marines are more dependable than friends, teacher and even parents. I wonder what a similar discussion with Marines would yield.

Backing up a little, SOI

Those from Marine's India Co. boot camp who chose MOIs of Infantry are still in their Infantry Training Battalion at Camp Pendleton. The families of those young men report it is difficult and the battalion has quite a few who "don't make it." There were 249 to start and now are 193 left.
The mission is: "To train and provide proficient, MOS qualified Infantrymen to the Fleet Marine Force, Marine Security Forces and Marine Force Reserve."

SOI East



The first three weeks you learn what all basic Grunts must know. The M67 fragmentary grendades, the M203 grenade launcher, the M249 SAW, and you will spent some time getting to use the AN/PVS 14B night vision goggles. You will also learn Basic combat formations, patrolling, hand and arm signals, Field craft(how to live right in the field), the correct way to pack a pack. (the bootcamp way is just craming things in tight as hell.) how to understand 5 paragraph orders. and a whole lot of humps....

Once your 3 week is training is up, you will be split off into actual MOSs like 0311 rifleman, 0331 machinegunner, 0341 mortorman, 0351 assualtman.

The whole thing ends with one giant illuminated night attack, combined arms range, with your old buddies the Machine gunners and mortarmen in support. youll assault those evil Ivan target bastards with Machineguns cracking over your head, and Mortars providing constant illumination. Its serrious buisness, but to be honnest it was alot of fun.

Leatherneck

The best of all luck and heart to all these young men and women who are undergoing hell to put their lives in danger. Sempre Fi!