March 18, 2015
RecruitParents.com Newsletter


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Congratulations to our newest Marines, 3rd Battalion India Company from San Diego, as well as 2nd Battalion Golf Company and 4th Battalion Papa Company from Parris Island, for graduating last Friday, March 13! A big Ooh-Rah goes out to you all!  

 

We would also like to congratulate 1st Battalion Delta Company of San Diego, as well as 3rd Battalion Lima Company and 4th Battalion Oscar Company of Parris Island, who will be graduating in just over two weeks on April 3.

 

For those of you who are just beginning your journey, we would like to welcome you and extend our congratulations! You're on a new journey to becoming a Marine Parent. The pride is indescribable, but you may feel you are in an unfamiliar world with a whirlwind of emotions and never-ending questions.

If you've been looking for answers to your questions, we can help you.

 

Sincerely,

 

  Web Signature

Tracy Della Vecchia

Founder and Executive Director
MarineParents.com, Inc.

Join Us On Facebook

 

We have a place to connect and share with other family members who have a recruit in Marine Corps boot camp. See the links below for Official Recruit Parents Facebook graduation groups. 

 

Do you have a Poolee that has not gone to boot camp yet?  Click to join the Official Recruit Parents Poolee Group.

 

Para los familiares de habla hispana clic  Recruit Parents en Español.

 

If you're located east of the Mississippi River, your recruit will go to Parris Island. If you're located west of the Mississippi River, your recruit will go to San Diego. If your recruit is a female, she will go to Parris Island. Click a link below to find your appropriate graduation group.

Recruit Respect: Protecting Privacy

Recruit Respect: Protecting Privacy
Your recruit is on his or her way to becoming a Marine and learning a vast amount of new knowledge. As parents and family members of a recruit, you've got a lot to learn about the Marine Corps lifestyle as well. But one of the most important things you'll learn is respect for the privacy and safety of your soon-to-be-Marine.


 

The internet is a vast array of informational websites, chat rooms, message boards, social networks, and online communities for folks with similar interests to share news and stories. Certainly, hooking up with other families with recruits going through bootcamp at the same time gives a sense of belonging and adds to the experience, but be careful what you share.


 

Personal information about Marines or recruits should not be shared in any online environment, including, but not limited to, identifying information such as last name, email address, phone number, birthdates, and addresses. You should use discretion when providing any personal information.


 

Identity theft is rampant, and something as simple as a graduation date with a comment about his or her birthday being in two days is enough information for potential thieves to be successful. Keep your recruit safe; share your feelings and emotions, but do not share your recruit's personal information.

 

Click here to read full article...
Marine Corps Uniforms

Marine Corps Uniforms

Marines are not known just for their battlefield prowess, but for their unparalleled standards of professionalism and uncompromising personal conduct and appearance as well.

 

It is a Marine's duty and personal obligation to maintain a professional and neat appearance. Furthermore, wearing the uniform should be a matter of personal pride to all Marines.

 

Marines have various uniform combinations which are worn for various occasions. To help you gain a better understanding of Marine Corps uniforms, we've placed a uniform chart on RecruitParents.com.

 

Click here for uniform chart... 
Learning New Terminology

 

Learning New Terminology There are literally thousands of acronyms in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and all branches of the military as well as hundreds of new terms to learn. 
 
Recruits in Marine Corps boot camp learn to call a flashlight a "moon beam," a pen becomes an "ink stick," and the bathroom is "the head." 
 
MarineParents.com created a terminology page as a starting point for recruit families. The reference contains terms that are most important to learn during recruit training. 

 

Click here to view terminology...
Understanding Battalion Structure

Recruit Training Battalions Understanding the Structure

There are two facilities for recruit training. They are called Marine Corps Recruit Depots (MCRD). They are located in San Diego, California and Parris Island, South Carolina. The acronyms for each are MCRD SD and MCRD PI.

 

Though there are some exceptions, for the most part, the Mississippi River is the dividing point for which MCRD your son or daughter will attend. Male recruits west of the Mississippi River attend MCRD SD. Male recruits east of the Mississippi River attend MCRD PI. All female recruits attend MCRD PI (no exceptions).

 

Each MCRD includes Recruit Training Battalions, or RTB. Each RTB has a color and crest associated with it. RTBs are divided into companies, and each company is divided further into platoons.

Click here for the breakdown of each MCRD...
The Recruiters

Marine Corps Recruiting Video

Every Marine, in every Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), plays a crucial role in the overall mission of the United States Marine Corps.

 

Marine Corps Recruiters, MOS 8411, must be thoroughly familiar with the enlistment process from applicant prospecting to preparation for recruit training.

 

Their duties include, among others: screening applicants to determine eligibility relative to physical defects, moral character, criminal involvement, age, drug abuse, education, etc., as well as scheduling working applicants to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test at the MEPS, among others...

 

Click to keep reading and watch video...
In the Classroom: Training Phase I

In the Classroom... Marine Corps History

Did you know that, in addition to physical training during boot camp, recruits spend time taking academic classes?

 

New recruits have much to learn and therefore must spend a great deal of time in the classroom during recruit training.


Recruits;in Marine Corps boot camp take classes covering subjects such as: Customs and Courtesies, First Aid, Marine Corps History, USMC Mission and Organization, Terrorism Awareness, USMC Leadership, Official Policies and Organizational Values, and Operational Risk Management.

Click here to learn more...
Firing Week & Qualification Day: Training Phase II

 

Rifle Qualification Day

Qualification (Qual) Day is the last day of Firing Week during recruit training.

 

During Firing Week, or the second week of marksmanship training, recruits start before sunrise preparing their rifle, the range, and themselves to shoot the known-distance course of fire.

 

As recruits practice shooting they are assisted and evaluated by their Combat Marksmanship Instructor, their coach, and their drill instructors. All are working to assist the recruits to ensure that the fundamentals have been learned and that each recruit shoots as well as he or she can.

 

On Qual Day, all recruits try to shoot their best and strive for the coveted "Crossed Rifles" of the Rifle Expert badge.
Recruits Earn 10-Day Leave: Training Phase III

Bootcamp Graduation
During training phase III, your recruit is in the final stretch of boot camp and thinking about what happens after graduation.

 

The next phase of training is SOI, or School of Infantry, but new Marines are entitled to one day of travel and ten days leave before reporting to SOI. Your new Marine may report to SOI early in order to save leave, if desired.

 

Your Marine should listen, read, pay attention and ask questions about his/her orders before departing the Recruit Depot. Your Marine will have a copy of his/her orders with them when s/he leaves the Recruit Depot.

Click here to read more...
Travel Planning: About Boot Camp Graduation

Travel Planning MCRD Graduations
Making your travel plans to San Diego or Parris Island is easy enough, but what about your soon-to-be Marine? Will s/he travel back home with you for 10-day leave? How do you know what time to arrange flights?

 

If you didn't discuss this with your recruit prior to leaving for boot camp - and most of us did not - and the letters you're getting from your recruit aren't giving you the answers you need, where do you turn?

 

When should you buy your ticket? Will your recruit graduate on time? The projected graduation date is NOT set in stone for each recruit. Most recruits graduate with the company and platoon after 13 weeks of training. However, if your recruit becomes ill or injured, the graduation could be delayed.

 Click here to read more...
In This Issue
Did Your Marine Graduate?

A special note for parents of newly graduated Marines:

 

If your son or daughter has already graduated from Boot Camp, you can opt out of the "Recruit Newsletter" by entering your email address after clicking the "SafeUnsubscibe" icon at the bottom of this email.

 

Change your options to remove "Recruit Newsletter" from your selections. Then, make sure to sign up for our Marine Parents newsletter to continue your journey!

Parris Island
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We hope this week's edition of our email newsletter has been useful for you and your family. If there are topics you would like us to address, or if you have other suggestions for the newsletter, please contact us.


The banner used at the top of this newsletter is a March, 2005 USMC photo by Lance Cpl. Joseph L. DiGirolamo. See  www.marines.mil for additional credits.

 

MarineParents.com, Inc. is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) public charity. MarineParents.com, Inc. was founded in January 2003 in response to parents' needs to find information and to have a Place to Connect and Share� with one another during deployments. Our free online services and connections have expanded to support and educate Marine moms and dads, spouses, families and friends. We've helped more than 100,000 Marine and recruit families during boot camp, training, active-duty and deployments. We've shipped more than 39,000 care packages overseas to our Marines in Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa, sent thousands of prayers and letters to injured Marines and served thousands of meals to wounded heroes and their families on the East and West coasts. You've found a Place to Connect and Share.�    

God Bless and Semper Fidelis,

 

  Web Signature

Tracy Della Vecchia

Founder and Executive Director
MarineParents.com, Inc.