How Many Marines Are On USMB?

[Coloradomtnman]

Is Gunny a Marine? His name makes it seem that way.

Are you a Marine?

Yep. I served from 1995 to 1999, mostly at Camp Pendleton. 0151, Adjutant Chief for 9th Communication Battalion. Honorable discharge, Corporal, Rifle Expert 4th Award, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal for joining during Desert Storm, NAM, and a unit commendation medal for service in Desert Storm. I was the Guide for HQ CO. my last year and a half in.

 

[editec]

I wasn't a Marine but I served with 3-1 USMC for about 18 months.

I was a NAV corpsman.

I enjoyed myself mostly while we were out in the field playing soldier, but garrison duty truly sucked wind.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

I wasn't a Marine but I served with 3-1 USMC for about 18 months.

I was a NAV corpsman.

I enjoyed myself mostly while we were out in the field playing soldier, but garrison duty truly sucked wind.

Corpsmen are cool; the aren't Marines, but pretty close. Even though you weren't officially a Marine, I'm sure the Marines you served with accepted your swabby-ass!

 

[editec]

I wasn't a Marine but I served with 3-1 USMC for about 18 months.

I was a NAV corpsman.

I enjoyed myself mostly while we were out in the field playing soldier, but garrison duty truly sucked wind.

Corpsmen are cool; the aren't Marines, but pretty close. Even though you weren't officially a Marine, I'm sure the Marines you served with accepted your swabby-ass!

By the time most Corpsman are assigned to the Corps they're fairly salty to begin with, so to suggest that the newbie Marines who mostly served with me accepted me is a rather amusing concept.

I liked most of them, though, those Marines I served with.

For the most part they were very sincere guys who I felt like I could trust in pinch.

I never met so many truly STUPID officers in my NAV career, though.

Of course, I had been working with Doctors who were officers and nurses (also officers) so my view of officers in the service might have been unrealistic, too.

But damned near every company officer I met was some young kid who didn't know jackshit except that he expected me to have respect for his uniform.

And whenever that uniform was hanging up in their closet I suppose I did.

but when they put it on that uniform lost a LOT of my respect in many cases, know what I mean?

 

[Coloradomtnman]

Corpsmen are cool; the aren't Marines, but pretty close. Even though you weren't officially a Marine, I'm sure the Marines you served with accepted your swabby-ass!

By the time most Corpsman are assigned to the Corps they're fairly salty to begin with, so to suggest that the newbie Marines who mostly served with me accepted me is a rather amusing concept.

I liked most of them, though, those Marines I served with.

For the most part they were very sincere guys who I felt like I could trust in pinch.

I never met so many truly STUPID officers in my NAV career, though.

Of course, I had been working with Doctors who were officers and nurses (also officers) so my view of officers in the service might have been unrealistic, too.

But damned near every company officer I met was some young kid who didn't know jackshit except that he expected me to have respect for his uniform.

And whenever that uniform was hanging up in their closet I suppose I did.

but when they put it on that uniform lost a LOT of my respect in many cases, know what I mean?[/QUOTE]

Like always, you're right.

I served with plenty of Marines with whom I thought I'd never want to get stuck in a fighting hole.

 

[editec]

What astounded me was what physical wrecks so many Marines were.

They were consistently the scrawniest, sickest lot of EMs I ever worked on.

That didn't stop them from overcompensating for their lack of health, of course.

But when I think of Marines what I see is some sickly puny little fucker running his ass off in the desert sun while sucking on a inhaler to help him survive his asthema and keepup with his unit.

Those damned fools would rather die than drop out, know what I mean?

Gotta admire their kind of gravitas.

Corpsman were, on average, bigger, healthier and stronger than the Marines we served with.

Every time there was a physical competition, one where things like speed strenth and endurance were measured, the corpsman as a class, did far better than the Marines in our units.

But if push ever came to shove?

I'd have wanted those scrawny sickly pathetic losers at my back, for sure.

It's that whole "size of the fight in the dog" thing, know what I mean?

Strange people, Marines...but in a good kinda way, mostly.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

What astounded me was what physical wrecks so many Marines were.

They were consistently the scrawniest, sickest lot of EMs I ever worked on.

That didn't stop them from overcompensating for their lack of health, of course.

But when I think of Marines what I see is some sickly puny little fucker running his ass off in the desert sun while sucking on a inhaler to help him survive his asthema and keepup with his unit.

Those damned fools would rather die than drop out, know what I mean?

Gotta admire their kind of gravitas.

Corpsman were, on average, bigger, healthier and stronger than the Marines we served with.

Every time there was a physical competition, one where things like speed strenth and endurance were measured, the corpsman as a class, did far better than the Marines in our units.

But if push ever came to shove?

I'd have wanted those scrawny sickly pathetic losers at my back, for sure.

It's that whole "size of the fight in the dog" thing, know what I mean?

Strange people, Marines...but in a good kinda way, mostly.

You know, I wonder if that has to do with the archaic physical training methods that the USMC uses to keep Marines fit.

Since I've been out I've become a mountaineer and long-distance thru hiker, and the methods I've used, based on research and my own personal experience, have gotten me in much better shape with better strength, endurance, and physical power than the Corps ever got me. Running in combat boots is simply bad for you. PT in mop gear can't be healthy. Humping with a shitty alice pack and in combat boots and fatigues in 90 degree sunshine in the desert is not going to do a body any good. Nor is running in formation at someone else's pace.

Of course, doing any of that while hung over is even more difficult to fathom!

 

[Mr. President]

duh i know colorado man is a former marine due to his revealing it ...while discussing climbing and his climbing accident...

no, del it was a fucking insult...

i wanna be an army ranger ...i wanna live a life of danger...they are normally dumber than dirt

Have you served in the military? If not comments like that should be kept to yourself. You haven't earned the right to say it anywhere but to that person's face. If you have served...... proceed.

 

[Gunny]

What astounded me was what physical wrecks so many Marines were.

They were consistently the scrawniest, sickest lot of EMs I ever worked on.

That didn't stop them from overcompensating for their lack of health, of course.

But when I think of Marines what I see is some sickly puny little fucker running his ass off in the desert sun while sucking on a inhaler to help him survive his asthema and keepup with his unit.

Those damned fools would rather die than drop out, know what I mean?

Gotta admire their kind of gravitas.

Corpsman were, on average, bigger, healthier and stronger than the Marines we served with.

Every time there was a physical competition, one where things like speed strenth and endurance were measured, the corpsman as a class, did far better than the Marines in our units.

But if push ever came to shove?

I'd have wanted those scrawny sickly pathetic losers at my back, for sure.

It's that whole "size of the fight in the dog" thing, know what I mean?

Strange people, Marines...but in a good kinda way, mostly.

Interesting observation. I saw it the other way around, so I'm not sure what you're calling "healthy". Because we could see our belt buckles while they were ON?

Of course, you were in during a different era than I was. There WERE a lot of skinny Marines during the 80s- early-90s because the emphasis was running in silk shorts and sneakers -- an officer contrived event. During the 90s though the majority of us were so muscled up they had to change the height/weight standards. At the time I retired, if you didn't meet height/weight standards, they immediately measured bodyfat and if it was under 18% you automatically were authorized the weight for the next inch in height above yours. Prior to that, you had to go through a serious nutroll to get a waiver.

 

[Gunny]

Is Gunny a Marine? His name makes it seem that way.

Are you a Marine?

Yep. I served from 1995 to 1999, mostly at Camp Pendleton. 0151, Adjutant Chief for 9th Communication Battalion. Honorable discharge, Corporal, Rifle Expert 4th Award, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal for joining during Desert Storm, NAM, and a unit commendation medal for service in Desert Storm. I was the Guide for HQ CO. my last year and a half in.

I think you have your terms a bit mixed up. Operation Desert Storm began in Feb 91 and was over with the ceasefire declaration in April 91. The NDSM was re-authorized during that time and to my knowledge everyone in the US military was still getting it at the time I retired in 2000.

If you got a NUC or MUC between 95-99, it was for deploying to Kuwait as part of Operation Southern Watch. The NAM is a personal decoration which you would not have received for involvement in any unit action; rather, would have been awarded for individual achievement.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

I think you have your terms a bit mixed up. Operation Desert Storm began in Feb 91 and was over with the ceasefire declaration in April 91. The NDSM was re-authorized during that time and to my knowledge everyone in the US military was still getting it at the time I retired in 2000.

Really, because from what I can remember, those who enlisted in the Corps after the summer of '96 didn't get the NDSM.

If you got a NUC or MUC between 95-99, it was for deploying to Kuwait as part of Operation Southern Watch. The NAM is a personal decoration which you would not have received for involvement in any unit action; rather, would have been awarded for individual achievement.

Sorry, I didn't mean to make it seem that the NAM and MUC were related. I received my NAM for developing a new system of organization for the battalion's TMs and publications, implementing the new system with the backing of the Adjutant, and then receiving a "no-findings" score when the IG came through.

The MUC was for Operation Southern Watch. I guess I was typing in a stupor or something.

 

[Gunny]

I think you have your terms a bit mixed up. Operation Desert Storm began in Feb 91 and was over with the ceasefire declaration in April 91. The NDSM was re-authorized during that time and to my knowledge everyone in the US military was still getting it at the time I retired in 2000.

Really, because from what I can remember, those who enlisted in the Corps after the summer of '96 didn't get the NDSM.

If you got a NUC or MUC between 95-99, it was for deploying to Kuwait as part of Operation Southern Watch. The NAM is a personal decoration which you would not have received for involvement in any unit action; rather, would have been awarded for individual achievement.

Sorry, I didn't mean to make it seem that the NAM and MUC were related. I received my NAM for developing a new system of organization for the battalion's TMs and publications, implementing the new system with the backing of the Adjutant, and then receiving a "no-findings" score when the IG came through.

The MUC was for Operation Southern Watch. I guess I was typing in a stupor or something.

Perception is everything. Recruits received the NDSM the entire time I was a hat. After 95, I had no reason to know who was still getting it, or whether or not they had discontinued awarding it. Boots kept showing up with it, so I never bothered to question it.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[strollingbones]

duh i know colorado man is a former marine due to his revealing it ...while discussing climbing and his climbing accident...

no, del it was a fucking insult...

i wanna be an army ranger ...i wanna live a life of danger...they are normally dumber than dirt

Have you served in the military? If not comments like that should be kept to yourself. You haven't earned the right to say it anywhere but to that person's face. If you have served...... proceed.

i will quickly call bullshit on this....you do not have to serve to know how fucking dumb rangers are.....go to a club at ft bragg...all you will need to know

and did the service men just fight for your rights or the rights of those who served....fuck you..and you fucking holier than thou attitude..

 

[American Horse]

Oorah, fellow devil dog, letherneck, lean, green, killing machines!

US Marine Capt of the 2nd Marine Expedionary Brigade gives his Marines a pep talk before loading up on helicopters during the start of operation Khanjari Thursday July 2nd.

WSJ July 3, 2009

Comment/question - looking closely I see no chevrons for rank on any of these men's collars.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

Oorah, fellow devil dog, letherneck, lean, green, killing machines!

US Marine Capt of the 2nd Marine Expedionary Brigade gives his Marines a pep talk before loading up on helicopters during the start of operation Khanjari Thursday July 2nd.

WSJ July 3, 2009

Comment/question - looking closely I see no chevrons for rank on any of these men's collars.

Not only that, but what are those diamond-shaped black patches on the arm of their cammies? When I was in, we didn't wear any patch other than name tapes and the USMC patch above the blouse pocket, or the iron-on EGA on our covers.

You sure this isn't a photo of the Army?

 

[007]

What's "NDSM?"

 

[Coloradomtnman]

What's "NDSM?"

National Defense Service Medal awarded to those who enlist during a time of war.

 

[JBeukema]

Is PI actually a leatherneck?

 

[Coloradomtnman]

Is PI actually a leatherneck?

We don't know for sure, but he seems to be able to talk the talk. Whether or not he can walk the walk has yet to be seen.

 

[007]

duh i know colorado man is a former marine due to his revealing it ...while discussing climbing and his climbing accident...

no, del it was a fucking insult...

i wanna be an army ranger ...i wanna live a life of danger...they are normally dumber than dirt

Have you served in the military? If not comments like that should be kept to yourself. You haven't earned the right to say it anywhere but to that person's face. If you have served...... proceed.

i will quickly call bullshit on this....you do not have to serve to know how fucking dumb rangers are.....go to a club at ft bragg...all you will need to know

and did the service men just fight for your rights or the rights of those who served....fuck you..and you fucking holier than thou attitude..

I don't think that's very nice of you say about our fine men in uniform bones, especially an elite unit.

I wonder what their assessment of YOU would have been?