13 Weeks . . .

[Guest Halfpint]

Well, it's been a while, y'all.

I graduated from MCRD Parris Island this past Friday, from First Batallion, Alpha Company, Platoon 1068. I dropped 25 pounds of body fat, went from 165 to 140 and found out more about myself than I thought I would learn in a lifetime. I went through two cases of bronchitis and two of pneumonia (not sure how in the summer), the most recent of which followed me through the Crucible--it was going to suck regardless, but the Crucible plus pneumonia REALLY sucked.

I got the full boot camp experience--made it to week 8 of training before I got quarter-decked, but I got sandpitted regularly right from the start. I wound up holding the billets of "house mouse" and scribe, carried both for the whole cycle. Got a "Dear John" somewhere around week 9--not real sure, kind of figured it was coming at some point. Not bitter about it, she made her decision a while back and just waited to let me know. Only thing that bugs me is, if I had paid attention, I'd have seen it all coming, starting months before I even left. I have a three-step process for finding a new one, though . . .

1. Put on dress blue bravos.

2. Walk in the door.

3. Pick one.

Standby for results on that one.

And of course everyone will want to know the important part-- I shot Expert on the known-distance range, but Sharpshooter overall. On the Table 2 course of fire, you shoot everything within five minutes, instead of the 45 minutes for the 200, 300, and 500 yard-line slow-fire. I was doing great at first, but high humidity and crappy "birth control" glasses fogging up don't lend a lot of help to rapid sight acquisition. Now that I'm wearing chevrons instead of a plastic nametag, and I'm allowed contacts instead of poindexters, I'm looking for a set of crossed rifles above my pocket on the next qual.

I leave next Monday for SOI at Camp Geiger, looking forward to that a lot. Another two months of training, then I report to the local reserve unit and get back to work at the shop and getting an education--going to start working on a law degree sometime next year hopefully.

When my Senior Drill Instructor placed my Eagle, Globe, and Anchor in my hand, I couldn't hold it all in--everybody's heard that people wind up crying at the ceremony, I'll admit up front I was one of them. I was lucky enough to have both my parents and stepmom present at graduation. Shaking my father's hand on the parade deck after graduation, hearing him say "Congratulations, Marine," was hands-down the single greatest moment of my life, and if I could go back and do it over again, I would have gone in right out of high school instead of waiting this long.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and Semper Fi!

[Guest SUNTZU]

Update your user cp, Halfpint, so that everyone knows you're in with the little tag below your avatar. Thanks for watching over me and mine.

Edited September 28, 2009 by SUNTZU

[TGO David]

AWESOME. Congrats, Marine!!!

[MacGyver]

Congratulations. That's a big accomplishment and one to be proud of.

[memphismason]

Good Job man.

Been missing you around here.

[LagerHead]

Good job Marine. Semper Fi, indeed.

[Defender]

Congrats

[Guest mustangdave]

Semper Fi... Do or Die. Bravo Zulu Marine. An aquaintence of my wife and I just recently retired from the USMC Reserves as a Gunnery Sergent. Thanks for steppin' up half pint.

[herr.baer]

Congrats and thanks for your service.

[Daniel]

Grats man. Glad to see you are doing well.

[EMTRN]

Congrats Chance.

[Guest canynracer]

Congrats Marine!!! and THANK YOU for your service!!!!

[MikeW]

Awesome

Congrats!

[Mike.357]

right on!

[poak]

Congrats, good to see you back.

I'm sure nothing can compare to receiving that EGA.

Sorry to hear about your chick, but it's best these imcompatabilities are discovered now instead of several years, a mortgage or two, and a few kids down the road.

Edited September 28, 2009 by poak

[BimmerFreak]

Congrats Marine!

As far as your fish? There are more in the sea....

[Guest JHatmaker]

:hat:

[Guest TnDeerHunter]

Congrats Thanks for your service

[robin48]

Grats man. Glad to see you are doing well.

Thank you my friend and congratualations. Semper Fi

[Good_Steward]

Ooh Rah!

Gotta love those BC's.

[Guest mustangdave]

BC's...spectacles for REAL MEN....

[Jasongar8]

Congrats Marine! Thanks for your service.

[Guest tnmale46]

congrats and thanks

[R1100R]

Congrats Marine!

As far as your fish? There are more in the sea....

+1

Best of luck, after infantry school-- Airborne Training ?

[Guest gunslinger707]

Congrat's MARINE!!!!!!! Thank you for serving.