our drill instructors usually gave us a choice, take a thumping or PT until you passed out. i took the thumpings. it was very common for drill instructors to strangle, punch, kick, or whatever they chose to recruits. the alternative to being punished was the brig and or being set back in training and have to do it all over again. but after the range at camp matthews, and when we could march in fomation the length of the big grinder at MCRD San Diego without a cadence call, the drill instructors knew we were no longer a herd but pretty damned salty recruits. our first day on the big grinder after being issued our M14's we were a mess, the senior drill instructor SSgt Washington ordered us to get on our hands an knees, drag our rifles along side us, and crawl back to receiving barracks, telling us to MOOOOO like a herd from time to time.
1st day in the mess hall, after being up for more than 36 hours, and no breakfast chow, we had the noon feed. about 30 recruits at tables with long benches, the order "ready seats" was the signal to absolutely throw your ass as hard and fast as you could onto that bench, and all 80 or so asses in the platoon better hit them at the same time. or you do it over and over until you satisfy the Drill instructor. all the while being called maggots and girls, LOL...one table at another platoon couldn't get it done to satisfy their Senior Drill Instructor, SSgt Buldoon. He jumped up on the end of the table and walked down it kicking the food trays at his "herd". watched him also screw around with his sword at a battalion friday parade, stabbed himself just below the left eye.
recruit in another platoon had his arm broken by a Drill instructor at the range first day we were there. another Drill Instructor had caught a small snake and ordered the recruit to deliver the snake to his Drill Instructor, who did not like snakes, he broke the kids arm getting out of the way of the snake.
but we survived it, and were a unit, no longer a herd.
1st day in the mess hall, after being up for more than 36 hours, and no breakfast chow, we had the noon feed. about 30 recruits at tables with long benches, the order "ready seats" was the signal to absolutely throw your ass as hard and fast as you could onto that bench, and all 80 or so asses in the platoon better hit them at the same time. or you do it over and over until you satisfy the Drill instructor. all the while being called maggots and girls, LOL...one table at another platoon couldn't get it done to satisfy their Senior Drill Instructor, SSgt Buldoon. He jumped up on the end of the table and walked down it kicking the food trays at his "herd". watched him also screw around with his sword at a battalion friday parade, stabbed himself just below the left eye.
recruit in another platoon had his arm broken by a Drill instructor at the range first day we were there. another Drill Instructor had caught a small snake and ordered the recruit to deliver the snake to his Drill Instructor, who did not like snakes, he broke the kids arm getting out of the way of the snake.
but we survived it, and were a unit, no longer a herd.
