Marine Corps Knowledge | What Should You Know Before Boot Camp?
Whether you, yourself are considering joining the Marine Corps, are in the process of joining, or are a parent of a future Marine it may surprise you to know that quite a bit of time in boot camp is spent in the classroom! That’s right, it’s not all screaming, yelling, and getting destroyed by the Drill Instructors 24/7. In this post, we’re going to cover all of the Marine Corps Knowledge you should know before shipping off to Basic Training. Be sure to stick around till the end for your FREE copy of this eBook!
What To Expect At Boot Camp
As I mentioned above, a lot of time in Basic Training is spent in the classroom. It’s honestly something you’ll look forward to. Any time away from your Drill Instructors should be cherished. Although, you don’t want to be that Recruit that gets caught falling asleep in class. Make no mistake, your DI’s are lurking in the shadows waiting to destroy you for any little slip-up.
When it comes to the classroom you will learn everything from Basic Marine Corps Knowledge to the history of our beloved Corps. In this post, we will be covering Basic Marine Corps Knowledge. I encourage you to follow along and familiarize yourself with everything in this post. I will also highlight what I think should be memorized before shipping out, so pay attention!
I created this eBook for you all to use and study. I wish I had this before I joined the Marine Corps back in 2010, instead, I used flashcards and memorized what I could. This is my gift to you all because I want you to be as successful and prepared as you can be before Recruit Training.
Grab your FREE Copy of this book at the end of this post!
Marine Corps Ranks – Enlisted & Officer
Memorizing the Ranks of the Marine Corps is a must in my opinion. In the Marines you will be addressing your superiors by their Ranks so the faster you can have these memorized the better off you’ll be.
I would first memorize the Enlisted Ranks and then work on memorizing the Officer Ranks. You will be spending the majority of your time around Enlisted Marines if you decide to go Enlisted. If you are going in as an Officer, then consider the opposite.
Here are the Enlisted Ranks of the Marine Corps.
Keep in mind that at the E-8 level there are two different “career paths” a Marine can take. We won’t dive into the details in this post, because it isn’t important to know at this time, but if you would like to look into it more you can do so here.
Below are the Pay Grades, Titles, and the Spoken Descriptions of the Enlisted Marine Corps Ranks. You will be tested on these in Basic Training so I would, at the very least, familiarize you with this chart!
Here are the Warrant Officer and Officer Ranks of the Marine Corps.
When it comes to the Warrant Officer and Officer Ranks in the Marine Corps, I would recommend focusing on the Officer Ranks first, before the Warrant Officer Ranks. Once have successfully memorized the Officer Ranks work on memorizing the Warrant Officer Ranks. If you would like to learn more about the differences between Warrant Officers and Officers and their specific career paths you can do so here.
11 General Orders
The Marine Corps 11 General Orders are important rules that all Marines are expected to memorize. They serve as a guide to any possible scenario a Marine Sentry might encounter while on Duty. If you wish to learn more about the 11 Marine Corps General Orders, you can do so here.
Marine Corps Core Values
Honor, Courage, and Commitment are the Marine Corps Core Values. These are what Marines live and fight by. You should have these memorized before you ship out and understand the meaning of each!
Marine Corps Leadership Traits
The 14 Leadership Traits are qualities every Marine should strive to possess. Marines are leaders and the sooner you can understand and memorize these 14 Leadership Traits, the sooner you can become one as well. Keep in mind that one does not become a leader without learning, growing, and following sound leaders. It is something you must practice. There is no better place to develop one’s leadership skills than the Marine Corps.
I encourage you to understand each leadership trait and its individual meaning. The better you understand each the easier it will be for you to slowly develop it. With leadership comes respect, but respect must be earned, never given. Don’t ever forget that!
The Marines’ Hymn
According to the Headquarters of the Marine Corps, “The Marines’ Hymn is the most recognizable military hymn and the oldest official song in the U.S. Armed Forces. The Marines’ Hymn is a reminder of the sacrifice and courage that Marines have shown on the battlefield. It is an important part of Marine Corps culture — every Marine can recite its three stanzas by heart.” Need I say more? You should, at the very least, familiarize yourself with the Marines’ Hymn before Basic. You will have it memorized by the time you graduate from Boot Camp!
Marine Corps Rifleman’s Creed
Created in 1942 by Marine Brigadier General William H. Rupertus, the then-Commanding General of Marine Corps Base San Diego, the Rifleman’s Creed is an integral part of a Marine. Every Marine is first and foremost a Rifleman. Every Marine is required to memorize this creed. Familiarize yourself with the Rifleman’s Creed. You will have it memorized before you graduate from Boot Camp!
Military Time
Military Time operates on its own unique time system. Used by the military, emergency services such as law enforcement, firefighting, and emergency medical personnel as well as hospitals, Military Time is a comprehensive method of expressing time.
“Military time operates on a 24- hour clock that begins at midnight which is referred to as 0000 hours, with 1:00 a.m. being 0100 hours, 2:00 a.m. being 0200 hours, etc. all the way to 11:00 p.m. being 2300 hours.”
https://militaryconnection.com/military-time/
I encourage you to do your best to understand how Military Time works. Memorizing this before you ship off to Basic Training is recommended!
Things To Keep In Mind
As you can see, there isn’t that much to learn. It may seem like a lot, but you will have all of this memorized by the time you graduate from Recruit Training!
With that being said, the more you can memorize before you ship out, the better! Recruit Training is a competitive environment and not for the faint of heart. The ability to be one step ahead of your peers will benefit you in many ways. Your Drill Instructors are looking for sound leaders to fill those squad leaders and guide positions. These positions afford you the opportunity to gain promotions right out of boot camp, giving you a step ahead of your fellow peers when you hit the fleet! Oh, and more rank means more money in your pockets every month!
As promised, here is your FREE copy of the Marine Corps Knowledge eBook!
Thanks for stopping by!
Semper Fidelis,
Tony
Sergeant (Marine Corps Veteran)
For The Corps
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