Drill for life
05-19-2009, 06:31 PM
Happy 232d B-day!
On Nov. 10, the Marine Corps turns 232 years old. Ever since it was formed in a Philadelphia bar in 1775, the Corps has given Marines countless reasons to take pride in the heritage of their organization.
There is no shortage of instances in which Marine units and individuals have distinguished themselves in battle, but the bragging rights earned over the past 232 years weren't all born on the battlefield.
The Corps' culture sets it apart from other branches of the military in ways that those who have never earned the eagle, globe and anchor find difficult to fully understand. But what is obvious to even the most casual observer is that Marines distinguish themselves through their unique appearance, spirit and accomplishments.
To know the Corps is to love the Corps, which is why Marine Corps Times compiled the following list of 232 reasons to stand proudly at this year's birthday ball.
1. Cpl. Jason Dunham. First Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since Vietnam. If jumping on a grenade to save a buddy isn't worth the top of the list, nothing is.
2. Civilians have to find time to go to the gym. Marines get paid to go.
3. The National Museum of the Marine Corps. It's like a Smithsonian of leatherneck.
4. There's no such thing as an "ex" Marine.
5. Re-enlistment rates are higher IN the war zone.
6. Stink-proof socks. Well, almost. Systems Command is working on them.
7. Jalapeņo cheese.
8. "Every Marine Into the Fight."
9. Lump-sum re-enlistment bonuses up to $80,000. Many of you would consider doing it for free.
10. New uniforms #1. Pixel-pattern cammies? Yeah, the Corps came up with that.
11. "Doc."
12. Flexed arm hang is harder than it looks. We tried it.
13. Barracks parties on non-payday weekends.
14. Marine Gunners.
15. The Wounded Warrior Regiment.
16. MarAdmin 266/07: Letting 18-year-old Marines drink on base at this year's birthday ball.
17. No receipt necessary for travel claim expenses less than $75.
18. The lance corporal underground.
19. Fallujah II.
21. Archibald Henderson's couch, re-upholstered, is still in the commandant's living room.
22. "No better friend, no worse enemy."
23. Typhoons approaching Okinawa often spark islandwide beer runs.
24. Waivers.
25. Gen. James Jones, who followed his tour as commandant with appointment as "supreme intergalactic overlord" (OK, it was Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, but close).
26. 10 rounds from the 500-yard line.
27. Per diem.
28. To civilians, every Marine is recon.
29. Recruiting in Texas is like hunting at the zoo.
30. The "boat cloak." Because every super hero needs a cape.
31. You can re-enlist in the IRR.
32. The wallet in your sock.
33. Motivating television commercials.
34. The "horse shoe" haircut, gone but not forgotten.
35. The global address list. Find your buddies and send them links to Marine Corps Times.
36. Running cadences that mention napalm. And Eskimos.
37. Stories that begin with, "So there I was ..."
38. Modified parade rest.
39. The transformation. Who you are when you join is not nearly as important as who you become.
40. Lt. Gen. Jim Mattis getting a fourth star.
41. If you've been on liberty in Twentynine Palms, you've been on liberty in Yuma and Barstow, too.
42. Grooming standards. Not only can you not act like a thug, you cannot look like a thug.
43. It's not the Army.
44. Women in Manhattan have all seen the Fleet Week episode of "Sex and the City."
45. Combat shotguns.
46. Combat Action Ribbons. IEDs count now, and should have counted all along. Duh.
47. The occasional free beer. Wear your blues into a bar and see what happens.
48. After decades of debate, there remains no resolution on whether sand fleas trump "The Reaper."
49. The Corps' doesn't call its officers, commissioned or not, "petty."
50. Cpl. Gareth Hawkins, lying on a stretcher after an IED shattered his leg, demanded re-enlistment before medical evacuation. And got it.
51. Whereas Army, Navy and Air Force jokes are funny, Marine jokes are potentially dangerous.
52. The occasional friendly debate. Refer to a Marine staff noncommissioned officer simply as "sergeant," and see what happens.
53. That troublesome "10 percent," making good Marines look great since 1775.
54. Everyone at a high school reunion is obliged to justify his last 10 years, except the guy wearing alphas.
55. As if ranks that include the words "master" and "gunnery" aren't intimidating enough on their own, the Corps uses them both. At once.
56. Soldiers have Hooah Bars. Marines have Ka-Bars. The second will generally get you the first.
57. The dress code. You can wear your cammies to meet the commandant or repair a tank.
58. From "Aliens" to "Doom," the future vision of warfare almost always includes Space Marines.
59. The Corps was formed in a bar.
60. Marines predicted the WWII campaigns in the Pacific years earlier and prepared for the inevitable. So when a Marine says, "Hey, I've been thinking ..." perhaps you should take notes.
61. Give a Marine some free time, and he'll rip down your dictator's statue.
62. If it ain't raining, we ain't training.
64. Duty station garden spots: Jacksonville, N.C.; Yuma, Ariz.; Bridgeport, Calif.; Twentynine Palms, Calif. (Yes, we're kidding.)
65. Making morning PT on time.
66. Recruiters who promise everything EXCEPT a rose garden.
67. Mustangs #1. It's easier to take crap from a CO who went to boot camp.
69. Gen. Peter Pace, the first Marine chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He left his four-star insignia with his fallen comrades at the Vietnam Wall when he retired. Nice move.
70. The people zapper. Using microwave energy to disperse a crowd sounds like fun. Semper fry, gunny.
71. Nothing says "Good morning" like a mouthful of Copenhagen and freeze-dried coffee.
72. Nothing says "I love you" like a welcome home sheet hanging on a chain-link fence.
73. Bill Barnes. In June, the former Marine beat the crap out of a 27-year-old pickpocket who tried to make off with his dough. Oh yeah, he's 72.
74. Leftwich Trophy. Heisman winners only think they know about leaving it all on the field.
75. EOD. If you don't know why this is on the list, defuse the next IED yourself.
76. Tax-free combat pay. Doing what you signed up for and not having to give Uncle Sam a dime back.
77. Montford Point Marines. The first African-American Marines know a little something about honor, courage and commitment.
78. Front toward enemy. It's not just a visual reference on a Claymore mine, it's a Marine Corps way of life.
79. Mustangs #2. You know at least three Marines who drive them. It's like a Ford dealership exploded on base.
80. Fred Smith, founder of FedEx. Only a former Marine could truly appreciate the value of getting your mail on time.
81. CMC: The tallest member of the Joints Chiefs. OK, so we haven't actually measured, but he looks the tallest anyway.
82. No more spit shining boots.
83. Chuck Norris was in the Air Force. Steve McQueen was a Marine.
84. The Crucible.
85. 1/9, 2/9 and 3/9. Welcome back, fellas.
86. The FROG uniform. You are now sweat-wickin' AND flame-lickin'.
88. The M4. More rifles in the fight is generally a win-win.
89. MRAPs. Trucks straight out of Mad Max. We still love a good Humvee, but we loved jeeps, too. Things change.
90. Arty guys who do civil affairs. They blow it up, then they fix it.
Circle of life.
91. Service Charlies. They look so good, the Navy's copying 'em.
92. Fake Marines. No one eats 'em up faster than real Marines.
93. John Lovell. A 71-year-old former Marine is sitting in a Subway restaurant when two armed men try to rob the place. Lovell grabs his .45, kills one and wounds the other. No word on how Lovell's sandwich fared.
94. 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. Six Navy Crosses so far. Six.
95. Staff Sgt. Lawrence Dean II, aka the "BadAss Marine." He recites a poem.
He gets uploaded to YouTube. Thousands get motivated.
96. Gen. James Conway takes over as the new commandant. Among his demands: a new PT uniform, new tattoo regs, a plan to add dress blues to the seabag, a change-up in medals and 22,000 more Marines. Someone's been thinking about taking over for a while, huh?
97. Body-fat standards. Everyone hates them, until they see a fat Marine.
98. "Jarhead." Only a former Marine could write a war story about not fighting anyone and make it last for 200 pages, then get Jamie Foxx to star in the movie.
99. The Stumps. The Rock. The Sandbox. Oh, the places you'll serve.
101. Tattoos #2. Getting a fallen friend's name tattooed on your other forearm, and knowing the same.
I found this on another fourm I am registered on and it just lifted my spirt. If you ant to be a Marine read this and feel the lift;) get some.
On Nov. 10, the Marine Corps turns 232 years old. Ever since it was formed in a Philadelphia bar in 1775, the Corps has given Marines countless reasons to take pride in the heritage of their organization.
There is no shortage of instances in which Marine units and individuals have distinguished themselves in battle, but the bragging rights earned over the past 232 years weren't all born on the battlefield.
The Corps' culture sets it apart from other branches of the military in ways that those who have never earned the eagle, globe and anchor find difficult to fully understand. But what is obvious to even the most casual observer is that Marines distinguish themselves through their unique appearance, spirit and accomplishments.
To know the Corps is to love the Corps, which is why Marine Corps Times compiled the following list of 232 reasons to stand proudly at this year's birthday ball.
1. Cpl. Jason Dunham. First Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since Vietnam. If jumping on a grenade to save a buddy isn't worth the top of the list, nothing is.
2. Civilians have to find time to go to the gym. Marines get paid to go.
3. The National Museum of the Marine Corps. It's like a Smithsonian of leatherneck.
4. There's no such thing as an "ex" Marine.
5. Re-enlistment rates are higher IN the war zone.
6. Stink-proof socks. Well, almost. Systems Command is working on them.
7. Jalapeņo cheese.
8. "Every Marine Into the Fight."
9. Lump-sum re-enlistment bonuses up to $80,000. Many of you would consider doing it for free.
10. New uniforms #1. Pixel-pattern cammies? Yeah, the Corps came up with that.
11. "Doc."
12. Flexed arm hang is harder than it looks. We tried it.
13. Barracks parties on non-payday weekends.
14. Marine Gunners.
15. The Wounded Warrior Regiment.
16. MarAdmin 266/07: Letting 18-year-old Marines drink on base at this year's birthday ball.
17. No receipt necessary for travel claim expenses less than $75.
18. The lance corporal underground.
19. Fallujah II.
21. Archibald Henderson's couch, re-upholstered, is still in the commandant's living room.
22. "No better friend, no worse enemy."
23. Typhoons approaching Okinawa often spark islandwide beer runs.
24. Waivers.
25. Gen. James Jones, who followed his tour as commandant with appointment as "supreme intergalactic overlord" (OK, it was Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, but close).
26. 10 rounds from the 500-yard line.
27. Per diem.
28. To civilians, every Marine is recon.
29. Recruiting in Texas is like hunting at the zoo.
30. The "boat cloak." Because every super hero needs a cape.
31. You can re-enlist in the IRR.
32. The wallet in your sock.
33. Motivating television commercials.
34. The "horse shoe" haircut, gone but not forgotten.
35. The global address list. Find your buddies and send them links to Marine Corps Times.
36. Running cadences that mention napalm. And Eskimos.
37. Stories that begin with, "So there I was ..."
38. Modified parade rest.
39. The transformation. Who you are when you join is not nearly as important as who you become.
40. Lt. Gen. Jim Mattis getting a fourth star.
41. If you've been on liberty in Twentynine Palms, you've been on liberty in Yuma and Barstow, too.
42. Grooming standards. Not only can you not act like a thug, you cannot look like a thug.
43. It's not the Army.
44. Women in Manhattan have all seen the Fleet Week episode of "Sex and the City."
45. Combat shotguns.
46. Combat Action Ribbons. IEDs count now, and should have counted all along. Duh.
47. The occasional free beer. Wear your blues into a bar and see what happens.
48. After decades of debate, there remains no resolution on whether sand fleas trump "The Reaper."
49. The Corps' doesn't call its officers, commissioned or not, "petty."
50. Cpl. Gareth Hawkins, lying on a stretcher after an IED shattered his leg, demanded re-enlistment before medical evacuation. And got it.
51. Whereas Army, Navy and Air Force jokes are funny, Marine jokes are potentially dangerous.
52. The occasional friendly debate. Refer to a Marine staff noncommissioned officer simply as "sergeant," and see what happens.
53. That troublesome "10 percent," making good Marines look great since 1775.
54. Everyone at a high school reunion is obliged to justify his last 10 years, except the guy wearing alphas.
55. As if ranks that include the words "master" and "gunnery" aren't intimidating enough on their own, the Corps uses them both. At once.
56. Soldiers have Hooah Bars. Marines have Ka-Bars. The second will generally get you the first.
57. The dress code. You can wear your cammies to meet the commandant or repair a tank.
58. From "Aliens" to "Doom," the future vision of warfare almost always includes Space Marines.
59. The Corps was formed in a bar.
60. Marines predicted the WWII campaigns in the Pacific years earlier and prepared for the inevitable. So when a Marine says, "Hey, I've been thinking ..." perhaps you should take notes.
61. Give a Marine some free time, and he'll rip down your dictator's statue.
62. If it ain't raining, we ain't training.
64. Duty station garden spots: Jacksonville, N.C.; Yuma, Ariz.; Bridgeport, Calif.; Twentynine Palms, Calif. (Yes, we're kidding.)
65. Making morning PT on time.
66. Recruiters who promise everything EXCEPT a rose garden.
67. Mustangs #1. It's easier to take crap from a CO who went to boot camp.
69. Gen. Peter Pace, the first Marine chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He left his four-star insignia with his fallen comrades at the Vietnam Wall when he retired. Nice move.
70. The people zapper. Using microwave energy to disperse a crowd sounds like fun. Semper fry, gunny.
71. Nothing says "Good morning" like a mouthful of Copenhagen and freeze-dried coffee.
72. Nothing says "I love you" like a welcome home sheet hanging on a chain-link fence.
73. Bill Barnes. In June, the former Marine beat the crap out of a 27-year-old pickpocket who tried to make off with his dough. Oh yeah, he's 72.
74. Leftwich Trophy. Heisman winners only think they know about leaving it all on the field.
75. EOD. If you don't know why this is on the list, defuse the next IED yourself.
76. Tax-free combat pay. Doing what you signed up for and not having to give Uncle Sam a dime back.
77. Montford Point Marines. The first African-American Marines know a little something about honor, courage and commitment.
78. Front toward enemy. It's not just a visual reference on a Claymore mine, it's a Marine Corps way of life.
79. Mustangs #2. You know at least three Marines who drive them. It's like a Ford dealership exploded on base.
80. Fred Smith, founder of FedEx. Only a former Marine could truly appreciate the value of getting your mail on time.
81. CMC: The tallest member of the Joints Chiefs. OK, so we haven't actually measured, but he looks the tallest anyway.
82. No more spit shining boots.
83. Chuck Norris was in the Air Force. Steve McQueen was a Marine.
84. The Crucible.
85. 1/9, 2/9 and 3/9. Welcome back, fellas.
86. The FROG uniform. You are now sweat-wickin' AND flame-lickin'.
88. The M4. More rifles in the fight is generally a win-win.
89. MRAPs. Trucks straight out of Mad Max. We still love a good Humvee, but we loved jeeps, too. Things change.
90. Arty guys who do civil affairs. They blow it up, then they fix it.
Circle of life.
91. Service Charlies. They look so good, the Navy's copying 'em.
92. Fake Marines. No one eats 'em up faster than real Marines.
93. John Lovell. A 71-year-old former Marine is sitting in a Subway restaurant when two armed men try to rob the place. Lovell grabs his .45, kills one and wounds the other. No word on how Lovell's sandwich fared.
94. 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. Six Navy Crosses so far. Six.
95. Staff Sgt. Lawrence Dean II, aka the "BadAss Marine." He recites a poem.
He gets uploaded to YouTube. Thousands get motivated.
96. Gen. James Conway takes over as the new commandant. Among his demands: a new PT uniform, new tattoo regs, a plan to add dress blues to the seabag, a change-up in medals and 22,000 more Marines. Someone's been thinking about taking over for a while, huh?
97. Body-fat standards. Everyone hates them, until they see a fat Marine.
98. "Jarhead." Only a former Marine could write a war story about not fighting anyone and make it last for 200 pages, then get Jamie Foxx to star in the movie.
99. The Stumps. The Rock. The Sandbox. Oh, the places you'll serve.
101. Tattoos #2. Getting a fallen friend's name tattooed on your other forearm, and knowing the same.
I found this on another fourm I am registered on and it just lifted my spirt. If you ant to be a Marine read this and feel the lift;) get some.